Make someone pay

At an early age, my father taught me to make someone pay for bad games,
 slumps, and losing streaks.  It is good advice for individual
 players and teams alike. 
 Baseball has a way of mentally wearing you down over time.  When it 
does, it becomes very easy to lash out at yourself, teammates, and/or
 coaches.  […]

Is bunting overrated?

At the Major League level, bunting has become a thing of the past with 
the exception of pitchers in the National League.  Old school people
 hate this modern trend against bunting but statistically speaking,
 bunting at the Major League level does seem to be a bad strategy in
 general.  The reason for this is that […]

Third Base Coach Positioning

At the younger levels you don’t see coaches venture too far from the designated coaching boxes on both sides of the field.  The purpose of the boxes is to prevent coaches from getting too close to the field and interfere with the game.  Getting too close to the line before the pitch can allow a […]

Step and catch timing

There are many situations in baseball where the fielder must step to the ball and make the catch.  Here are several I can think of: An outfielder getting behind a fly ball and stepping to the ball to make the catch. A shortstop turning a double play where he will need to step across the […]

When a team is well coached

I had the pleasure of catching a high school playoff game the other day.  Two well-coached teams played.  It’s a shame one team’s season came to an end but that’s baseball.  It was the second time this season I saw the visiting team and the first time I ever saw the home team that was […]

Earning the right to fail

A student of mine had a rough pitching start the other day.  He lasted 1/3 of an inning before being pulled from the game.  Pitch long enough and it will happen to you too.  It certainly has happened to me. For players at the high school level and above, outings like this can be devastating.  […]

Make the target bigger for more strikes

At all levels, pitchers run into times when their control suffers.  There are numerous causes to this loss of control.  Some are mechanical and some are mental.  Either way, it can be very frustrating for players, coaches, and parents when wildness occurs.  The key is for the player to make the necessary adjustments so that […]

A small tip for a bigger curve ball

Before I give this tip, do me a favor and snap your fingers for a few seconds.  Now snap your fingers again but this time use both your index finger AND your middle finger (equal pressure) along with your thumb.  How did it work?  Probably not as well the second time.  The reason for this […]

Pay attention to your first at-bat

Today’s tip is generally not needed at the lower levels.  It is more for players at the college and pro levels where there tends to be more scouting of other teams involved.  A while back I did an interview with a guy named Steve Springer.  If you have not listened to Steve before, you are […]

The 2-2 fastball

There is a saying among pitching coaches that goes “if you throw an off-speed pitch 2-2, you might as well throw it 3-2.”  Here is the reason for the saying.  If a pitcher throws a curve ball on a 2-2 count and it ends up being a ball, the count is now full at 3-2.  […]

My baseball nightmare

For as long as I can remember I’ve had the same recurring dream.  Actually, it’s more of a nightmare.  It’s always some version of the following. I get called up to the major leagues and I’m the first to arrive at the field on the big day.  My uniform is in my locker and everything […]

Playing catch with Pete Rose

When I was younger, my dad and I would frequently make trips to the backyard to play catch.  When my accuracy needed improving, he would always draw an imaginary circle in front of his chest with the ball to remind me that every throw should be in that circle.  Every time I missed that circle, […]

Purpose pitch vs Waste pitch

A pitch is thrown way outside and high.  A player from the bench yells “Good waste pitch!” But was it? I believe there is quite a difference between and purpose pitch and a waste pitch.  In my view, a purpose pitch is a pitch that isn’t necessarily a strike but still serves a purpose.  A […]

The trouble with seniors

Over the years, I have had numerous conversations with coaches at the high school and college levels.  We’ve talked about the good, the bad, and the ugly.  One common theme that you will tend to hear over time is the unique difficulties that pop up with regards to senior players and in some cases, their […]

Fill-In-The-Blank for coaches

The other day I posted (in jest) a template for parents to fill in after this baseball season.  A parent could use all positive words and phrases or all negative ones.  Their choice. Today’s version is for coaches. Enjoy! ** FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY ** Dear Mr./Mrs. ____________________ I just wanted to say how much […]

Fill-In-The-Blank for parents

Ever play Mad Libs?  Of course you have!  Well, here is one for parents at the end of this season.  Just fill in the blanks with a word or phrase that fits.  Be kind or be harsh.  Your choice! But be careful, there is another coming shortly for coaches! Enjoy! ** FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY […]

When second basemen cover first

I’ve probably wrote on this website a hundred times about how important proper footwork is when it comes to defense.  Most errors, non-plays, and other mistakes are causes by the feet not being in the correct place at the correct time.  There are countless examples of this but I noticed another the other day while […]

Wasted motion

One of the best ways to improve your game is to cut out any wasted motion.  It doesn’t matter if you are a pitcher, fielder, hitter, or base runner, cutting out wasted motion in your mechanics is going to allow you to do things faster.  Unfortunately, many players don’t even realize they do the things […]

Shut your mouth and give me the ball

Every now and then a Major League pitcher will blow up at a coach who comes out to pull him from the game.  With television, the whole ugly scene is recorded and shown for the entire sports world to see.  Unfortunately, these incidents often spill over to the dugout afterwards when the coach returns.  The […]

The no look delivery

There are several ways to hold runners on to limit their running game.  Having a good pickoff move is one of them.  Having several different types of pickoff moves is another.  Mixing your times to home plate is important as well.  The biggest tip coaches usually pass on to their pitchers is don’t get into […]

The 1st and 3rd dilemma

A couple weeks ago the Philadelphia Phillies had a common situation occur in three straight games that resulted in a negative outcome.  With no outs, there were runners on 1st and 3rd.  In all three cases, a ground ball was hit, the runner on 3rd took off towards home, and was out by a mile. […]

Lottery mentality

The lottery is said to be “a tax on people who can’t do math.”  That’s
 because you probably have better odds of getting hit by a bolt of lightning while
 doing cartwheels then winning the lottery.  Unfortunately, some people
 keep putting their future prosperity in the hands of five or six ping
 pong balls.  Not […]

Reading the ball off the bat

On a recent evening, I had the rare chance to watch a high school game.  From where I was sitting in the stands, my viewing angle was such that I could see the batter and a particular fielder in my field of vision at all times.  After a ball was hit to this fielder, something […]