Slow down your fastball

A while back I wrote a post called Why pitchers should watch batting practice.  The basic message to pitchers was that hitting is extremely hard.  Unfortunately, many pitchers seem to forget that basic concept when they step on the mound.  As an example, I mentioned what happens when the coach unintentionally takes off even a […]

Should you swing 3-0?

“I never quite understood why so many people just automatically take 3-0.  If you’re a smart enough hitter, and you’re able to just say to yourself, ‘OK, I’m going to get a certain pitch in a certain spot,’ it’s like a free swing. A lot of times, even if a guy swings 3-0 and fouls […]

The one hop throw to second base

One of the biggest challenges for young players is transitioning to larger fields.  Many of the mistakes that players can get away with on small fields just don’t fly on big fields.  There are so many examples of this.  Today’s post is one regarding catchers. When kids start to play on the larger fields, runners […]

The stat I’d like to see

Baseball has to be a mathematicians dream.  No sport even comes close to the amount of numbers compiled and analyzed by baseball fans and commentators.  Add the new Sabermetrics to the mix and it’s practically nirvana for number geeks. However, there is one stat that I haven’t seen yet.  I don’t follow all the new […]

The wipe off sign

My three older sisters were not into sports and didn’t know much about baseball.  However, for some reason, all were fascinated by coaches signs.  When they watched a game, they loved watching coaches flash signs to the players and always wanted to know what my signs were for my players.  When I told them a […]

Improve your hitting by playing catch

I don’t care how good of an athlete you are, if you do not see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, you are not going to be a good hitter.  The pitch occurs in a fraction of a second and if you miss any of it, especially the beginning, you’re done.  Therefore, any drill […]

Too much body

When you watch talented players perform they always seem to make the skill look so easy.  For example, a batter like Miguel Cabrera seems to hit effortlessly no matter who is pitching and where the ball is thrown.  Matt Harvey My father always says, “You can’t beat genetics.”  Some people are just naturally gifted athletes. […]

Pop-up drills for catchers

When practicing pop-up drills for catchers, there are a number of ways you can do it.  The best way, as shown in yesterday’s post, is with a pitching machine.  If you do not have one available, it is virtually impossible to mimic the  infield drift part of the play unless you are gifted with a […]

Practicing for Infield Drift

In yesterday’s post I explained the concept of infield drift.  Unfortunately, there is really only one way to practice this play effectively and that means using a pitching machine.  Of course, if you have an advanced degree in hitting pop-ups with a fungo then you are all set.  Most coaches don’t have the ability to […]

Infield drift

A batter hits a ball straight up over home plate a mile high.  A “home run in an elevator shaft” as they say.  The catcher rips his mask off, turns his back to the infield (like he should), and confidently screams “I got it!”   When the ball starts to come down the catcher starts […]

You’ve got to be kidding me (Part 3)

Here is another episode of “You got to be kidding me.” My family and I recently attended a AA game in Reading, PA.  I actually caught a foul ball (!) but that’s not why this post is being written.  Here’s the story. Every time I go to a minor league game I check who the […]

Pitching: Front side – Back side

Of all the things I mention to pitchers, “reversing your shoulders and hips” tends to be the most common.  As pitchers get older, the distance they pitch from gets longer.  If they do not master this primary concept they will have a short career on a full size field.  The photo sequence below is a […]

Better hitting with an ankle weight

During my career as a position player, my biggest hitting challenge was controlling my front foot on my stride.  I tended to jump/lunge on the pitch too much.  It was a constant battle.  When I kept my stride foot under control I hit well.  When I couldn’t, I got eaten up rather easily.  Unfortunately, it […]

Sprinkler syndrome

Sprinkler Syndrome is the term used when describing a pitcher who is more horizontal with their movements than vertical.  You typically only see this syndrome at the lower levels because a pitcher who does it will probably never reach the higher levels.  It only works when the pitcher throws a short distance. When I’m working […]

The bases loaded walk

You are pitching.  It’s early in the game or ahead by a few runs late in the game. You have the bases loaded and the other team’s best hitter at the plate.  You are behind in the count.  What do you do?   I say pitch around him. Young pitchers grow up hearing the importance […]

Off-season workouts – Fixed links

Every now and then I receive an email from a reader informing me that a link on my site is no longer working.  Below are two such links that apply to off-season weight programs.  The links on the posts are fixed as well but I though I’d post them here as well. If you ever […]

How to round first base

It’s been a while since my last video tip but here’s the latest.  It involves the proper way to round first base depending on where the ball is hit.   Enjoy!

A few good Cardinals

What every team needs is a few (actually a lot of) Cardinals.  As in St. Louis Cardinals.  I had a chance to watch a few Cardinals games over the past week and to say the least, they are a pleasure to watch.  They move runners over.  They put the ball in play.  They bunt.  They […]