People don’t like to be pushed

If you ask someone in the older generation to describe their best teacher or coach you will often get a response something like this … “He pushed me farther than I thought I could go and never let me take the easy road.  He demanded 100% effort at all times and never accepted any excuses.  Honestly, I couldn’t […]

Running at a runner

We’ve all seen a situation where a runner gets caught off a base and proceeds to get into a rundown.  It could have been the result of a pickoff play or maybe just rounded a bag too far and got caught in between bases.  When runners make this kind of mistake, it is extrememly important […]

Why the less talented player starts over you

Go to any bar in America and you are bound to come across someone who played high school baseball.   If the guy was not a starter, the #1 reason given will be “because the coach hated me.”  Now go to any coaches convention and survey all the coaches to see what their reasons were for playing one kid over another.  […]

Playing behind the runner at first base

Here are my situations when playing behind the runner at first base is either the right move or at least a possibility:   A runner on second or second and third as well.  This is one of the few absolutes in baseball.  DO NOT have your first baseman hold the runner on when there is […]

Assessing a rough season

As the high school/community season ends and the summer season starts, it’s important to assess how things have gone so far and decide how to precede the rest of the way.  Hopefully things have gone well up until now.  If that’s the case, keep doing what you are doing!  If not, you really should do […]

Coach of the Year

In my area (Philadelphia), high school playoffs have begun so for most teams, their seasons are either over or soon will be.  In my local and regional newspapers, all-league selections are starting to appear from the various public and private leagues.  Soon, various Coach of the Year awards will be handed out as well. During […]

Teach it to learn it

For you teachers out there, you know very well that the quickest way to learn something is to have to teach it.  That’s because to teach it effectively you have to know the material inside and out.  You also have to know different ways of explaining it in case you get the dreaded question “I […]

Give your teammates a breather

The other day I saw a high school pitcher make this mistake and I thought others could learn from it as well.  A batter hit a fly ball far down the right field line.  The right fielder busted his butt trying to get to the area and make the catch but the ball was too […]

Fake pickoffs to second base

As pitchers get older and runners are able to steal, the ability to hold runners becomes more important.  What a lot of young pitchers fail to realize is that holding runners does not have to mean picking runners off.  I’m a big fan of pickoffs and think pitchers often overlook that possibility during games but […]

Don’t rely on teammates

The title of this post may seem a little strange on the surface since the essense of teamwork is working together and relying on your teammates.  However, relying too much on teammates can cause some problems and prevent players from efficiently making plays.  Here are three examples: 1. On a relay throw to the third baseman […]

How to watch pitchers warm up

In yesterday’s post I mentioned how often I notice pitchers not throwing from the stretch until they are in the game.  Of course, you notice that by watching the pitchers warm-up.  A great habit to get into as a player is to pay very close attention to the guy you are about to face.  Unfortunately, […]

Throw from the stretch!

With my kids’ activities and teaching all day I do not have a lot of time to head off to a field to watch a lot of high school games.  In fact, I only managed to see three so far and for each one I only was able to stay the first couple innings.  That’s […]

How to give a pitchout sign

In just about all levels of baseball, the catcher’s sign for the pitchout is the fist.  The catcher gets the sign from the coach, he puts the fist down, and the pitcher complies.  Pretty simple. When you get to the higher levels, however, this simplicity can make it easier for the other team (or base […]

How to throw into the wind

When you are playing the infield, another of the many challenges you may face is a stiff wind coming directly from first base.  That means every throw to first you make is going to be straight into the wind.  That can pose a problem with velocity and accuracy if you don’t handle it appropriately.  No […]

Defense for beginners – The Three B’s

My son asked me to help out again with his 7 year old team this season.  Another dad who is helping out threw a phrase at the kids the other day that I had never heard off before.  He told them of the “Three B’s of Defense.”  Before getting into what that means, let me just […]

Don’t turn your back

This quick tip is for middle infielders. When there are runners on base, especially third base, it is common for one or both middle infielders to back up the throw coming back to the pitcher from the catcher after the pitch.  However, very often the middle infielder(s) will make a basic mistake when returning to their […]

Does your swing match your thinking?

There is a runner on third base with less than two outs.  The infield is back.  All your slap hitter needs to do is to put the ball in play on the ground and you get a run.  What does he do?  He drops his back shoulder, loops way under the ball, and pops it up to […]

How to talk to reporters

About a week ago I was flipping through the sports channels and came across a story about a AA closer who throws it up there around 100mph.  During the course of the interview he basically said the following:  (paraphrased, but not much) “I don’t have to throw my hardest to put it past hitters.” “When […]

Infield drills eBook

I’m proud to announce another eBook I’ve created!  This one is for Infield Drills.  It has 40 drills that improve all areas of defensive fundamentals whether you are dealing with beginners or advanced players.  All for the price of $4.99.  I even throw in 10 more bonus drills for FREE.  That’s 50 drills for under […]

You may not need a breaking ball

I’d be rich if I got a nickel for every young pitcher who said they had 5 or more pitches.  I’ve even heard it from parents as well.  I don’t want to embarrass them with my response so usually I laugh in my head.  I laugh because in most cases the kid has 5 or […]

You better learn how to laugh

Ever think that this might be the team you are coaching? We’ve all been there.  Young players at all levels will drive you nuts.  How many of you CAN’T say that the following things happened in one of your games: You scratch and claw to get back into the game only to have your pitcher walk […]