Games with no coaches

A couple weeks ago I was listening to John Kruk talk during one of the ESPN games.  He mentioned he had a conversation with the head coach of Princeton University who told him that he frequently has Fall games where coaches do nothing but watch.  I’ve done that several times myself with my high school […]

Derek Jeter says he wasn’t great. So what was he?

This year’s lead-up to the MLB All-Star Game had several tribute stories about Derek Jeter.  One was an interview where the interviewer described Jeter as “great.”  Jeter responded by saying, “I am not great.  I’ve had confidence in myself and I was consistent.  I also worked very, very hard”   A simple description that says […]

Staying home for college

Quick … tell me what all of the following players have in common. Matt Adams Todd Frazier Craig Biggio Mo Vaughn Ryan Vogelsong Tommy Herr Dave Winfield Bobby Higginson Charles Nagy George Springer Jamie Moyer Doug Glanville Mark DeRosa Joe Nathan Jeff Bagwell John Franco Answer:  They all were players who stayed up North to attend […]

The modern coach

Ever get the feeling that this is how some people want you to coach these days? Tomorrow’s post: Staying home for college

High energy players

We are approaching the dog days of summer when the heat and humidity tends to peak.  Most players’ bodies are screaming for a vacation right about now.  Most players’ bodies desperately want a few days off.  Maybe a solid three days of rainouts to let the body rest. I took my son to a local […]

Swing until my eyes tell me NO

Aggressiveness at the plate is a tough thing to teach.  It seems like some hitters are just not very interested in swinging the bat.  “I’m swinging if it’s a strike” is a common phrase that I am not too fond of.  I believe it can lead to this kind of tentativeness.  An alternate, more aggressive, saying is “swing […]

Pointing the knob at the catcher

Just read the title of this post and you’ll probably figure out what all the following hitters have in common …   When they load up on the stride, each one has the knob of the bat facing towards the catcher.  Some do it more than others but they all do it to some degree. […]

Good news for players with great make-up

There seems to be a change happening in baseball.  At least for one team anyway and I couldn’t be happier. We’ve all seen players with incredible make-up (character, work ethic, intensity, energy, optimism, etc.) who were not blessed with incredible physical ability.  Scouts may not drool over these kids but those in the coaching world […]

Pyramids don’t tip over

If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about young players it would be to get each and every one of them to have a wide base with their head between their feet and generally get their bodies in a strong athletic position before throwing, running, fielding, and everything else in the game. […]

Cliff Notes and watching baseball

Be honest … how many of you used Cliff Notes instead of reading the entire book in high school English class?  I did.  In my eyes, being forced to read about a big whale or some old guy and the sea were clearly examples of cruel and unusual punishment.  I’d rather take some swings outside. […]

Lead arm action for pitchers

I hope all your July 4th plans went well!  Glad to be back! Today’s tip is for pitchers who are looking to get a little more power on their pitches.  Look at all of these three photos and you’ll see some things they have in common … First, the pitchers’ lead arms are about parallel […]