In-season lifting: FAQ’s and options

Note: This is an updated version of an article I posted back in 2012. Many players understand the importance of off-season weight training to prepare their bodies for the rigors of a long season.  Back when I played, the full transition of weight training into baseball was not yet complete. There was still a significant […]

If you know a young player, make him watch this

Young American kids typically wear $80 spikes.  They use $300+ mako bats.  They play on nice fields and they carry baseball bags filled with 20 pounds of other gear.  Some are the best players in their area.  They have dreams of playing professional baseball and assume their previous success in the game will carry well into […]

How to autograph a baseball

I’m a stickler for doing things right when it comes to the game of baseball.  Right down to how to autograph a baseball. In today’s video tip, I show the wrong way and the right way to do it.  If you are going to do it, do it right!

If you can’t play catch, you can’t play baseball

The last part of the Bible is referred to as “The Last Days” and lists seven prophecies that some claim will predict and lead us towards the end of the world.  If my memory serves me, the first prophecy is “No child shall be able to play catch.”  If that is true then we are well on […]

Election day: Winners win

Well, it’s election day in America. I stay away from politics on this baseball site but today’s post adds a little to make a point.  After reading, I think you’ll see the connection to winning in baseball both as a player and a team. From scandals and corruption to vulgar language and bad jokes, both […]

Comedian’s take on Little League

Thought you would like this.  Comedian Brian Regan about his time in Little League baseball. Enjoy!

Tips for the showcase circuit

It’s showcase season! The Fall is when many high school players hit the showcase circuit in the attempts to woo a college or pro scout into giving up some money.  If you are already a selfish, “me only” player then you may stop reading and move on to another activity.  You won’t learn anything new […]

Brain teaser

Quick and without Googling it … give me a scenario where a triple play can happen without the ball touching a defensive player!     5-10-16 UPDATE:  Here is one way it could be done … Runners on 1st and 2nd or bases loaded.  Less than two outs.  Infield pop up.  Infield fly is declared and […]

Opening Day Quiz

This week kicked off the MLB season.  As always, one of my favorite columnists (George Will) had his annual quiz to mark the date.  Below is a link to the quiz.  Hopefully you will fare better than I did!  Have a great weekend and best of luck in any of your games! http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will040216.php3    

You find what you look for – A short story

A couple years back I wrote a short story called The Stubborn Hitter where the old groundskeeper teaches the young hitter a lesson.  To read it, click HERE.  Today’s post is the second installment.  It’s an old story, only this time with a baseball twist. One hot summer day, the league’s old groundskeeper was out […]

Old batting glove smell

  You know you are a ball player when your old batting gloves smell like heaven and your mother wants to throw them out.   If that smell could be bottled in a cologne, a ball player would wear it!   True?

Tommy John article

Hello everyone!  I hope all of you have great plans for the Fourth of July weekend!  Today’s post is another article written by a friend and coach who is also in the medical profession.  This one is on the Tommy John surgery epidemic.  I hope you like it! Have a great weekend and if you […]

Baseball sayings from baseball dads

My father was by far the biggest influence on my baseball career.  I’m sure a lot of people can say the same thing.  I’m sure there is a cave drawing somewhere showing a cave-dad having a stone catch with his son.  He probably grunted “keep your elbow up!” too. My dad had a saying for practically […]

Spring is just around the corner

Why is it that Fall and Winter are right on time every single year but Spring seems to take forever?  I admit that I might be a little jaded though since I just plowed 8 inches of snow off my driveway. I sure hope all you readers in the warmer climates appreciate what you have. […]

A message for hitters

Happy Halloween everyone!  Hope you have a great weekend! My son also wanted to send out a (not so subtle) Halloween message to hitters who like to dive out over the plate …

Correction

Welcome to another week everyone!   I need to make a correction on a video I posted a little while ago.  The post was called Footwork for holding runners at first base.  In the video I mentioned that according to the rules, the only player who is allowed to be in foul territory is the catcher. […]

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. […]

Random tips for summer ball

To me, there was nothing better than summer ball.  I woke up and other than some chores around the house, the day was just about baseball.  No school and no homework.  Just baseball. Although every level of summer ball was fun for me, it wasn’t always easy.  The heat and humidity along with multiple games […]

Balance and the brain in baseball

The human body is an incredible machine.  Take balance as an example.  When we perform a task such as walking, our body and brain are performing an amazing number of things to make sure we stay in balance.  Balance is so central to our functioning that our body and brain takes care of it all […]

A college coach’s letter about showcases

About a year ago I wrote a post called the Showcase Dance.  I was somewhat critical of the ratings players get at these showcases and more importantly, how some players and parents interpret those numbers.  If you have not read that post, click HERE. The video below proves I’m not the only one who thinks […]

Cold weather gear for baseball

As I type this post, the low temperature for this evening is 2.  No, that’s not a misprint.  For those in the warm states, there is not supposed to be a 7 or an 8 before the 2.  Just 2 degrees.  Tomorrow is supposed to improve dramatically and be six times as hot.  12 degrees. […]

What is your baseball IQ?

Last year I read a book called Intangibles by a guy named Geoff Miller.  He is a sports psychologist who has worked with a few major league teams including the Pittsburg Pirates and the Atlanta Braves.  His approach to working with players is very down to earth and his writing is along those same lines. […]

The double whammy of incompetence

This school year I am teaching a course I have never taught before.  It is AP Psychology.  It certainly is a lot of work but it has definitely been rewarding already.  I’ve always been fascinated by the field of sports/performance psychology so when another teacher was needed, I volunteered.   To brush up on my psychology […]

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.   My father always says, “You can’t beat genetics.”  Some people are just naturally gifted athletes.  However, when […]

You have to be pretty darn good

A few days ago Cole Hamels lost his 12th game of the season.  If they have not yet brought it up, someone is bound to start talking about the possibility of a 20 loss season for Cole. That certainly would be a nightmare of a season for Hamels but on the other hand, you’d have […]

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 […]

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 […]

You’ve got to be kidding me (Part 2)

So, I’m watching the Phillies game the other night and I have another “You’ve got to be kidding me” moment.  Before I tell you why, take a look at the game’s box score from ESPN.com.   If you just looked at the box score, you’d probably think it was a good game.  A good amount […]

$300 for a baseball glove?

Recently I bought a new baseball glove.  That doesn’t sound like a big deal but it’s the first glove I’ve bought since 1990.  I was fortunate that after a season of pro ball under my belt, I received a Rawlings contract which provided me two free gloves of my choosing per year.  Not the million […]

Trout or Cabrera

The Great Political Divide has spread to baseball.  Not between Democrats and Republicans but between people on the field (players and coaches) and Sabermetric people.  If you’ve been following Major League Baseball closely over the past few years, you had to have noticed the increased emphasis on Sabermetric calculations on the worth of players.  A […]

Optimism of baseball

In the last couple days, we’ve seen some remarkable playoff games that
 have come down to the wire.  Specifically, the A’s and the Yankees, just 
the other night, both won in walk-off fashion to the delight of their 
hometown fans and, I’m sure, to the executives of Major League Baseball.
  The Nationals won with a […]

Curse of the little things

When you are obsessed with the finer points of baseball, it sometimes makes it difficult to watch a game.  The other night I took my five year old son on a “guy’s night out” to watch an American Legion state tournament game.  My son was wide eyed and attentive.  He watched the game like any […]

The realities of being traded

Over the past few years, there have been multiple changes in my teaching profession.  Being a public school teacher today is very different than it was when I started almost 20 years ago.  Curriculum changes, teaching methods, accountability measures, work load, special education, and many other things have radically changed the teaching profession.  That being […]

Create your own “good luck”

The Phillies had a tough, 9th inning loss the other day to the Mets.  It’s been a tough year for the Phightin’ Phils and many have used the phrase “bad luck” when describing the Phillies woes.  When it comes to the injury bug, sometimes bad luck does come into play.  Being hit by a pitch, […]

Minor league survival kit (Part 2)

My parents said “You will not be ‘friends’ with everyone but you should be ‘friendly’ to everyone.”  That being said, we all know that some friends have a little more value than others.  Below are people every minor league player needs to befriend and why.  I don’t mean to befriend them in a manipulative way […]

Minor league survival kit

Every year, the Major League Amateur Draft brings me back to June, 1989.  It was the year I was drafted into pro ball.  A couple days later a scout from the organization arrived at my house and officially signed me.  He told me I was going to Sarasota, FL, for a mini-camp with other signees.  The organization […]

Errors are part of the game (and life)

There are many things that are great about baseball.  The list could go on forever.  High on that list for me would be that after every inning, the mistakes that the team made are announced for all to hear.  “Three runs on two hits and one error and after four full innings of play, the […]

The pressure of high school baseball

The American League East and the National League East are currently seen by most baseball people to be the best divisions in baseball.  Here are the teams: AL East NL East Baltimore Orioles Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox Miami Marlins NY Yankees NY Mets Tampa Bay Rays Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals   […]

Importance of team leaders

I’m listening to the Rangers-Yankees game the other night and the announcers are just raving about the Rangers squad.  Over the past two seasons, I admit that I was a little skeptical of the Rangers and their ability to contend in the American League.  Probably not seeing them much on the East Coast didn’t help […]

My All-Played With/Against Team

I wrote a post the other day about Chipper Jones and how he will be the last guy still playing that I played with or against.  It got me thinking about if I were to come up with a team of guys that I personally played with or against, who would be on that team? […]

Bill O’Reilly: Take me out to the ballgame

The following post was one of political commentator Bill O’Reilly’s latest columns.  The link to this column is here:  http://townhall.com/columnists/billoreilly/2012/03/31/take_me_out_to_the_ballgame/page/full/ It is also reprinted below.  Sad, but this is becoming more of a reality each day.   The urchins were startled. “Hey, let’s go outside and play some baseball,” I said. Outside? Are you kidding […]

Baseball books

Of course, being a school teacher by day, I always encourage reading.  If you are approaching the holiday season and not sure what to get that special baseball person, how about some books?  Below are some good choices.  All these books are linked in the upper right of my page.  Clicking on each takes you […]

Cast of characters

Probably the best thing about playing baseball is the relationships you build with other people.  When players retire from the game, they often say that what they miss the most is the camaraderie of being on a team.  As you move up in levels, that camaraderie tends to increase in many ways.  In pro ball, […]

The season is a marathon …

… and the playoffs are a sprint.Going into the playoffs, the best teams in baseball were the Phillies and the Yankees.  Both were built to be successful over the course of 162 games and their records proved that they were.  But playoffs are different.  The 5 game playoff series is a sprint.  It’s just not […]

Why do the best MLB teams lose so much?

A couple weeks ago I was on an online radio show and had a chance to talk about Baseball By The Yard along with many other things in and around baseball.  The show ended with the host bringing up an interesting statistic.  He said that major league baseball is unique in that the best teams […]

If you’re good, they will find you.

I just got back from a family vacation that took us into the Mount Vernon area of Ohio to visit relatives.  My wife is a high school guidance counselor who takes every chance she can to visit colleges and universities so that her students can be more informed about their college choices.  We went to […]

Pay vs Job Security

In every career there are varying degrees of pay and job security.  Professional baseball is no different.  Some players are extremely high paid and others make closer to the league minimum.  Some players have their “cup of coffee” in the major leagues and others seem to stick around forever.  There could be entire books written […]

The game is hard

You can hide here … You have to give a lot of credit to baseball players if they are still playing at the high school level and beyond.  So much of our modern society pushes them away from a sport like baseball.  Playing the game well takes an incredible amount of skill.  Acquiring that skill […]

The big inning

Want to see how important the “big inning” is in baseball?  Try this experiment.  Look at the box scores of all the games played on a particular day.  Could be MLB games, college games, and/or high school games.  Look at them all and do the following.  Count how many games the winning team scored an […]

Good or bad?

I saw in the paper the other day that Blue Jays pitcher JoJo Reyes finally won a game.  He almost broke the record of consecutive starts without a win.  It ended at 28 with his win against the Cleveland Indians.  29 games without a win is one of those records that no pitcher wants to have. Here […]

Ladder of Accountability

About a year or so ago, I was flipping through the TV channels and came across a speaker who was speaking at a conference.  It turned out that the speaker was a gentleman by the name of Bruce Gordon, who served as the CEO of the NAACP for a stretch.  What caught my attention was […]

Kevin Manero – The case for American Legion baseball

Today is Baseball By The Yard’s first guest post.  It comes from my right-hand man, Coach Kevin Manero, who along with being an assistant of mine at the high school level, is also an American Legion coach.  He is a former high school and Division I pitcher at LaSalle University and is a tremendous baseball guy.  […]

Good v Great

Although there are a lot of Yankee haters out there, most baseball fans would concede that Derek Jeter has been a great player.  His longevity and career stats prove it.  But what makes him great?  Does he have a great arm?  No.  He has a good arm.  Does he have great speed?  No. He has good speed.  Does he have great […]

Track the ball to the catcher

In a previous post called Off-season Hitting: An overlooked Drill I talked about the advantages of standing in when pitchers are throwing indoors or in the bullpen.  One tip I recommended while doing it was to follow the ball all the way back to the catcher’s mitt.  This allows the hitter the ability to see any late […]

How to wear a baseball uniform

Now that players and coaches are gearing up for the approaching season, I thought it appropriate to write about something I find to be very important with regards to treating the game with respect.  There are many ways players and coaches can disrespect the game without most people even noticing.  That’s not the case when it comes […]

A parent talks to a child before the first game

I don’t remember where I found this and still don’t know who wrote it but I always get the chills when I read it.  Great players usually are supported by great parents who have a good perspective on the game. This is your first game, my child.  I hope you win. I hope you win for your […]

Cardinal sins of baseball (part 3) – Pitching

Cardinal Sins Part 1 and Part 2 were on Defense and Offense respectively.  Here’s a separate one for pitching. A come-backer to the pitcher and he does not know who he’s throwing it to at second base on a double-play.  The middle infielders and pitcher work that out before the batter even gets a chance […]

Cardinal Sins of Baseball (Part 2) – Offense

Yesterday it was Cardinal Sins on defense.  Today it’s offense!   Taking a called third strike, especially with runners in scoring position.  Probably the thing that aggravates me the most as a coach. Missing a sign from a coach. Swinging at the first pitch when the previous batter walked on four pitches.  Poor awareness of […]

Cardinal Sins of Baseball (Part 1) – Defense

A “Cardinal Sin” refers to the most important behaviors people should avoid.  In baseball, cardinal sins involve the worst mistakes players can make on the field.  Old Timers probably have a more extensive list than today’s players which is why it is tough for some in the older baseball generation to watch today’s modern game. […]

Parents after tryouts: This one’s for you

Dear Parents/Guardians,                 This time of year brings mixed emotions to the baseball coaching staff at _____High School.  Although we are excited for the start of another season, we know that this time of year involves tryouts and the painful reality that not all the players can make the team.  The number of kids trying out provides […]

Funniest manager / umpire interaction?

Studio 42 on the MLB Network had a show on the other night about umpiring.  Lots of great stories about the sometimes funny, sometimes turbulent interactions between managers and umpires.  Here are my two best true stories involving a manager and an umpire. First Place This story involves a minor league manager. I became the pitching […]

Best mound conversation ever

The other day a friend asked me “what do coaches tell pitchers when they go to the mound?”  It reminded me of the best mound conversation I ever heard.  First, here’s some background on the story. I was playing shortstop at the time but because I had pitched in college as well, I always was […]

Breaking in a new glove

I’m sure many players received a new glove for the holidays and now are itching to get outside and try it out.  Here are some tips for breaking in your new glove correctly and how to care for it afterwards.Put away the oil.  Remember smearing glove oil all over your brand new glove to help […]

Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard!

The motto “Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard” is a good guide for success on and off the field.  I first saw this motto on the blackboard of my father’s high school wrestling room.  He was a longtime teacher and coached baseball and wrestling at the high school and college levels.  I […]

Practicing in the off-season months

Looking outside and seeing practically blizzard conditions outside of Philadelphia brings back memories of practicing baseball when I was younger.  I recognized early on that if I wanted to play professional baseball my competition was not just the kids in my neighborhood or just my school.  It was not even going to be the kids […]

Bench Player Mistakes

The final post in the common mistakes players make series. Failure to accept their role.  I have never met a baseball player who was happy that they were not playing in the game.  As you move up in levels, the game gets tougher and the players get more competitive.  Telling a competitive player that he […]