Four Changes That Would Improve Youth Baseball

I have a few people who like to give me a hard time if I do not put a post up for them to read each day. So while I am working on Part 2 of The Art Of Communication I will give you another question you can comment on. This is yet another passage from Bob Cluck's Think Better Baseball: Secrets From Major League Coaches And Players For Mastering The Mental Game.

He suggests that four changes would improve youth baseball.

The 4 Changes

1. Using a pitching machine below the major league level.

2. Do away with All-Star teams. Instead, play a month longer for all of the kids. Then we don't have to tell 90 percent of the kids in June, "You're not good enough, see you next year."

3. Give rewards for attitudes, not athletic ability. Have an "all-attitude team" instead of an All-Star team. Reward nice kids who are team players and improve the most because they listen to coaches.

4. Rotate positions in games so every player gets to play his favorite position. This way, players would learn to play baseball with a better understanding of game situations, coaches would be responsible for teaching baseball to all their kids, and players would enjoy the experience so much more.

When I read this I knew it would be a controversial topic so have at it everyone. Leave a comment and make your argument. I am very curious to hear all your responses.

The Art of Communication: Part One An Introduction

Number three on my list of things I want to establish in my program behind trust and processes is communication. Now in implementing communication you have to build processes for it so I guess it all ties together.

I believe very strongly in team building. I believe coaches should put the majority of their time in building team related concepts. I do believe you can make players better and that is important but over the course of the two and a half months you spend with them there is only so far you will take them.

However, you can build the team aspect much further in that short period of time. One of these team aspects that is critical to us is the art of communication. We want everything verbally communicated before it happens. Then we want strong verbal communication while it is happening. The combination of these two concepts can elevate a teams play as quick as anything !

In part one I am going to explain why it is important to communicate as a team.

Pre-Pitch Communication

As I said earlier we want everything verbally communicated before each batter. Even though players should know where to be without being reminded communicating this way does four things to improve your ball club.

First, it's a check and balance system like the government only it works much better. It reminds players what they need to do. They are either saying what to do to someone else or someone is saying it to them.

Second, when mistakes happen. A ball is kicked, a batter is hit, whatever the case may be, they have a process they must follow before the next hitter. It actually does help the eye rolling, dirt kicking, feel bad for me type behaviors.

If they are not communicating because they are feeling bad or being a baby then you have grounds to take them out of the game. Your not even sitting them because they blew the ground ball but because they didn't follow protocol.

Instead of all that nonsense and self-defeating behavior they have a job to do! Because they are talking more, your players will also do a better job of picking each other up after mistakes!

Third, because players are communicating they get a sense of playing the game the right way. Their knowledge of the game goes way up. They begin to think about what they are going to do with the ball before it is hit to them. They have to because they need to communicate it before the pitchers first pitch.

When they know what they are going to do with the ball then their confidence level goes way up. If they are indecisive about what they are gonna do then the chance of them fielding the ball goes down.

This is what you will begin to see in your players. They will begin to build an air about themselves. They will take pride in themselves and their ball club because they are playing the game the right way. They will know it, feel it, and most importantly learn to love it.

Fourth, it is extremely intimidating to opposing teams. All teams constantly watch their opponent. You know whether or not the opposing team is any good by the way they take infield/outfield.

Communicate and let them hear you communicate. Let them see you have your act together. Baseball is as mental a sport as anything on earth. As human beings were are always judging those around us. This is no more true then in baseball. Let them hear you play the game the right way and put a chink in their armour.

After The Ball Is Hit Communication

Once the ball is put in play it is essential that you can communicate where to go with the ball. This usually falls mainly on the catcher but other players need be involved as well. What this allows you to do is eliminate runs.

The catcher communicating where to go with the ball stops you from throwing the ball around and giving up free bases. Free bases will kill your ball club as quick as anything. Even though we want to be aggressive on defense there are many times we need to just concede the run and stop other base runners from moving up.

Another serious part of communication is between the players themselves. We do not want balls dropping between players because they are unsure of who has it or if they will get run into. We don't want players missing balls near fences because they are worried about getting hurt.

We can eliminate those situations if we can communicate effectively so the player catching the ball can focus only on the ball without any other fear factors going through their mind.

In conclusion

By verbally communicating we will be able to eliminate runs. It has never been our goal to shut teams out only to eliminate as many runs as possible. We were very successful in doing just that and it led to some great baseball.

In part two we will discuss the system we used for pre-pitch communication. I will give examples of how we called everything and how we practiced it.

In part three we will cover after the ball is hit communication.

Why Players Can't Throw Anymore

This is another passage from Bob Cluck's book Think Better Baseball: Secrets From Major League Coaches And Players For Mastering The Mental Game. This is a great read to get you thinking. I do encourage you check it out.

This passage is entitled Why Players Can't Throw Anymore. Basically what he is saying is, although there are more guy's throwing 90 MPH the average high school players ability to throw has gone downhill. He credits the decline with kids throwing ability to batting cages.

His point is that because of all the batting cages of today's world that players don't throw enough so they don't develop their throwing arm. He gives an example of the way it used to be to illustrate his point.

"Three kids went to the park with one or two baseballs. Player one was the shagger, player two was the hitter, and player three was the pitcher. The pitcher threw a pitch, the hitter hit it, and the player way out by the fence caught it and threw it all the way back to the pitcher if he could."

- Bob Cluck Major League Coach and Scout

Basically what he was saying is a lot more fielding and throwing by players improving their throwing. He is saying that in today's world of batting cages players are not throwing nearly as much. He also goes on to add that to much emphasis is being placed on hitting and not enough on throwing and fielding.

Before I open it up to your opinion let me throw in my two cents. I am not one of those guys who always talks about how the past is better then the present. I am not a back in my day we did things better kinda of baseball guy.

I do have to agree with his idea however. Now I am 37 years old so I don't know way back when so I will base my belief on what seems to make sense to me. I do believe players play more organized baseball now then at any other time in history. But somehow I do suspect they throw less. I do believe the batting cage plays a role in this.

I will also add this to strengthen the idea of not enough throwing. I think our country, as I have mentioned before, has become so organized and at such an early age that players aren't throwing enough. Think about it, even though they play more organized baseball everything is so controlled that the players really don't throw all that much.

There are so many hitting aids out there that do not require throwing and most batting practice is thrown by a coach. Is that a possible reason in the decline of throwing? I think it makes logical sense. Combine the batting cages with today's organized practices and players are throwing less. Thus it naturally effects their throwing ability.

Which brings me back to my original question: Has players throwing ability declined? Truth is I don't know the answer. I can guess but for sure I can't be absolute. The logic makes sense!

What do you think?

Are You An RBI Man?

I was recently re-reading the book Think Better Baseball: Secrets from major league coaches and players for mastering the mental game. It was written by Bob Cluck was a major league coach and scout. He wrote a short passage entitled: Are You an RBI man?

In this passage he is asking a great question regarding a hitters mindset in RBI situations. The question is should guys go out of the strike zone in RBI situations to drive in the runs? The hitters he is talking about is your middle of the line-up guys. He is not referring to your 7,8,9 hitters.

He is basically saying they should go out of the zone in order to drive in runs. He uses guys like Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and Ted Williams as examples of hitters who would not stray away from the strike zone but would instead take their walk and leave it to the next guy.

He asked the question is this being selfish or showing respect to their teammates? He then mentions hitters such as Edgar Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and Juan Gonzalez as hitters who will consistently go outside the strike zone if necessary to drive in runs. After all, they are getting paid big bucks to drive in runs not walk.

The questions is who is right? My personally opinion is I would prefer my RBI's Guy's to expand their zone, as long as it is a pitch they can put a good swing on, to be as aggressive as possible to drive in runs. Certain players in your line-up have a knack for it and to me it is in your advantage if you they are more aggressive to drive in runs.

I am curious what our readers philosophies are on this question. This is something I talk to my hitters about. We have certain guys in our line-up who are coached to be more aggressive in those situations and others who should continue to look for the ball in certain zones they are waiting for.

Which Pitching Guru Is The Best

I recently read a comment made about my post on Teaching Youth Players To Throw. The post made reference to me being way off mark. I also mentioned Tom House and how I like Dick Mills philosophy on pitching in my comment. The comment he made was Dick Mills has changed his pitching philosophy over the years and wrecked his sons arm.

I thought rather then comment back I would just write a post. Let me start by saying I am not offended or upset by his comments. I want this blog to be an expression of our ideas and philosophies. I encourage everyone whether you agree or disagree on anything to write a comment. It is how we develop our own beliefs. My response is this.

Over the years I have come to realize a few things that have helped me teach players to be successful. The first and foremost is the fact that all players are different. I believe all players have a natural ability and the key is to use what they have and improve it.

For example, I can remember when the drop and drive was the way everyone should pitch. Then it was tall and fall. One instructor says hold a curveball this way and another instructor says his way. I have heard guys preach about arm angles like everyone should throw from the same slot.

I have researched guys who preach straight arm glove hand while others are adamant about it being bent. Some tell you to pull the glove back and others say take your chest to the glove. I won't but I could go on and on about every single little detail of pitching and all the different philosophies.

My take on the whole thing is this. I don't believe there is one right way. I know some of you are believers in certain systems but to fit every player into one box is easier to teach but not the most effective. I'll say it again I have learned that lesson the hard way.

For the few differences I mentioned above there are pitchers who threw in the major league all-star game using that approach. Pitchers who pitched in world series using different styles. Baseball has become such a buy my system sport it's left the players heads spinning. It has left them confused and screwed up. We are doing them a disservice. Let me explain further.

Players can now play organized ball year round. They play their season, summer ball, fall ball, then spend the winter with their instructor. Sounds like a great way for a kid to really develop. It absolutely is if it is done right. However, very rarely is it done right!

Instead what happens is every coach wants to put his stamp on the player. The poor kid, who wants to please everyone, is left changing his fundamentals and approach every 3 months until he gets to the point where he can't get comfortable. If you think that's not happening and causing problems then you are fooling yourself.

Last point, my friend who played in the big leagues for over 10 years was struggling one day with his hitting. We were talking and he said he couldn't hit the ball the other way. I was dumbfounded. The reason is when he was in high school I was so jealous of the way he could drive the ball into right center.

When I asked him why he couldn't hit he response was, I can't remember how to hit. He had gone from high school, to college, to rookie ball, to single A, AA,AAA, and to the bigs. Every stop a hitting coach teaching his philosophy. I am not implying that any of these coaches were not good baseball guys. Nor am I implying that they weren't experts at teaching hitting. I am just saying change is good but too much change and you aren't comfortable anymore.

A went to a game one day when he was playing the Yankees on Yogi Berra day at Yankee stadium. It was an awesome experience. Yogi Berra came back to the Bronx Zoo after a long absence. Don Larsen threw out the first pitch to Yogi in honor of their perfect game in the World Series.

David Cone pitched for the Yanks that day. He threw a perfect game! Can you imagine being the pitcher that day and throwing a perfect game! What made it even more amazing is that he was able to do it with a drop and drive motion. The so called wrong way at the time. There is no right and wrong way in my mind so long as you hit a few base fundamentals.

Baseball has become about pay money for my new system. They make outrages claims like gain 10-15 MPH on your fastball in two weeks. Parents are so eager to hand over their money to these carnies. I tell you what for just $500 I'll guess your weight and hook you up with the bearded woman.

If you are going to pay someone to work with your kid, I am not against that by the way, just make sure he is in it for the right reasons. If they start making big promises stop writing the checks. You want a guy who is there to be honest and teach your kid, not sell his system.

What I like about Dick Mills is his philosophy on keeping it simple and getting away from pitching drills. As far as mechanics go I don't subscribe to one school of thought anymore but rather take what the pitcher brings to me and try to develop it from what he naturally does. If he stays tall fine. If he drops and drives fine. If he is three quarter arm slot fine.

I will simply work to develop base concepts and his mindset. What I totally agree with Mills is the fact that pitching drills have made pitchers robotic. I also agree that some drills are so awkward it retards pitching rather then help it. I believe they are overused and over coached.

I disagree with him on throwing flatground. It is the only pitching drill I will use but I do use it to get comfortable from the wind up and stretch more so then a breakdown drill. Flat ground goes against his belief of explosive movements. I have no scientific research to say why it is effective. I can tell you however, I believe in it. It has worked well for us over the years.

In Conclusion

Every pitching coach out there including Tom House and Dick Mills have changed their philosophies over the years. Some will claim it's the nature of progression while others will say it is to sell a new book. To me I don't know and I don't care. The base concepts will never change!

Also, for every pitching coach out there, there is a pitcher who has a tremendous success and a pitcher that hurt his arm in that system. It all depends on who is telling the story or should I say selling their approach on which they highlight.

I think all the pitching gurus make valid points but to say one way is better then another all depends on who you are working with. Keep the comments coming! I appreciate it!

The Process Of Playing Catch Effectiviely

If you haven't been able to figure it out by now I am a bit of a control freak. But, I am a self admitted control freak. Truth is I am more of a process freak then a control freak. I believe in every ounce of my being that everything has to have a process or things will not get accomplished the way they could.

I stated in earlier posts having processes builds comfort and confidence into players. Again process is simply the way we go about our business. It is little routines we follow for everything we do. It's not focusing on the end result but instead how we got there.

Playing catch is certainly no different. Growing up I used to always say "having a catch" but I played for a coach who thought that was taboo and taught us to say "playing catch". To this day I have to say play catch. That might seem like a bit of useless knowledge but it illustrates how if you do things over and over the same way on a daily basis, they become part of you!

Most teams when they get ready to practice will send their players to the outfield for a stretch and to play catch. Players will throw the ball back and forth talking about Suzy from science class and how pretty she looked today. Although, they are getting the arm stretched some and loosened up it always seemed like a waste of 15 minutes to me.

If we have 15 minutes we do not want to waste it. There is no way to cover every little aspect that we would like to over the course of everyday practice. We might be able to fit in throwing pick-offs one day and maybe relays another but to include everything everyday is very difficult if not impossible.

We are not going to waste 15 minute so we want every throw to have a purpose. We set up our throwing routine with the following process: (I will not cover it in the post but we also throw pick-offs everyday as part of our flatground routine)

Players are broken into three categories. Infielders, outfielders, and catchers. They may all play catch down the outfield line or set-up in various parts of the field.

The first thing all our players must do when playing catch is show their hands to the ball. They will always show both palms to the player throwing to them. The hands will be shown in front of the chest and all players are instructed to hit their partner center mass.

This gives them a clear idea of what they are trying to accomplish. Second, when you are on defense you should always be showing your hands to the ball whether it is a ground ball, double play feed, cut-off, etc... Show your hands to the ball and respect the game for how it is supposed to be played.

Infielders Throwing Process

1. Play catch for 10 throws at a very short distance approximately 30ft.

2. Play quick catch for 10 throws a piece at 45ft. Quick catch is simply catch and throw the ball as quick as possible to your partner 10 times.

What we are looking for here is that the players are learning to move their bodies before they catch ball in order to be quick back out with the throw.

Second, that they are learning to catch with their throwing hand up by the glove so the instant it hits the glove they are pulling it back out. Players will learn to not close the glove very much to make it even quicker.

Third it forces them to make good feeds to one another in order for them to get into that rhythm so they are quick. Repeated repetitions everyday allow them to get extremely good at this critical skill.

3. 5 x Short Relay Throws at 60ft. Short relays is practicing a short relay throw to a partner. Yes we practice relay throws with just two people playing catch. This is how we do it.

First, the player with the ball will turn his back to his partner and hold up his hands like he is receiving a throw from an outfielder. He will then make his appropriate footwork pretending he is receiving the throw and relay it to his partner.

Second, his partner will then work on his footwork as he is receiving an actual relay throw. He will use his footwork, catch the ball, and fake a relay throw. Each player is working on both receiving and throwing a relay throw. It is broken into two parts and allows them to focus on one aspect at a time learning this skill.

I am not going to spend a lot of time in this post talking about how to make relay throws but a short relay throw to us means this: This is a right handed player we are using as an example. He will make a short step to the ball with his right foot as he catches and quickly get it back out.

This is a relay throw from an outfielder to an infielder who is throwing to second or possibly third. It is not a long throw so we want to cut down the distant of the throw from the outfielder by stepping to it and being quick.

4. 5 x Long Relay Throws at 90 ft. Again same as short relay throws as far as what the players are doing with one exception. This is a throw from an outfielder to infielder who has to relay to the plate. It is a longer throw which will require more strength.

The footwork here will be the right foot moves to towards home plate as he catches the ball and the throw will come out a slower because it is a longer throw requiring the player to use his body to help the throw.

5. Finally from here will throw out until the players feel loose or they have run out of time.

Outfield Throwing Process

1. Players will make 10 throws at 30ft showing their hands to the ball and hitting the partner center mass.

2. Play quick catch for 10 throws at 45 ft. This is an important skill for outfielders as well.

3. Ground ball charge play x 5. The outfielders will be approximately 60 to 70 ft apart. One outfielder will roll 5 ground balls to his partner. His partner will treat each of these ground balls as a charge play do or die type situation.

He will practice fielding and throwing imagining he is throwing out a runner at the plate. After 5 reps they switch assignments.

4. Fly ball do or die x 5 at 90 -100 ft. Same drill as before except now the ball is being thrown in the air and the outfielder must get behind it and through it to make a throw back to his partner. After 5 they switch assignments.

5. From here they will throw out until loose or times runs out.

Catcher Throw Process

1. Players will make 10 throws at 30ft to loosen up. Same rules apply show hands hit partner center mass.

2. Play quick for 10 throws at 45ft. We know how important this is for catchers to develop.

3. T-Work x 10 throws at 60 - 90 ft. The catchers will draw or create a T on the ground they are standing on. They squat down so they are sitting on the top of the T and the line running straight down the center of their body. The will work on popping up and getting their body in the right spot using the T as a guideline. They are not receiving a throw before they pop up. They are pretending they just caught the pitch and then pop up from there.

4. Using the same principle as #3 they will make 5 snap throws to first. Obviously the must turn sideways when setting in their crouch before the throw.

5. Using the same principle as #3 they will make 3 throws on an inside pitch to 3rd base and 3 throws on an outside pitch to 3rd base.

6. From here they will throw out until loose or times runs out.

In Conclusion

The idea here is simple. Don't waste time at practice! If you are going to play catch then lets get something out of it. Let's give our players clear ideas to focus on and they will become better players.

We do not have time as coaches to work all of these skills everyday if we try and do it during team time. So work them in during catch time. They are the skills I believe are important to us. You can be creative and use your own philosophy as to how you want to set-it up or what skills you want to practice. Just don't waste that time!

One more thought here. If at times I want to change things up for the catchers and infielders for couple of days I will set up four cones around the infield like they were the four bases. I will set up a set of four at 40ft, 65ft, 90ft, 120ft. Then I will split the players even at all the cones.

Then throwing to their left they must go around the horn 5 times without missing a ball. If there are 3 players to a cone they will keep alternating in order. Once they make it 5 times they will have to do it going to the right.

Once they have completed 40ft, they go to 60ft, and so on until they have completed the challenge as a group. We will use that as our sole warm-up. They will not go to the outfield and flip the ball back and forth without any real direction. It is amazing how good they can be when they are focused on a tasked. Another note here: This is a great teachable moment drill because as players mess up you can instruct them on to how to handle it as a team. I.E. pick up your teammates!

The distances I used were for high school players. It goes without saying (although I am about to) you can adjust them for younger players. Best of Luck!

Is Youth The Baseball In America Focusing On Properly Developing Players

While I am working on some other posts I thought I would throw this questions out there. The reason I ask is because I have had a number of people approach me about youth baseball. I am talking about ages 5 - 14. My oldest kids are 4 years old so I am not immersed into youth baseball/softball just yet.

Everything I hear though seems to be very negative. I shouldn't say everything because I have people who tell me the good stuff as well but it does fall much more on the negative. It really made me start thinking if as a country we are developing our kids the right way.

I am reserving judgment here because like I said I have no first hand knowledge of what our kids are doing at that level on a daily basis. I am not on a witch hunt nor am I looking to bash youth baseball. I am simply asking your opinion. To be honest I am hoping to hear that's things are going well but I am asking for an honest evaluation whether it is positive or negative.

What I am looking for here is for our players, parents, and coaches in youth baseball to give their opinions about what they see. I would also like it if you would vote on the poll on this page about youth baseball.

I am going to write a series of articles on what I believe should be taught in youth baseball. My hope is I can help some of the players, parents, and coaches focus on the things that are most important to our players. I look forward to your responses!

Special Note: I am adding this after I have already posted this for about two hours now. After reading it again I am very concerned that it is coming off like I am questioning parents and coaches. That is not at all what I am doing here. I am simply trying to fill in my curiosity about some things I have heard.

I respect people who volunteer their time and trust me you can easily find people who don't like some of the decisions I have made. I am in the business of trying to be helpful with this blog.

Teaching Youth Players To Throw

I was watching some youth players playing catch last night. They were probably 8 or 9 years old. As I watched them throw it brought me back to when I was coaching high baseball and I was always shocked at how so many of our players threw the baseball with unsound mechanics.

The three biggest mistakes, that are correctable at the lower levels, are not turning the ball backwards before they throw it, not staying sideways as long as possible, and not finishing with the glove up near the chest. These three areas are going to have everything to do with how hard and accurate players can throw as they mature physically.

By the time these players get to high school they have made so many throws using that same motion it is almost impossible to change it. Trying to change it often does much more harm then good. I have learned that the hard way as well.

I know there is a ton of information out there about throwing and pitching. There are many different approaches available for you to try. Most of these approaches will have the same base philosophy but then they will add their own spin to it.

I caution everyone not to get so caught up in the 900 different ways to teach every single little detail about pitching for instant. It is confusing to players and only makes it harder. Instead, what I believe is to get your players to understand the three base concepts above until they can master those areas. Once they have done that and you want to build from there that is your choice.

As you can tell I am putting throwing and pitching together because it's the same base concepts that are important. I really believe throwing is such an under emphasized skill. Coaches spend time with pitchers but very rarely spend enough time with entire team on throwing the baseball.

We have won State Championships because other teams could not make throws when it counted most. Soon I will write a post called The Process Of Playing Catch Effectively where I will outline what I believe in.

The skill of throwing a baseball must be an emphasis in your program. It allows your defense to play at it's best and your team will develop many more players who will turn into quality pitchers. Let's take a look at three critical skill concepts.

Throwing Skill Concept #1: Turn the ball backwards

Let's use a right hand pitcher as an example. As he breaks his hands and takes his arm back, his hand and the ball should turn backwards. A general rule of thumb here is a right hand pitcher should have the ball pointed at the shortstop and a left hand pitcher at the second baseman.

Having said that's a general rule of thumb I would only check to see that he is getting it turned backwards to at least that far. I would not mess with him if he is turning it back a little more then that. Below is a picture of Pedro Martinez turning the ball back.

If you look at the ball in the picture you will see that it is clearly pointing backwards. Pedro Martinez is very small for a major league pitcher but he has developed great arm speed and throws the ball in the mid 90's in his prime. No doubt god given ability has a lot to do with that but so does a proper throwing motion.

A lot of times this small detail goes unnoticed in young players and will become the way they throw the rest of their lives. They are costing themselves velocity. I have had numerous players during my coaching career who have come to me throwing without turning the ball backwards. They all left still throwing incorrectly because we were unsuccessful in changing it. It is almost impossible to change by the time you are 16,17, and 18 years old!

Throwing Skill Concept #2: Stay sideways as long as you can

The second problem I see with youth players in their throwing mechanics is they open up to soon. The front shoulder and hip fly open way to soon. When this happens it slows down your velocity and puts added stress on the throwing shoulder.

What we would like to have happen is when our hands break (ball is removed from the glove) and we start towards the target we are throwing to, we want to be sideways as long as possible before we rotate. You may of heard of this as late hip rotation.

Stay sideways as long as you can is a much easier for the player to visualize then interpreting late hip rotation. In fact even easier is showing them video and pictures to get the idea. Below is a picture of Greg Maddux who stays sideways as long as anybody.

As you can see the first picture is of Maddux pitching with the Braves. Notice how sideways his body still is as his front foot is about to hit the ground. In the second picture when he is with the Cubs his front foot has already planted in the ground and you can see how sideways his body still is.

This means he will have great late hip rotation maximizing his velocity and minimizing the stress on his arm. Greg Maddux has pitched for a long time and is one of the greatest in the game. One reason he has done so well is his durability. I believe his ability to stay sideways is a major reason why!

Throwing Skill Concept #3: Glove finishes some where near the chest

As players are throwing the ball the glove hand should be pulled back to their chest. What you will see from a lot of of players is the glove flying out to the side and their arm dangling down as they release the ball. This is a sure sign that they are flying open with their front shoulder.

The picture below of Pedro Martinez shows where the glove should be located when you throw the ball.

You can see Pedro has pulled the glove back into the chest which helps keep him closed and aligned with home plate. One thing you must be aware when teaching young players however, is check to make sure they do not put the glove on their chest during the entire throw. Their glove hand should come out in a normal throwing motion and then pulled back to the chest.

There are different debates here as to whether the glove hand should be extended straight out or kept bent. Again I wouldn't spend my time worrying about it so long as it goes out then back to the chest. Also, Pedro's glove is pinned to his chest. I wouldn't get overly critical about making it pin like his does. Just get the idea and in the vicinity of the chest.

If you watch major league baseball you will see not all the pitchers finish with the glove in the same spot but they do finish somewhere near the chest.

In Conclusion

Throwing is the main skill in baseball. I don't believe it is emphasized or practice enough however. I also believe that is true for all levels not just youth baseball. You can gain a huge advantage over your opponents by not overlooking the skill that most do.

There is very little difference between throwing and pitching the mechanics are very similar. If you can get players to focus and master those three concepts then they have a great chance to be an outstanding thrower whether it is in the field or on the mound.

One final note here. Some of you may be thinking you didn't mention arm swing. Should the players break their hands and go straight back or should they make that long C motion where they take their thumb to their thigh and their fingers to the sky.

I use to coach that long C motion because that is what I was always taught. But then I began researching on my own taping major league pitchers. What I found is some make a long C and some take it straight back. The straight back guys seem to have great control throwing that way.

When Roger Clemens was a younger and dominating for the Red Sox he was a long C motion guy. In the middle of his career he changed to a much shorter take back. He was very successful both ways. So I ask you which is right? I am sure you have an opinion but I challenge you to study for yourself. Not from a book or coaching video where they are selling their point but from your own watching.

Alot of what you believe you will find many major leaguers do not do. Alot of what you think are fundamental truths will be questioned. Don't over coach unnecessary details that confuse and make players uncomfortable. Instead focus on the major points because the rest is mainly style. Best of Luck!

Who Should Call Pitches: The Pitcher/Catcher or The Coach

I recently received a comment about who should call pitches during the game. Should the catcher and pitcher work together or should the coach make the calls. I have to admit this is something I have debated over the years. With exception of two seasons I have always called the pitches. Having said that our best year was one of the season I turned the pitch selection over to the catcher with the pitchers help.

Let's take a moment and go through the positives from both respective sides of the argument!

The Coach Should Call The Pitches Argument:

1) As I coach I kept records of opposing hitters. Both in games we played against them and any game we scouted. If they were 2,3, or 4 year starters then we had every at bat from every year. Each at bat had the following information:

1) What hand pitcher was throwing

2) Where they hit the ball

3) What the count was

4) What pitch they hit

5) Finally, was the pitcher in the stretch or wind-up

From this information we would position fielders and make pitch selections based on previous results. We would also try and balance past information with what we were seeing that day.

2) What I like about this approach is it simplifies the game for the pitcher and catcher. Their focus stays on throwing, catching, and knowing situations so they know where to go with the ball. I don't want extra burden on these players if there is no need. Here's why!

I am a strong believer in keeping things very simple and competing by being assignment sound, technique sound, and out executing the other team. I believe even at the professional levels of baseball, basketball, and football they make it to complicated and it effects their performance. Do a few things and do them extremely well. Ala Vince Lombardi and the Packer Sweep play.

3) You could argue that if we have all this information then the pitcher and catcher could have it as a tool to set-up hitters. Yes they can, but it breaks my philosophy of keeping them focused on a few important components to their success. Plus we might have 2 to 3 different pitchers throw in a game who would all have to be able to learn and process all this information in an extremely short period of time.

The Pitcher/Catcher Should Call The Pitches Argument:

The advantages of the pitcher/catcher calling the game are as follows:

1) He has a good vantage point of where the hitters are in the box in relation the plate. He also has a view of the batters front side. Is he opening up, is he cutting himself off, etc...

2) It allows them to be more of a thinking mans pitcher/catcher. It allows them to think about setting up hitters and thinking 2 pitches a head. Would lead to them learning more about the game.

3) Allowing the pitcher to have final say will mean he will throw the pitch he is most confident in for that pitch. Which is better: Having the pitcher throw the right pitch at the right time with half confidence or throwing maybe not the right pitch but being confident in it?

My Philosophy and Approach

After scrolling up and reading the two sides I realize I wrote more on the coaches side then the pitcher/catcher side. This does not mean I do not think the 3 advantages listed for the pitcher/catcher aren't valid. Truth is they are very valid and none more then answering the question in number 3.

The questions still becomes which is better. There are great arguments for both sides. I think both sides are a sound philosophy and something you could build your pitching program around. But, I have one question I have to ask here. Why do we have to choose?

Let me explain. I have always found both sides to be compelling arguments so I thought to myself is there a way to blend together these two approaches where you could capitalize on the strengths of each. Here's what I believe in.

With the information I keep available I believe I should call the pitches. But I believe I should call them with the help of the pitcher and catcher. Their input from pitch to pitch, batter to batter, and inning to inning is invaluable.

Here's how I believe it should be done. First, I make the pitch selection based on the information I have available. That information does not only include the information I have on the scouting report but the constant feedback I am getting from the pitcher and catcher.

Second, the catcher is taught hand signals which he can relay to me on where the batter is in the box. Mainly, how close he is to the plate because I can see front to back of the box.

Next, you need to talk with the catcher after each inning and get his report on the pitchers stuff. How is the fastball, is the curve ball sharp, is the ball moving, etc... Let's face it pitchers lie so you need an honest catcher.

Third, allow the pitcher to shake you off but under the following rule. If he shakes you then you will call a different pitch. If he shakes and gets the pitch call again then he must throw that pitch.

This allows the pitcher to have some say in pitch selection and gives you the opportunity to answer the question in #3 based on the feel of the game. Don't forget to consult the pitcher on what he is feeling most confident with that day!

Why say we will always throw what the coach says regardless of how the pitcher feels. Why say the pitcher is always right and can throw whatever he feels most confident with. Why not have the ability to allow that particular moment in the game to decide which you think is best.

I really think this is the best approach to having a system that allows you to be successful. It allows input from all the important parties and still allows the coach to be in control of the decision making. This might mean he decides to make the decision or he decides to allow the pitcher to make the decision.

In Conclusion

I have been a coach who has called every pitch in a season and not allowed the pitchers to throw anything but what I called. I have coached seasons where I left the pitch selection up to the pitcher and catcher. Truth is I have been fortunate enough to be successful both ways.

However, I don't feel completely satisfied either way. I feel I should call the pitches and allow the pitcher a chance to shake. Truth is in most cases I will send in a different pitch if he shakes. If I do not then I coach him to take that as a sign that he must get committed to that pitch before he throws it.

It could work the other way as well. You could allow the pitcher to call the game and have signs where you can call a pitch when you wanted to. I don't like that approach as much but it's not to say it isn't a sound philosophy.

I look forward to hearing your comments and ideas!

Baseball As A Profession

I was invited to speak at a Career Day for 5th grade students in my school district. The students were given a chance to vote on professions they would like to learn about on Career Day. Baseball finished in the Top 10 so I will be attending as the guest speaker. It got me thinking however, about how many kids would like to have a career in baseball. I am also wondering if they even know what careers there are in baseball.

When you hear "Baseball As A Profession" we all immediately think of being a professional baseball player. Certainly that is a way to make baseball your profession and if I might add a pretty lucrative one at that! I also believe very strongly that if that is your dream then take your shot! Why Not! Why not lay it on the line and chase your dream. I mean somebody has to make it. I know the odds and they are astronomical. That doesn't stop the same people that are telling kids it's impossible from playing the lottery.

Now you and I both know that the odds of playing professional baseball are better then winning the lottery. The biggest difference is you have some control over whether or not you make it to the big leagues. I say some because there are so many factors that are out of your control that could kill the dream. Having said that, you control your work ethic, physical conditioning, skill level, knowledge of the game, and mental toughness. If you seriously set up a plan and stick with it who knows what might happen.

If you are trading your academic work ethic for only a baseball work ethic then that is worse then playing the lottery. You need to prepare for a career while you are preparing to play pro ball. Is it tough? Yes! Is there enough time in the day for both? Barely! Will you have to sacrifice some things in your life? Yes! Is it worth it? It is if that is your true dream!

I'll end our professional baseball discussion with this thought in mind. You only live once and you are certainly only young once. If you have a dream you are committed to then you had better chase it or it will haunt you the rest of your life. You will always wonder, "what if?" If you give it your best and it doesn't work out then you can live with that especially, if you have a solid education to fall back on.

Baseball as a profession however, does not have to just mean playing professionally. There are other avenues to stay close to the game. I am sure there are many more then I will even mention here. The first one that comes to mind would be coaching. Now if we are talking about earning a living through baseball then obviously it has to be paid coaching.

I mentioned earlier about learning the game to take your shot at pro ball. If you seriously give it your best effort then if playing doesn't work out you should have a solid base to start a coaching career. If you want to coach full time then you are going to have to do it at the college level. If you have any intention of coaching at the major league level then you need to play major league baseball or have a long minor league career. They almost always hire former players.

I will tell you a great game plan if you want to become a college baseball coach. First, become a good player and play in college. It doesn't have to be division 1 just find a school that fits your needs. Second, get good grades because you will need this after you graduate. Third, after graduation find a job as a graduate assistant. You will get a free masters degree, a couple thousand dollars in a stipend, and you will be coaching baseball.

By doing this you begin to make contacts. Also, almost all college job posting want a coach with a masters degree and previous college coaching experience. By being a graduate assistant you fill all the qualifications. This is why I said earlier get good grades so you can get accepted into a masters program to become a graduate assistant.

From here on it's a matter of doing a quality job coaching and working your way to the job you want. Networking is also very important. The more friends you make the more job opportunities that become available. Be prepared however, those first few years could be a lot of moving from school to school as you climb the ladder.

Another full time or part time baseball profession is instruction. We live in a world that has become about organized sports. We start kids playing organized ball by the age of 5. Parents are willing to spend money on instruction year round in an effort to give their kid an edge.

You can find jobs some full time and some part time working in instructional facilities. They are popping up all over the place. If you are a real go getter you could start your own. Gone are the days of kids getting together and playing their own games. Now they can play and practice organized ball year round.

Other opportunities to make baseball a profession would be to become a high school coach. It's not full time but it is a paid position. Usually the coach is also a teacher or has a job with flexibility to allow him to be on time. Again it's not a full time gig but a part-time option.

If you enjoy watching and evaluating players then becoming a scout is also a great option. Being a scout is like any other profession. You start out making little money and working hard. But, if are good and can spot talent then you can move your way up the food chain. The higher you move up the more money you can make.

Being a scout would probably start as a part time job but has the opportunity to become full time. Think about it for a minute, you are getting paid to go watch baseball games. Not a bad deal because if you love baseball that much you would have went for free and offered your opinion anyway!

How about becoming an umpire? Although this doesn't interest me in the least bit it is a baseball profession which could be part-time or full-time. You can umpire from Little League all the way to the big leagues and you get paid to do it at all levels.

A friend of mine just started umpiring Babe Ruth Games. He makes something like $50 a game. He does about 7 games a week. That totals an extra $1400 a month in season. Major League umpires are making 6 figures and all other levels somewhere in between.

There are other ways as well such as sports writing, athletic training, strength and conditioning coaches, equipment managers, and front office type personnel. Maybe selling or manufacturing baseball equipment. Selling and manufacturing is really pushing the idea of baseball as a profession but I guess it depends what your definition and interests are.

In Conclusion

If you are serious about making baseball a profession there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to choose from. All of us baseball nuts growing up will always choose to be a Major League player first. I say go get it! Swing for the fence you might just hit a home run!

If you are smart however, as you are working on becoming a professional ball player also be preparing for what you will do if it doesn't happen. That's not negative thinking it's being proactive and intelligent. Never put all your eggs in one basket because if that basket falls you'll have nothing left to eat! Best of Luck!

Turning The Pitcher Around On The First Pitch

Turning the pitcher around on the first pitch simply means, swing as hard as you can at that first pitch. There is nothing complicated here. We are simply gonna try and turn the pitcher around on the first pitch. We want to rattle his cage! We are going to take a shot at knocking his confidence down on the first pitch of the game.

Think about it from a pitchers perspective. You are confident you are going to throw well. You had a great pre-game pen. Your excited and focused! You throw that first pitch of the game and the lead-off man, who usually is up there to set the table, stands all over it.

What does that do to a pitchers mentality? What does it do to his confidence? It is more mentally demoralizing giving up a shot on the 1st pitch of the game then it is on the 4th pitch? Should it be? No. Is it? Yes!

On a number of occasions we have sent our lead off hitter to the plate with the following instruction: Swing as hard as you possibly can at the first pitch. Forget about our approach on count hitting and swing at the first pitch. Think fastball and let it go as hard as you can!

We told our lead-off to forget about reading spin or anything. Just swing hard! If the pitcher starts you out with a curveball or change-up and you are way out in front of it we don't care. You are simply gearing up for a fastball and swinging out of your socks.

Often times we will combine this with our 604 Team Hitting Concept. What it does is help mask the concept of working the pitcher. Truth is on some occasions it works and sometimes it doesn't. It is no different then anything else in life. I am a strong believer however, that the risk is definitely worth the reward.

Is there the possibility that the batter will make an out on a bad pitch because he is looking to be so aggressive? Of course there is but it is worth the risk in hopes you might turn the pitcher around. One out versus a shell shocked pitcher is a trade I will gamble on any day!

The majority of the time we put this on our hitter fouled of the first pitch. He would take such a hard cut he would lose mechanics slightly and just miss. A few times our hitters recognized the pitch as being not even close and took it. There were also a few times where we hammered the first pitch both for hits and outs.

The most notable turning the pitching around on the first pitch came in the 2006 State Championship game. As I noted in another post we did not hit the ball extremely well that year. I moved our top hitter into the lead off spot for that game. The first pitch of the game he sent it over the left field fence. Talk about a tone setter that was it. It was the start we had dreamed of and jump started us to the championship.

In Conclusion

I believe it is well worth it to take a shot now and then at turning around the pitcher on the first pitch. If your are facing a dominant pitcher then taking a shot is in your best interest. The worse thing that can happen is your hitter makes an out. If the pitcher is that dominant then the odds were he was going to make an out anyway.

What most likely happens is the hitter will swing and miss or foul off the pitch. In this case it's 0-1 and your still hitting so not a big deal. But there are times when the baseball gods are smiling down on you and the ball finds the sweet spot on the bat and changes the game almost before it even started! Best of Luck!

The 604 Team Hitting Concept

The 604 is based on the idea that opposing pitchers are going to be in for a very long day. The picture to the right is a visual cue as to the frustration we want to build up inside the opposing pitcher. We want to build exhaustion into the opposing pitcher until he makes some mistakes and cooks his own goose much like the Supreme Court was doing to Roger Clemens.

In 2006 our ball club was up and down throughout the first two thirds of the season. The biggest problem we were having was our inability to hit the ball consistently. In fact, as a team we were hitting well below .300 heading into the last 7 regular season games of the year. We needed to find ourselves and have something to hang our hat on at the plate as we prepared for the State Tournament.

Out of necessity the 604 was born. I am not claiming to have invented this idea because teams have been using similar systems for as long as the game has been around. I am simply stating the way we changed our approach at the plate and changed our fortune on the field.

Let me first give you the reasons why we made a change to our approach at the plate. We were struggling scoring runs. We could not get enough guys on and when we did we couldn't get them in. As each inning went by I could see our team pressing more and more. It was like they were playing in quick sand. Our players would begin feeling increasing amounts of pressure as the game would move along if they did not score. The harder they pressed the deeper they sank.

You could see it on their faces and in their body language. We had two glaring problems staring us in the face. One, at best we were an average hitting ball club. We had a few hitters who were solid and others who still needed work. Second, the few hitters we had really began to press because they felt like they had to hit if we had any chance at winning. This only made things harder on them.

So the question became how do we relax our players and at the same time give ourselves the best chance to score runs. We had always been a very aggressive hitting program but we needed a new gameplan. The game plan we came up with was the 604. The concept was to drive the pitchers pitch count up to 60 pitches by the 4th inning. It has always been my belief that once a pitcher gets to 60 pitches he begins to tire. If he is a horse and can throw 7 strong innings then the concept still works because your hitters will see a lot of pitches and make adjustments.

We wanted one of three things happen:

#1 - To get to the other teams bullpen

#2 - To fatigue the opposing pitcher and catch him before they took him out

#3 - If #1 or #2 didn't work then we would have confidence facing him late in the game because we have seen his arsenal. By that time we may have picked up him tipping pitches as well.

We knew this would not be easy but we convinced the players how our season would change with this new approach. They were looking for answers and had trust in our program so it was not a hard sell. Now we had to figure out the process by which we would drive up pitch counts and change our players mindsets.

The 604 Team Hitting Concept Rules:

Rule #1: Take a strike unless it was an RBI situation. If there was a runner on second or third you would hit with an aggressive approach.

Rule #2: No curveballs until you had 2 strikes. If it was an RBI situation then no curve balls until 1 strike and then you could be aggressive and hit a curveball up.

Rule #3: 3-1 was a take pitch unless it was an RBI situation.

Rule #4: Once the opposing pitcher gets to 60 pitches we open back up to our aggressive approach. It will stay that way the rest of the game regardless if they change pitchers or not.

That's it's, 4 rules! I realize it isn't a new and earth shattering idea but we set it up in the following manner. I told our team that we would focus on scoring runs in the 5th, 6th, and 7th inning. I even told them I didn't expect them to score in the first 4 innings so there was no reason for them to worry if there were zero's across the board at that point. If we scored runs early it was gravy to us.

We assigned a clicker to one of our players in the dugout and had him track the opposing teams pitcher. We told our players their main goal was to drive the opposing pitchers pitch count to 60 by the fourth inning. It was our goal if we could get there after three innings but we felt just as well if it took us into the fourth inning to reach that point. In 8 of the 12 games we played that year in the 604 we reached 60 pitches by the end of the third inning. In the remaining 4 we reached 60 in the beginning to middle of the fourth inning.

Here is the effect it had on our 06 team. We went on to finish the year with 12 consecutive wins including a State Championship. To see the turnaround in our confidence and demeanor was awesome to watch. I was very fortunate to have great kids who bought into everything without much hesitation. If I came up with something new for them they just went and did it the best they could.

Here's why we were able to accomplish that dream. First, our players became much more relaxed. I mean it was night and day in their body language from before. I mentioned earlier that they would press harder and harder each inning and it would only make things worse. These guys were so focused on that dam pitch counter that the scoreboard didn't even seem to exist until the 5th inning.

Second, we were able to fatigue, remove, and adjust to the opposing pitcher. It took some time to get to them but our players bought into the idea we would win late. When opposing teams jumped on us early it was our players who kept saying we will get em at 60. Truth is I did very little coaching at that point because they were simply following a process we had set up and worked on.

I can remember playing a rival school who was getting the better of us. It was like the 2nd or 3rd game we were running the 604. I was in the third base coaching box scratching my head when I heard our player with the pitch counter begin to call out the pitch count. We had a batter in the box and the kid takes the first pitch for a ball. I hear someone yell 60! Then the next pitch is a ball and I hear 61! At that point the rest of our players caught on and you could just see and feel their spirit change. It was awesome!

We went on to score 4 runs in that inning and won the game. The players were completely sold at that point on what we were doing. They had a process they could follow and it built confidence in themselves and the team. They truly believed by the end of any game they would give themselves a chance to win.

Let me give you one more example. We played in the State Semi-Finals that year for the right to play for a State Championship. The team we were playing was much more talented then we were. Their pitcher was a hard throwing, bomb hitting stud who was about 6'4. Their shortstop was a great player who was hitting somewhere in the neighborhood of .650. Truthfully, I questioned that in my mind before the game but then the kid went 4 for 4 against us and I quickly realized how legit he was.

The game began and their Big pitcher hit a pair of 2 run home runs out of a ball park with professional dimensions. They backed that up with 10 other hits by the 5th inning and a solid pitching performance to go with it. We more then had our hands full at this point. When all of a sudden the pitch counter hit 60.

We huddle before the bottom of the 5th inning. I told our team to turn around and look at the scoreboard. It read 6 -0 with 12 hits to 2 I think. I told our kid to show the counter to our players. Once they saw the pitch count was over 60 a bounce came back in their step. They began saying things like "it's our time" and "these are our innings".

I told them we were playing a good game even though, if you were there, it felt like we were getting killed. I said they have 12 hits and a pair of 2 run homers but the score is only 6-0. I told them they made a mistake by leaving us in this game. As big a part as the 604 was to our season so was throwing strikes and fielding the ball. We weren't dominate strikeout pitchers and flashy fielders but we didn't walk people or kick the ball around. We had done both very well up to this point.

Fairytale story we come back and score 7 runs in the next two innings and won the game. In fact, to make it even more of a storybook season we won our final 4 playoffs games in our final at bat. It was an exciting run and was largely due to the 604.

A final note here was also how our players began to battle at the plate. We were routinely sending hitters to plate for 7 and 8 pitch at bats. I mean players who hadn't battled earlier in the year were fouling off pitches and making life miserable for opposing pitchers. Their swings hadn't changed one bit but their attitude and approach had. It really became a contest at times to see who could see the most pitches in an at bat. Our players would foul off a 2-2 pitch and our bench was going crazy. I know alot of that was the personality of our players and we had some personalities but if you give the players something to believe in they would grab hold.

In Conclusion

The 604 is a sound concept allowing teams to be successful. In order for it to work the players must buy in and run it right. They must truly go to school on the opposing pitcher watching and learning everything they can on each pitch. In the end if the pitcher is throwing well and in the game still what you have done is create a study guide for your hitters to use when they take their finals in the last 3 innings.

Like I said earlier this is not new concept in coaching baseball. Nor do I believe you should play this way all the time. In fact, I coached over 200 games and only ran the 604 in about 5% -7% of those games. I do believe when I come back to coaching that percentage will go up but it will not be a full time philosophy.

If your team is struggling at the plate and you need something to break it up then give the 604 a try. It may be what turns your season around. Best of Luck!

Pitching: How To Prepare In Your Pre-Game Bull Pen

The most important player on the field to any ball club is the player who starts every play. There is not a coach alive who wouldn't take the top pitcher over the top hitter if given the choice. 60 feet 6 inches away stands a young man who has the ability to dictate the outcome of the game. Although I am dramatizing the art of pitching it does not change the fact that he is the dealer in this card game.

Just Deal! That is a phrase I have uttered over and over to our pitching staff. It is phrase that simply means: clear your head, know your location, and let it go. Just deal baby! I think we can all agree that we want our pitchers to deal. We want them confident and in charge. We want them to believe in their stuff. We want them ready to start dealing on the first pitch.

I was always concerned as a coach with my starting pitcher in the 1st and 5th innings. I was also always concerned with our pitcher the inning after we scored. Especially if we had a long inning scoring multiple runs. The concept we are going to discuss however will only deal with the first inning and the pregame pen.

If he is not ready to go at the start then the first inning has a chance to be disastrous. How many times have you seen a pitcher struggle through the first inning before settling down and throwing a great game. It is always a good sign of mental toughness when you can get off to a bad start and continue to stay focused while battling back. It is a skill we talk about at great length to our pitchers. My goal however, is not to have to use that skill because we want to get off to a good start.

The best defense to making sure the game goes as planned is to be prepared mentally and physically before you throw that first pitch. I want to focus more on the physical part of building confidence in this post today. This is a skill that can be practiced and repeated if both the coach and player buy in.

I have written in previous articles that the two biggest things I believe in as a coach are trust and building processes. They go hand in hand. When you build processes I believe that players will trust themselves and their ability more. That's exactly what we do with our pre-game pen. We build and follow a process to prepare ourselves. It is very similar to the process we throw our pens in practice. This allows our pitchers to become very comfortable in their job.

I have seen opposing pitchers routinely go to the pen when we play without any rhyme or reason to what they are trying to accomplish. Some throw for maybe 5 minutes and then go sit for 20 minutes until they hit the mound. I have seen others throw a pen and never work once out of the stretch. We played a State Championship game one year and the opposing teams pitcher played catch with his catcher for about 10 minutes and his catcher never once squatted down for him to throw a pitch.

This kid was a stud pitcher too! In fact he did a great job of holding us down. We managed a couple of early runs before he was ready and another late when he started to tire. Those runs won us a State Championship. Would the outcome have been different had the player prepared a different way? There is no way to know the answer to that question but I believe the pre-game pen is crucial to a pitchers success.

You need to adjust your pre-game pen for each pitcher based on their personal ability. Here is a base sample of the process we used with our pitchers. We use a 6 step approach to physically prepare our pitchers. For this example we will use a 4 o'clock starting time for the game.

Step #1

We will have our pitcher stretch and play catch with the team. Depending on whether we are home or away will determine what time the pitcher is throwing. Usually the time frame is between 3:25 - 3:35. Our pitcher and catcher will play catch until the pitcher feels loose. We want him to get loose but we don't want him throwing his out arm in warm-ups. He will have plenty of opportunity in the pen to build himself up to game speed.

Once he is loose both he and the catcher will head to the dugout. Pitcher and catcher will both dress in full uniform for the pen. Our players warm up in t-shirts then put their jersey on right before the game. We want our pitcher to throw his pregame pen in his jersey. I know this seems like such a small detail but throwing in a t-shirt and throwing in a jersey have a slight difference in feel. Always remember, it is the little details that decide big games.

Step #2

The next step is we have our pitcher head to the outfield and run a pole or two depending on the pitcher to loosen up the body and get the heart, muscles, and blood flowing. We want the pitcher to have this done by 3:40. While this is happening we want our catcher to finish gearing up and have two game balls and a plate if necessary.

Step #3

The pitcher, catcher, and a coach will head over to the pen. The pitcher will stretch and warm-up the muscles in his arms using tubing attached to a fence. This should take place from 3:40-3:45. At 3:45 we want to begin throwing our pen so all this work needs to be completed by then. A special note: if possible send a coach to the pen with the pitcher and catcher. Players focus and work better when a coach is present.

Step #4

We begin our throwing with flatground. In flatground the catcher sits behind the plate like he always does and the pitcher will go through his flatground routine at 40 feet. Flatground is not thrown from the mound it is thrown from flatground. Our flat ground routine is based off of the follow sequences. Again depending on the pitcher may vary this slightly but this is the base routine.

We start in the wind-Up and we are throwing at 50% velocity. I want our pitchers to begin to develop feel and rhythm as they get loose here. Also, we have hitters in the box whenever possible for the pitcher to throw to and get a sense of game feel. AA stands for armside away. Rather then use inside/outside we use armside meaning the pitchers armside and armside away. This way it doesn't matter which hand pitcher is throwing or what side the batter is standing on.

Again, flatground is simply for finding our rhythm, tempo, timing, location, and feel for grips and spin. We always start armside away because it's the longest stretch on the pitchers arm.

Wind-Up

3 x 4 Seam FB AA
3 x 4 Seam FB A

2 x CH AA
2 x CH A

Stretch

3 x 2 Seam FB AA
3 x 2 Seam FB A

2 x CB For A Strike
2 x CB Down In the Zone (Imagine the catcher turned his glove over and set it on the ground)



Step # 5

Step 5 is nothing more then throwing a short pen. Our pitcher moves back onto the mound and our catcher will move up just in front of home plate. From here we will throw 5 fastballs at 75% velocity for a strike. All I want for our pitcher here is to get comfortable from the mound (provided you have one but we will follow this routine regardless). We will throw 5 fastballs to the catchers glove. We are just looking to throw strikes and build a little feel and confidence. Throwing short pen is a great confidence booster because it is easy!

Step #6

Our catcher moves back behind the plate and we begin throwing a regular length pen. We want our pitcher to start out throwing at about 90% velocity and this will build to the final pitch. Our last three pitches in the the pen will be an air it out finish. The routine is as follows.

Wind-Up

3 x 4 Seam FB AA
3 x 4 Seam FB A

3 x CH AA
3 x CH A

Stretch (We should be up 100% velocity at this point)

3 x 2 Seam FB AA
3 x 2 Seam FB A

3 x CB For A Strike
3 x CB Down In The Zone

We will finish with 3 air it out fastballs. We want the pitcher to throw hard and be less concerned with location other then to throw a strike. This may not make a lot of sense considering we preach location but we want our pitcher to end with a mindset that when I have to I am coming right at you with confidence! From here our pitcher will go to the dugout towel off and hit the field.

It should be noted here that I have in the past experimented with pitchers finishing there bull pens throwing sequences. Meaning changing pitch selection and location on consecutive pitches. An example would be going FB A to CH AA to CB for a strike to FB AA. Truth is I have never seen it make more difference then using a building block process. I believe in building the pitchers confidence through our process by giving him a routine that he will be successful throwing. This ensures he will take the mound with optimal confidence.

In Conclusion

I believe very strongly in our pre-game process for pitchers. These are the same drills they throw in practice everyday. It allows them to get very efficient at hitting locations at a high percentage. When game day comes they are simply repeating a process they work on everyday. This is a huge confidence builder and in the end confidence is the key!

The second thing I like about this routine is that the pitcher is not sitting around thinking too much. He is active and in charge of preparing to pitch. This helps keep his
nerves in check (as much as possible) and allows his natural ability to shine through. It allows him to start the first inning in a proper mental and physical state.

The third and final phase goes back to confidence again. The pitcher on the mound knows he has prepared for the game. He takes pride in his preparation and will begin to build an underlying confidence because he knows deep down he has put in the time to be successful. When players are on the field they know deep down how much they have prepared for this moment. They can lie with their words but deep down in the heart they know how much they truly deserve success. Once again this little detail could be the biggest difference in the game. Best of luck!

The Advantages Of Hitting With Wood Bats During BP

I want to discuss the advantages of using wood bats during BP sessions. We are going to assume that money is not an issue. I know the day and age we live in but for arguments sake you all have unlimited budgets here. OK, let's get back to the idea of using wooden bats.

I am a big believer that players swings are affected by using aluminum bats growing up. The reason I say that is because players don't use their bodies in general as well as they could. They leave a lot of power on their lower half because they don't load and unload properly from the waist down.

The biggest reason is the fact they don't have to with the aluminum bats. They can be arm swingers and still get the ball out of the infield and even into the gaps. I don't see a lot of players anymore who truly drive the ball on an consistent basis. With the space age technology we send our hitters to the plate with, you would think the ball would be jumping off their bats.

I really don't see that happening as much as you would think. I am not saying that there are not hitters who hit with their lower halves but at least in my observations I don't see it enough. The reason I believe is because kids hit with aluminum bats all their life now and they can be arm swingers and get away with it.

I know when you use a wooden bat it takes much more skill and technique to hit. First, if you expect to drive the ball you need to incorporate your lower half. Second, you need to hit the ball on the sweet spot. You can't cap it and have it fall in. You certainly can't get handcuffed and expect to get anything out of it swinging with half your body. In fact, I believe our hitters would do a much better job staying inside the ball and being quicker to the ball with a wood bat. If we could combine that swing with the aluminum bat then players would have the best of both worlds.

An interesting note you probably have never notice is how many players look to be in the right position when they finish but are not there at contact. I have seen a lot of players on film, my own and opponents, who hit with no lower half but afterwards turn the back foot and pivot the hips. At fast motion it appears to a point that they are doing it right. When in reality they are simply finishing with style to keep the coaches off their backs.

I have had fundamentally unsound hitters have good years because we can cheat the fundamentals with the aluminum bat. I have coached kids on how to take their bad swing and use the aluminum bat to their benefit. If you start messing with a players swing in the middle of the year you are asking for trouble. A kid who is comfortable and confident with a mediocre swing will have more success then a player who is working hard trying to change a flaw in his swing in the middle of the season.

The cool thing about this idea is the fact I believe hitters would better self-correct. I think they would naturally begin to make changes in order to have success. If you break enough bats you begin to make changes naturally. With aluminum bats I see players continually make the same mistakes over and over without ever making an adjustment. Getting jammed with an aluminum bat compared to a wooden bat just aren't the same thing.

Hitting a ball in the gap for a triple with an aluminum bat and flying out to the center fielder with a wooden bat with the exact same swing sends a clear message to the player. The message is simple: If I am going to drive the ball I need to load up correctly! I need to load with both the upper and lower body! I need to stay inside the ball and be quick taking my hands straight to the ball! I better get full extension after contact!

Is this going to make everyone on your team a good hitter? No! As long as there is baseball there will be good hitters and bad hitters. That will never change but I am completely convinced that every hitter in your program will improve. That every hitter in your program will hit the ball a little harder and be a little more consistent. And that hitters on your team will begin to naturally make some changes to help their success!

In Conclusion

I have never been a position where financially I could outfit the entire team to follow my own advice. Once I return to coaching this will be one of the first things I institute into our practice plan. I have worked with individual players who used this philosophy and seen tremendous results which is why I decided to write this post. I can remember when I first started coaching not allowing players to hit with anything other then the bat they would use in the game. At least the same specifications anyway. I can see now without question the advantage of the wood bat in BP.

The benefits are all there for us so it should be a no brainer in my opinion. It only takes a small improvement in order for you to get an edge on your competition and this is an easy way to get it. Your players will quickly see the advantages and begin to help themselves. Plus all players love to hit with wood some times because it makes us feel like major leaguers. There has never been a baseball player who hasn't dreamed of being in the show!!! Best of luck!