“What Type of Hitter Are You?”

One way to help your players have a very successful season this year is by taking a moment to ask them, “What type of hitter do you think you are?”

Most young hitters have never slowed down long enough to consider such a thought.  Typically, they run from hitting lessons to practice to games, with no consideration to the gifts they have blessed with and strengths they may have. 

There are only three “types” of hitters:  Singles Hitters, Power Hitters, and “Line Drive” Hitters, and in scouting young players, they all typically fall somewhere within these three categories.  None are more or less important that the other, because in truth, a line-up needs all three to be successful.

A “Singles hitter” is typically a player who has a very short swing, terrific hand eye coordination, a small strike zone, and good to great speed.  This player also usually exhibits a low finish to his swing in order to 1) create more ground balls, and 2) help them get out of the box quicker.  If your son or daughter is small, and blessed with quickness, becoming this type of hitter this spring could really help them 1) get more playing time, and 2) help their team to accomplish their pre-season goals.  This type of hitter is usually found in the 1st, 2cd, and 9th position in their respective lineups, and is typically known as a “table setter” or the “second leadoff.”

The second type is the rarest of the breed, the “Power Hitter”.  There are very few true power hitters in the game today, which is why they demand the highest salaries at the Major League level (supply and demand).  Typical attributes include big body types with long arms, a swing and miss mentality (meaning high risk/high reward), a flair for the dramatic, and a high finish (which encourages more fly balls).  Everyone loves to see this guy hit, because he puts on a show that few forget.  Typically, he is responsible for driving in runs for the team and can usually be found in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots of the lineup. 

The third and final type of hitter is a “Line Drive hitter”, and is the most common of the types.  In scouting young players, most kids fall into this category.  Typical attributes include medium to normal body size and speed, good hands defensively, and great discipline at the plate.  In other words, they are just “good baseball players”;  i.e. “doubles” power, very few strikeouts, and an innate ability to situational hit (meaning they hit and run very well, they drive in runs, move guys over, etc...)  If you son is this type of player, he usually fits into a lineup best in the 6th, 7th, and 8th spots, and there is no shame in that.  Always make sure to remind him that each and every lineup in America has a 6th, 7th, and 8th spot in it, and they all need great “baseball players” in order to fill those slots. 

In taking a moment to discuss which of the three types your young hitter might be, in truth, you are asking him or her in the short-term, “how best do you help your team?”  and in the long-term, “in what capacity are you going to maximize your talent?”  As Coaches, we all need table setters, grinders, and someone who swings for the fence, so have this conversation with your players in order to help them find out what they can do best to 1) help them have a very successful spring, and 2) help their team win a championship! 

Rubber Band Theory.

Whenever kids have trouble understanding the concept of "separation" at the plate, it always helps me to use the Rubber Band analogy.

If you were to take a Rubber Band and barely pull it back, the impact or "pop" of the Rubber Band is going to be very, very small (or in other words, with very little power.)

Now, if you take that same Rubber Band and pull it back to where there is an extreme amount of tension in the band (or in other words, through the torso of the hitter), the "pop" is going to be much more explosive (or in other words, with power.)

In truth, the distance between your young hitter's front toe down position and back hand position at the trigger is the definition of "separation". 

Now, does your young hitter separate?  Or could he or she use a Rubber Band?

Are Maple Bats Dangerous?

As a result of Tyler Colvin's most recent accident in which he was struck in the chest by a shattered bat, baseball pundits again are rearing their ugly heads calling for a ban on all bats made of Maple in Major League Baseball.

Jim Anderson, Vice President of MaxBats (and a close, personal friend) responded in this way when I asked him, "What in the world is going on with all these Maple Bats shattering?"

"The bat (not a MaxBat) that Wellington Castillo was using was a Model 243 (large barrel) with a -3 weight drop.  In order to make that model, the manufacturer is forced to use a light billet of wood (light wood = weak wood).  Couple that with the -3 weight drop, and you're going to have problems.  This is one reason I don't advocate anyone using a large barreled bat with a weight drop of greater than -2.  As someone who is in the industry, it didn't take long to realize that the bat in question is a bat with bad slope of grain."

So it's not just Maple then?

"Over the course of the last 2 1/2 years, MLB has collected broken bat data that has been categorized by manufacturer, player, model, wood species, etc.  Interestingly enough, such info reveals that Adam Dunn had 24 multi-piece failures last year.....12 of those failures were with maple, and 12 were with ash.  So, can we just continue to blame maple bats when we see a bat break in 2-pieces on t.v.? No.  Obviously the incident on Sunday between the Cubs and Marlins was very unfortunate, and I can only wish Cubs rookie OF Tyler Colvin a speedy recovery, but to simply blame it solely on the wood species (maple) is a bit of a stretch." 

 So after talking with Jim, perhaps manufacturers should be forced to impose certain dimensions (length, width, weight) on the bats they produce, rather than worrying about what type of wood it is.

What do you think?

 

 

Baseball (Cards) Blog.

Check out this Baseball (Card) Blog that I was interviewed for back on Sept. 8th!
http://borosny.blogspot.com/
Very cool site, (and it's always fun to talk about your childhood!)

Winning Baseball: "What Is a Two Strike Approach?"

Chinese Arithmetic...That's what kids hear now whenever a Coach tries to teach (and explain) a Two Strike Approach to young hitters.  But this "Dinosaur of the Diamond" is a very important part of what winning teams do at the plate.

Winning Teams keep an inning going by poking a ball the other way.  Winning Teams lay off balls and work a walk in order to keep an inning going.  Winning Teams find a way to put pressure on their opponent by forcing them to make plays.  Simply put, Winning Teams find a way to win, and having a Two Strike Approach is one of those ways.

At the plate, a Two Strike Approach is nothing more than moving two inches closer to the plate (to take away the outside pitch), moving two inches up in the box (to take away the curve ball), and choking up two inches on the bat (to have better bat control).  In other words, "2-2-2-2 (two strikes means two inches in on the plate, two inches up in the box, and two inches up on the bat)."

Physically speaking, it's also spreading out in the box (in order to keep your weight back), flattening out the bat (in order to hit line drives more consistently), looking the other way (to let the ball get deeper), and being quick with your hands (in order to be short to the ball). 

Mentally speaking, it's finding a way to get on base, it's competing at the plate, and it's putting pressure on your opponent.

And it's playing Winning Baseball.

Winning Baseball: "The Disappearing Two Strike Approach."

 
In the summer of 2010, there have already been two Perfect Games registered (well...actually, three, if you count the Armando Galarraga effort where Jim Joyce's bad call with two outs in the ninth cost him a Perfect Game as well), and two more No-Hitters.  And what makes this even more remarkable is the fact that prior to this season, there were only 18 Perfect Games recorded in the history of the game!  So what in the world could cause this remarkable change of events; a new pitching philosophy, a new pitch no one has seen, more velocity, more control?  No, the truth is these Perfect Games have become possible due to the extinction of a (former) staple of the game:  the Two Strike Approach.

When I speak to players today about having a Two Strike Approach, I often get a look of absolute befuddlement.  Players today do not understand how to move up in the box, how to move in on the plate, how to flatten out their bat, how to punch the ball the other way, and God forbid, choke up, in order to become a tough out at the plate.  They would prefer to swing for the fences at balls in the dirt while their batting averages suffer (and their teams suffer the consequences.)

In studying and teaching the Two Strike Approach, no one personified the ability to drive the ball early in the count, while "shortening up" and "putting the ball in play" better than Joe Dimaggio.  In 1941, the year Joe D. hit in 56 straight, few people know that he also hit 30 Home Runs that year, while striking out only 13 times!  He also had similar numbers in 1939 as well when he hit 30 more Home Runs, while striking out only 20 times that season.  And by the way, he was also named the American League M.V.P. at the conclusion of both seasons (and the Yankees also won the World Series both of those years!)

So how do we, as Coaches and Players, become better two-strike hitters?  Find out next week, when we discuss the "2-2-2-2" Principle at the Plate! 

Winning Baseball: "Being Aggressive At The Plate."

Each and every week, I hear Coaches screaming from the third base box for their young hitters to, "Be Aggressive And Swing the Bat!"  But really, what does that mean?  (And remember, teen-age ears hear differently than we do, and may not understand exactly what you, as a Coach, want them to accomplish)...

Next time out there, do me a favor.  Rather than yelling "Be Aggressive!" to your hitters from a distance, explain to the boys (and girls) prior to the game that you would like to see them "Be Aggressive on the Fastball in the Zone."  And let them know you are going to track their performance, not their results.  In other words, you're not concerned with whether they get a hit or not.  You are more concerned with their approach.

With today's kids, just "Being Aggressive" is not enough.  Adding "on the fastball" to your direction helps narrow down the pitch you are expecting them to jump on, and "in the zone" encourages plate discipline and the first rule of hitting from Ted Williams  (always get a good ball to hit!)

This simple explanation of what you are really looking for from them at the plate will help you to better communicate the approach you would like to see (and as a result, help your team to hit the ball harder and help your hitters to become better as a result.) 

 








 

PNST User Delino Deshields, Jr. Goes In The First Round!

Last September, I received an on-line order for two Pitcher's Nightmare Swing Trainers from a very familiar name in the Baseball World; Delino Deshields, former Big League Second Baseman for the Expos, Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, and Cubs (and current Minor League Manager for the Reds).
 
Last night, I saw the very same name (with the addition of a Jr. suffix) taken as the #8 pick by the Houston Astros in the Major League Draft (besting his Dad, who was picked with the #12 pick in 1987.)

Delino Deshields, Jr. played high school ball for Woodward Academy in Atlanta and I am proud to say the War Eagles are PNST users mainly as a result of Delino Deshields, Jr.'s influence.

Coach Chris Reed of Woodward Academy told me over the phone (as he placed an order for the War Eagles) that "Delino Jr. swings it everyday and loves it!"

Congratulations, Delino Deshields Jr.!  Keep swinging the PNST and may God bless your path as you make your way to the Majors!

Winning Baseball: "The Three Run Theory."

There is a theory in Baseball Coaching that is widely known as the "Three Run Theory." 

Basically, what this theory means is if you have a Great Coach, your team begins the game leading 3-0, due to practice preparation, playing the game the right way, teaching proper technique, etc.  If your team has a Good Coach, the game is 0-0, and unfortunately for some, if you have a Bad Coach, your team is already losing the game 3-0 before the first pitch is thrown.

This rule also has a multitude of possibilities due to match-ups.  If a Great Coach meets a Great Coach, 0-0.  But if a Great Coach meets a Bad Coach, 6-0 before the first pitch.  Good Coach, Bad Coach, 3-0.  You get the idea.

Now, how does this theory help?  Think about your own team.  As we all know in baseball, numbers don't lie.  Are you a Good Coach, a Bad Coach, or a Great Coach?  The scoreboard will usually let you know.

 

Winning Baseball: "The Cardinal Rule."

One huge difference between "winning" baseball teams and "losing" baseball teams is the ability of winning teams to score runners from third with less than two outs.

In a game that could ultimately be decided by one run, making contact in these R.B.I. situations is crucial.  And one of the best teams in baseball at performing this skill is the St. Louis Cardinals.

Tony La Russa and his staff have a system and there is no doubt their system works; be it in Chicago, Oakland, or St. Louis.  One mainstay, or tenet, of his system is the Cardinal Rule of "NEVER TAKE A FASTBALL FOR A STRIKE IN AN R.B.I. SITUATION." 

In order to be a St. Louis Cardinal, you have to swing the bat in this situation.  The Cardinal Rule forces the St. Louis hitters to attack the fastball early in the count and avoid "pitcher's counts" and/or "strikeout situations." 

And the same rule can work for your team as well.  Adopt the "Cardinal Rule" in R.B.I. situations, and you will be amazed at how much better your team becomes at plating those runners from third with less than two outs!

Winning Baseball: Where's Your Ring?

Next month, after more than 1,000 wins and induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame, my Collegiate Coach and Mentor, Dusty Rhodes, is retiring from coaching.  And even though the man who "taught me how to play (and coach) the game the right way" may be riding off in the sunset; his ways, his philosophies, and his system will continue to grow and prosper through all of us who had the good fortune of playing for him.

I'll never forget my first day with Coach Rhodes.  We had gathered as a team in the stadium bleachers behind the plate waiting for him to speak.  Today was to be our first practice.  Our first chance to show what we could do.  Our first step towards winning a National Championship.  And as Coach Rhodes paced back and forth at the base of the stairs, we all sat anxiously waiting to get on the field and start practice, when finally, he spoke.

"Real quick, guys, before we get started...How many of you have Championship rings?"

Silence permeated over the bleachers.  We all looked around at one another, wondering, "where's he going with this?"  Two guys eventually raised their right hands and Coach pointed them out, "Yes?"

One of the young men who had raised his hand announced that he had won a State Championship with Sarasota High School last season.  "Good...good." Coach Rhodes said, "Excellent program...And you?"

The other young man let us all know that he had been a member of the past summer's American Legion State Championship team in Deland.  "Excellent." Coach Rhodes said, "Now, what about the rest of you?...Where's your rings?"

As he so often did back in those days, he built up the moment with quiet intensity.  He paced before us and asked again, "Well, where is your ring?...You don't have a ring?"  And as our heads shook in answer and our eyes fell down in disgrace, Coach then asked "Well, do you know want to know why you don't have a ring?"

Immediately, every young man looked directly into his eyes.  Longing for the answer.  Wanting to win a ring.  Wishing to be a part of a Championship team. 

"BECAUSE THEY DON'T GIVE THOSE THINGS AWAY!!!  YOU HAVE TO EARN THEM!!!  AND YOU BEGIN TO EARN THEM TODAY!!!  ON THAT FIELD!!!  RIGHT HERE!!! RIGHT NOW!!! SO LET'S GO!!!

I don't know if I ever ran onto a field as hard as I did in that moment.  Coach Rhodes had found a way to speak to all of us and inspire us to reach for those rings.  And looking back now as a man who owns three Championship rings (two as a player, and one as a Head Coach), it is true.  They don't give them away.  You do have to earn them.  And you have to realize that the ring should be your goal from Day One.  Just as Coach Rhodes taught us, so many years ago.


 
  

Winning Baseball: "Slow the Moment Down"

 The other night, I made a trip to the mound to try and calm down one of my younger pitchers.  The game was tied, there were base runners everywhere, and the pressure was mounting.  The umpire was squeezing the zone (no doubt feeling the pressure himself) and the crowd had become a factor.   

As we stood there together on the bump, I told the young righty to take a deep breath, and gave him some of the best advice I ever received as a professional:  "Now, slow the moment down."
 
If you, as a Coach or as a Player, ever get "caught up" in the moment, you will more than likely make a hasty decision based on emotion, rather than rational, you will feel "out of control" and "tight", and as a result, you usually make a mistake. 


By "slowing the moment down", you are able to calm down your heart rate, clear your head, and relax in high pressure situations.  You are able to think, to process information and to make wise decisions.  And more than anything, you are able to go "back to the basics", "throw to the mitt", and ultimately, perform at your maximum ability in the most crucial of situations.

This same advice also works for hitters.  By "slowing the moment down", hitters can see the ball longer, can understand their zone better, and as a result, quiet down the noise that surrounds them on all sides with the game on the line.

So the next time you find yourself having to come through in the clutch as a player, or making a game-changing decision as a coach, remember..."Slow the moment down" and you will no doubt come through and make the right move!
 




 

Winning Baseball: "Shoe Leather"

When I was the Head Coach of Vienna Post 202 (2003 Georgia State Champions), one of the most difficult tasks we faced as a Coaching Staff was taking kids from 12 different high schools who have been taught to despise one another all year and make them into a team in only a few weeks.  I'm sure others may have theories on how to do this best, but there is only one way I know:  "Shoe Leather".

When you break Baseball and Softball down to the bare bones, it is an individual sport played by a team.  If each player does his job, you will have a good team and a successful season (you see this often in the professional ranks).  However, in order to have a "Championship" season, you, as a Coach, need to find a way to give your players a common experience, a "group" experience to share that will help your players "find a way to win" when the going gets tough and they need to come through in the clutch, not because he or she wants a hit or an RBI, but because there is no way he or she would ever let their teammates down. 

When I was a player at the University of North Florida, we had a tradition known as "Hell Week".  Each year, when we returned to school after Christmas, we would run at 6:00 AM in a parking lot through the dead of winter for an entire week.  This week did more than get us in shape after the holidays.  It made us find a way to keep moving our feet when the pain was unbearable and we couldn't take another step.  It made us reach down deep to block out the voice telling us "no" and replace it with a voice who repeatedly said "yes".  And looking back, it made us become a team. 

Proverbs 27:17 reads "As Iron sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another."  You, as a coach, must provide that method or moment where your young men and women can bleed together, sweat together, and puke together so they can also become sharp as Iron, and "find a way to win" when the going gets tough.





 

How to Play Winning Baseball: Divide the Season into Thirds.

In order for your club to "peak" at the right time, you, as a Coach, need to look at the season as a process or an "evolution" of thirds.

  

The first third of your season should be a time where everyone plays, everyone gets an opportunity, and everyone has a chance to show what they can do.  If you have a young kid you would like to try in a certain situation, this is the time to do it.  If you have a lineup in mind, but aren't quite sure whether it will be the right combination or not, this is the time to try it out.  If you need to learn if a kid is better in a starting role or in relief on the mound, again, this is the time to run him out there.  Do not emphasize winning as much in this time period, because it is more important that everyone is given a chance to show what they can (or can't) do (which will serve you well later when you have to explain to "little Johnny's parents" why he doesn't play as much as he used to.) 

The second third is when you, as a Coach, begin "tightening the bolts".  You now know who can run, who can handle the bat, and unfortunately, who is a liability in the lineup and on the field.  Your defense should be set and everyone should understand their position and role in the lineup.  You now know who can throw strikes, who can't, and more importantly, how everyone on the team fits into the plans to make it to the Championship.  Be it as a pinch-runner, someone who bunts well, or as a left handed relief specialist, you have to find a way for everyone to contribute (even if it's just coaching first), and this is the time to do that.


The third third is when winning is emphasized.  Each and every player should know exactly what is expected of them, and your team should be prepared for every situation.  You should know if and when the hit and run will work, who can come through in the clutch, and who can get that much needed strikeout with a runner at third with one out.  You should now be able to relax and enjoy the harvest of your hard work; A championship team who is peaking at the right time and "rolling" into the playoffs ready to win a ring! 

The Face of Courage: Jackie Robinson.

Every April 15th, Major League Baseball honors the only man whose number is retired by all 30 teams:  Jackie Robinson.  On this date back in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the "color barrier" and became the first black man to play in the Major Leagues in the modern era.  But even more so than that, Jackie Robinson gave Courage a face and a name we could all relate to (and remember).

The Georgia native overcame obstacles that in today's day and age are hard to believe.  (Did you know the St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike if Jackie was allowed to play?)  Along with death threats, rough play by his opponents (he once received a seven-inch gash in his leg while turning two), and a constant barrage of insults from the stands (and the other dugouts) calling him every name in the book, Jackie personified professionalism while playing the game at the highest level.

Thank God for us all, Jackie chose to beat 'em "on the field" rather than "in the stands".  We all need Heroes to look up to and to admire in life.  Jackie Robinson and the courage he exemplified was (and is) heroic in turn, and no doubt helped us as a nation to overcome prejudice, to create more opportunity, and in the end, become better people.  

 

How to Play Winning Baseball: Chapter One: One Great Play, One Great Pitch!

In the first inning of most games, the score almost always becomes 2 to 0.  Whether it is a Big League game or a Little League game, pitchers almost always give up two right away and this dynamic is the result of several different things. 

It could be the pitcher having trouble making an adjustment from the bullpen to the mound.  It could be the adrenaline of facing a worthy opponent.  It could be a wind shift (you may not be aware of this, but if the wind is in your face, your curve ball breaks more and if the wind is to your back, your curve ball breaks less, but your fastball is better).  It could be your defense being caught off guard. 

None the less, there is only one way to prevent these two runs from scoring (and it's not throwing a simulated game in the pen)!  The winning way:  One great play, One great pitch.

Tell your defense before they take the field that someone will have to make a great play in the first to keep the other team from scoring.  Then the thought is first and foremost on their mind and more than likely, they will deliver in helping you to win the first inning!

Automatically, your pitcher will also know at some point in the first, they will have to make a great pitch, and again, if the thought is first and foremost in their mind, they will make that pitch and they will prevent the other team from getting the upper hand.

And as a result, with the shoe on the other foot, your opponent will now be faced with the very difficult task of making one great play and one great pitch and preventing you from winning the first and going up 2 to 0!

How to Play Winning Baseball: Chapter One: Win the First Third!

This Spring, I agreed to serve as the Pitching Coach for a local High School.  What I thought would be a stress reliever and a whole lot of fun has in fact turned into the opposite.  And the simple reason is the guys don't know how to win.  They know how to play (and many of the players have quite a bit of talent), but they don't know how to win.  And winning, just like anything else, is something that has to be taught, has to be practiced, and has to become part of your daily routine. 

As a result, I have decided to outline steps necessary in order to become a winning baseball team.  I hope the guys (and others) will enjoy reading this, and perhaps learn something along the way.

Chapter One:  Win the First Third!

When you break the game down, Baseball is a game of threes (more on this later).  Rather than having your team think and prepare for Nine Innings or Seven Innings, have them break the game down into Thirds.  (3 inns., 3 inns, 3 inns, for a Nine Inning game or 1 inn, 3 inns, 3 inns, for a Seven Inning game.)  This is a much easier concept for your players to grasp and he (or she in fast pitch) can and will then work to win a much shorter game (thus, playing with the intensity and the desire to immediately win that third!)

Now, here is where it gets interesting.  This is true, whether it is in travel ball or the Big Leagues...The team that wins two out of the three thirds will win the game.  (The next time you watch a Big League game, take note of this...It's mind boggling and is further proof, the Baseball Gods are real and they are in control (LOL)!) 

So if your team has a bad inning, so what?  Chalk that up to a bad third (you are allowed to lose one anyway) and then work your tail off on winning the other two!  By dividing the game for your players, it makes the game shorter, more intense, and encourages hustle, attitude, and desire to WIN THE FIRST THIRD!

 

  

A Class Act.

Yesterday, the Boston Red Sox performed one of the classiest acts I have ever seen.

Nomar Garciaparra, the former Six-Time All-Star Shortstop, Two-Time A.L. Batting Champion (1999, 2000), and 1997 A.L. Rookie of the Year,  signed a One-Day Minor League Contract with the Red Sox in order to throw out a ceremonial first-pitch to his former teammate (at both Georgia Tech and with the Red Sox) Jason Veritek, and then retire as a member of his old club, the Boston Red Sox. 

In a day and age full of "what have you done for me lately", it is so nice to see General Manager Theo Epstein, Owner John Henry,  and the entire Boston Red Sox organization understand that there is in fact, a heart underneath all those uniforms, and do what is right in remembering one of their greats with this fitting farewell.

What Are "Power Stations" and Why Are They Important?

Yesterday, I was working with a young hitter who had a tendency to hit the ball off the end of his bat. The reason...His middle "Power Station" was out!

"Power Stations" (simply put) are a hitter's front shoulder, front hip, and front knee. If any of these three are "out" (or pulling away from the pitcher), then the hitter loses power.

Take a look at this picture of the Mick. This is what lining up your "Power Stations" for maximum power looks like.

If a hitter's front shoulder pulls out, so does their head.  If a hitter's front hip juts out (or in South Georgia terms, his or her fanny), so does his or her direction and momentum back to the pitcher.  And if a hitter's front knee takes off, so do their hips.

Make sure your young hitter understands how important his or her "Power Stations" are.  And let 'em know, if they get all three lined up, there is no doubt they'll "LIGHT UP" the next pitch!

What are "Power Planes" and Why Are They Important?

Power Planes are extremely important in creating a powerful swing at the plate!  And yet, very few hitters understand and do it correctly.

The best way to understand and explain this "Principle" of Power Hitting is to show you the below photo of Alphonso Soriano. 

 

If you'll look (now hang on...this is dealing with Geometry), draw a straight line 1) through Alfonso's shoulders and 2) then his hips.  As you can see, Alfonso's back shoulder is higher than his front shoulder and as a result, his back hip is higher than this front hip. (Or in coaching terminology, his backside is higher than his frontside.)  This is what allows Alphonso to drive down "into" the baseball, rather than "collapse" with his back side as his swing begins.

When you are teaching a young hitter how to set up in the box, make sure to take the time to teach proper "Power Plane" Positioning if you have a young hitter who is looking to 1)  increase his power or  2) fix "collapsing" with his back side or "dipping" with his back shoulder.