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!