A Sell-Out For Every Game = A Scholarship For Every Player

RT Staff Note: I have written about the strength of West Coast Baseball on this blog and on Rivals College Baseball message boards for over a year now. I am a huge supporter of Big West Baseball in particular. The following letter is an open letter of sorts to vent the frustration from my readers and fans on the lack of support for what is the one of the greatest baseball conferences in America. This also applies to the PAC 10, WCC, WAC, and Mountain West conferences. All overachive on the field but grossly underachieve at the turnstiles...with the exception of Fresno State in the WAC and San Diego State in the MWC. Here's the letter...

I don’t have to tell you how important the Big West conference is to college baseball. Their talent pool is amongst the best in the collegiate ranks. The Big West baseball players in the pros are a combination of All-Stars and future Hall Of Famers.

This year and most other years, the Big West Conference is touted as one of the premier baseball conferences in the country. It consistently is ranked with conferences like the SEC, Big 12, ACC and PAC 10. With the PAC 10 down this year, the Big West is the top conference in the West with Irvine, Fullerton, Cal Poly and Riverside leading the pack.

Unfortunately, the local fans of these clubs don’t seem to know about the accolades of the conference. If they did, then it would seem that the fan base would be a bit more enthusiastic about the quality of baseball being played in their backyard. And, may I add, that it’s being played at such a high level and low cost to the fan…you’d think that during these tough economic times, real baseball fans would gladly substitute a $25+ per person pro experience for an under $7 per person college game.

Fullerton is the lone exception. They know how to market themselves, create fan excitement and interaction. They choreograph their games like a minor league club with between inning fan games, top notch announcers, a great food court and adrenalin induced music. Their Friday night games are usually close to a sell-out and full of crazy, yet knowledgeable fans, decrying the antics of the opposing teams, while keeping the fans amused and giving their club that home field advantage. That’s part of their allure for the potential recruit. No wonder they have such a rich and storied program.

On the other hand, you’d never know that UC Irvine is the Number One Ranked team in the land. (Big West headquarters) They struggle to get 1,200 fans to a game. Granted…it’s a young program with a fraction of the history of its Orange County counterparts, but, THEY ARE NUMBER ONE!!!

Who is the Sports Information Director at this school? Why aren’t there more promotional ideas being generated to draw more fans to the Anteaters games? I have heard all of the excuses…it’s a commuter school…it’s a tough academic school that cherishes grades over extra-curricular activities. Nationwide… Vanderbilt and Rice are tough academic schools as well, that have great baseball, but they get 5,000+ to their games. What’s their secret? Good marketing and top notch stadiums and stadium experiences.

Cal Poly is another school that should be averaging 3,000 or more a night. This top 15 team is a lock for the regionals and is in a college town. There is not a pro team within a 4 hour drive of SLO. This is their team and they are not supporting it. Towns of this size in the SEC Conference are drawing 6,000 or more to each and every game. It’s embarrassing for a club of this caliber in this beautiful climate to draw as few fans as it does.

Cal Poly isn’t the only college town where baseball seems to be the stepchild of the athletic department. UC Davis is also miles away from a premier sports team and while they have an above average stadium and a good facility, they can’t draw a hundred fans. Granted, they don’t have a good team this year, but they are bringing in teams that should draw well for the baseball fan. Just recently an underachieving Santa Clara team hosted San Diego State and the great Steven Strasburg. Santa Clara did a great job of promoting that game and despite a wet night, the game was a sell-out. That’s how you promote your games. The town of Davis is a very accessible community as is the baseball stadium. There’s no excuse for the local fans not to follow this team. The athletic department is not doing its job.

Another very disappointing program is UC Santa Barbara. Located in one of the nation’s most beautiful settings for a college campus, this school should be a haven for baseball talent. Instead, they have the league’s worst stadium and facilities. As a result, they draw less fans than the local Santa Barbara Area high school teams. There are no pro teams within a two hour drive of Santa Barbara to distract the locals from attending their college team. These guys just don’t know how to market the game. It’s like having a top of the line Mercedes and only driving it on small dusty dirt roads rather than the adjacent scenic freeway. It’s very sad, because this team has the greatest recruiting tool in the country…it’s location on the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Tigers have one of the nicest stadiums in the conference next to Fullerton and they too are located in a college town of sorts. The economy in Stockton is a big obstacle to overcome and we can forgive the fans a bit for their lack of support. The fact that they bring in 600+ fans a game is encouraging, but even that is low when you consider how fan friendly and low cost the games are. Like Davis, they too are not a very good team, but good teams are still playing in Stockton.

Long Beach State could also do better. They have the tradition, a good stadium and create some in game excitement… But, they average only 1,500 a game. When you look at their storied background and the blue chip players that have been in their program, they should be averaging over 3,000.

Northridge and Riverside are relative newcomers to the conference, but still folks.,..this is great baseball. The stadiums should be full and the games a must see event.

One should look no further than what the SEC is doing to attract record crowds year in and year out. Athletic directors from every conference in the West Coast should take an information gathering tour of those schools to find out what they are doing right. My take is that they all have top notch stadiums with lights, (If a team will install the lights...they will come...this should be mandatory for all West Coast schools) good food and great local media support. They get their students involved and each game is a new experience. Like basketball, many of these schools have rowdy student sections that keep the fans amused and in the game. It’s brutal to be an opposing team sometimes…but these fans can have you laughing out loud…it’s very entertaining to say the least.

The games announcers, both in the radio booth and on the P.A. system, rival that of any pro club and the fan interaction games in between innings are similar to what you’d find in many minor league parks…This involves mostly the younger crowd, but it’s fun, and keeps many of these youngsters coming back with their families on a regular basis. The music in between innings and before the game is current, lively and a great mood enhancer. I find many of these SEC games to be well choreographed events and it shows game in and game out at the turnstiles.

Conversely, a trip to a Big West game…Fullerton excluded, is a lesson in complacency. The stadiums are just a place to play baseball…which is fine if you are a baseball purist…but reality is…purists are a dying breed. Today’s game needs more…today’s fan expects more…They need solid information that gives them a reason to attend…and they need that information to be given to them on their platforms…Facebook, Twitter, My Space, You Tube, and the myriad of mobile device apps available to them. I mean come on…this is California, we invented those methods of communication…why isn’t the collegiate version of the national past time using them to create excitement and a great fan base?

It’s time for the Big West to step up Big Time. The conference is squandering a huge opportunity to make baseball a top revenue producing sport. If the SEC, Big 12, and ACC can do it...so can America's best baseball conference. With ESPN, CBS Sports, Comcast and Fox investing more time and money into college baseball, the timing to expand is now. The upside could be huge and the ensuing revenue boost could help make baseball a fully funded sport…a topic we have written about over a dozen times. I could go on for about ten more pages...but let's start here with this letter...Thoughts?

If Teams Invest In Their Baseball Programs...People Will Come...They Most Certainly Will Come

On Rivals College Baseball, a poster suggested that football reduce it's scholarships and grant them to baseball. While I agree with that in theory, there has to be some guidelines.

About the discrepancy of scholarships between football and baseball. I have been saying that for years. Baseball barely has enough scholarships to field one team. (9 starters, a DH a middle reliever and .7 closer)

Right now football has scholarships up to and including a full fourth string offense...up to and including a full third string defense plus 8 other players. A back up kicker and punter get full rides, yet Steven Strasburg gets 50%?

I think the NCAA should pare down football to 66. That's three full teams of offense and defense. Of those 19 available scholarships...give women's softball 6. (they only field teams of 18 so five would make them fully funded) and give baseball 13, for a total of 24.7 which is nearly fully funded.

However, a team can't qualify for that extra 13 if they don't themselves take the steps necessary to make their team a revenue generator. In other words, they should only grant more scholarships to the teams that invest more into their programs. That's why football gets so many scholarships...they generate revenue...baseball has to earn it...this isn't an entitlement...that would really tick the football guys off if baseball just got the scholarships without contributing to the revenue.

The model to follow here is what the SEC is doing. Since the SEC teams average over 6,000 a game and turn a profit for their programs, they would get the full 13 extra scholarships.

The thing is...most college athletic departments are lazy when it comes to helping make baseball a revenue generating sport. The exceptions of course are all of the teams in the SEC, and teams like Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Rice, Fl. State, UNC and others scattered around the southeast and Midwest. They realized the potential of college baseball and its draw and took advantage of the opportunities and are now reaping the benefits with record crowds and positive cash flows.

Ironically, the biggest disappointment lies where some of the best baseball is played...the west coast. More on that tomorrow. If those guys in the PAC 10, Big West, WAC (outside of Fresno State, they draw well) Mountain West (sans San Diego St) would invest in lights, marketing and media participation to increase attendance, I'd think you'd have an NCAA and advisory committee that would be more open to increasing baseball scholarships.

Right now, it's out of whack, because there are too many teams that treat baseball as a fifth wheel. I think that baseball would be better off if they weed out the fifth wheels that will never invest or even fully fund their programs and put them in a Division 1A. The teams in the southeast, southwest and west that recruit to win..as long as the invest to make money, should get the full benefit of increased scholarships. It would also make for better competition and a more exciting NCAA tournament.

Economic Relief

We recieved an e-mail the other day from a baseball tournament organizer in Michigan that really impressed us. The economy will have a tremendous impact this year on College Development Programs and other teams that travel and develop players. The cost of running a team will be prohibitive for many families struggling to make ends meet.

However, in an effort to ease the pain, The Wolves Tournament Director in Farmington Hills, MI, is waiving tournament fees for any head coach or coach that lost their job recently. That's a very nice gesture and more teams and directors should implement this policy. They key to development is for the kid...not to make money. Although, we need to support the CDP's and help pay their staffs, a scholarship or break for families in need are an important part of keeping kids in the game of baseball. Lack of money should never be an excuse for denying a kid a chance to play this nations greatest sport. Here's a copy of the flyer we received. For those of you in Michigan...support the Wolves and their Tournaments.. they deserve it.

May Day Classic Tournament May 16th & 17th
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Wolves Tournaments is continuing our program to help coaches and teams. If the head coach or one of their assistant coaches have lost their jobs that team qualifies for one our free spots that are open in 9u & 14u:

First teams to register for 9u or 14u get the spot
Register online at our web site
www.wolvestournaments.com
Submit verification paperwork

We have already helped a number of teams this year and when an opportunity comes up to even out a bracket we will offer that slot to coaches that have lost their job free of charge. It is our way of giving back to the community.

More information - Call Tim Broughton (734)645-9033

All of our tournaments feature:
Online registration, rosters, merchandise ordering and scheduling
Multiple Tournament Discount
No Lump Sum Gate Fees
We supply baseballs
Two umpires for each game
Run by a professional staff
Discounted hotel rooms

Wolves Tournaments .... where the top teams come to play since 2000.

Pitching Instruction

RT Staff Note: Yesterday, we showed pichers how to grip pitches. Today, we are pointing out teaching points for coaches. Go to Steve Ellis' The Complete Pitcher to view the entire article or go www.thecompletepitcher.com to view other articles on pitching techniques and training.

Pitching Instruction - Teaching Points For Pitching Coaches
By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

It's easy for pitching coaches to leave out some very important, and often over-looked issues that affect young pitchers on their team. So in this article, I want to address some of these. These are not ranked in any specific order of importance, just labeled as common faults and in the order from the start to finish of a pitch. First I'll tell you what they are in order, and then I'll break each one down into a little more detail. You'll find I have a unique way of looking at the whole process because each one eventually leads to poor pitching, especially at the youth level, and some times it's not even the pitcher's fault for poor pitching performance.

The first 3 things I put on the shoulders of the manager or parent, the second group is things the manager or parent work together with the pitcher on, and the last group of 10 things are the actual mechanics of the pitch, neither one of these 3 groups can be neglected if you hope to not only improve the pitcher, but lay the foundation for them to prosper even when you're not their coach.

Manager:
A) Improper stretching and warm-up
B) Nothing constructive or positive from the manager or parent.
C) Poor catching (catcher) technique.

Manager / Pitcher:
D) No routine or Mental Approach.
E) Not Properly Instructed and No Practice Routine.

Player:
1) Poor lead leg action
2) Poor head/eye movement
3) Poor balance/body movement
4) Poor hand separation
5) Poor elbow location
6) Poor upper body / shoulder position
7) Poor post (back leg / foot) use
8) Poor landing
9) Poor follow-thru / finish
10) Poor fielding position

Break-down:

A) Improper stretching and warm-up:
This is so overlooked it's scary. I will actually dedicate a newsletter on this subject because I want to cover not only pre-game, but during-game and post-game. Please see the pitching instruction guide for details on proper stretching and warm-up. Real quickly, since you should already have the electronic guide to review, it's a series of things the pitcher does, not just the game time routine, but the pre-game routine and post-game routine as well that will help develop a consistently successful pitcher. You notice I don't just say a "successful pitcher" or a "consistent pitcher", it's "consistently successful pitcher" because I see a lot of what I call "one inning or one game wonders", and "consistently bad pitchers". In one of my next newsletters I talk about these as well. Please refer to the pitching guide you should have received from us and review the stretching/warm-up sections. We have developed some of the best young pitchers in the area, and it comes from being detailed in everything they do, from pre-game, during-game, post-game, between games, off-season, etc. We make little 3x5 cards with simple reminders of what they need to on game days and off-days. We'll email you a version of how we did it in a near future newsletter.

B) Nothing constructive or positive from the manager or parent:
I see too many managers mean well, but don't realize what they're saying has an impact. You've heard it before right, "just throw strikes", "come on, we need an out", "don't walk this guy", "There's a guy on 3rd, no pass balls", etc. I know it's difficult to always say the right thing, but managers need to learn canned phrases like: "we believe in you", "you can do it", etc. Until the manager really learns the mechanics of pitching and knows not only how to see what's happening, but can communicate correctly to the pitcher what's happening and what to do, they need to be positive at all times with their pitcher. We'll be covering some of the "how to identify" what's happening and what to do to correct it in newsletters coming soon.
Also, a phrase that is easy to remember is: "Practices are for coaches, games are for the kids". This really is true, and although a good manager that knows pitching, knows you can't make big adjustments during the game with young pitchers. You can make minor changes, but there will be days where the pitcher simply is off, and constantly barking out "get your elbow up" won't last of the course of the game. Stay positive and remind them that it happens even to Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.

C) Poor catching (catcher) technique:
This is almost always overlooked. You don't have to have been a catcher to understand this. The reason I bring this up is because the catcher is important to the pitcher, and if he's doing a poor job of setting up and/or giving the pitcher a poor target, the pitcher is already starting out at a disadvantage. Having a good target to focus on is very important. In the instruction guide I talk about the pitcher not only focusing on the catchers mitt, but pretending there's a dime in the mitt and he focuses on the dime. I see a lot of catchers squat down, face the mitt to the ground, or constantly open and close the mitt, etc. Try to work a little with the catchers and get them to understand they're an important part for the pitcher to be successful. Just a little work with them and have them "set-up" in a good catchers position, give the pitcher a good target before the pitcher starts his motion, and have them keep that mitt open and not moving around. Sounds simple, but at young ages, many catchers and managers don't work this part of it.

D) No Routine or Mental Approach:
Way too many pitchers at this young age don't develop good habits or routines. I talk about this in the instruction guide as well and why it's so important to the complete pitching package. Many, no, make that most youth pitchers I see, even good ones will make the pitch, get the ball back, and do something totally different as far as getting ready for the next pitch. If you watch most good big league pitchers, they're creatures of habit. They will follow the same general process between each pitch. Once in a while, if they're struggling, they'll change a few things, such as speeding up the process from getting the ball to the time they pitch or slowing down, just to try and shake off the problem and find a different rythm.

They will all develop their own little systematic approach between pitches, but make sure you work with them on this, I talk about this in the guide as well. It's an important part of keeping their focus and getting them mentally ready for the next pitch without outside influences taking them off their focus and/or rythm. I call them "pre-pitch checks" a lot like a pilot taking their pre-flight check of the airplane to make sure it's ready before take-off, your pitcher will start their takeoff to success if they develop a good pre-pitch checklist. Things like getting the ball back from the pitcher, walking behind the mound, and taking 3 seconds to do the pre-pitch checklist, and it can vary, but they should mentally and quickly tell themselves the count, the outs, the situation, base runners, etc. visualize themselves making the pitch with all the right mechanics, but fluidly. Also what they do if they get the ball, and then the all important "I will pitch this ball where I want it and I believe in myself", etc. Sounds like a lot, but it's not. The pitchers we work with on this, along with making sure the catchers are doing a good job with the target, etc., they make very few mental mistakes on the mound because they're ready.

I'm not talking about sitting in the dugout as an 11 year old facing the wall and humming and getting into a trance like state. It's simply getting them to understand that the kid up to bat wants to get a hit, and unless the pitcher is prepared, then they maybe disappointed in how the game or his pitching will turn out. Just try to have them focus when they're out there. I know they all have buddies and friends they'll be joking with during innings, etc. That's part of the fun, they should have fun, but when they have to pitch, get them to stand behind the mound, do their pre-pitch check, take a deep breath and get on the mound focused and relaxed to pitch, and visualize the pitch.

E) Not Properly Instructed and No Practice Routine.
Most youth pitchers don't receive proper training until it's too late. Muscle memory is built at an early age, especially with pitchers, and it's difficult to change their current mechanics. Many things can be improved, but the longer parents or coaches wait to start teaching the youth to pitch correctly, then it's like betting on the lottery that they'll end up with good mechanics. This is another huge reason we're firm believers in video analysis right from the start, and to keep using it. We started using it when our pitchers were 8 years old and are using it now through ages 14. It's the only way to really isolate where problems are. It's also important to show them the good things they're doing, always with a positive focus. Not only that, but getting information from us on what to do with these mechanical faults is just as important. It's like knowing you have engine trouble, that's great, now you know your car isn't working, and unless you're a mechanic, you won't know how to fix the mechanical faults. This is why we highly recommend our very affordable video analysis service. In 15 minutes you can do the video, send it to me and within 72 hours I'll email you a report complete with still photos pulled from your video. You can place an order online and send the video, or you can print the order form and send a check or money order with the video. For details about making the video, please go to: http://www.youthpitcher.com/pitching_video_analysis.htm

Also, is pitchers not having a good practice routine. We cover this as well in the pitching guide. At the very least, pitchers need to do a few simple drills to improve balance, arm and shoulder movement, etc. throughout the week, along with doing long-toss regularly. Too many pitchers don't work at it, they show up at the game and think they're ready to pitch. Remember, they're just kids, so don't think you're going to get them to spend an hour 4 times per week.

Pitching Grips

RT Staff Note: Yesterday, we showed hitters how to identify pitches. Today, courtesy of Steve Ellis', The Complete Pitcher, we will show you hurlers how to grip those pitches. Go to www.thecompletepitcher.com or click on the link we provided to see the full article we posted below.

Pitching Grips - How To Grip And Throw Different Baseball Pitches
Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

Proper pitching starts with the right grip on the baseball. Here are some of the most common baseball pitching grips and how I threw them in college and professional baseball.

Use these pitching grip descriptions and pictures as a guide to getting a better grip on the baseball.

How To Grip And Throw A Four Seam Fastball

Four-seam fastball
To grip the four seam fastball, place your index and middle fingertips directly on the perpendicular seam of the baseball. The "horseshoe seam" should face into your ring finger of your throwing hand (as shown in the picture on the left). I call it the horseshoe seam simply because the seam itself looks like the shape of a horseshoe.

Next, place your thumb directly beneath the baseball, resting on the smooth leather (as shown in the picture on the right). Ideally, you should rest your thumb in the center of the horseshoe seam on the bottom part of the baseball.

Grip this pitch softly, like an egg, in your fingertips. There should be a "gap" or space between the ball and your palm (as shown in the middle picture). This is the key to throwing a good, hard four-seam fastball with maximal backspin and velocity: A loose grip minimizes "friction" between your hand and the baseball. The less friction, of course, the quicker the baseball can leave your hand.

Does a four-seam fastball rise?

"No," says Bill James, author of the The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers. "A fastball can't rise unless it's thrown underhand. But if you throw the fastball overhand with enough force, it will appear to rise because it's not dropping as much as the batter's brain thinks it should."

How To Grip And Throw A Two Seam Fastball

Two seam fastball
A two seam fastball, much like a sinker or cutter (cut fastball), is gripped slightly tighter and deeper in the throwing-hand than the four-seam fastball. This pitch generally is thought of as a "movement pitch" (as opposed to the four-seam fastball, which is primarily thought of as a "straight pitch").

When throwing a two-seam fastball, your index and middle fingers are placed directly on top of the narrow seams of the baseball (as shown in the picture on the left).

Next, place your thumb directly on the bottom side of the baseball and on the smooth leather in between the narrow seams (as shown in the picture on the right).

Again, a two seamer is gripped a little firmer than the four seamer. A firm grip causes friction, which causes the baseball to change direction, usually "backing up" - or running in - to the throwing hand side of the plate. It also slightly reduces the speed of the pitch, which is why most two-seamers register about 1 to 3 mph slower than four-seam fastballs.

One thing I did with this pitch in college and in professional baseball was to always throw my two-seam fastball to the throwing-hand side of the plate and my four seam fastball to the glove-hand side of the plate. In other words, because I'm a righty, I'd throw two-seamers inside to right-handed batters and four-seamers away. I always liked how the feel of the grip of the two-seamer in my glove (when I was in my pre-pitch stance) let me know on a sub-conscious level that I was going inside on guy.

How To Grip And Throw A Three Finger Changeup

Three finger changeup
A three-finger changeup is a good off-speed pitch for younger baseball pitchers – and for those who do not have big hands.

To throw an effective three-finger changeup, center your ring, middle, and index fingers on top of the baseball (as shown in the third picture at right). Your thumb and pinky finger should be placed on the smooth leather directly underneath the baseball (as shown in the middle picture).

A lot of pitchers that I work with like to "touch" their pinky and thumb when gripping this pitch (as shown in the middle picture). It helps to develop a good "feel" for the pitch, which is important since the changeup is a finesse pitch.

OK, now that you've got your grip, hold the baseball deep in the palm of your hand to maximize friction and to "de-centralize" the force of the baseball when the pitch is released. This helps take speed off of the pitch. Throw it like you would a fastball: Same mechanics. Same arm speed. Same everything.

One way to develop "fastball mechanics" but changeup speed is to practice throwing your changeup as you long toss (throwing beyond 90 feet). Alternate fastballs and changeups at 90-or-more feet for about 20 throws a couple of times a week.

Note: Advanced pitchers can experiment with "turning the ball over" to create even more movement on the pitch. To do this, pronate your throwing hand (turn it over as if you were giving your catcher a "thumbs down" hand signal) as you throw the pitch.

How To Grip And Throw A Circle Changeup

Circle changeup
The circle changeup and the four-seam fastball are what got me to professional baseball. They're both great pitches.

To throw a circle changeup make - quite literally - a circle or an "OK" gesture with your throwing hand (using your thumb and index fingers). You then center the baseball between your three other fingers (as shown in the middle picture above right). The baseball should be tucked comfortably against the circle.

Throw this pitch with the same arm speed and body mechanics as a fastball, only slightly turn the ball over by throwing the circle to the target. This is called pronating your hand. (Think about this as giving someone standing directly in front of you a "thumbs down" sign with your throwing hand.) This reduces speed and gives you that nice, fading movement to your throwing-arm side of the plate.

A great way to develop the "fastball mechanics" but changeup speed is to practice throwing your changeup as you long toss (throwing beyond 90 feet). Alternate fastballs and changeups at 90-or-more feet for about 20 throws a couple of times a week.

How To Grip And Throw A Palmball

Palmball
The palmball (sometimes called a palm ball or four-finger changeup) is one of two or three variations of the changeup. It's an off-speed pitch.

A palmball is is gripped by essentially choking the baseball deep in your hand and wrapping all of your fingers around the baseball. It's essentially a four-fingered change-up where the baseball is centered in your hand between your middle and ring fingers.

The index and ring fingers are placed on either side of the baseball for balance, and the thumb is placed directly below the baseball. At its release point, try to turn the ball over a little to get more movement. The deeper the grip, the more friction that is created on the ball, which takes off velocity.

However, as with all off-speed pitches, the arm speed and mechanics of your pitching delivery have to be the same as your fastball.

How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball

Beginner's curveball
The beginners curveball is a great pitch for younger pitchers. In essence, this pitch does the exact opposite as a fastball. Where as a fastball spins from the bottom to top (which is known as "backspin"), a curveball spins from top to bottom. And instead of leverage coming from behind the top of the baseball (as a four-seam fastball), leverage on a curve comes from the front of the baseball.

I teach a beginners curveball grip to younger pitchers who are learning a curveball for the first time because I feel that it's the easiest way to correctly learn proper spin. (But I also think this is a great grip for more advanced pitchers to use in a practice setting if you're having trouble with your breaking ball.)

Here's how it works: Grip a baseball leaving the index finger off – like you were pointing at something. (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.)

Next, place your middle finger along the bottom seam of the baseball and place your thumb on the back seam (as shown in the middle picture above). When this pitch is thrown, your thumb should rotate upward, and your middle finger should snap downward while your index finger points in the direction of your target. This, of course, is the reason this pitch is great for beginners: the ball goes where your index finger points. The beginners curveball helps to align your hand and ball to the target.

Note: Because hitters at the college and professional levels may be able to pick up on the "raised" finger during this pitch's delivery, a beginners curve shouldn't be used past high school ball.

How To Grip And Throw A Straight Curveball

Straight curveball
The straight curveball (or "overhand curveball") is one of the most common breaking ball grips. It's a variation of my beginners curveball and my knuckle curveball.

A straight curve requires mastery of my beginners curveball, because many of the same principles that apply to both grips. This doesn't mean that you have to throw a beginners curve (most pitchers actually start right out with this pitching grip). But the beginners curveball is a good place to start. Then, of course, this pitching grip is the next step. That's because there is essentially no significant difference between a straight curveball and a beginners curveball, except for the finger placement of your index finger. It should be placed on the baseball as opposed to pointed at a target.

The thumb action of the pitch is upward. The thumb rotates up while your middle and index fingers rotate down.

The arm action on this pitch is a little abbreviated at the end. Instead of getting a nice long arc of deceleration and finishing throwing elbow outside of your opposite knee (as with your fastball), you'll want to bring your throwing-hand elbow to the opposite hip. This, of course, shortens your follow through, but allows you to really snap off the pitch.

How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball

Knuckle curveball
Another more advanced variation of the curveball is the knuckle curveball (sometimes called a spike curve). This is the curveball grip that I used. Thrown the same way as my beginners curveball only you'll tuck your finger back into the seam of the ball. Your knuckle will now point to your target instead of your index finger (in the beginners curve).

The difficulty with this pitch isn't from the pitch itself. In fact, most pitchers feel this grip gives them the most rotation – and most movement – of any breaking pitch. However, many pitchers who are learning this pitch for the first time, aren't comfortable with the "tucking" part. It's not super comfortable at first to tuck your index finger into the baseball.

This is why I recommend that you spend a few weeks – preferably during the off-season – working on tucking your index finger into the baseball. Do it while you're watching TV or in study hall at school. Once your index finger is comfortable with the grip, you can progress into spinning a baseball to a partner without any trouble.

Note: You've got to maintain short and well-manicured nails – especially on your index finger of the throwing hand – for this pitch to be effective because long fingernails can get in the way of the grip.

One thing you can do is apply a thin coat of nail polish or fingernail strengthener. It's in the women's section where fingernail polish is found, of course. It's shiny (even the matte finish is a bit shiny), but dries clear. And it helps to make fingernails a little tougher. (If you do use it, you really need just apply it to your index finger.)

How To Grip And Throw A Slider

Slider
Ted Williams once said that a slider was "the best pitch in baseball." Whether or not that's true depends on a lot of things, of course, but the slider is certainly an effective pitch for those who can throw it correctly.

A slider is the third fastest pitch in baseball. (The No. 1 fastest is a four-seam fastball and No. 2 is a two-seam fastball.) It's important for pitchers, parents and coaches to learn a proper slider grip and to learn correct throwing technique of a slider to ensure and promote arm-health. A slider is gripped like a two-seam fastball, but held slightly off-center.

When thrown, try to manipulate the pitch to come off of the thumb-side of your index finger – NOT your index- and middle-fingers, as with a two-seam fastball – because a two-finger release will cause the pitch to balance out, which reduces the spin that you are looking for. Most good slider pitchers grip the outer-third of the baseball and cock their wrist slightly, but not stiffly, to their throwing hand's thumb-side upon release of the pitch. This enables a pitcher to apply pressure to the outer-half of the ball with the index finger. Avoid any twisting of the wrist upon release.

I have placed the long seam of the baseball in between my index- and middle-fingers, and I have put my thumb on the opposite seam underneath the baseball (as shown in the first picture above). Some baseball pitchers may find it more helpful to place their index finger along the seam of the baseball since the index finger is the one from which the slider is thrown.

The key with the slider is to hold the ball slightly off-center (on the outer third of the baseball). Remember to slightly cock your wrist, but don't stiffen it. That way, you can still get good wrist-snap upon release. If your wrist is slightly cocked to the throwing hand's thumb side, your wrist-snap will enable you to have the pitch come off of the thumb-side of your index finger, which, in turn, promotes good spin on the ball.

The rest is simple: This pitch should work for itself. The movement on this pitch comes from the baseball spinning off of the index finger from the outside of the baseball – NOT from twisting your hand underneath the ball. Slider arm speed should remain the same as fastball arm speed.

How To Grip And Throw A Splitter

Splitter
A split-finger fastball (sometimes called a splitter or splitty) is an advanced pitch.

Typically, it's only a good pitch if you've got bigger hands. That's because the pitch itself should be "choked" deep in the hand. This is how splitters get their downward movement. Your index and middle fingers should be placed on the outside of the horseshoe seam. The grip is firm. When throwing this pitch, throw the palm-side wrist of the throwing-hand directly at the target while keeping your index and middle fingers extended upward. Your wrist should remain stiff.

Bruce Sutter, one of the best splitter pitchers in the history of the game, says that it is very important to put your thumb on the back seam, not the front seam. This puts the ball out front just a bit more than a fork ball. Then, he says, you just throw a fastball. A very sophisticated and misunderstood point is that the split-fingered fastball should be thrown with back spin just like a two-seam fastball. But in a Roger Kahn / Bruce Sutter interview in Kahn's book, The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound, he points out that this is not the case.

Identifying Pitches

RT Staff Note: As a follow up to Mondays story on Steven Strasburg, we thought that if a player has to face someone that pitches with that much accuracy and firepower, the only defense is knowledge of what he is throwing. Some of the most successful hitters in the game study pitches as if they were preparing for a final exam. You can have any opinion about Barry Bonds that you desire, but 100% of players and pitchers will tell you that nobody studied pitchers and their pitches more intently than he did. He may have enhanced his power stats, but there wasn't and probably won't be a better contact hitter in the game than Mr. Bonds. His knowledge of what to look for in a pitch, it's movement, the pitchers delivery and his ability to track balls is legendary. Here's a few tips on how to get a leg up on the pitchers you face. We found this information on a blog called Baseball Pitches Illustrated

Infographics
Baseball Pitches Illustrated
A fan’s guide to identifying pitches.
I‘m a baseball fan. I’ve watched my share of televised games and attended a few handful. After all this, I was still in the dark about the difference between pitches. I knew a curveball broke downwards, but what exactly was a circle changeup?

The diagrams below are the results of skimming through baseball books and doing online research. This is not a complete guide. I’ve picked twelve of the more common pitches:

Fastballs:Four-seam, Two-seam, Cutter, Splitter, and Forkball
Breaking Balls: Curveball, Slider, Slurve, and Screwball
Changeups: Changeup, Palmball, Circle Changeup

Learning to Identify Pitches
The list of pitches might seem like a lot to keep track of, but remember that each pitcher utilizes only a selection of these pitches. For example, Pedro Martinez throws a curveball, circle-changeup, an occasional slider, and a fastball. Do a little research on the pitcher before the game.

Things to watch for that will help you identify a pitch:

Speed
Movement - the general direction the ball is moving
Break - a sudden shift in direction

There are a few other things that can help you identify a pitch: ball rotation, point of release, and grip. For a casual fan though, it might be a bit much and I don’t illustrate or discuss any of the latter three items.

Reading the Diagrams
Take note of the speed, movement, and break of the ball. Don’t worry about where the baseball is shown in the the strike zone. You can throw a fastball in the middle of the strike-zone like the one illustrated, or you can throw one high and away from the batter. It’s still a fastball. Location doesn’t determine the pitch.

I’ve collected all twelve of the pitch diagrams below, minus the text notes, into a single PDF:

Baseball Pitches


Four-seam Fastball
85-100 mph
Fastest, straightest pitch. Little to no movement.






Two-seam Fastball
80-90 mph
Also known as a Sinker.
Moves downward, and depending on the release, will sometimes run in on a right handed hitter (RHH).




Cutter
85-95 mph
Breaks away from a right handed hitter (RHH) as it reaches the plate.
Mix of a slider and a fastball. Faster than a slider but with more movement than a fastball.



Splitter
80-90 mph
Breaks down suddenly before reaching plate.






Forkball

75-85 mph
Like a splitter, but with a less dramatic, more gradual downward movement.








Curveball
70-80 mph
Commonly called a 12-6 curveball. The 12-6 refers to the top to bottom movement (picture a clock with hands at 12 and 6).





Slider
80-90 mph
Breaks down and away from a RHH.
Between a fastball and a curve.







Slurve
70-80 mph
11-5 movement. Similar to a curve but with more lateral movement.





Screwball
65-75 mph
1-7 movement. Opposite of the slurve.








Changeup
70-85 mph
Slower than a fastball, but thrown with the same arm motion.






Palmball
65-75 mph
Ball is gripped tightly in palm.
Just like a changeup, this pitch is slower than a fastball, but thrown with the same arm motion.






Circle Changeup

70-80 mph
A changeup with 1-7 moment like the screwball.

Be Patient

There is a tendency by parents of underclassman athletes to get frustrated by the lack of playing time their son is getting whether it be in high school or college. It’s easy to sit in the stands and judge the talents of players in the line-up when your son is riding the bench. Those assessments are usually negative and biased.

There is usually a reason why an upperclassman may get a start over your son. Your son may be in fact better, but the senior may be getting looks from a small college of Junior college and is getting his reps in to impress that recruiter. The upperclassman may not have the stats, but a recruiter may like his frame and upside and the High School Coach may be working with him to further develop his senior player.

Some High School coaches just have a soft heart for their seniors. Well liked coaches develop relationships with their players and want to give them every opportunity to succeed. They usually will start the season off with their upperclassmen, but will make adjustments if that strategy isn’t producing wins. At that point, your son should be ready to step in at any time.

We at RT think that all underclass athletes should pay their dues…pay respect for the upperclassmen that toiled like they are presently doing. They will get their time. And if they are that good, they will get it sooner than later…No coach likes to lose.

We know of one high school coach that reveres seniors so much that he assigned three talented juniors to JV just to keep those seniors on the team. Those seniors did not get much playing time and three of them should not have even made the team, but we respect that coach for honoring those guys for the years of service they spent on the diamond. Many parents don’t understand that. The parents of the junior players were livid. But the very next year…the juniors that played JV were major contributors and starters on varsity the very next year. They benefitted by getting their reps on JV. Looking back, those same parents realized that the coach did their sons a big favor.

Now a coach can take that too far some times. We know of one college coach a few years back that felt that the maturity level of upperclassmen trumped the talent of his underclassmen, despite the huge disparity in production at the plate. After repeated attempts to get his mature athletes to hit, and about a couple dozen losses later…he had to finally bench his older players and look to the future. It ended up costing him his job. We applaud his loyalty to his outgoing players, but in college, the stakes are a bit higher and the pressure to win is the only thing that matters. Unless those players had pro scouts following them, he needed to play the better players in those games.

The bottom line is that if a player is a true competitor, he will get his chance to play. In the meantime, he needs to stay positive…(parents need to reiterate this to their sons…a parents negative attitude towards the lack of playing time often trickles down to their sons). Your son needs to continue to work hard, have a great attitude and practice extra hard each day as if he were starting the next game….because one day…and whether it’s sooner or later… a player with that kind of work ethic and positive attitude will not go unnoticed by a coach and he will get his shot soon enough.

No Substitute For Work Ethic...Ask Steven Strasburg

San Diego State’s RHP Stephen Strasburg was the consensus pick to go #1 in the 2009 MLB draft. High school athletes…take note…this kid almost killed an opportunity for himself due to a less than stellar work ethic…He had the talent…but like many athletes his age at the time, you can’t make it on talent alone at the next level…it takes a lot of extra work and effort to compete at a high level…Strasburg realized this his freshman year in college and the rest is history…Consider this:

* Strasburg owns a 10-0 record in 11 starts in 2009.

* Won his last six starts and has a 1.06 ERA in his last seven starts (6 ER/51.0 IP).

* Allowed 0 earned runs in 27 of his last 28 innings pitched and four earned runs total in his last 38 innings of work (0.95 ERA).

* In six road/neutral starts this season he is 6-0 with a 1.01 ERA (5 ER/44.2 IP).

* Has a current streak of no earned runs allowed in his last 21 inning pitched on the road.

* Leads the nation in strikeouts (147), strikeouts per nine innings (16.9) and ranks second in ERA, third in wins and seventh in hits allowed per nine innings.

* Struck out at least 11 batters in 10 of his 11 starts this season.

* Has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 12 starts dating back to last season.

* Issued two walks or fewer in 23 of his 24 career starts.

* Had a streak of 57 consecutive innings where he allowed one run or fewer broken in the seventh inning of his April 24 start vs. TCU.

* Won last eight home decisions dating back to last season.

* Has 53 strikeouts in his last four starts covering a span of 30 innings.

Incredible.

Not bad for a guy that wasn’t a highly recruited college player or drafted out of high school. Currently Strasburg is listed at 6′4″ and 220 lbs. In high school, he was slightly shorter and about 50-60 lbs. heavier. The heaviness was due to a poor work ethic and as a result his fastball barely touched 90 mph.

Nevertheless, San Diego pitching coach Rusty Filter saw something in him and insisted on having him in camp. In his freshman season, Filter but Strasburg on a conditioning regimen that included hot yoga and as a result, Strasburg shed 30 lbs. Not only that, his velocity began to creep up. By the time he was a sophomore, his fastball was consistently clocked at 97-99 mph with occasional touches of 100 and 101. Strasburg also possesses a plus-plus-plus slider at 81-84mph. He has a plus change that he uses infrequently and a plus curve in the 70s.

On April 11 against the University of Utah, Strasburg took the mound and walked off it nine innings later having set San Diego State and Mountain West Conference records with 23 strikeouts.

It is estimated that a pick of Strasburg will cost a team between $30-$40 million dollars. Considering that Washington has the first pick, it will be interesting to see what they do after messing up their negotiations with Aaron Crow last year for monetary reasons. Would they do it twice in a row? Not likely, yet the franchise is in shambles and is the laughingstock of MLB. It is an interesting scenario however, since the pitching thin Washington Nationals may welcome Strasburg to their starting rotation as early as the latter part of 2009.

Sports agent Scott Boras has let people know that client Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego State University pitcher who is considered the consensus top pick in the June baseball draft, will ask for a six-year contract worth upward of $45-million (U.S.). If he doesn’t get it, he will pitch in Japan.

I could see the MLB getting on Washington about signing a big contract. They hate when teams go over slot. The Nats may have to at least triple and probably more for the #1 overall slot.

But do you give him the Boras money? Well… Vs. Team Cuba, he pitched in comparison better than Clemens and Pettite when they pitched, clearly has more velocity, and judging by his kk:bb rate, he has the great command. I say yes...he's certainly earned it.

Your Legs are Your Lifeblood

RT Staff Note: This is the last of a week long series on strength and conditioning. This article is from gene Coleman from the Web Site, Be A Better Hitter.
By Dr. Gene Coleman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regardless of whether you're a position player or a pitcher, your legs are your lifeblood. And, for successful, injury-free performance, they need both stamina and power. They need the stamina to endure 9-inning games and 162-game seasons and the explosiveness to run, hit and throw with power. Remember, all actions in baseball, not just running, start with your legs. The forces used in hitting and throwing, for example, don't originate in the arms and hands. They originate in the legs and are then transferred through the trunk to the arms and hands where they are applied to the bat and ball. Likewise, getting out of the box, charging bunts, backing up bases, going in the hole, stealing second and getting a jump in the outfield all require explosive action by the legs.

Start by building stamina. All too often, we are consumed by the need for speed and power and fail to build or maintain a solid fitness base. Successful players spend hours per day executing explosive movements in practice and game situations. Doing multiple, all-out repetitions without a solid base increases the risk of injury to the muscles, joints, connective tissue, tendons and/or ligaments. The first goal of your leg program should be to prevent injury - the second goal should be to increase speed and power.

Start by maintaining or rebuilding your aerobic and strength base. Do aerobics 2-3 times per week for stamina and lift 2-3 times per week for strength. A solid aerobic base will help prevent injury by allowing your legs to recover quicker and more completely. A good strength base will let you perform at a higher intensity for a longer period of time.

Your training should mimic the game as closely as possible. It should use the same muscle groups, same movement patterns and same energy system(s) used in the game. Running, because it lets you condition the muscles in a manner similar to that used in game situations, is the most beneficial form of aerobic work. Use a cycle or Stairmaster when injury, fatigue, time or weather prohibit running and/or in situations where you need a change of pace. All players should run. Starting pitchers should run the most; about 20-30 minutes per day between starts. Relievers and extra men need about 10-15 minutes per day. Position players need about 8-10 minutes. Do speed work over distances of 10-60 yards 3-4 times per week.

For strength, do leg curls and functional full-range of motion exercises using body weight as resistance. Step-ups (forward and sideways), walking lunges (forward, sideways and backwards), split-squats, "cowboy" squats and squat touches develop both the primary and support muscles of the hip, groin, knee and ankle. In addition, they mimic the movement patterns used in running and develop a high degree of agility, balance and coordination. Start with one set of ten reps of each exercise. Add a set per week to a max of 3x10.

When you can do 3x10 of the leg exercises, add a day of low intensity plyometrics each week for power. Start with ankle hops. Stand with feet shoulder with apart and hop in place as you generate momentum with your ankle joints. Extend your ankles through their full range of motion on each hop. Do side to side ankle hops for lateral speed and agility. Hop laterally 2-3 feet from your ankle joints, keeping your feet at shoulder width and landing on both feet at the same time. For first-step quickness do single leg push-offs and box crossovers.

Start single leg push-offs by standing behind and to the side of a 6-12 inch high box. Place your right foot on the left corner of the box. Extend your right leg and foot and explode up as high as possible. Land in the same position and repeat. Use your arms to gain additional height and balance. Repeat on the left leg. For box cross-overs, stand in a "ready" position with your feet about shoulder width apart and about two feet to the left of a 4-6 inch high box. Use a cross-over step and step on to the center of the box with your left foot. Push off with the left leg and foot and land in a "ready" position about two feet to the right of the box. Cross back over with the right leg and repeat. Start with 1x10 of each drill. Progress to 3x10. For variety, have a partner toss or roll you during these drills.

The running drills, leg exercises and low impact plyometric exercises listed above combine injury prevention and performance. They build stamina, increase strength and improve agility, balance, coordination, speed and power without pounding the body.

4 Consecutive No Hit Games

RT Staff note: Patrick Schuster lost his bid for 5 consecutive no hit games, but 4 no-no's is a great accomplishment.


NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — How long will Patrick Schuster’s luck last? It is a question his mother, Sharon, has worried about since well before Schuster, a senior at Mitchell High School near Tampa, pitched the first of his four consecutive no-hitters on April 3.

There is so much that is out of the left-handed Schuster’s control, even though he has a despot’s command of his pitches. It is never far from his mind that on any given day — maybe even Tuesday, when the Mitchell Mustangs open the 6A playoffs — an opponent, in desperation, can poke his aluminum bat at one of Schuster’s 90-mile-an-hour fastballs and snap the streak with a ping heard ’round Pasco County.

Schuster, 18, has struck out 60 during his state-record string of no-hitters. In addition to his fastball, he has a nasty slider and curve, each of which he trusts enough to throw on 3-2 counts.

With his gangly frame and gossamer goatee, Schuster calls to mind the Shaggy character in the “Scooby-Doo” cartoons. He turns into a pit bull on the mound, chasing hitters off the plate like his favorite major leaguer, the Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir, whose aggressiveness Schuster admires.

Schuster, who did not throw a no-hitter in his first three years of high school, is two shy of the national prep record of six consecutive no-hitters set by Chris Taranto in Mississippi in 1961 and equaled by Tom Engle in Ohio in 1989.

“I don’t really focus on it,” Schuster said, referring to the streak. “I look at it as getting the win for my team.” He paused. “But I can’t lie. It’s going to be on my mind Tuesday.”

In Florida, April is when spring football blooms, but Schuster, who has signed a scholarship to play at Florida, has managed to embed high school baseball into people’s consciousness. His feats for the 22-3 Mustangs have been splashed across the front pages of the local newspapers.

Last week, during Mitchell High’s regular-season finale at Zephyrhills, Schuster’s mother and his father, Roger, heard from one of the other team parents that someone traveling through Scotland had read about Schuster’s fourth no-hitter in a paper there. His last start attracted two dozen major league scouts, TV crews and an estimated crowd of 1,000, which Roger guessed was about 900 more than attended the home opener. In opposing dugouts, the players have tried to distract Schuster by chanting, “Hey, ESPN boy!”

As she settled into her lawn chair and wrapped herself in a homemade blanket, Sharon said, “Roger and I can’t get our heads around it.”

Her husband, who was pacing behind her, as he often does during games, said, “The other day I asked Patrick if all of the attention was making him nervous and he told me, ‘When I’m out there on the mound, it’s the most comfortable place in the world.’ ”

The spotlight shining on Schuster’s senior season has lifted some of the darkness that descended on the family during his older brother Shane’s senior year. In November of that year, Shane Schuster was found to have a juvenile form of bone cancer. He died four years later, in 2002, when Patrick was 11.

“This is the time in Shane’s life when he was sick,” Sharon said. She added: “November was really stressful. It just brought back all the memories.”

In an interview last week at his school, Schuster, who has an older sister, grew misty-eyed when he talked about Shane. “I didn’t understand at the age I was what was happening,” he said, adding, “I think his death brought my family a lot closer.”

To honor him, Schuster has written Shane’s initials, STS, on the back of his cleats, and 9/21, the date of his death. He used to wear Shane’s Little League All-Star T-shirt under his game jersey, but it became so tattered and so tight on his sprouting 6-foot-2 frame that his mother finally confiscated it last summer. Sharon said, “We had to about peel it off him.”

Schuster was 4 when Roger introduced him to baseball. Not realizing his son was left-handed, his father taught him how to hit right-handed, and that is how Schuster still bats. During his brother’s illness, Schuster remembers being disappointed that he never had both his parents in the stands for his games. They would trade off, with one ferrying Schuster to the ballpark while the other, usually Sharon, stayed at the hospital with Shane.

“After Shane’s death, I think baseball was part of the healing process,” Sharon said. “After that, we said we’d never miss another game.”

They were there for Schuster’s first start of the season, when he was pulled from the game after six no-hit innings. He and Scot Wilcox, the Mustangs’ coach, had agreed on an 85-pitch limit. “I was sitting in the dugout after he took me out thinking, That was such a bad idea,” Schuster said with a laugh. He accepted the restriction, he said, “because I averaged about 110 pitches a game last year, and scouts were getting scared when they saw that.”

His pitch total was 109 in his last outing. He talks as if a hurricane warning couldn’t budge him from the mound now. “This team has a chance to do something really special,” he explained.

Sharon has worn the same black T-shirt during each of Schuster’s no-hitters. She is too superstitious to change her wardrobe. Schuster’s talisman is his facial hair. He has vowed not to shave until the streak is over. Stroking his goatee, he said, “I hate it.”

Schuster is also not thrilled about the part-time job his mother insisted he find after he received a speeding ticket on his way to a Florida football game. He works weekends at the Turtle Cove Marina, which requires him to rise at 7 a.m. “I think she wanted me to experience the value of a dollar,” Schuster said. “We all believe I’m never going to have a real job because I’m going to be playing baseball.”
“Baseball,” he said, “has never felt like work.”

Baseball Specific Training

The Truth (Part 3)
By Jon Doyle

In this 3 part expose, Jon Doyle will reveal the current state of baseball specific training, strength and conditioning information, explain what the baseball player needs and tell you how to get there…

Ok, now that you've learned why most baseball training programs are not designed properly in order to develop the athleticism and skills for drastically improving your game, I will take this time to explain how your workouts need to be structured in order to train optimally and get the results you desire.

The biggest mistake I see in the structure of baseball specific training programs (besides the wrong exercises and emphasis on "strengths") is how there's not a focus on building the complete athlete.

Most programs have a weak warm-up, then go straight into weight training and then throw some "abs" in at the end. That's it. No focus on baseball-specific movement patterns, joint angles or strength, speed and power that will transfer over to the field.

Well that's all about to change after you read these tips on what your baseball workouts need to look like…

1. Warm-up Dynamically with exercises such as hurdles, tumbling, spider lunges and inchworms.

2. Perform some type of active conditioning drills that will not only increase conditioning, but also develop coordination, balance, flexibility and baseball-specific endurance. Some examples of these drills are GPP, weighted GPP and speed ladder work.

3. Now it's time to move on to weight training. Rest time between sets should be very short, even in "strength" building phases. There's no point in sitting around. Force your body to replenish itself quickly and it will adapt. If you sit around for 2-5 minutes between sets you won't become a better athlete and you're probably using too much weight to begin with. There is rarely ever a need for the weight training portion of your workout to last more than 30 minutes. You can easily do 20-24 work sets in this time period.

Your weight training session should consist of large compound movements. We call these "Focus Lifts". Next, you should perform "supplemental Lifts" that focus on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and low back) as well as scapular and rotator cuff exercises.

4. Next "core" work should be done. Now this doesn't mean do a bunch of crunches. If you're familiar with my writings you know that crunches do very little for athletic development and core strength. Here is where you should perform movements from Unbreakable Abs and core postural holds such as planks, side planks, tables and bridges.

5. Finally, static stretching is done. Because your muscles are warm and your body temperature is elevated, static stretching is done to increase joint range of motion and facilitate recovery. This is the only time static stretching is effective.

So there you have it. How a world-class baseball specific training program should be structured. By following the above outline you will be able to perform extremely effective and efficient workouts. We get all of this done in just 45-50 minutes!

If you want to take all of the guesswork out of creating a program and have every single exercise, set, repetition, and structure laid out for you in a proven workout, check out my limited release Speed, Strength & Power baseball workout that has been used by my private youth, NCAA and MLB athletes.

Baseball Weight Training

The Truth About Baseball-Specific Training - Part 2
By Jon Doyle

In this 3 part expose, Jon Doyle will reveal the current state of baseball weight training, strength and conditioning information, explain what the baseball player needs and tell you how to get there…

In Part 1 of "The Truth About Baseball-Specific Training" I covered a great deal about baseball-specifictraining that had never been published before. I told exactly why most baseball weight training programs aren't worth the paper they are printed on. I explained exactly why maximal strength (weight on the bar) is not as important as most make it out to be. I went on to tell about force production and how that is the real key to developing into a strong, explosive athlete and baseball player.

In this installment I will go into detail about what needs to become the center of your training program if you ever want to become a great athlete…Speed and Reactive Strength.

Speed (or Reactive) Strength is rarely developed in American athletics today, especially baseball players. The ones who have a great deal of this strength were simply blessed with it.

Speed strength is so misunderstood by most coaches it's mind-boggling. As I covered in Part 1 of this series, maximal strength is targeted by the majority of baseball players. As you know, this is a monumental mistake.

Speed strength is the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the greatest possible impulse in the shortest possible time. Furthermore, the two aspects to speed strength are starting strength and explosive strength.

Or in other words, How fast you can react and move in game-like conditions.

Can someone please explain to me what the heck is the point of being "strong" if you move slowly and mechanically?

When is the last time a good baseball player threw with slow arm speed or slow bat quickness?

It simply doesn't happen.

These three training methods should be avoided like the plague if you want to develop a tremendous amount of speed strength:

1. Working until failure. Please do not work until failure. Not only is it counterproductive, but it will increase injury-risk dramatically due to improper postural changes and excessive force on the joints.

2. Always working above 80% of 1 RM. While there are certainly times in your baseball weight training program where higher loads need to be used, be very careful of how long you spend in this range. The sad thing is almost every program I review when taking on a new client is work above 80%.

3. Lifting slow. I'm sure you have been told to lift weights "slow and controlled" for maximum safety. What a bunch of BS. When does anything in baseball happen "slow and controlled?" The real secret is lifting "fast and controlled," just as the game is played. If you train to be slow you will be slow. It's really as simple as that. Teach your body to explode AND be in control and watch your performance skyrocket and your body become bullet-proof.

Of course these are just a few of the baseball weight training mistakes I see. But they certainly are the most common. Remove these techniques from your program and watch yourself turn into a more explosive, more productive athlete.

We spend a great deal of time using loads between 40-65% of a theoretical 1RM. At first, many scowl at this notion. However, when they see us and our athletes move at blazing speeds almost effortlessly, their skepticism quickly turns to intrigue.

In the sport of baseball your ability to move a sub-maximal object (baseball or baseball bat) under control at lightning speeds will determine just how well you perform. That and, of course, your reaction time. For those of us not born with it, this will largely come from proper training methods.

Next installment, in Part 3 of "The Truth About Baseball Weight Training," Jon will go into detail about specific training methods you can use today to immediately make you a better athlete.