Spinning plates

In the New York Times article linked below, the manager likened coaching to being a plate spinner.  For those who coach, you’ll understand the analogy.  I think the article does a good, concise job of showing the daily (largely unglamorous) routine of a minor league coach.   The article also addresses the importance of recognizing […]

A letter from a friend

When you write a daily blog, you sometimes wonder if you are only writing for yourself.  I don’t get a ton of feedback from people about what I write so when I do, I am very appreciative.  Below is one such email I received from a friend and coach I have not spoken to in […]

The problem with private instruction

When I talk to kids who work with a private instructor, a common theme tends to emerge.  Before I get into it, take a look at the following video.  Afterwards, I’ll explain why I’m using the analogy shown and how it applies to private instruction. The analogy of the rocks shows us that in life, […]

Pitching around a hitter

Baseball people know that there are times when a pitcher is going to pitch around a batter.  One of their best hitters is up, a base is open, etc.  However, the drawback of not giving a batter something to hit is that it contradicts much of what we coaches say to pitchers.  Two of the […]

Teaching the open stance

Growing up, I remember watching major league games and seeing quite a few closed stances from hitters.  Mike Schmidt comes to mind.  George Hendrix probably was the most extreme example.  Today, you rarely see that kind of stance.  The open stance is much more the norm in today’s game. The question from coaches is “do […]

Is bunting overrated?

At the Major League level, bunting has become a thing of the past with 
the exception of pitchers in the National League.  Old school people
 hate this modern trend against bunting but statistically speaking,
 bunting at the Major League level does seem to be a bad strategy in
 general.  The reason for this is that […]

Third Base Coach Positioning

At the younger levels you don’t see coaches venture too far from the designated coaching boxes on both sides of the field.  The purpose of the boxes is to prevent coaches from getting too close to the field and interfere with the game.  Getting too close to the line before the pitch can allow a […]

When a team is well coached

I had the pleasure of catching a high school playoff game the other day.  Two well-coached teams played.  It’s a shame one team’s season came to an end but that’s baseball.  It was the second time this season I saw the visiting team and the first time I ever saw the home team that was […]

The trouble with seniors

Over the years, I have had numerous conversations with coaches at the high school and college levels.  We’ve talked about the good, the bad, and the ugly.  One common theme that you will tend to hear over time is the unique difficulties that pop up with regards to senior players and in some cases, their […]

Fill-In-The-Blank for coaches

The other day I posted (in jest) a template for parents to fill in after this baseball season.  A parent could use all positive words and phrases or all negative ones.  Their choice. Today’s version is for coaches. Enjoy! ** FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY ** Dear Mr./Mrs. ____________________ I just wanted to say how much […]

Wasted motion

One of the best ways to improve your game is to cut out any wasted motion.  It doesn’t matter if you are a pitcher, fielder, hitter, or base runner, cutting out wasted motion in your mechanics is going to allow you to do things faster.  Unfortunately, many players don’t even realize they do the things […]

Shut your mouth and give me the ball

Every now and then a Major League pitcher will blow up at a coach who comes out to pull him from the game.  With television, the whole ugly scene is recorded and shown for the entire sports world to see.  Unfortunately, these incidents often spill over to the dugout afterwards when the coach returns.  The […]

The 1st and 3rd dilemma

A couple weeks ago the Philadelphia Phillies had a common situation occur in three straight games that resulted in a negative outcome.  With no outs, there were runners on 1st and 3rd.  In all three cases, a ground ball was hit, the runner on 3rd took off towards home, and was out by a mile. […]

Baseball cliches – Early and often

Clichés have always been a big part of baseball. “We just have to take it one game at a time.” “I just need to throw my game and God willing, everything will work out fine.” “See the ball and hit the ball.” There are a million of these around the game.  All do a good […]

Fingers between the ball and the head

One of the toughest things to teach/fix in the throwing motion is keeping the fingers between the ball and the head when the hands separate in the process of throwing.  Whether the kid is throwing as a pitcher or as a position player, this basic mechanic must be done if the player wants to keep […]

Slump proof a team

You never can totally eliminate slumps as a player or team.  However, if your team is good at the following, you can prevent some of them or at least not allow the slumps to last very long. Throw strikes.  Make sure your pitchers’ #1 priority is throwing strikes.  The three pitch rule is a great […]

Why don’t position players get Tommy John surgery?

It’s an interesting question.  With all the throwing position players do, why don’t they ever need Tommy John surgery?  Of course, I’m making a generalization.  Position players do sometimes get Tommy John surgery but they seem to be very few and far between.  In fact, the only example I know of is LA Dodger shortstop Rafael […]

A catcher’s sign to his coach

One of the many challenges of a coach is handling arguments over balls and strikes.  Any argument can immediately get you ejected so coaches certainly have to tred lightly in that area.  One of the best ways to deal with that is to have your catcher give you a sign when a pitch was absolutely […]

Seminar – How to throw batting practice

On Friday I posted a short video that gave a tip for throwing better batting practice.  The clip was part of a longer video I did that gives a number of tips for coaches of all ages who would like to become better at one of the most important skills of coaching baseball. I wasn’t […]

Figure eights for batting practice

In my opinion, the toughest two things for most coaches to learn is how to be good at using a fungo bat and throwing batting practice.  Using a fungo bat will have to be another post. Throwing BP is one of the most essential skills for any baseball coach.  Unfortunately, many coaches just don’t have […]

Around the horn

Everyone has seen the “around the horn” throws after an out with nobody on base.  A pet peeve of mine is when teams do not take this basic process seriously.  A good “around the horn” says a lot about the team and how they are coached.  A bad one speaks volumes as well.  The visuals […]

3 + 1 Rule

I attended my first Phillies game of the year this past Sunday.  It was a 9-8 loss for the Phils.  Here was the scoring line for the game.  One of my daily rituals is to check out all the high school and MLB box scores that appear in my local paper.  If you do this […]

The umpire with the small strike zone

Just like players, every umpire is going to vary with regards to their strike zone.  One umpire may have a huge zone and another has one the size of a postage stamp.    This post is for the guy with the postage stamp zone.  Umpires with a small zone can be very frustrating to pitchers […]

What to say during mound visits

One of my more popular posts ever in terms of readership was one titled Best Mound Conversation Ever.  It’s a true story that still makes me laugh when I think about it.  However, if you are the one who is going to the mound and truly need to get a pitcher on track, reverse psychology […]

Game blocks

The college season is well under way and most high schools have a least a couple games under their belt as well.  For some players, the season has gotten off to a great start.  High averages, a good amount of RBI’s, a couple wins for a pitcher, etc.  Nothing better than starting off the season […]

A safety tip for batting practice

I heard this batting practice idea from the current head coach at Villanova University (Joe Godri) and I think it is a great one for a number of reasons.  It involves moving the shag bucket(s) to a safer location during batting practice.  In the following picture, the red line and star indicate where most teams […]

Spray charts for pitchers

At the high school level and above, charting hitters in the form of “spray charts” is pretty common.  A spray chart is typically created for every hitter an opposing team has.  Each at-bat is recorded and if they put the ball into play, the chart indicates where they hit it and what the result was.  The […]

Drill it out

I heard about this coaching technique at a winter clinic.  The speaker (John Cohen – Mississippi State Univ.) referred to it as “drilling it out of a player.”  Coach long enough and you will undoubtedly have a player that is difficult to talk to.  You give a suggestion that might help with the kid’s swing […]

When baseball is your identity

For many young kids who play the game from an early age, their lives look like the following graphic.  We’ll call this kid Player A. Even though setbacks occur for them in the game (0 for 4, 3k’s, 2 errors, .240 batting average, cut from the team, etc.) other parts of their life help to […]

Code words for second base

One of the challenges for base stealers and third base coaches is the fact that middle infielders can hear.   When a base stealer is at second base and wants/needs to steal third base, often he will need the third base coach to give him information on what the middle infielders (especially the shortstop who […]

Tryout week

For most high schools where I am located (Pennsylvania), this past Monday was the first official day of practice.  That usually means tryouts – by far the worst part of the season as far as I was concerned.  I thought I’d provide a link to all the posts I’ve done concerning tryout for the players, […]

Seminar – Basics of Catching & throwing

The next seven posts will be videos from a coaching clinic I participated in at North Penn High School in Lansdale, PA. The clinics were presented to mostly Little League coaches.  The purpose was to pass on a basic foundation of the game to all the coaches.  I am posting all of the seminars – […]

In defense of the middle inning closer

Take a look at the following box score I created: Notice anything unusual?  What stands out to some would be the second pitcher (Jones) who threw for only two outs in the third inning.  This is referred to as the “middle-inning closer.”  Using your closer earlier in the game instead of at the end of […]

Best Outfield Drills for Indoors

A few weeks ago I gave a seminar at a Philadelphia area coaches clinic.  The topic was “An indoor/outdoor  approach to developing outfielders.”  I basically explained that in the colder states, the weather early on in the season forces teams to do a lot of practicing indoors.  Pitchers, hitters, fielders, and even base runners can get […]

Winning the Freebie War

I heard the term “Freebie War” from a legendary coach named Pat McMahon.  Coach McMahon is  a frequent speaker at national coaching clinics.  He has coached at many levels with success and currently is heavily involved with the Yankees developmental academies in the Dominican Republic.  I heard him speak at a recent clinic where he […]

Alone time for players

With practices starting up soon in many parts of the country, coaches are well into the process of designing practice routines and schedules for their teams.  At least they should be. If you ever had the pleasure of participating in or watching spring training workouts for pro teams, you may have noticed that very often […]

Pre-Season Checklists

A reader contacted me yesterday and asked for a pre-season checklist I had produced a while back.  He could not find it on my site.  After searching for myself, I realized I had never posted them to my website.  I must have posted it on a baseball forum site and forgot to put it out […]

The ethics of stealing signs

At a recent coaching clinic, a speaker (Seton Hall University pitching coach Phil Cundari) spoke about how unethical he thought stealing signs were.  He is an impressive coach and worth hearing if you get the chance. Before I give you my point of view, let’s just get this on the table first.  I’ve never met […]

Stan The Man

My condolences go out to Cardinal fans on the passing of Stan “The Man” Musial.  One of the greatest players but more importantly, a great person as well.  With his passing, many news agencies have been showing photographs and footage of his great career.  One thing that always jumps out upon seeing the footage is […]

Philly area baseball camps & clinics

If you are in or near the Philadelphia area there are some good clinics for players and coaches that are planned for the next couple months.  I will be attending most of them and will be speaking at three.  Below are the dates, locations, links (if available), and other information about the camps. “Be The […]

Chair drills for offense and defense

For a variety of reasons, a chair can be a great tool for players and coaches to learn some basics of baseball.  The video that follows will show some of the ways players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball can use a chair during drill work.  If you are looking for an […]

Goals for the new year

Now is the time many people reflect on the previous year and start planning for the next.  When it comes to goal setting, being specific is very important.  Just saying “I want to get better” isn’t good enough.  In what specific areas?  Once you figure that out, what is your specific plan to address those […]

Tip for disciplining your players

I realize this is a baseball blog but I have a coaching tip that relates to something seen recently in the world of college basketball.  My alma mater (Villanova) recently had a big win against cross-town rival St. Joe’s University.  It’s one of those rivalries where both schools feel they can lose all their games […]

Best baseball books for gifts

With gift giving season in full swing, I thought I’d put together a list of good baseball books (and 2 CD’s) for players, coaches, and parents.  All the ones listed below are ones I have personally read and found to be valuable.  Of course, there are a ton more out there so look on your own […]

Teaching toughness

Can you teach toughness?  I think the answer is YES.  I will admit that it is very hard, though.  The reason why I say yes is that the military does it every day.  They routinely turn average kids into warriors.  Warriors with a higher tolerance for pain, better drive, assertiveness, and self-discipline as well. I think […]

Promote your program

One overlooked area of many high school baseball programs is marketing.  It’s a fact and somewhat depressing as well that baseball is not as popular as it once was in America for young athletes.  That has caused many good athletes to go away from baseball and give some other sports a try like lacrosse and […]

Getting pitchers ready for the season

The other day I received a great question from a reader.  Because many coaches deal with this issue, I asked permission to use the question and my response in a post.  The reader was willing so here it is! Reader: I wanted to know if you have any advice on how to transition our pitchers […]

Stool drill for fielding

If you are a Phillies fan, you probably saw a number of photos like the one to the right showing second baseman Chase Utley rehabbing from his recurring knee issues.  He missed a number of games early this past season but that didn’t stop him from working out to keep himself sharp while decreasing the […]

Coach them everyday

I had lunch with a friend of mine yesterday who was a very accomplished coach in a sport other than baseball.  He said when it came to practice, he had a slogan he adhered to.  It was, “every player, every day.”  What he meant by that was he would make it a point to coach […]

How and Why

There is a quote that I like which says, “The person who knows HOW will always have a job.  The person who knows WHY will be his boss.” It’s a good quote for the business community but in my opinion, it also has a coaching angle. This time of year players and their parents usually […]

World Champion SF Giants

“When pitching is your strength, you want a good defense,” SF Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “That shows up every day. … Hitting sometimes, it comes and goes. But as long as you can stay in more games, the better chance you have of winning them, and that’s how we play.” AMEN !!

The downside of benching a player

The baseball world was in a tizzy a week ago when Yankees manager Joe
 Girardi benched Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson due to poor hitting
 performances in the playoffs.  Both players seemed to take it well … at 
least on the surface.  Inside, I’m sure both players were mad as hell.
  Players like that are […]

Organize a college night

A great idea for high school coaches this time of year is to organize a
 college baseball night at your school for players and parents.  Tap into
 your college contacts and get some coaches (D1, D2, D3, and junior/community colleges) to come and speak about their level of 
ball, how they recruit, scholarship info, and […]

We just want to get the call right

There aren’t many statements that get me more worked up then the title of this post.  It’s a common one that umpires love to use as a cure-all way of getting a coach off their back.  Here’s an example you often see.  A play at first where the throw takes the first baseman off the […]

The business of private instruction

Private instruction in baseball has exploded over the past 20 years. In a ten mile radius of my home, around 10 different sites have popped up that cater in some way to private baseball instruction. When you add various AAU teams and fall-ball programs, the amount of instruction available to players who want to improve […]

Help! My best player is seeing a private instructor!

Recently, I received an email from a friend who is facing the ever more common challenge of their players participating in private lessons during the off-season.  I used the word “challenge” instead of “problem” because I believe off-season programs have done wonders for some players.  I wish they existed when I was a kid!  However, […]

Get out of their ears

A few days ago I took my daughter (7 yrs old) to her soccer practice at an area elementary school.  Next to the school is a nice Little League complex that has about five fields.  I took a walk over to see the action since the lights were on and it appeared players were practicing.  […]

About you v concern you

Every person in this world is going to hear criticism.  In the world of baseball, players and coaches often get it from all directions.  Other players, other coaches, fans, parents, reporters, etc. all are quick to criticize others.  Like it or not, it is the nature of sports. Some people are not affected at all […]

Pleasing the masses

On every sports team in the world, you will probably find the following dynamic:  a couple players will worship the ground the coach walks on, a couple will hate the coach’s guts no matter what he does, and the majority won’t really care either way.  I think it was Davey Johnson who said something like […]

Congratulations to Coach Manero

Congratulations to Coach Kevin Manero, a good friend of mine who was recently inducted into the Pennsylvania American Legion Hall of Fame.  If you have been an avid visitor to Baseball By The Yard you have heard this name before.  He was my only guest post writer so far with a fantastic article on the […]

To hug the line or not?

Most Old School coaches will have their third baseman and first baseman hug the line late in the game if they are winning by a run or, as might be the case in the photo,  the runner on first is the tying or winning run. “Hugging the line” means moving the position player (1st or […]

How to add some fun to a line-up

My hometown Phillies are currently in last place and 14 games back in their division.  It has been a tough summer for Phillies fans who have not seen a last place team in some time now.  By the looks of the players in the dugout, it’s been a tougher summer for them. Play the game […]

The hit-and-run and concentration

A big decision for all coaches is deciding which batters to hit-and-run with.  Most often, coaches will pick a batter with good bat control who generally hits the ball on the ground.  Other coaches would rather pick a guy who drives the ball well hoping that the runner can score on a ball hit in […]

Reflections of a first time little league coach

My daughter and son just completed their first taste of organized baseball.  They both played on the same coach-pitch Pony league.  At my kids’ request, I helped out as an assistant coach.  Here are some basic thoughts as I reflect on the season: God bless the teachers who deal with 5-7 year olds every day.  I’ve taught […]

Congrats to all the coaches

In my area (Philadelphia), high school and college teams are pretty much done except for the select few that have proceeded far into the playoffs.  Players are (hopefully) moving on to their summer league schedules and coaches are contemplating how their seasons went.  For some, the year was a great one with many wins, good […]

The fad that needs to end

Bryce Harper is an incredibly talented young baseball player who has won me over with his intensity, passion, and energy.  However, I will never forgive him for promoting the fad of “eye black disgrace.”  That’s my term. He’s certainly not the first to wear eye black that way but he certainly made it famous.  Few […]

Playoff baseball: Part 3 – The mental side

“Don’t ever bet on kids.” That quote comes from an Old School baseball friend of mine.  I believe it to be good advice.  On any given day, there is no telling which team is going to show up.  Will it be the team that is focused, energetic, driven to win, and united or will it be […]

Playoff baseball: Part 2 – Preparation

This post is part 2 of three posts dedicated to playoff baseball.  Part 1 dealt with scouting opponents.  This post will deal with a couple points related to preparing for the playoffs. Many high school players have been engaged in baseball workouts since around January.  Some never really stopped their workouts at all.  They just […]

Playoff baseball: Part 1 – To scout or not to scout

Playoffs start today for the district in my part of the Philadelphia area.  Thus begins part 2 of the baseball season.  Many questions come up this time of year when preparing for playoffs.  This is Part 1 of 3 posts dedicated to playoff baseball.  In this part I’ll deal with my thoughts on scouting opponents. […]

Radio show with Coach McCreary

A friend of mine who lives in Dallas has a radio show that mostly deals with politics.  Every once in a while he talks a little baseball and frequently has me on as a guest.  My most recent visit had us talking about topics that included Josh Hamilton’s hot streak, Pujols’ slump, Ranger manager Ron […]

Don’t punish an honest player

A few years ago I read a very good book called The Carolina Way:  Leadership lessons from a life in coaching by legendary college basketball coach Dean Smith.  There are many great lessons for coaches of all sports in the book but I was reminded of one he talked about when I wrote a post […]

Tell starters why they are not playing

Every now and then, coaches will sit a starting player down for a game.  It could be  just to give them a rest.  It could be just to get another guy a few at-bats.  It could even be to protect a player’s stats against a good pitcher.  Whatever the reason, it happens.  However, sometimes the […]

Ways to motivate a role-player

One of the many challenges that all coaches face is how to keep role players / non-starters motivated when their playing time is not high.  For young players, being a role player can be very tough on the ego.  The lack of regular playing time can lower a player’s overall confidence.  It can make a […]

How to know if a pitcher is hurting

A coach walks to the mound and asks “How do you feel?” The pitcher says “Fine coach.” Sound familiar?  It should because in high school and above, that’s pretty much all you are going to get from any pitcher.   Most pitchers are not forthcoming when it comes to hurt arms.  Reasons for doing so vary.  […]

Two out bunts

I attended a local college game the other day and I have to say that the game looks very easy when you are watching from afar.  I’m used to being in the dugout so having some distance from the field is a little weird.   Anyway, during the game there was a situation where a […]

When you know who is covering

In yesterday’s post, I explained the common method used by middle infielders to communicate to each other who is covering second base on a steal attempt. I mentioned that as you go up in levels, it becomes more important for the   defense to not allow the offense to know who will be covering.  Today’s […]

Same thing that makes you laugh makes you cry

Ozzie Guillen put his foot in his mouth once again.  It will be interesting to see how/if he gets out of this one.  If you have been vacationing on another planet, Ozzie recently did an interview with Time magazine.  The opening line of the piece starts with Guillen saying “I love Fidel Castro.”  Interesting choice […]

Batting out of order

One of my biggest fears right before a game was that I screwed up the batting order somewhere.  When I made out a line-up, I would fill in my line-up on a special card that produced two carbon copies along with it.  I got one, the plate ump got one, and the other team got […]

Keep your old gloves

My son and daughter will be playing organized baseball for the first time this season.  My son already had a baseball glove but my daughter was in need of one for herself so we trekked down to the sporting goods store and picked one out.  While she tried on numerous gloves (as did I), I […]

Send or hold the runner at third

Third base coaching usually only get noticed when they get a runner thrown out at the plate.  Here is a tip for coaches at third base that can help them decide whether to hold the runner or keep sending him home.

1st and 3rd plays on defense

In my part of the world (Pennsylvania, USA), high school teams are gearing up for their regular season schedules.  In beautiful weather I might add. Right now, practices consist of all the nuts and bolts of the program: rundowns, pick-off plays, PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice), bunt plays, relays, etc.  Most of these plays are pretty […]

Are you grooming “A” players?

We all want our programs to develop great players. We want them to learn the game and be able to apply what they’ve learned in game situations. We’d also love to have our players get an opportunity to play beyond the high school or even the college level. Knowing that … How well is your […]

Quick tip on sac bunting

Today’s video tip refers to the basic body positioning on a sac bunt to the 1st base side and the positioning on a bunt to the 3rd base side.  As usual, it all starts with the feet.  If you are not currently doing it this way, give it a shot.  It may help make sac […]

Reclaim your downtime

An iPod could be your off-season’s best piece of baseball equipment. One of the biggest challenges for student-athletes at any level is managing their time.  Juggling the time commitments needed to be the best student and best athlete you can be is no easy task.  Ironically, when I was a student in high school and in […]

Scouts look at coaches too

As a player, there will always be people watching you.  Your talent and how you conduct yourself in good times and bad will not go unnoticed.  This is nothing new.  Coaches have been telling their players this forever.  But do the coaches realize that they are being watched also?   They are not just looking […]

The arrogance of organizations

Let me put my cards right out on the table.  I am not a football fan.  Especially not the NFL.  I could very easily go an entire football season and not watch a single game.  Even the Super Bowl.  I will admit that I have tried but usually I end up having to turn it […]

Constructive criticism and mixed messages

Giving criticism to someone can be a very delicate process.  You never know how the person is going to respond to what you say.  Some go to one extreme and completely dismiss or ignore the criticism altogether.  Others go to the opposite extreme and take every speck of criticism deeply personal and may even lash […]

Don’t assume they’ll know what to do.

The shocking events exposed this week at Penn State University have been forcing a lot of people to ask the question, “What would I have done?”  Many of the adults involved who either personally witnessed the atrocities or were told about them clearly made some decisions that, from the outside looking in, seem completely irrational […]

Every play is a rough draft

Remember in school when the teacher would require you to write a rough draft of an essay or research paper before handing in the final product?  Students generally hate that extra work but there is a lot of value in that process.  Sitting on what you’ve written and coming back to it occasionally gives a […]

Stealing signs – Part 3: How to prevent your signs from being stolen

In the major leagues, every time a team gets caught or is even suspected of stealing signs from a catcher, there is always debate as to the ethics and morality of doing so.  For these posts, I will avoid the pros and cons of the controversy and simply stick to the ways teams typically get […]

Stealing signs – Part 2: How to know if your signs are being stolen.

In the major leagues, every time a team gets caught or is even suspected of stealing signs from a catcher, there is always debate as to the ethics and morality of doing so.  For these posts, I will avoid the pros and cons of the controversy and simply stick to the ways teams typically get […]

Stealing signs – Part 1: How teams get them and give them

Disclaimer:  In the major leagues, every time a team gets caught or is even suspected of stealing signs from a catcher, there is always debate as to the ethics and morality of doing so.  For these posts, I will avoid the controversy and simply stick to the ways teams typically get them and give them […]

The proper way to film pitchers

I produced another video post for today which hopefully will help parents and coaches get more out of their videotaping.  This one is for filming pitchers.  I’m in the process of doing a similar presentation for hitting.  In the near future, I will be doing some that will show some very basic things to look […]

Feel = Experience + Information

Much of what a baseball manager does during the course of a game is based on “feel.”  Some people may interpret that as just guessing or acting on impulse.  They would be wrong.  As the title of the post says, feel is the combination of experience and information.  Here’s an example: A manager decides to […]

Teaching little kids how to catch a baseball

Flipping the switch

Nine days ago the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East pennant for the fifth straight year.  In those nine days, they had eight straight loses before finally winning one.  Prior to that eight game losing streak, the Phils had not lost more than four in a row all season.  Baseball is a crazy game. […]

Tampa Bay Rays: Talented and having fun!

At the time of this post, the Tampa Bay Rays have won 7 of their last 10 games and sit two games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card standings.  The Red Sox, on the other hand, have lost 7 of their last 10 games and I think are starting to look […]

There’s no such thing as a “wrong pitch to throw”

It is very common for a coach – usually a pitching coach if the team has one – to sit down with pitchers and catchers after games in order to debrief.  Discussing what went well, what didn’t, and why is certainly beneficial to all involved.  One topic that usually comes up in that process is […]

The safety squeeze

A little while back I did a five part series of posts on the suicide squeeze.  As I stated, I’m a big fan of the play but I do realize that the play can be risky.  Many things on the offensive side have to be timed and executed correctly.  Of course, anything that happens on […]

Communication tips for defense

What fielders specifically say to each other onplays like this is extremely important. In May 1988, I was playing for Villanova University in the Big East Conference Championship against St. John’s.  The winner moved on to the regional tournament and the loser went home.  We lost.  Anyway, towards the end of the game, our second […]

Recognize the little things

Those of you who have been readers of this blog probably are well aware of my passion for the little things in baseball.  One goal that all coaches probably have is to instill this same passion in their players.  Having this passion to learn more about the finer points of the game and then be […]

Two fungo drills you may not have done

Using a fungo bat is synonymous with coaching baseball.  With the amount of ground balls and fly balls I hit during the course of a normal season, I’d be lost without mine.  Below are two drills that you may not have thought of that involve the use of a fungo bat.Note:  Both of these drills […]

Report card for off-season planning

With September now upon us, many high school players are starting to enter other sports like football and soccer.  Others are continuing their baseball in one of the many fall leagues that now exist.  Whatever their fall plans are, it is in every players’ interest to do some reflecting on the baseball season they just […]

The Suicide Squeeze – Part 5: Defending the squeeze play

As I have stated numerous times in this series on the suicide squeeze, if the offensive team hides it well, uses the proper timing, and executes the fundamentals of the bunt, there is virtually nothing a defense can do to stop the suicide squeeze.  Therefore, defending the squeeze play basically involves taking advantage of any […]

The suicide squeeze – Part 4: The mechanics

Squaring your feet up to the pitcher isan option for a normal sacrifice bunt … Although the squeeze play is hard to defend against once it has been properly put into motion, the batter still has to get the bunt down and the runner still has to travel 90 feet to score.  Easier said than […]

The Suicide Squeeze – Part 3: The timing

I mentioned in Part 1 that I believe the suicide squeeze to be a great weapon for an offense because it is almost impossible to defend against once the play is in motion.  The biggest reason for this is the timing involved.  If both the runner and the batter time their actions properly, all the […]

The Suicide Squeeze – Part 2: Giving & receiving the sign

In Part 2 of the suicide squeeze, I begin to present many of the “how’s” so that players and coaches can execute the play more successfully.  Initially, I had planned on a two part post on the squeeze play but to be completely thorough I decided to divide it up into several separate posts.  Today, […]

The suicide squeeze – Part 1: The why’s and when’s

At the college and professional levels, you don’t see many squeeze plays.  However, I have noticed more of them on MLB highlight shows so maybe it’s returning to fashion.  Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Madden recently put on two squeeze plays on back-to-back batters!  I love it!  I have found the squeeze play to be […]

The game shows no mercy

At the time of this post, the Seattle Mariners are mired in a 17 game losing streak.  Play the game long enough and your team will go through some kind of losing spell.  Hopefully not 17 games though.  It’s not fun to been caught in a rut like that and it can turn ugly very […]

Coaching vs Managing

In one of my first days in professional baseball, I got an eye opener about the difference between a coach and a manager.  A teammate of mine started a conversation with our manager by saying “Hey Coach, …”.  What came next was quite unexpected.  With a very serious look, the manager shot back sternly by […]

Another option for defending the double-steal

In a major league game with runners on first and second, you’ll probably notice that the catcher usually will step out in front of the plate and give the infield players some hand signals of some kind.  What he is doing is letting the infielders know what base he will be throwing to if the […]

Don’t ignore your star players.

On every team there are going to be varying levels of ability.  Much of the time spent interacting with players involves trying to get the players who are struggling to improve.  A combination of encouragement and constructive criticism is usually what is recommended in order to do this.  Our time as coaches is limited so […]

When two runners are at a base

Occasionally, you’ll run into the situation where two runners are standing on the same base.  It can become a little comical because many times nobody knows what to do or what the call should be.  Here’s the scoop.The rule.A) The rule states that two runners cannot occupy the same base and if they do and […]

Practice vs "Deliberate" Practice

Batter #1: 100 swings off a tee (1 hour total)60 swings on a ball set up down the middle, waist high20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high inside20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high outside. Josh Hamilton and a batting tee. Batter #2: 60 swings off a tee (40 minutes total)5 free swings […]

How can you get mad at young players?

“Don’t worry about it kid.  Your majorleague idol hasn’t hit the cut-off manall season and I’m pretty sure he makes more money than you do.” My wife and I recently went to a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park.  If any of you are not from the Philadelphia area, I highly suggest you take a […]

3rd base coach: Send the runner?

A third base coach rarely gets much attention, especially at the higher levels where the manager stays on the bench.  Quick, name five MLB 3rd base coaches.  See what I mean?  It seems the only time a 3rd base coach ever gets his name in the paper is when he gets a runner thrown out […]

The Power of the Bench

Still one of the best motivational tools known to man. “I didn’t like his attitude.  The inning before there were a couple of plays he didn’t make, but he gave the effort. There are going to be plays that you can’t make. On that play, there wasn’t energy. Elvis is better than that. I didn’t chew […]

Third Base Coach: What to say

In a recent post, I focused on the 1st base coach and what they should be saying to base runners who get to first base.  Today is for the 3rd base coaches out there.  The first three points are the same thing that 1st base coaches say so if you want to go back and read the explanation for […]

The Contact Play

With a runner on third base, the offensive team has a few things it can do on a ball hit on the ground.  They can tell the runner to make the ball go through the infield before running, they can have him go on any grounder that gets past the pitcher, they can have the […]

1st Base coach: What to say

Things that all 1st base coaches should say to runners at first base: Number of outs. “On your own past the catcher & pitcher” – if a ball gets past the catcher or if the return throw gets by the pitcher, the runner decides for himself whether or not to go.  He can’t wait for the […]

Get the umpire to talk

Asking “why?” can be a useful strategywhen talking to umpires.(Photo by Rose Palmisano/Orange Co.Register) So much goes into the dynamics of the relationship between the head coach and umpires.  I’m sure a whole book can be written about how to handle umpires during the course of a game depending on the situation and the call.  […]

The delayed steal (Part 2)

Because a delayed steal is a timing play and mostly will involve runners who are not overly fast (if they were, a straight steal usually would be easier), it becomes imperative for coaches to choose wisely in when they put on the delayed steal.   There are only three players a coach needs to pay attention […]

Showing up players

Coaches at all levels routinely teach their players to not “show up” umpires and their teammates during a game.  A player needs to keep his cool and move on if an umpire makes a questionable call.  A pitcher has to keep his poise and move on if a teammate makes a bad error behind him.  […]

Catchers and pre-game

Most every team at the lower levels takes pre-game infield/outfield practice.  Here is a tip for catchers during this pre-game routine. Find out how the ball bounces. Seeing how a throw bounces in front of home plate isnot something you want to find out with a runnerapproaching and the game on the line. One of the […]

On your own (Part 2)

Yesterday, in Part 1, I spoke about the value of letting runners decide for themselves when to steal a base.  Today, it gets more specific on what runners should look for and provides some tips for coaches who might be interested in giving it a shot. What are some things a runner should look for? (Photo by […]

On your own (Part 1)

There are a lot of advantages to the runner deciding for himself when to steal and when not to.(Photo by Josh Geer) I was watching the Phillies the other night and the two announcers discussed something that is not well known at the lower levels of baseball.  They were talking about how the straight steal sign […]

Putting runners in motion

Aggressive base running is a valuable weapon for any offense.  Putting runners in motion in all its forms puts a lot of pressure on a defense because they are forced to deal with multiple things at the same time – throwing, covering bases, chasing and fielding grounders, pop-ups, etc.  The more things you make a […]

Team Climate

A player’s perspective on thingscan be very valuable to a coach. If you are a coach, there is a technique that is rarely used but can offer some very valuable information with regards to team chemistry and how your players think of your coaching.  We all know that what kids say to a coach and what […]

Fast paced practice drills for defense

The following are defensive drills that are great for keeping everyone moving and working on game-like situations.  Each sequence is intended to be run for about 5 minutes to keep focus high.  Some of the situations require a coach to either throw or hit balls but many can work by players rolling or throwing each […]

Games are for the players

The past couple years I have noticed something new in college baseball.  It involves players wearing wristbands that apparently have all the offensive and defensive plays written on them along with some kind of a numeric code system.  A coach calls out a sequence of numbers and the player(s) look at their wristbands to figure […]

Danger of treating every player equally

You’ve probably heard this before.  “My coach hates me” or “My coach plays favorites.”  Common statements like those directed at coaches come from young players and their parents all the time.  It’s a tricky situation for a coach because I believe a good coach does not and cannot treat all his players equally.  Every player […]

Batting order roles

Below is a chart that indicates the ideal roles, expectations, and priorities for each batter in the line-up.  Of course, a manager is going to be limited to the talent he has on the team and most likely will not have a hitter in each spot who is capable of achieving all that is expected. […]

Quiz – Attentional Focus

I mentioned before in a previous post about a tremendous book I recommend for coaches.  It’s called The Psychology of Coaching Team Sports by Larry Leith.  It is very readable and includes a number of activities for coaches and their players to gauge their mental strengths and weaknesses in a variety of ways. One of […]

Where pride still matters

There are times in every coach’s career that he asks, “why am I doing this?”  Sometimes the game of baseball can drive you crazy.  Sometimes it will break your heart.  During these occasions, it’s good to take a step back and see the big picture.  The link below is probably the best article I have ever […]

Interview with Coach Barksdale – Univ. of Louisville

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Coach Xan Barksdale of the University of Louisville.  Coach Barksdale is one of college baseball’s best catching instructors.  He was a Division I catcher himself at the University of Mississippi and went on to catch in the Atlanta Braves organization.  He has a terrific website and a […]

The game is your toughest opponent

Any player that has been with me for at least one season has heard me say many times the following: “The game of baseball is a much tougher opponent then any team you will ever face.” What does this mean?   It means that sometimes a team or an individual player will place too much […]

Focus on your weaknesses?

Here’s a question.If your child came home with a report card with the following grades …Math = AComputer Science = BSocial Studies = BEnglish = C Physics = FWhich grade would you focus the most attention on?  The F is usually the popular answer. The same thing goes in baseball.  A player asks the coach […]

Indoor Hitting Drills

Yesterday’s post dealt with some indoor practice tips.  Below are some drills specific for those hitting stations that allow you to maximize the time and space available.  Of course, these tips and drills are also great for individual players who are looking for ways to improve their hitting when they are stuck indoors at home.Hitting drills for […]

Indoor practice tips

With flood warnings in effect for my area over the next few days, it appears we will have to endure the wonderful “indoor workout” nightmare.  If you live in one of the warmer, drier states, I hope you appreciate it.  In Pennsylvania and certainly areas more north, we usually start the season in, shall we […]

Baseball Curriculum

Our schools have a K-12 curriculum for every subject.  Math, science, social studies, etc.  If you want to see how your student is tracking, just look at the curriculum and see if they are keeping pace with the skills needed at the next level.   Does your district / organization have a baseball curriculum?  Do […]

The best drill for infield tryouts

Tryouts begin for public schools in Pennsylvania tomorrow.  Coaches all over the state will be running their players through multiple drills to gauge ability and potential.  Outfielders will catch fly balls and make some long throws, pitchers will throw off a mound, catchers will receive and throw, and hitters will hit.  However, for infielders it’s […]

Don’t let their best hitter beat you!

Walk him! … or at least don’t give him much to hit.(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) Growing up, I heard many great “baseball sayings” from my father and grandfather.  Some sayings or cliches are meant to be funny but most are also instructive.  On a mile high pop-up to the catcher, my dad would say […]

3-6-3 double play

Starting a 3-6-3 double play(Photo by LakeCountyCaptains) One of the many pet-peeves of mine when I watch games is on a 3-6-3 double play when either the shortstop or the first baseman yells “Inside!” or “Outside!” before the throw to second base.  Saying anything is unnecessary.  Whether the first baseman throws to the inner side […]

Positive deviance

Cows are boring.  A purple cow gets noticed.  What are youdoing to get noticed? One of my favorite topics to teach in my sociology classes is the concept of positive deviance.  Most people think of deviance in the negative sense but deviance has enormous value to individuals and our society.  Deviance simply means “different from […]

How do coaches judge potential?

I received a great question from a reader related to a post a few days ago called Tryouts: Current ability vs Potential.  The question was “How does a coach assess potential in a one-week tryout?”   If you were to ask a professional scout that question, he probably would say something that on the surface would […]

Baseball Tryouts: Current Ability vs Potential

Probably the worst part about coaching is tryouts.  Telling a player that there is not room for him is not a fun conversation.  Coaches love the game and sometimes they have to tell a player, who also loves the game, that their abilities will not allow them to be successful at our level.  That news […]

Learning from baseball photos

There are probably a thousand reason why this time of year is great for baseball fans, players, and coaches. One of the things I look forward to is all the great photos from spring training.  These pictures showing warm, sunny skies and terrific fields let you know that warmer days and baseball games are right […]

Baseball tryouts & what coaches look for

I hear that many high school baseball teams around the country have begun tryouts.  I look outside and still see a few inches of snow and temperatures in the teens so I’m envious of those warmer states.  Anyway, I thought I’d dedicate a few posts to high school tryouts.  Yesterday’s was about getting your coach […]

How to get noticed by your high school coach

Attend off-season workouts with the team. Whether it’s lifting sessions, pre-season meetings, open gym sessions, or whatever else the coach offers – be there as much as possible. It may not guarantee you a spot on the team but it can’t hurt either.Respect the game. Most coaches at the high school level have a great respect for […]

A stopwatch will not lie

This one is for the coaches out there who are searching for ways to pick up the tempo of their games and practices.  A must for any coach A stopwatch is a great way to help players go from good to great in many areas of the game.  Players get used to performing at the […]

Pitchout tips for Catchers

Yesterday’s post described why a pitchout, even if the runner does not steal on the pitch, can be valuable and what pitchers can do to make their pitchouts more effective.  Today I offer four tips for catchers on pitchouts. Make sure this guy is not looking in to steal your signs.(Photo by Computeress) Peek at […]

Sacrifice bunting – square up for success

Spring training is right around the corner for pitchers and catchers in the Major Leagues.  There are many things I love about this and one of them is you start to see photos and video clips of baseball again.  Since the pitchers arrive first, many of the pictures show bullpen sessions, drills like covering first […]

Rundowns – two priorities

If you are ever looking for a good indoor drill with your team, it’s rundowns.  With or without runners, rundowns are as simple as creating some lines of guys about 90 feet from each other.  First guy up has the ball and runs to the other line, tosses the ball to the first guy in […]

Funniest manager / umpire interaction?

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

Off-season hitting – an overlooked drill

This time of year, hitters are gearing up for the upcoming season probably by focusing on their hitting mechanics and taking a ton of swings.  One valuable drill that tends to be overlooked is standing-in on pitchers.  “Standing-in” involves a hitter standing in the batters box and doing everything they normally would do during an at-bat except […]

Spring training – Focusing on the "little things."

I came across this article the other day in one of my files.  I gave it out to my players a couple years ago.  The article is dated March, 2006 but it certainly has relavence today for any player or coach preparing for the upcoming season.  It also goes a long way to explain the Twins’ […]

Pitching mechanics – finish before you field!

Photo 1: A common Little League finish. When pitchers are young, they are commonly told to “throw the pitch and get right into the fielding position.”  This advice is not as much of a problem at the Little League level for the following reasons: The distance from the mound to the plate is shorter. Young players are still developing the skills […]

Batting stance – the importance of a good base

**Sorry, I believe some of the pictures did not appear correctly.  Hopefully it works now. ** When teaching hitting, I’m a believer in taking a ground up approach.  That is, start with the feet and gradually move up.  It really won’t matter how strong the player is or how quick his hands are unless his […]

Four seam fastball grip

Here’s a tip for anyone looking to improve their four-seam fastball, especially if the player is younger and now has a hand big enough to do more advanced grips on the ball.Have a player hold a four seam grip in front of them so they can clearly see the seams.  The seams on the ball […]

Best mound conversation ever

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

Indoor drills for outfielders

Of all the positions on the field, the outfield positions tend to get shafted the most with regards to indoor practice.  I’m based outside of Philadelphia so we routinely have to spend many practice days indoors because of rain or snow.  Farther up north is certainly worse so don’t feel the need to shed tears for me.If […]

Covering first base correctly

 (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Left foot = Wrong!  (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)Right foot = Correct! Go to any spring training practice and you are bound to see a drill in which pitchers cover first base on balls hit to their left.  It continually amazes me that this play can be screwed up with the […]

Batting tee drills … that don’t involve hitting!

The batting tee is my pick for the Worlds Greatest Baseball Training Invention Award.   …and not just for hitting!  Here are some other uses: Shortstop – Across the Bag Drill: One of the mistakes that I mentioned in the shortstop mistakes post was that many shortstops unnecessarily catch a double play feed directly over the […]

My favorite bunting drill

I mentioned in a post about hitting mistakes that many good high school and college hitters fail to set aside time to practice with the future in mind.  I noted that players that keep moving up beyond high school and college tend to hit in the 3, 4, or 5 spot in the batting order.  Because […]

Adjustments for a better change-up (Part 2)

Today is the second half of my ten adjustments for a better change-up. Try adjusting the pinky finger placement. 6. Move your pinky finger.  Many times a change-up is held with the pinky finger on the side of the ball (right photo).  Try moving the pinky finger up on top of the ball next to […]

Adjustments for a better change-up (Part 1)

In yesterday’s post I recommended that pitchers schedule time to “play around” or “tinker” with their pitches, grips, etc.  I’m a huge fan of the change-up so the next 2 posts are dedicated to adjustments specific to developing a better change-up.  Both posts will have five adjustments – ten total.  Try them all! 1. Increase arm […]

Off-season pitching tips

After the holidays is when many pitchers start to throw off the mound and work on pitches.  Here are 10 tips to get the most out of an off-season pitching program: Build velocity slowly.  Many high school (and above) pitchers have been spending time lifting and possibly long-tossing since games ended in the Summer or Fall.  […]

All you need is a ball and a wall

My elementary school playground.There is no telling how many hours I spent there practicing by myself. I was fortunate to grow up in a house right next to an elementary school.  Anytime I got bored I would walk up and throw a ball against one of the brick walls that were part of the school.  The […]

Base running tips for the indoor off-season

As winter kicks into gear, many players around the country are stuck indoors for much of their practice routine.  Hopefully this includes some base running as well.  Here are five tips to get the most out of your indoor running. A base runner’s off-season best friend. Run distance and sprints.  Using a stationary bike and/or […]

Practicing in the off-season months

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

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