Play for the guys on your team (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this post I talked about the importance of playing for the guys in your own dugout as opposed to people off the field.  You would think that would be a given when you are part of a team but it is certainly not.  I also mentioned that many of the ways […]

Play for the guys on your team (Part 1)

Major League Baseball recently came out with an ad to promote the post-season that is getting a lot of attention.  It’s basically about evolving past the “unwritten rules of the game.”  If you haven’t seen it, here it is. As a 50+ year old former college and professional player (minor league, not MLB level), I […]

Everything that happens on a field is a good thing

I’ve spent the last several years coaching my 11 year old son’s summer travel team.  They, along with their parents, have heard me say numerous times that anything that happens to them on a baseball field is a good thing.  Obviously, I’m not referring to a major injury of some kind although some people may even include […]

They will see it all over your face

Quick … which of these two photos shows a genuine smile and which is an example of that fake smile just given for the camera?   As you could tell almost immediately, the genuine smile is the face on the right.  Which photo below shows a face that is afraid? I’m sure you picked the one […]

Do you play or do you compete?

A lot of kids across the world play baseball.  Not as many compete.  There is a huge difference between the two. A kid who plays the game: Shows up when the coach tells him to. Practices well if a coach is watching. Is content with going base-to-base. Is ok with losing if he goes 3-4 […]

What personality shows when you play?

Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Pete Rose, Tug McGraw, Roger Clemens, Craig Biggio, and Bob Gibson. Josh Donaldson, Justin Turner, Jose Altuve, Bryce Harper, Yasiel Puig, Dustin Pedroia, and Yadier Molina. The list of older player in the first list and the current players in the second list all have something in common.  Obviously, they are […]

Like riding a bike

Remember when you were little and you were trying to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels?  If you were like most kids, you probably were so concerned with what your feet were doing that you looked down to watch yourself pedal.  You probably remember that looking down was not a good strategy.  […]

Don’t eat the cheese

During the fall, many players and teams use their time (and better weather!) to identify areas where they struggled during the spring and summer and work  to improve upon them.  This is especially true for those who had poor seasons. This time of year, I don’t tend to worry about the players and teams who […]

The way you do anything is the way you’ll do everything

“The way you do anything is the way you’ll do everything.“ I heard this quote the other day and I think there is a lot of truth in it when it comes to life and baseball. Human beings are creatures of habit.  How we act and think today is very likely to be the same […]

Sometimes you have to pack the parachutes

I recently heard an inspiring true story from a friend/coach.   It goes like this … Captain Charlie Plumb was a fighter pilot in the 60’s during the Vietnam War.  While on a mission, his jet was shot down.  He was able to eject but unfortunately for him, he had to parachute down into enemy […]

Body language matters

A few days ago, the following video clip of a 2016 Geno Auriemma, head coach of the powerhouse UConn women basketball team, press conference surfaced again and has gone virus through social media.  If you have a young player at home or coach young players then they all need to see this video.  It is […]

FELT goals for baseball success

Baseball is quite possibly the most confidence and esteem crushing sport in existence.  No other sports punishes players for doing everything right.  A batter perfectly approaches a tough slider down and away and smokes a line drive to the opposite field gap.  Since the shift was on, the outfielder takes two steps and catches the […]

The And-1 mentality

Kyrie Irving takes it down, he’s looking to get it to Lebron.  He dishes it off to Kyle Korver.  Bounce pass to Kevin Love.  Back to Irving.  He get’s it out to Korver at the 3-point line.  Doesn’t have a shot.  Lebron is fighting for position underneath.  Pass over to Irving.  He drives to the […]

Who are you chasing?

We’ve all seen many underdog players or teams overachieve.  On the flip side, we’ve also seen many incredibly talented players and teams underachieve.  Both seem to happen so often that there must be a reason. Of course, there is never just one answer but if I had to pick one that stands out the most […]

Two things you cannot teach

Baseball By The Yard was designed to teach the game of baseball to as many people as possible. Unfortunately, there are two major concepts that lead to success in baseball that cannot be taught. They are ENERGY and ATTITUDE. Both of them can be encouraged, rewarded, and cultivated but nobody can “teach” an athlete (or […]

Election day: Winners win

Well, it’s election day in America. I stay away from politics on this baseball site but today’s post adds a little to make a point.  After reading, I think you’ll see the connection to winning in baseball both as a player and a team. From scandals and corruption to vulgar language and bad jokes, both […]

Mind your BEE’s

For the last couple years I have coached my young son’s 8u/9u travel baseball team at the end of his rec seasons.  That age group brings many challenges but one of the toughest is trying to get them to move on from the game’s inevitable adversities and stay positive.  Easier said than done because if […]

We’re good, Sir.

Like many guys, I am fascinated by military special forces.  If I see a book about them, I pick it up.  If one is interviewed in a podcast, I download and listen.  It may be the training.  Maybe it’s the mental toughness. Every time I read or listen I pick up something new that I […]

What is your unfair advantage?

When I was 12 years old, I remember pitching in a game with the winning run on third base with the game all tied up.  There were less than two outs and if the runner scored, the other team would win in walk off fashion.  I decided to go from the wind-up thinking that if the […]

Would your best player do this?

Have you taken the Winter Seminar Survey yet?  It’s only two questions.  Click HERE.  I’d love to get your input! Now back to today’s post! Take a look at this screenshot of a situation from Game 4 of this year’s World Series.  Lorenzo Cain at bat.  Pause here and look at everything.   Got the […]

Are you asking yourself the right questions?

  When players self-analyze, they often limit themselves to a few basic questions like … How many batters did I strikeout? What is my batting average? How many HR’s/RBI’s do I have? What’s my Win-Loss record? Unfortunately, most players do not mentally travel past those questions. For a player to more accurately gauge how well […]

A coach’s practice is your minimum

One of the toughest things to do in a classroom or on a baseball field is to challenge every single student and player throughout the entire class or practice.  In baseball, every player has unique needs.   However, perfectly tailored instruction for each player during a team workout is virtually impossible.  That’s why it is […]

The three opponents you face every game

Three years ago I wrote a very popular post called The game is your toughest opponent.  It’s worth reading if you haven’t already because it’s a good message to players about what they should be focussing on during games. But I have to confess that I think I was wrong.  The game is not your […]

A baseball lesson from election day

HEADS UP!!  A special offer for subscribers of the site is coming within a week!  Become a subscriber if you haven’t already!  Scroll under my photo on the right to subscribe! Now, back to today’s post! As a social studies teacher I take a keen interest in the political process.  When I see the percentage […]

You play for the other coach too

My coach doesn’t like me. My coach doesn’t promote me. My coach doesn’t know any college coaches. My coach doesn’t know the game. My coach never talks to scouts. Reason to be concerned?  Maybe and maybe not. Coaches talk.  Always have and always will.  If you feel your coach is not doing enough for you […]

Step by step to smooth

When I watch MLB games I am constantly amazed at how easy the players make the game look.  Of course, the game is not even close to being easy.  The reason why it looks so easy is because the players have mastered the step by step micro-processes of making plays, swinging bats, and running the […]

How important is the right gear?

To answer that question, let me put it this way …. If you want to excel at anything, you have to have these four things: Mindset Tactics Skills Gear And most importantly, they stay in that order of importance! Let’s take each one individually and apply it to baseball. Mindset.  Baseball is a very tough […]

The most annoying thing about private lessons

For many years I gave quite a few private lessons to players of all age groups every week.  In fact, I look back on my daily schedule of teaching all day and giving private lessons four weeknights per week, all day Saturday, and most of the day on Sunday and can’t understand how I did […]

A player’s Check Engine light

Stats are often overrated and never tell the full story.  However, if you are at the lower levels – anything below pro ball – and you are hitting around .250 or your ERA is over 5 or you are averaging an error a game, your “check engine” light is blinking.   A player might say […]

Derek Jeter says he wasn’t great. So what was he?

This year’s lead-up to the MLB All-Star Game had several tribute stories about Derek Jeter.  One was an interview where the interviewer described Jeter as “great.”  Jeter responded by saying, “I am not great.  I’ve had confidence in myself and I was consistent.  I also worked very, very hard”   A simple description that says […]

High energy players

We are approaching the dog days of summer when the heat and humidity tends to peak.  Most players’ bodies are screaming for a vacation right about now.  Most players’ bodies desperately want a few days off.  Maybe a solid three days of rainouts to let the body rest. I took my son to a local […]

Good news for players with great make-up

There seems to be a change happening in baseball.  At least for one team anyway and I couldn’t be happier. We’ve all seen players with incredible make-up (character, work ethic, intensity, energy, optimism, etc.) who were not blessed with incredible physical ability.  Scouts may not drool over these kids but those in the coaching world […]

Five foot what?

Just a few players among the MLB stat leaders as of today …  Troy Tulowitzki, 6-3, 215 lbs., currently batting .352 Miguel Cabrera, 6-4, 240 lbs, .325, 64 RBI’s Matt Adams, 6-3, 230 lbs., .328 Mike Trout, 6-2, 230 lbs, 58 RBI’s Adam Wainwright, 6-7, 228 lbs, 2.01 ERA Giancarlo Stanton, 6-6, 240 lbs., 21 […]

Why I still love the Twins

I’m watching highlights on the MLB channel a couple days ago and they show the very end of the Twins-Tigers game.  The Tigers won the game on a walk-off sac fly after a botched catch in the outfield put a runner at third base.  As always, when the runner touched home plate the camera showed […]

Baseball Hardware vs Baseball Software

The 2014 MLB Amateur Draft has ended and hundreds of young men are probably thrilled beyond belief.  I know I was back in 1989.  When I got the call from the Twins organization that they had selected me, I hung up the phone after the conversation and just stood there in silence for a few […]

How to talk to reporters

About a week ago I was flipping through the sports channels and came across a story about a AA closer who throws it up there around 100mph.  During the course of the interview he basically said the following:  (paraphrased, but not much) “I don’t have to throw my hardest to put it past hitters.” “When […]

What a pencil can teach a coach

Learning from a pencil has been around for quite a while.  Of course, the same principles would apply to coaches and baseball coaches alike.  Here they are if you have never seen them.   Learning from a pencil 1. Everything you do leaves a mark.  As a coach, never forget that your interaction with your […]

Because you just never know

Here is a story about a former player of mine that should be a lesson for all young players.  This player had a good high school career but even though he went to a Division I college, it certainly was not a top-teir one.  That’s because he wasn’t the 6’3″ blue chipper with the 90+ […]

Matt Szczur: Score one for the good guys

My father always said “sports (especially baseball) makes good people.”  It’s unfortunate but too often the bad guys in sports get all the attention.  Through my time in baseball, there have been so many great human beings that I’ve come into contact with and very few of them have ever gotten the notoriety they deserve. […]

There is no walking in baseball

Is anyone else aggravated by how many players walk on, off, and around the baseball field?  To me it’s like nails on a chalkboard.  Every summer I usually help out at a couple camps that have kids between about 8 and 15 years old.  One of the toughest things to teach the campers early on […]

Happily ever after

One of the hardest things when you get to the top is staying there.  Winning a championship as a team or a player getting to the level they’ve always dreamed of can be thrilling but it’s not without challenges.   First of all, a team that becomes a champion is not going to sneak up […]

It’s not how you start

Readers who are not from the Philadelphia area will not recognize the names on this Top 25 list of high school teams.   The list, if you look at the date, is the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Top 25 baseball teams in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania at the very start of the season.  One team, North […]

Enforcing the informal rules of the game

Maybe I am officially old school now but I cannot believe what my eyes saw during the Phillies-Marlins series.  Actually, it has more to do with what my eyes didn’t see.  Let me set the stage. To date, the Marlins have the worst record in baseball. Their organization has been blasted for getting rid of […]

Earning the right to fail

A student of mine had a rough pitching start the other day.  He lasted 1/3 of an inning before being pulled from the game.  Pitch long enough and it will happen to you too.  It certainly has happened to me. For players at the high school level and above, outings like this can be devastating.  […]

The power of defeat

The game of baseball is designed to wear you down mentally.  It takes special people to handle all the failure that is inherent in the game.  Special people with grit.  Below is a link to a non-baseball article that is right on the money when it comes to the importance of developing grit in children. […]

Pennsylvania baseball

If any of you have thoughts about moving to Pennsylvania to play baseball, here are a couple photos taken at a local high school practice over the weekend (3-16-2013).  With weather like this, it would stand to reason that baseball players would not be bred in Pennsylvania to the extent that places like Texas, Florida, […]

I didn’t make the team. Now what?

As I mentioned in a post a few days ago, this week is tryout week for most high schools in Pennsylvania.  For players and parents, the week is filled with gossip and debate as to who is showing well and who might make the JV and varsity rosters.  Of course, it all culminates in the […]

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 […]

Action comes before esteem

One aspect of our American culture that annoys the older generation to no end (Bobby Knight comes to mind), is the insistence among “experts” that self-esteem must be raised to help kids improve and achieve.  Baseball fanatic and columnist George Will wrote about this in an article called How to ruin a child. A number […]

Being a one percent-er

This past campaign season, much was made of the 1% of people at the top of the economic ladder.  One mistake many of their critics make is having the belief that the 1% got to where they are by accident.  Surely some have inherited their fortunes from their ancestors but most got there based on […]

Election 2012

People are waking up today to find that the President of the United States has been re-elected in this year’s Presidential race.  On one side there will be cheers and the other tears.  Such is life. As a social studies teacher, I follow politics fairly closely.  What always amazes me is how many people on […]

Lights won’t always be green

I’m sure there are players and coaches who are doing some soul searching these days after their long seasons of baseball.  Players who hit .210 and pitchers with an ERA over 6.00 are probably wondering if this sport is really for them.  Coaches who spent a tough year with entitled athletes, critical parents, and maybe […]

Bad body language

When I watch games on TV, it is not unusual for the volume to be off.  Often my wife will be reading close by or the kids will be playing in the room making it hard to hear anyway.  It’s actually a good way to watch the game because it forces you to pay attention […]

The 99 percent

In the Philadelphia area where I am located, temperatures are reaching 100 degrees.  It’s that time of year.   99% of baseball players: It’s too hot to play baseball. I’m too tired to take the extra base. I wish I were at the pool. I wish I was at the beach with my friends. Why […]

One step up and two steps back

There is a player on the Phillies that just drives me insane.  I won’t name him because I’m not into bashing players from afar.  It’s a very hard game and anyone who makes it to the major league level is more talented than I ever was.  That being said, he still drives me nuts.  I […]

How to deal with an old school coach

As a high school teacher, I am forced to attend numerous in-service days geared towards teaching the latest trends and techniques in education.  It’s no secret that improving self-esteem has been a big trend in education (and society) for some time now.  This year the new buzz word was “differentiated instruction.”  It basically means that different students […]

Brain Dawkins: Time, place, and manner

Two days ago I posted the following website:  Killer instinct: Time, Place, and Manner.  After one hour after posting the article I heard recently retired NFL player Brian Dawkins explain why he loved football so much.  The timing could not have been better based on what he said. He told the interviewer that football gave […]

Killer instinct: Time, Place, and Manner

One of the benefits of living in America is the high standard of living we enjoy compared to the rest of the world.  Most Americans don’t know what it is truly like to scrape, claw, and fight for what you need to survive.  With this high standard of living comes a civility where aggressiveness towards […]

MLB is not for the timid

My wife is a high school guidance counselor so some things we see and hear in sports conflict with her sympathies.  The initiation of a rookie at the major league level is “bullying” in her eyes.  An aggressive (legal) take out slide at second base is “unnecessary and should be banned” as well.  The other […]

Achievers and Non-achievers

“Achievers” in the game of baseball know that there will be times when they will go backwards in terms of their success in a particular area of the game.  Tweaking a swing, learning new pitches, and moving up a level often bring about setbacks until adjustments are made.  However, “achievers” recognize all this as part […]

Success happens on the margins

Have you ever heard of the phrase “success happens on the margins” ?  If you have, it probably was in the context of making money and/or succeeding in the business world.  It means that success happens a little bit at a time and rarely just appears out of nowhere.  Even people or companies that are said […]

The importance of pre-game

The other day I mentioned in a post that I am coaching my son and daughter’s coach-pitch team with a guy who is an area scout for the Seattle Mariners.  His son plays on the team as well.  While at our practice the other day, I asked what game he was scouting this weekend.  He […]

They don’t make them like they used to

I heard a great story about George Brett the other day.  Towards the end of his career, he apparently was asked by a reporter something along the lines of “What do you want your last at-bat to be?” His response was …   “In my last at bat, I would like to hit a ground ball […]

My Jamie Moyer story

The spring of 1986 was my first spring season at the college level.  We started the year like most northern programs by going south to Florida for spring training.  A new head coach, about 30 players, a trainer, and a few parents made the trip along with our brand new pitching coach … Jamie Moyer. […]

Intensity v Consistency

Everyone has probably heard of the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.  Even though the turtle is much slower, he beats the rabbit in the race because he keeps a consistent pace over the course of the race.  The rabbit, on the other hand, bursts into the lead but then tires quickly. The baseball […]

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 […]

Would you do that in Yankee stadium?

If you wouldn’t do it here … When I watch guys practice and/or play games, I am constantly amazed at how many players appear to be going through the motions.  If you ask many of those players if they want to play in college and beyond, most would immediately say “Absolutely!”  The obvious comeback is […]

Sometimes all you have is yourself

AJ Burnett of the Yankees has had a tough year.  His stats for the month of August were horrendous.  His month of September, although a bit better, was no box of chocolates either.  Pretty much everyone associated with the Yankees – his manager, probably a good deal of teammates, certainly Yankee fans, and the New […]

Watching Roy Halladay

If you are a fan of good baseball, you have to be in heaven every time Roy Halliday takes the mound.  If I had to point to one guy young pitchers should pay close attention to, it’s him.  There is so much to say about his competitiveness, the movement he gets on his pitches, and […]

Dallas Green and scouting "Head and Heart"

Old school baseball people in the Philadelphia area certainly know the name Dallas Green.  The manager of the 1980 World Champion Phillies was a no nonsense, hard nose kind of manager that demanded a lot from his players.  I guarantee the phrase “players’ manager” was never used in connection with his name.  He also managed […]

Which one of "The Five" are you going to pin your name to?

In 1991, while sitting on a minor league bus bored completely out of my scull, I realized I had better find something to do before I go insane.  I decided to start reading for pleasure.  I haven’t stopped since.  I mostly read non-fiction that has nothing to do with baseball.  However, I’m always thinking of […]

Vance Worley, Phillies Rookie

9-1, 2.65 ERA (As of 8-29-11)  “I was confident in my stuff,” he said. “That’s the only way to pitch in this game. If you’re not confident on the mound, you’re going to get shelled. You have to look like you’re not going to get beat.”– Vance Worley, Phillies rookie starterThat about covers it.

There’s more to pro ball then just playing baseball

Over the past few years there have been some very high level baseball talent to come out of the high schools in my area (Philadelphia).  Jesse Biddle and Sean Coyle were two high round picks that are currently playing in the minor league systems of the Phillies and Red Sox respectively.  When you add Mike […]

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 […]

Act as if …

The “Gentleman of baseball” isn’tso gentle once the game starts,especially in his own mind. To piggy-back off of a recent post on Fear and Arrogance, a problem sometimes arrives with regards to arrogance.  Some players find it difficult or even might reject the idea of a need to be more arrogant.  Many have been taught to […]

The forbidden conversation

Having pitched at the college and professional levels, I think I have a pretty good idea as to what makes a pitcher successful enough to pitch at those levels.  Although I did not make it to the major leagues, I played with and against many pitchers who did.  We have had many conversations with our […]

Managing your emotion

Below is what sports psychologists call an Inverted-U Graph.  The inverted-U’s show the relationship between performance and emotional arousal.  Emotional arousal is a combination of things like blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.  Here is what the chart is showing.  Whether you are golfing or weight lifting, if your emotional arousal level is too […]

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 […]

Separating yourself vs Standing out

We all have words we live by.  I’ve turned a few into posts. “Show up, Suit up, Shut up, and Play hard“ is one of them.  Another one for me is …  It is better to separate yourself from the crowd then to stand out from one. A clown stands out in a crowd.  Your eyes […]

The mentality of a thief

When a normal person walks into your home for the first time, they will walk around and compliment you on your decorations, your new flat screen TV, your stereo system, and your brand new iMac computer.  When a person who is really a thief walks into a house, they will say the same thing but […]

The Stubborn Hitter – a short story

Once upon a time on a field far, far away there was a hitter who was very stubborn.  The boy hit mile-high pop-ups.  One after another. They soared high up into the clouds … and always landed for outs. The coaches all tried to intervene.  The boy wanted nothing of it. They searched far and […]

The silent catcher

For every position or role on the field there are a given set of expectations for a player, should he want to be successful.  The nature of the lead-off spot in the order demands that a player be good at getting on base.  A third or fourth hitter should have a greater ability to drive […]

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 […]

Grind it out

Below is a link to an article that I think has a good message.  It’s written by a former major leaguer (Todd Jones) for The Sporting News.  He was still pitching when he wrote it.  It’s a bit old but it has a good message for players of any age.  This time of year there […]

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 […]

A dog and her ball

The past week has been a tough one for my family.  Our 11 year old Golden Retriever (Cassie) passed away unexpectedly last Monday morning.  So why would I mention this on a baseball blog?  Because she was a great role model for any young person who wishes to become a great baseball player.  If they […]

How to wear a baseball uniform

Now that players and coaches are gearing up for the approaching season, I thought it appropriate to write about something I find to be very important with regards to treating the game with respect.  There are many ways players and coaches can disrespect the game without most people even noticing.  That’s not the case when it comes […]

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 […]

Pitching – Making the switch to the bullpen

On a high school baseball message board I check every now and then, a college player asked what he needs to know now that he has gone from a starting pitcher in high school to a reliever in college.  It’s a common switch that many high school pitchers have to go through early on in […]

Mental Toughness – Cliff Lee

About a year ago I conducted a seminar for teachers about how concepts and strategies within sports psychology can help underachieving students in the classroom.  One thing I talked about was mental toughness.  To give an example of mental toughness, I used an ESPN clip of Cliff Lee speaking after his phenomenal 1-0 win over […]

Don’t be this kid.

Professional baseball scouting – an interview

In many of my previous posts I mention scouts or scouting with regards to what they look for or how they think.  I thought it would be appropriate to hear things straight from the mouth of a real professional baseball scout.     Rex DeLaNuez is currently a full-time scout for the Cincinnati Reds organization.   Prior to […]

The importance of a good catcher

If you have not seen this article from espn.com, it’s worth the time.  Especially if you are a catcher or know someone who is.  Click on the title.  Below the picture are links to a few other sites that catchers and coaches might find useful.  “A relationship that’s extremely important“  (Photo: Howard Smith/US Presswire)As if […]

The mental side of the game

Happy New Year!I think it was Jack Nicklaus who said that 90% of golf was mental.So the question for baseball players and coaches is …How much of baseball success is mental? My guess is that your answer is probably anywhere from 75% – 90%.So here is the next question to ponder …If baseball is (insert […]

Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard!

The motto “Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard” is a good guide for success on and off the field.  I first saw this motto on the blackboard of my father’s high school wrestling room.  He was a longtime teacher and coached baseball and wrestling at the high school and college levels.  I […]

What is meant by a player’s "make up?"

 Ask any scout and they will tell you that a player’s “make-up” is extremely important.  So what is it and why do they care about it so much? How a scout answers the following questions will go a long way in determining a player’s “make-up.” 1.    How does he handle adversity like striking out, making […]