Baseball Beast

Forearms in Baseball

2012-07-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

The hardest part of hitting the inside fastball is getting the bat head to the ball. This can be accomplished by improving forearm strength. Baseball may not require freaks of nature like football but forearm, core, and leg strength are pivotal in being a good ball player.

My two years in college I have ran across some HUGE forearms. I actually had teammates who looked for the biggest forearms on the opposing team. To get these pop eye like lower arms you must be dedicated to wrist curls. Other good forearm workouts include standing dumbbell wrist curls and the dreaded rice bucket. Standing dumbbell wrist curls consist of holding a dumbbell in each hand and curling your wrist inward until you can't do any more. The rice bucket is a college and professional favorite. A baseball bucket filled with rice and you stick a hand in and turn your hand side to side until reaching the bottom. It's a burning workout but well worth the Dan Uggla style forearms.

All of us ball players look for an edge over the opponent before the first pitch is even thrown. I'm telling you nothing is more intimidating then a pair of Uggla's!

Going Deep,

Alan

2012-07-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

It's been a while... Almost two years since I have been on here blogging. To all 4 of my followers I deeply apologize. The past two years have been crazy!! Iv'e got two years of college baseball under my belt and what a ride it has been. Starting tomorrow I am going to pick the blog back up and continue blogging. Again I apologize for the time off and it won't happen again! Follow my twitter: @AlanHardistyII Going Deep, Alan

T-Ball Question & Answers

2010-06-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

Recently I have recieved a bunch of questions from readers about their young kids playing T-Ball. I have to admit that watching your kid play is not the most fun but it means the world to them!

Question: Is it safe for my four year old to really start baseball?

Answer: Yes! 100% the coaches are usualy moms or dads who love to help out little kids. I have never watched or heard of a T-Ball game where a kid was legitamtily injured.

Question: (Yes someone asked this!) Should i worry if my son is not as good as the other kids?

Answer: No! T-Ball is just learning the basics of the game. You will see a couple kids who might have grown up with the game in their family and you can notice a little bit of talent diversity. You can though purchase a Fisher-Price Triple Hit Baseball or a Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set to help further development of their young swings.

Question: How do I get my little one more interested in the game?

Answer: You can't force it down their little throughts or beet it into their heads. Try reading them The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond, a great book on the rich history of baseball that will have them thirsty for baseball!

Question: Should my son or daughter be drinking sport drinks at a young age?

Answer: Yes! The more the better in my mind. While there out on the field running their little legs of having the time of there life it is important they refuel their bodys with the proper carbs and elctrolytes. I might propose Gatorade All Stars-(Eight Lemon Lime, Eight Fruit Punch, Eight Orange) Variety Pack! 24/12 Oz for the proper nutrietion and keep them at the top of there game.

Feel free to shoot me any questions you have. I hope this helped everyone wondering about the little Babe Ruth's in the making. Remember they are still learning and at that age it is not about winning but having fun.

Going Deep,

Alan

The Most Contraversal Element In Baseball!

2010-06-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

The strike zone is the most argued thing in baseball. Even when youngsters are in coach pitch ball there are fans that moan and groan. I recently umpired a 14 year old game and told both coaches before the game 6inches in side and out, the letters and knees will be my zoan. Both coaches agreed and we played ball. About the fifth inning the game was 5-0 in favor of the away team. The home teams pitcher threw every other ball in the dirt and I wasn't about to call that a strike. The home coach asked me in between innings to call a lower strike. Seeing how he had my paycheck I opened it just a little bit, nothing in the dirt though. The pitcher continued to throw them there. About the sixth inning the home parents were letting me have it! "Come on blue, call a ******* strike please", or "Were not paying you to walk everyone". I could'nt help but laugh! After the game a couple parents made comments but I just shook them off. When the coach gave me my check he let me know that I wont be needed anymore. I have been umping this same group of kids for five years. It's funny how much heat umpires take even when the calls are blantly obvious. For now on when I feel a bad call at the plate, I'll be sure to remember that night! Go easy on those umps guys!! Make sure to take a look at the new polls on the sidebar of the blog.

Going Deep,

Alan

Ga Ga Galarraga

2010-06-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

WOW! One of the most controversial calls in Major League Baseball 107 years of existence. Armando Galarraga pitched the best game of his career and through the only "bad" one hitter shut out in Detroit Tiger history. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth a ground ball to first basemen Miguel Cabrera and a throw to the covering pitcher at first Galarraga. Cabrera fist pumped for joy before looking down and noticing the call. Galarraga just dropped his head and returned to the mound to resume pitching. Veteran umpire Jim Joyce blew a call at first! After replay, after replay base runner Jason Donald was clearly out by a couple steps. "It was the biggest call in my career, I just cost that kid a perfect game.", a weary Joyce uttered after the game. Numerous Tiger players and coaches let Joyce have it after the game, shouting outragous but needed profane language. With the game being over and the scorebook being finalized the 28 Venesuelan native pitched a game he will never forget!

Going Deep,

Alan

That "Walk" Off Attitude

2010-05-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

For any baseball player who has never had a walk off hit, trust me you are missing out. I experienced my first walk off this year, against a heated rival school. Oh it was awesome! The bottom of the 8th inning and we had bases loaded, tied 6-6. With one out I stepped up to the plate and drove a second pitch grooved fastball into center field and won the game. My entire team greeted me with some punches to the helmet and cheers so loud I thought I'd for sure go deaf. I found this video on youtube and it reminded me of that amazing feeling. So next time a coach ask who wants to pinch hit in extra innings trust me go for it all its worth it!!

Going Deep,

Alan

Baseball Superstitions

2010-05-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a very superstitious game! I find myself staring at my feet when I walk before each game, determined to not step on the white line. Wade Boggs use to eat fried chicken before each game. It worked seeing how he won numerous batting titles and a World Series ring. You also have some rather disgusting superstitions as well. Moises Alou use to urinate on his hands (yes it's true!) during the season because he said it made his hands sturdier. When in reality urine contains urea which softens the skin. I want to know some other superstitions you guys have. So just shoot me an email or leave a comment. No matter how gross or if it makes PETA mad please share with me!

Going Deep,

Alan

Sports Backgrounds For Sale

2010-05-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is in the Computer Graphics business and is giving me some of his backgrounds to sell. He is an avid Blackhawks fan and a big baseball guy as well. Before he gets his own blog up and running I am going to give you guys a sneak peak of what an amazing job this guy can do. The backgrounds can be used for computers, smart phones, Myspace layouts, or just pictures to show off to your friends. I have a couple of Blackhawk Pics such as Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews, Antti Niemi, Marion Hossa, Dustin Byfuglien. They are in a slide show on the right hand side of my blog. If you are interested in purchasing the pictures they are $3.00 each. I will email the pics to you after I receive payment through pay pal. He will have MLB pics very soon and I will upload everything and let you guys know whats coming soon.

Going Deep,

Alan

Oakley Sunglasses. Fashion Statement or Game Enhancer?

2010-05-17T09:49:00.001-07:00

Oakley has exploded over the past couple years in the baseball world. Every college game you watch no matter what division you see the team with Oakley's. Is it a fashion statement or do they really improve your game? Well last October I bought a pair of M Frames. I absolutely love them! I have two different lenses, a pair of Ruby Red and a Dark Brown Polarized lenses. The Polarized lenses are perfect for a dark or cloudy day. I can pick up the ball so well, and they fit snug on my face while I hit. The Ruby Red pair are not only intimidating but are legit for those super sunny days. Any fly ball hit I can see crystal clear. Another popular type of Oakley's are the Radars. I'm pretty sure when I watched Georgia and Florida play half the guys were rocking these. You can also personalize any pair of sunglasses you buy online from oakley.com. From frame color, lens color, even have your name engraved in them. It wouldn't surprise me with in the next couple years every baseball player in the world are wearing Oakley's.

Going Deep,

Alan

Cheap Name Brand Baseball Equipment

2010-05-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

The cost of baseball equipment is ridiculous these days. Going to your local sports store is quite pricey because everything is over priced. Even with a reward card of some sort you still end up over paying. Trust me i would know my baseball bag contains about two grand worth of equipment. From bats to batting gloves everyone is looking for a deal. Well a couple online sites where equipment is cheap are baseballsavings.com and baseballexpress.com. Both these websites have all the name brand equipment from Phiten Necklaces to the new Louisville Slugger Omaha. T-Ball through college baseball these are the websites for you. Trust me I wouldn't have nearly as much stuff I have if it weren't for these websites.

Going Deep,

Alan

What's the Best High School Athlete Online Recruiting Website?

2010-05-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

High School athletes are always stressing about being recruited. Will I go to a Division 1 school? When is the best time to email a coach? What should the videos I send contain? There are a couple websites that reach out to coaches and allow you to focus more on performing, rather than propagandising. Some of my preferred websites are beRecruited.com, Takkle.com, JumpForward.com, Maxpreps.com, and baseballwebtv.com. All of the sites are a proactive way to get recruited.

beRecruited.com is an excellent website that allows several different high school sports to be recruited. NCAA, NAIA, JUCO, you name it and you will find a coach that will show interest in you. As a baseball player it allowed me to show every stat I had, my accolades, pictures, videos, even my own blog. There is a tracker that lets you know which coach looked at your profile, and even what time they looked! My favorite tool is the "Letter Generator". It allows you to email coaches with either your own idea or it has four basic recruiting layouts coaches look to read upon receiving an email. It will add a signature as well as your address. It is by far the best website for athletes to get in touch with college coaches. A huge 5 out of 5!!

Takkle.com is a website for all high school sports. It is more of a social website approach to being recruited. The down side of this website is that you have a wall (much like facebook) that your competitors can write on to make you look bad. There also is no way for you to know if coaches are looking at your profile. A big plus side though is that they are an affiliate of ESPN the magazine. Each month they take 9 athletes from the site and give them a 5-7 line report in the magazine. This is a huge boost in the recruiting process. You are voted on by your peers, so make sure you suck up to as many people as you can =). A solid website overall and a 4 out of 5 in my book.

JumpForward.com is a website built for all types of recruits. A very easy to use website, and gains more members everyday. Coaches at all levels are members of this site and I have seen quite amount of NCAA D2 and D3's. I had problems getting videos on the site but pictures uploaded perfect. Not quite my favorite but a 3 1/3 out of 5.

Maxpreps.com is a nationally known recruiting website but in my mind a tad over-rated. You must have your high school coach as a member in order to enter stats. Each high school in the nation has a profile and to upload pictures or video it's from a "fan" page. A little frustrating to use because it favors basketball and football. So if you play either of those make sure your coach joins this site! A lot of coaches from every level look at maxpreps so if it weren't for its national creditability it be a whack site. I give it a 3 out of 5.

baseballwebtv.com isn't what is sounds to be. Well in a way it is but it doesn't focus on only baseball. All major high school sports are welcomed on this site. Your main page includes your stats and any videos you upload. You also may have pictures on the site as well as friends can write on your "wall" to help boost your recruitment. The only down side is that you can't tell when a coach looks at your profile. Very easy to use and a 3 out of 5.

Remember coaches are very buisy and dont have time answer every recruite. Give them a one week window to respond before you contact them again. Videos should always be 2-3 minuets long and make sure you look presentable. Jersey tucked in and go all out on the video! Game clips are highly prefered! Another key thing to remeber when emailing a coach your email adress is respectable. No one wants to recruite "Jthug313@aol.com". Hope this helps!!

Going Deep,

Alan

High School Showcases? Whats Legit and Whats Whack?

2010-05-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Every high school baseball player looking to stretch there game to the college level will more than likely have to go through some type of camp or showcase. I have attended Perfect Game U.S.A., Baseball Factory, DeMarini Top 96, All Star Baseball Academy, Pastime Tournaments and other numerous individual college camps. Those are not the ones out there though, there also is Coast to Coast Baseball, Silver Spikes, and numerous others.

I attended the Cedar Rapids Perfect Game in October of 2008. I had fun playing on the Angels Single A teams field Veterans Memorial Stadium (Kernels). It was a little pricey and there was a moderate amount of exposure. It seemed that the showcase was surrounded around two teams only though. Two teams from Canada joined the individual player showcase and it seemed all the college coaches only watched while they were on the field. I did a decent job there but would have liked to not have the favoritism. Overall a good showcase and a 3 1/2 of 5.

The Baseball Factory showcase I attended was in June of 2009. It was part of the Under Armour National team and there were 8 teams contending. You had to try out at a baseball factory tryout and the cost for playing was extremely high. I competed in Omaha, Nebraska for a week and stayed at Iowa Westland College. My teammates are guys I will never forget as well as my two coaches =). We got to go to game 1 and 2 of the College World Series watching Texas play LSU. What an experience! The whole showcase portion of the week was games you played against the other teams. I had great at bats with an error in 6 games. Overall it was worth the money just wish that each player had a video made from the week (highlight video) for the amount we had to pay. Exposure wasn't as strong as I thought it be! A strong 4 out of 5.

Formally known as TPX Top 96 now known as DeMarini Top 96 is a one or two day showcase depending on where you go. I attended three of them. Twice in Elgin, Illinois and one in Indianapolis, Indiana. Exposure was high from D1 to Junior College and everything in between. A lot of standing around but a lot of hands on learning from the coaching staffs. I have taken numerous drills and applied them to my work ethic from the camps. I ordered a video and was very disappointing. The quality of the video was horrendous and included a couple foul balls that I hit in the B.P. session. I would highly recommend their camps to mid level to sub par high school players looking to go to a small school. Overall a solid 3 out of 5.

The Babe Ruth World Series hosted by All Star Baseball Academy is held in Newark, Ohio in July every year. There camps focus on bring prospects to the eyes of east coast schools. Again from D1 to NAIA to Juco coaches are in attendance. We played 3 games and had a B.P. ground ball routine like every showcase. The most favoritism in any showcase I have ever been to. The team coaches are the summer league coaches of some of the players. You can tell who was part of the "family" and who wasn't. I really stuck out at the showcase with a bomb, 6rbi's, and 4-6 at the plate. Still I didn't feel the love from the regulars through out the academy. It was a fun experience and well organized! Got to hear Coach Polk from UAB speak and that was awesome! I rank this a 2 out of 5.

Past Time Elite Tournaments I attend in Xenia, Ohio my freshman year. As a young guy and my first showcase I was opened to an all new world. Playing along side some all-stater's and a 6'8'' lefty that had two Tommy Johns, I was intimidated. There were a decent amount of coaches and some I ended up getting offers from my senior year. It was well organized, nice facilities, pitcher dominated, but not enough at bats. The b.p session needed to be longer and the past time employees were rude. Overall 1 1/2 out of 5.

Individual college camps are iffy because some are just looking for your money. Try to choose ones that have multiple coaches in attendance. Coast to Coast Baseball I have never attended but a friend of mine went to Puerto Rico. He said minimal exposure but solid competition. A 3 out of 5. Silver Spikes I am not very familiar with but have received emails from them. Nice staff and seems to be legit.

Remember only spend your money on the camps if you are serious about the game and have a true drive to play in college!!!

Going Deep,

Alan

My College Choice

2010-05-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

All through out my high school career I drembt of going to school where it's warm. I lived in Arizona for a couple years of my life and always could preform at my max! Moving back to the Midwest kind of takes its toll on you. Spring and Summer are really all you have. A little in the fall but winter is outrageous. Nothing but lifting and taking bp in the cages. Its not all that bad though! I had about ten offers to colleges scattered around the Midwest stretching south but when the Reinhardt offer came up I couldn't say no. I visited and the coaches were amazing. Really knew their stuff. The guys on the team were ridiculously welcoming. My senior year has had its ups and downs but this summer will be intense. Nothing but baseball and weights all summer long until I move into my dorm! I'd like to thank Coach Popp and Ihlenburg for the opportunity to play as an Eagle.

Going Deep,

Alan

Welcome to blogging!

2010-05-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

I never have been the kind of guy to "blog". I have a facebook and a twitter, and when I was younger I had a myspace. Now after hearing all the positives about "Blogger" I was all for it. A little about myself I play baseball, I am playing next year in college (Reinhardt University). I am your typical high school senior jock. I wear my Hollister shirts with my baseball Oakleys. Don't judge =p. In all serious though I am all about the game of baseball! Most of my blogs will be related to baseball but every once and a while I will stray away. You can follow me on twitter as well as facebook. If anyone has any questions feel free to send me a shout out and Ill respond.

Going Deep,

Alan

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