TexBall Baseball & Softball Notes

Donnie Watson wants to save baseball's youth

2009-05-22T14:38:00.002-05:00

I just read this open letter to baseball parents, and then called Donnie Watson to learn more.

Holy crap. I have been part and parcel of a system that's killing careers, often before they even blossom.

I'm reprinting it here. Share this with someone you know or care about in baseball or softball.

An Open Letter to Baseball Parents...
You're a baseball parent, so I know this will be of interest to you, and the timing is crucial so please take a moment to read this message. If you don't have the time, bookmark this page-- come back to it later - it's that important.

Dear Baseball Parent,

My name is Donnie Watson. Because of a surge of interest from clients and staff I will be working in DFW this summer and coaching an 18U team. My passion is working with kids and involving their parents and coaches in the process of questioning and overcoming the traditional methods used to develop athletes in our sport.

Why this is important
Having experienced every level of baseball's evolution in Texas since the early 70's, I have an information set that will cause you to rethink the traditional choices available to teach and develop your baseball playing athlete.

There's a lot of info, and it is next to impossible to keep it short and sweet, but I'll try to keep it simple.

Simply put, baseball is broken, and the environment encountered by many of today's young athletes is full of information, people and issues that not only inhibit athletic development but also make it more difficult for these athletes to develop as leaders on and off the field.

Some of these issues include:

1. Misinformation about effective and safe pitching/throwing mechanics based on years of unchallenged theory and opinion
2. Dramatic increases in the number of avoidable arm, shoulder and lower back injuries as a direct result of improper mechanics, overuse and a lack of functional strength
3. Unhealthy competition environments where the result of the game becomes more important than how the game is played and where leadership examples set on the field and in the stands stand in stark contrast to the ideals we hope our young athletes copy
4. Missed opportunities to teach life lessons about nutrition, in the context of athletic development, where young athletes will find the information relevant to their performance
5. Cavalier attempts to address and eradicate the use of steroids and the just as frightening and important: the misuse of legal nutritional supplements in all sports
6. The lack of strength and flexibility to support the specific useable strength requirements of the overhead/rotational sport athlete, the workload cycles pitchers and position players incur throughout the year and the general disregard and disconnect the traditional power-based programs have shown to accept any responsibility for their part in the injury/surgery epidemic in our sport
7. General confusion about the recruiting process and how to compete for college scholarships and/or professional money.

I bet you didn't know how broken things could be, but you're a parent so I'm guessing you suspected something was wrong with the very systems we've relied on, and trusted.

Confusing Activity with Progress
You spend a lot of money and I know the outcome you hope to orchestrate. But for all the games we log each year in high school, summer and fall, not to mention all the lessons, camps and clinics we attend in the course of a year, I have yet to find a baseball player of any age that can tell me:

Based on science, the mechanics of a safe and efficient throwing delivery,
1. The functional strength requirements to duplicate a repetitive motion without getting hurt,
2. The nutritional factors needed to ensure optimal performance during a year of prepare, compete and repair cycles and,
3. The mental/emotional competencies he must master as the pool of talent and strategic execution improves to stay competitive.

It sounds like a lot to learn, but taken step-by-step, the boys that embrace it are the ones that stay healthy and surge ahead of their peers. As a parent you need to know these answers too.

Just for this summer, I want you to join me in the health and performance debate! We develop leaders on and off the field and build better baseball players because they want to take responsibility for their own development.

The Bottom Line?
The most important period of your son's performance cycle is about to begin.

90% of skill development happens from the last day of his spring season until the first day of the next spring. I will be doing a couple of Performance Symposium classes in the next couple weeks, at the Ben Hogan Center in Fort Worth, Texas and at the Top Prospects Academy (TPA) in Euless, Texas, to explain the information and format. I want to personally invite you and your son to attend.

I also want to speak with you directly to explain how the big picture relates to you, your athlete, his pursuit of high-performance and the attention that comes with it. Please reply directly to this email with the best time and telephone number to reach you.

You can also call me anytime @ 214.704.8017 if you want to chat sooner.

Thanks,

Donnie Watson
The Complete Athlete

P.S. If you haven't already signed up to receive our new free eNews (formerly a Members-only service) simply click here to send an email to our system or fill in the form here. We never share emails or info with any outsiders. Period.

Phone: 214.704.8017
Website: www.complete-athlete.com
Email: donnie@complete-athlete.com

The 10 Training Guidelines for Athletes Who Participate in Throwing Activities

2009-05-07T14:12:00.005-05:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an excerpt from the Complete Athlete's Members-Only eNewsletter. This list is considered by many to be the commandments for throwers to help pitchers and position players train more effectively while avoiding injury.

To subscribe to the free version of their eNews, click here.

The 10 Training Guidelines for Athletes Who Participate in Throwing Activities

1. Static stretching can artificially stretch the tendons and ligaments, which is counterproductive for a thrower. Avoid static stretching before the core temperature is elevated. Dynamic flexibility and range-of-motion movements (think Dynamic Warm Up) are more movement friendly and effective. You must think “flex” the muscle instead of “stretch” the muscle in a Warm Up to Loosen Up to Throw sequence when preparing the body for practice and competition.

2. Training while standing on either or both feet on a stable surface must be complemented with training on an unstable surface. Train on stable and unstable surfaces. This is more important for pitchers. A baseball/softball pitcher or throwing athlete is not on both feet at the same time during a delivery. For baseball pitchers that work down a slope (that is rarely uniform from one mound to another) and not on flat ground maintaining balance and posture on unstable surfaces during development training must be incorporated into a daily activity.

3. Absolute strength, developed in the weight room, doesn’t necessarily translate to useable strength on the mound or on the ball field. Being able to bench press 250 pounds doesn’t mean that you will be able to throw 95mph.
Remember: Absolute strength is not the answer and absolute strength training must be sport specific and relative to developing the skills needed to compliment competitive performance and injury prevention.

4. It is dangerous to quickly lift heavy weights. Heavy weight moved quickly (as in power lifting) may be good for muscles, but is definitely bad for the body’s joints. Throwing is already a joint-stressing activity. Heavy lifting without regard to muscular symmetry and joint integrity is especially inappropriate for throwers.

5. Don’t equate power-lifting strength with throwing strength. Power lifting is linear and not specific to throwing. Throwing is a powerful movement, but not, by strict definition a power movement. Throwing is the summation of linear and rotational forces delivered into a softball/baseball. Throwing/pitching is more a function of timing (i.e. the sequential order of unlocking angles) than a function of time.

6. Train for flexibility. Strength without flexibility is useless to a thrower.

7. Train the small muscles first. Throwers are only as strong as their weakest link. In the sequential muscle loading and translation of energy through the kinetic chain- from the feet to the fingertips, synergists and secondary muscle groups have the priority over prime movers.

8. You will never throw harder than your genetic predisposition. The type and percent composition of muscle tissue (slow twitch/red muscle fiber vs. fast twitch/ white muscle fiber) is genetically determined. Research has shown, however, that you can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of what muscle tissue you have by properly overloading and under loading resistance training. This type of weight work can help a thrower increase the capacity of their genetically determined maximum velocity.

9. Support your throwing strength efforts with stamina training. To perform at the maximum level of your potential, you must engage in stamina training, as well as resistance training. Stamina work requires a balance between aerobic activity for delivery system efficiency and anaerobic activity for enhanced lung capacity.

10. Ensure that the integrated-training modalities in which you engage are cross-specific to the biomechanics of an efficient delivery to create usable strength, not absolute strength. The natural pathway programming of movement efficiency works best when resistance-training protocols properly address the composition of muscle mass by finding a balance between bulk, lean, and fat. Too much bulk precludes flexibility, too much lean exacerbates joint trauma and micro-tears and slows down recovery time, and too much fat impedes neurological efficiency and energy translation (nerves don’t work
in fat).

Training a thrower requires a paradigm shift from the traditional approaches used to conditioning an athlete. You need to integrate the prepare, compete, and repair cycles of softball/baseball with traditional volume, load, frequency, intensity, and duration training variables. In addition, this on-the-field and in-the-gym training must be done in three positions (circle, figure 8, upright) with three movements (linear, circular, angular) and in three torso planes (sagittal, transverse, frontal) using isometric, concentric, and eccentric resistance in a closed-chain/ open chain sequence. Protocols should integrate cross- specific flexibility work, body work, joint-integrity work, machine work, and free-weight work for useable strength and endurance, and be complemented with enough cardiopulmonary work to develop an efficient stamina base to support the prepare, compete, repair cycles.

With regard to a stamina base, it should be noted that softball/baseball (like most sporting activities) requires both anaerobic and aerobic production of energy.

To hear a quick summary of these thrower's rules click on the audio button below.

Texas UIL Suspends Schedules Due to Swine Flu

2009-04-29T13:31:00.004-05:00

UIL Schedules Altered Due to Swine Flu

AUSTIN, TX— On the recommendation of Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, and in consultation with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott, the University Interscholastic League is altering its schedule of events due to the outbreak of the swine flu in Texas. Effective immediately, all UIL interscholastic competition is suspended until May 11.

“The health and safety of our student activity participants is of the utmost importance,” said UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt. “Taking every possible precaution to prevent the further spreading of this disease is an important contribution to the welfare of our great state, and altering the schedule of our events is a way to keep our participants safe.”

Ave in action

2009-04-27T14:47:00.003-05:00

The "Unthinkable" Happens to Nick Adenhart

2009-04-09T11:21:00.005-05:00

The saddest, most heart-breaking event we can ever witness, is the abrupt and accidental end of a life full of promise.

Nick Adenhart, 22, one of MLB's hotter prospects making his way up the rotation ladder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, died last night in a traffic accident. Wrong place, wrong time, car accident where another dirver is alleged to have run a red light and attempted to flee on foot.

He had pitched 6 innings of shutout baseball vs. the Oakland A's, showing the confidence others said he lacked, commanding hitters' respect and limiting them to 7 scattered hits. No runs, 5 k's. A 22 year old prospect showing tremendous poise and inching that much closer to cementing his place amongst the day-to-day starters for the Angels.

He was making the best of an opportunity.

Having "flown through the minors" according to former GM and Xm Radio host, Jim Duquette, Adenhart was growing, fighting through the many setbacks baseball offers up to its youth, and winning the battle. Last night was proof positive. A shame he didn't get the win, but the same batters he disabled through six innings surged vs his relievers and ultimately won the game.
He was labeled as a "great kid," a smart player with a great head for the game," and a "mature personality."

As a dad of a young pitcher, I feel the pain of this loss directly. I know the hours spent, the support and love offered in assisting a boy in navigating the world of baseball. I experience each day, the agony, nerves and sheer pleasure of seeing my son ply his trade in hopes of realizing his goals. As with all my kids, I want him to have a fair shot, I want him to be safe, I want the world to welcome him and share in his glories. I want people to say the things about my son Avery, that they said about Nick.

If all this ended suddenly, I know life would go on, but it would change forever.

Such is the situation in LA, amongst Nick's teammates, in Hagerstown for his mom and dad Janet and Jim, for his friends and for those of us who love this great game. We'll try to put it in perspective, but it doesn't make sense on many levels, and it never will. The sadness can be overwhelming.

If you have a kiddo in the game, hug him (or her) today and share your pride with others.

Appreciate the moments you do have together, and think of Nick Adenhart's family, friends, fans and teammates. They're in a world of hurt today because someone they helped succeed, who gave back in effort energy and spirit, is now gone. For what Ray Ratto today called "no good reason."

Complete Athlete & Deion Sanders team up

2009-03-24T14:12:00.006-05:00

I just received this release. Seems that Jen Wells and Donnie Watson are taking their company, Complete Athlete, to a bigger audience with a new partnership with Deion Sanders' PrimeTimePlayer.

Here's the release:

Complete Athlete Launches Performance Program with PrimeTimePlayer

March 25, 2009 -- Dallas / Fort Worth, TX

In an agreement reached this week, the Complete Athlete (CA) will partner with PrimeTimePlayer (PTP) to provide high-level baseball and softball instruction and performance analysis for athletes across North Texas. The partnership, a first in the D/FW area, will provide a range of services including pitchers' prep programs, performance symposiums, high-speed motion analysis and recruiting preparation seminars & services starting in May 2009 for players aged 12-25 in both sports.

"We are truly excited about working with (NFL Network analyst, eight-time Pro Bowler and MLB player) Deion Sanders and his PTP staff to deliver pain-free performance, said Donnie Watson, co-founder of the Complete Athlete. "In our work with Dr. James Andrews, it's always been our mission to teach and train to avoid the surgeries and injuries becoming epidemic in baseball and softball. This partnership helps us reach more athletes more quickly, and to work with coaches, trainers and professionals to help players excel."

The Complete Athlete (CA) was founded by former NCAA Division 1 coaches Donnie Watson and Jenifer Wells (a 3-time All-American and national champion team softball player), in conjunction with The Andrews Institute, of Birmingham, AL and Gulf Breeze, FL. CA is dedicated to providing a proprietary blend of education, instruction and analysis to baseball and softball pitchers and position players to better enable them to avoid injury and reach their performance potential as they pursue college and professional team roster spots.

According to Watson, the partnership will reach from Frisco to Fort Worth, utilizing PTP facilities and venues to give more baseball and softball athletes access to the tools for gaining higher visibility with college-level coaches and professional scouts for "all the right reasons." Recruiters will know that each of these athletes completes the program with a full understanding of their physical and emotional capabilities along with the tools to present a dossier that outlines their achievements, capabilities and assessment results.

"We'll show the players the correct path, help them take ownership of the process, and work to make them the best they can be without sacrificing their health or attitude," adds Wells.

Athletes, parents and coaches seeking information on CA/PTP events may call Donnie Watson at 214.704.8017.

PrimeTimePlayer is the brainchild of business partners DL Wallace, and former NFL and MLB star Deion Sanders. Alongside Sanders' highly-rated televised football training, Prime U, PTP develops student athletes on many levels, preparing them for college and professional-level play and showcases their talents via player training, combines, clinics, showcases and PrimeTimePlayer Pages; printed directories distributed to college-level recruiters.

Pain Free Performance w/ the Complete Athlete

2009-03-03T15:12:00.019-06:00

Every once in a blue moon somebody rises above all the new trends, techniques and gizmos routinely introduced to improve the great game.

And, when they do, baseball people take note from the sandlots up into MLB. Slowly of course, because baseball is a game steeped in tradition -- passed from father to son -- and it doesn't take kindly to newbies messing with the the status quo.

A little background here.

Injuries to pitchers and now position players are approaching epidemic numbers. In fact in the last five of a ten-year study, surgeries climbed to 6X the levels of the 1st five years for high school players. Colleges went up 3X, Pros 2X. So clearly, the patterns of overuse, poor and wrong conditioning, and coaching the wrong mechanics are failing our youth players.

Some would argue that numbers have gone up because more people are pushing surgery as an option. And others have blamed the singular approach to sports common today as more and more players become 1-sport specialists early on. Add up both of those factors, and it still doesn't equate to the horrendous number of orthopedic episodes occurring daily. And the study only tracked players who went in for surgery, not those that quit playing or switched sports.

Enter the Complete Athlete
Brainchild of 3-time softball All American Jenifer Wells, and 16-yr D1 Assistant and Head Coach Donnie Watson, this emerging company is tackling the issues in a four-pronged approach to pain free performance. And it's doing it with the blessing of the nation's best sports surgeon.

About a year ago, according to Donnie, he received a call from Dr. James Andrews (yes, that Dr Andrews) in response to a letter he'd written asking just how to educate coaches, trainers and players on methods to break the cycle of injury/repair/injury so may athletes were enduring in ever-shortened careers.

"I kept seeing my trainer taking my players through football lifting drills to develop pretty muscles with no bearing in baseball. says Watson, "And I kept seeing a cycle of short rest, poor mechanics, and lousy nutrition making pitchers weaker and weaker until season-ending injuries culled them from the rosters."

So Watson and Andrews met in Birmingham, and crafted a plan to bring thousands of coaches and trainers "to the table" so the message could be heard. The change was afoot, although no small challenge given the sport's tendency to "push back" when new systems (especially medical or science-driven ones) were being introduced.

Through nearly a year of grassroots effort in Birmingham, Gulfbreeze FL (where Andrews has a 2nd institute) and Dallas/Fort Worth, Watson and Wells are making headway.

Two new affiliations, with baseball academy TPA in Euless, Texas, and with the upcoming PrimeTimePlayer (Deion Sanders is a partner) facility in Frisco, Texas are launching a series of teaching symposiums, pitcher-prep programs, motion analyses (they have a mobile M/A lab), nutritional assessments and mental/emotional analyses through summer projected to teach upwards of 150 players (and parents) through the systems with the end goal of making them all self-sufficient. TPA's Stix Baseball program is even making Complete Athlete's patented Dynamic Warmup® mandatory for their summer teams.

They'll also continue to grow the ranks of certified faculty-level and coaching-level instructors to grow the program.

"We know, there's only so much of us to go around," says Wells. "But it was never about us, we're facilitating change in softball and baseball by duplicating ourselves over and over again."

Add to the mix the interest and demand for their service that parents are fostering. Shouldn't be surprising that the people helping Johnny and Suzy play in select leagues, player showcases and booster-driven school programs are very interested in their sons and daughters remaining healthy in their pursuit of the dream. And they're a vocal lot, sharing information, symposium materials and upcoming dates with the coaches.

"They have a bigger responsibility to their kids than anyone else, and they're pushing to be heard." adds Watson.

There is no question this company has all the potential to grow, and become a leader in baseball and softball (the girls are getting hurt just as often or more) development. The combination of science, passion, personality, and business-sense pretty much guarantees they'll succeed. Add to that the skins Donnie and Jenifer have in their respective sports as players, coaches, recruiters and teachers and the barriers should fall sooner than later.

The only question is will the sport listen and learn from years of mistakes. And then take action.

For more information on the Complete Athlete, go to www.complete-athlete.com, or email Donnie Watson at donnie@complete-athlete.com

Watch this space for more as their "season" continues...

Lamenting the loss of the 'Lifer.'

2009-01-15T12:09:00.004-06:00

Having watched this year's über-hot hot stove churn and burn, and seeing what Charlie Steiner aptly called the weirdest January ever ($Quote: "Aren't we supposed to be resting?") we're again reminded about the sad state of player portability.

Likely forever gone, the era when players were the franchise, dedicated to and emblimatic of a team's ups and downs. Now, they move freely from team to team without being tagged as "journeymen." In fact, despite the comforts of "staying home," it takes a bigger effort, and financial sacrifice to stay in one city. As Jeff Bagwell said "You can always find a higher bidder. But there are a lot of good things that come with being at home. Your family is in one place, the fans know you and love you. It makes everything easier."

A great overview of this trend can be found in a recent article at mlb.com, where author Alyson Footer points out that Reality is another word for the business side of baseball, and in reality, it's not always the player's intention to stick with one team for the duration. They're pulled in all directions, absorbing pressure from either their agents, the Players Association or families, and sometimes, all three. Only a special few have resisted the outside elements.

Being in the heart of Rangers country, we've seen so much transition it has become a running joke: the Texas Rangers are simply a high-dollar farm team for all successful mlb teams. We bring them up, pay them handsomely, set them up for real success and promptly trade them away.

Or find a way to insult their pride and loyalty, i.e. Michael Young.

To read more, we suggest you take a stroll through these related blogs and articles.
The Baseball Think Factory
Inform
St. Petersburg Times

My son Avery Sullivan, has a remarkably keen sense of the game and knowledge of the players. It's not due to studying incoming teams and knowing who belongs to whom, however. His smarts come from hours playing various baseball video games and building his dream teams in a PlayStation. He notes movement amongst players by comparing and contrasting his efforts from year to year as he upgrades the game.

Perhaps the only remedy we'll see to this springs from the newly harsh economic climate. As teams get squeezed w/ reduced attendance and product sales, there may be less heat in the hot stove, and an inclination amongst players, agents and teams to embrace fan loyalty, and work harder to keep a nucleus together for the survival of all parties.

2008-12-20T10:30:00.001-06:00

Getting new blog up on GuruTrack this weekend. Still need nominations for favorite Gurus. Go to htp://gurutrack.com to contribute.

2008-12-12T10:19:00.001-06:00

Okay, pinging this a.m. If you love words, you really need to see Roy Blount's new book, Alphabet Juice http://ping.fm/eysEY

XM or Mir?

2008-11-17T10:42:00.005-06:00

Did Ed Randall sound like he'd been handed control as all others abandoned ship?

Nice guy, and absolutely no business hosting the morning drive. No alternatives though as Buck Martinez "vacationed" and Mark Patrick paddled safely to shore.

ED NOTE: If you have not been following our rants on the shake-ups at XM Radio's Homeplate (XM 175) see our more recent posts, and go to XMFan.com to learn more.

So the satellite is out of proper orbit and heading back to the level of local broadcast. Mel Karmazin is at the helm along w/ Sirius Commonauts Scott Greenstein, Steve Cohen and Chuck Dickemann, and one can only hope at present they're too busy fiddling with dials and buttons to notice that they're reaching critical heat in re-entry.

And on their way to splashdown in (hungry) shark-infested waters.

And now, it's back to Radio Paradise.

What does my XM radio say @ 8:01 a.m. cst?

2008-11-13T15:55:00.002-06:00

What does my XM Radio now say @ 8:01 a.m. cst each weekday morning?

"Click."

The last shows w/ Mark Patrick are airing on BBTM and I find myself getting up earlier to hear what's left in the tank. I am not excited about the prospect of listening to a Buck-only or substitute co-host on this program. This isn't just "switching Dicks" (Darren Stevens couldn't be reached for comment), it's ripping the heart and soul out of a three-and-one-half-year-old morning companion. Started the day right, got a replay in case you weren't having an early day, and learned something more about the great game. Ground-breaking stuff.

I genuinely fear this management snafu will cause me to cancel the service altogether. The music side has been seriously (or Sirius-ly) screwed with and about 100 really talented people picked up their severance checks today. Makes my time w/ Radio Paradise now all the more precious.

So they send the satellite back to Earth w/ local-broadcast mentality, shock jocks, listener calls and limited playlists.

And my finger responds accordingly.

Click.

More heads roll at XM 175

2008-11-12T12:24:00.007-06:00

Well, they're being quietly circumspect at XM, leaving it to on-air hosts to reveal that they've been axed.

As we mentioned last week, morning glue and co-host of BBTM, Mark Patrick, was emailed (not spoken to, cause gosh that might indicate respect for carrying the mornings for 3.5 years) and told his contract would not be renewed.

And now, Chuck Wilson just announced his departure (as in "This is my last show") from the second morning offering. Evidently he was acting as Jim Duquette's training wheels until such time as they felt comfortable JD wouldn't be a total bust. He'll still bust because brilliant baseball mind does not translate to entertaining radio persona.

We're still waiting for the other heads to roll on XM 175 (as they have across the satellite battlefield as a new channel lineup plays out -- ugh), but it is strangely quite during some periods as several of the regulars are MIA.

A great recipe for success: take what makes satellite radio so cool, and bring it down to the level of regular broadcast radio. Not sure what you think, but they're crafting a mix of programs that seem to resemble all the crap I fled three years ago.

For the sake of the great game, hopefully many of the good guys will land on the upcoming MLB Network so they can continue to delight fans of all ages.

Smarter pitching analysis and instruction

2008-11-10T15:47:00.003-06:00

Just read thru massive amounts of info today on Dr. Mike Marshall after hearing again on XM.

While I agree w/ the motion and simplicity of the movements, often times there's too much "noise in the communication" i.e. biomechanical ad infinitum instead of clear, concise explanation everyone can embrace.

More on Dr. Marshall soon, but if you have an ongoing interest in pitching mechanics, we'd strongly suggest you visit Kyle Boddy's Driveline Mechanics to really scour the topic.

XM Shaking up the Lineup

2008-11-05T10:28:00.007-06:00

Just heard that XM Radio is shaking up the bedrock of it's daily feed on its MLB Homeplate ( XM175) channel.

Mark Patrick, the morning co-host (along w/ Buck Martinez) will not see his contract renewed for 2009.

While coming as a shock (although the Sirius merger is already cutting into many talent pools at XM's music offerings) it also shows us how little regard for real talent the new management has.

Armed w/ axes, but not much of a clue are the unholy trinity of Scott Greenstein, Steve Cohen and Chuck Dickemann. Together they've taken the hub of a hot wheel and cast it aside for a bunch of spokes that bring nothing unique (outside of Martinez, Charlie Steiner, Rob Dibble or Joe Castallano) to the programming. It's nothing more than sports talk masquerading as baseball talk w/ inane caller segments and "expert" commentary.

Yawn. Sports talk without any chemistry.

The magic of guys like Mark Patrick is that they know when to turn it on and off -- when to simply report and/or let the story tell itself and when to jump in and direct the action like a great sports bar buddy. If you've ever listened to the channel you hear how Patrick's style and energy shapes the proceedings. Listen in when he's out (likely spending time w/ Stanford phenom/son Drew Storen) and you hear a void. Even Martinez, w/ all his style and extraordinary know-how can't carry the show solo.

It's a team, and it feels like we've just been handed a note about next season being a rebuilding year.

I for one, am canceling my season tickets.

If you feel likewise, email these guys (see links above) an let them know what a knuckleheaded move this is.

Cross Country Express: Catching up with Monte Vista coach Mike Davis...

2008-10-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

Cross Country Express: Catching up with Monte Vista coach Mike Davis...

D1 Recruiting -- A Great Parents' Guide

2006-01-20T11:42:00.000-06:00

Editors Note: We heard Mark Patrick on MLB Home Plate mention the abundant info available on PerfectGame.org and thought we'd take a look. We found plenty and you will too. Here's an excerpt from an article by Blaine Clemmons on the ins and outs of D1 college recruiting. Good stuff.

Crack of the Bat
By Blaine Clemmens

About Scholarships and Recruiting!

At the end of the year, there are always many players that are wishing they had received an opportunity to sign with a D1 program in the early signing period. Many of those players are very talented, sometimes among the best players in their local area or region. It can often be hard for the parents and the players themselves to understand why an opportunity has not come yet.

Most parents and players only go through the process once in their lives. They don't have the experience or background to understand the process, methods, and reasons college coaches sign certain players in the early period and not others. Further confusing things for the parents in particular is their ability to understand the scholarship situation.

While many of the players that sign in the early period (this year it was Nov. 7-11) are offered and sign for significant athletic scholarships (I would say that anything 50% and above is a large scholarship offer), there aren't nearly as many "full rides" as parents are led believe. I can't tell you how many times I am at games around parents talking about an offer that Johnny received or an offer that Joey committed to. There is so much second hand information being passed around and frankly, a lot of fibbing too.

Anyway, most of the parents and players have very, very little knowledge about how the whole recruiting process, and in particular, very little knowledge about how scholarships work for baseball at the D1 more about recruiting

Hall of Shame?

2006-01-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

Not to suggest that the Baseball Hall of Fame is in any way responsible for the outcome of yesterday's vote tally and subsequent announcement, but electing but one candidate in a pool of fine choices is a travesty.

Ring Lardner perhaps put it best on his induction in 1963, "Nothing on Earth is more depressing than an old baseball writer."

Not unlike the perennial debate around college football's BCS system, the ongoing neglect of deserving candidates plays havoc with fans, writers, broadcasters and players both active and former... Point of fact, players who should receive their props, often don't, and those elected to the hall often wait way too long.

Arguments abound as to why the Baseball Writers can't seem to get their collective act together, as to why is it a canidate may become more attractive on his 13th year of eligibility (see Bruce Souter) than when he was first in the running. And equally contentious is the notion that voting is limited to baseball writers having plied their trade for over 10 years. What about the broadcasters? Why do HOF members vote on just the veterans committee -- and why not EVERY year? AND... how is it the voting membership allows BBWAA members to no-show, sending in blank ballots or no votes at all?

Rather than refine the quality of HOF membership, the mayhem that visits us each year following weeks of the "talking sport's" jawing about who's who leading up to the announcement is the equivalent of watching the Hindeburg go down -- again and again and again. We watch, we marvel at its grandiose design, and we reel in horror as it falls to the ground in flames.

I'm sick of the show. Pro football revised its voting process a few years back, and now it's baseball's turn. Open it up to qualified broadcasters, include alum players in a prorata vote, and ban those writers (the gang of 12 for 2006) who jimmy the system with their blank ballots or complete no-shows.

We've been listening intently on baseball's newest star, XM Radio, and reading on their online boards, but many more opinions are available out there. To see all the latest updates and news on this hot topic, click here.

Upton Signs w/ D-Backs For Record Bonus

2006-01-09T17:11:00.000-06:00

The Diamondbacks confirmed the rumors Friday, announcing that they had signed the 2005 draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Virginia prep star Justin Upton.

Upton and the Diamondbacks finalized a deal that includes the largest signing bonus for a player signing with the team that drafted him. The Associated Press reported the bonus at $6.1 million payable over five years, a proviso used for players who have the ability to be a professional in two sports.

Upton's advisor Larry Reynolds on Friday that termed reports would only say the bonus was “in (the $6 million) range . . . It's going to be pretty strong."

The previous record bonus was $5.3 million the White Sox paid Stanford outfielder Joe Borchard, the first pick in the 2000 draft. Matt White signed for a $10.2 million bonus as an amateur free agent in 1996 with the Devil Rays, which remains the all-time bonus record.

Upton was the consensus top player available in the 2005 draft. He was Baseball America's 2005 High School Player of the Year after batting .519-11-32 in 54 at-bats as a senior at Great Bridge High in Chesapeake, Va., homering every 4.9 at-bats.

He was expected to fly Monday to Arizona, where the contract will be finalized after he takes a physical and attends a press conference to make an official announcement.

"We still have a couple of minor deals to make it final, we've agreed in principle to terms, but we're not 100 percent done," Reynolds said Friday. "But we've agreed on numbers and stuff.

"They have a new regime over there and (Diamondbacks general manager) Josh Byrnes came in and, frankly, did a good job."

The Diamondbacks' original offer to Upton following the draft included a more on Upton.

BA's 2005 Youth Player of the Year

2006-01-09T16:58:00.000-06:00

There's a lot that goes into being one of the best youth baseball players in the country, and Robert Stock has the market cornered on practically every criterion.

The 6-foot, 180-pound 15-year-old was tossing 90 mph fastballs by the time he was 14 and has been known to connect on 400-foot home runs, using a wood bat. He also has the intangibles, the moxie, the mental edge, as well. Just ask his teammates, who have seen Stock's competitiveness on the field and off it.

"We're pretty serious when it comes to poker," said Stock, who began participating in games as a freshman when some of his Agoura (Calif.) High senior teammates invited him to join in. "I wear glasses and a hat and try and stay as stone-faced as I can."

Whether he's leaning on pocket kings or his lightning-quick arm, Stock has spent much of his amateur career winning. He was named Baseball America's best 13-year-old in 2003, best 14-year-old in 2004 and this year's best 15-year-old in our annual Baseball For the Ages feature. He also is being recognized as BA’s 2005 Youth Player of the Year, the first time a high school underclassman has won the honor.

Impressive Resume

The precocious Stock possesses outstanding skills as a catcher and pitcher. His arm strength is his most outstanding tool, as he hit 94 mph this summer and one scout clocked him at 95 on a couple of pitches this fall in a scout league game. He racked up 29 strikeouts in 20 innings as Agoura's closer as a sophomore last spring, and later turned heads at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, touching 92 mph while dealing against some of the top players in the High School Class of 2006, despite being more than a year younger than most of them.

Stock, who turns 16 on Nov. 21, also shows impressive raw power from the left side of the plate, and his arm strength plays well behind the plate, where he has the potential to be a sound defensive catcher. He hit .404-8-29 in the heart of Agoura's lineup and scouts have long loved his potential and proven track record of performance.

"It might be a 50-50 split with scouts in Southern California which way we like him," one area scout said. "I asked him what he liked most about hitting or pitching and he just sad, 'I just love to dominate, whether it be hitting or pitching.' And that's what he does, he just dominates games."

Stock solidified his spot as BA's top youth player with another sensational summer, spent playing against older and more experienced competition.

At the age of 14 last summer, Stock became the youngest player ever to make Team USA's youth national team, which finished second in a qualifying tournament in Mexico. He was the second-youngest player of the roster—yet the team’s No. 1 pitcher.

He was on the team again for the World Youth Championship this summer, and again the Americans drew Cuba in the championship game. Stock, who struck out 15 against the Netherlands earlier in the tournament, eagerly awaited the opportunity.

"The whole year I was looking forward to and practicing for that game," Stock said. "To bring back the gold medal and have a chance to pitch in that game was all I could think about."

Stock was sharp early on, racking up eight strikeouts in four innings before a three-hour rain delay prevented him from completing the game, which Cuba eventually won 5-0.

"Stock was incredible," USA Baseball's Jeff Singer said. "I really would have liked to see him try and close it out, because before it started raining he had dominant stuff."

Ace in the Hole

Stock follows in the footsteps of Delmon Young, Nick Adenhart and Cameron Maybin as BA's Youth Player of the Year, but he wins the award as a 15-year-old, after the others all picked up the award based on their performance and prospect status as rising seniors.

All three of BA's previous winners are off to promising starts as professionals, and while we'll have to wait a little longer to see how Stock fares in professional baseball, he has grown accustomed to looking ahead.

"At this point, I feel I'm more talented at pitching, but I have a better body and stature for catching," he said. "So down the road, who knows, but I'm ready for whatever's next."

As Stock continues to refine his skills, his attitude and perseverance figure to serve him well. And when it's not batting practice or pitching lessons, there's always poker to help him hone his game face. "Sixty dollars, that's the biggest pot I've won so far," he said with a smile.

The ante figures to be upped in due time.

Youth Players See Rise in Opportunities, Demands

2005-12-09T16:26:00.000-06:00

Ed Note: This is an excerpt from an article first seen in Baseball America, and merits repeating as it sheds new light on the increasing complexity of youth baseball in the States.

The anticipation was over, the decision made. Marcus Lemon announced his college choice: Texas.

A seemingly endless summer—one that saw Marcus; his father, former major leaguer Chet; his mother Gigi; and seven-year-old sister Brianna caravan across the country (and even Mexico) hitting all the top showcases and high-profile tournaments—was officially over.

The family sat in the den of their suburban Orlando home and reflected on the past eight months. Beginning in February, the Lemons mapped out a schedule for Marcus with one thing in mind--making a name for himself. Marcus' acceptance of the two-time defending College World Series champion's partial scholarship offer marked the successful completion of the family's goal.

It's time to celebrate, and Chet calls for a night out at Marcus' favorite restaurant. "Wherever you want to go, it's your night," bellows Chet in a voice laden with pride and satisfaction.

But before Marcus could make a suggestion, Gigi interjects, proposing a home-cooked meal. "After all that time on the road, you see, it's an adventure, for us, to be at home and spend an evening together," she says.

"Marcus just smiled and said, 'Spaghetti!' "

The Lemon's aren't unlike thousands of families across the country that recognize their son's ambition to play baseball beyond high school, and do everything in their power to help facilitate it. But with a big leaguer for a father, Marcus had an advantage over many of his peers. His dad had all the necessary insight and wherewithal, the insider's perspective on the best way to develop Marcus' skills while marketing those skills to colleges and major league organizations.

Times have changed dramatically in the world of youth baseball since Chet Lemon was an amateur player himself growing up in Los Angeles and was drafted in the first round of the 1972 draft by Oakland. His experience was entirely different from the way his son has pursued the same goal.

"It's a whole new ball game from what is used to be," Chet says. "Coming up as a teenager, we just never had an opportunity to come together with that many players from all over. There was no arena to allow us to do that as amateurs."

The arena--the sphere of competition and exposure--for today's amateurs has changed as drastically as the arenas in which those competitions are held. While the game's fundamentals remain much the same as they were 10, 20, even 50 years ago, how youth and high school-age players are developing the tools to perform those fundamentals have become profoundly complex.

Although the Lemons didn't write the manual on how to get their son signed by a major Division I college program, they came equipped with all the prerequisites. Parents have pushed the revolution in how today's teenage players chase their dream of playing beyond high school, doing—and spending--all they can to put their sons in position to accomplish that goal.

School-affiliated, summer and fall baseball schedules have evolved over the last two decades into rigorous tests of endurance.

Gone are the days of 12-15-game junior high and high school seasons, as well as an abbreviated summer schedule of American Legion games or some other form of local recreation league activity. For younger players, the options were equally limited. If their Little League or Babe Ruth team was eliminated from tournament competition, they often faced a summer of inactivity. There were no travel teams, no showcase events.

But since the late 1980s, when the specialization of training for individual sports began gaining popularity and powerful travel teams sanctioned by AAU and other national organizations sprung up, the culture of youth and high school baseball has taken on a new face.

High school baseball is less impacted by the rising popularity of youth baseball, but most high schools are playing significantly more games than a generation ago—where their state association allow it.

Throughout the Sun Belt, high school practices typically begin in February, and the schools that make a run deep into their state playoffs could still be playing beyond June 1. Not to be left in the cold of high school baseball's blizzard, programs well north of the Mason-Dixon Line are loading up their schedules with five-game, three-day tournaments and weekend doubleheaders.

Summer league seasons are even more intense, with top players choosing to participate with multiple teams, sometimes located in different states, to whet their appetite for competition.

"Whether it's showcases or regional travel ball, we're seeing the dynamic that has taken over baseball in last 10-15 years and it's much more of a national or regional competition," Indians scouting director John Mirabelli says. "There is just not any local or team connection to the community, now. And I don't know, is that good or bad."

These days, there are approximately 35,000 teams for players from 8 to 18 that play predominantly outside of the community the players come from. The number of those clubs has increased 300 percent since 1990, when roughly 9,000 travel teams existed.

Cooperstown Dreamspark, with a sprawling youth complex just outside Cooperstown, N.Y., embodies the popularity of youth baseball. It stages 11 weekly tournaments for 12-and-under players each summer, culminating with a National Tournament of Champions. The demand from teams all over the country to participate is so high that the number of teams each will will increase next year from 80 to 96.

Conversely, participation in American Legion baseball--once the gold standard for competitive, well-coached summer leagues and in its 80th year of existence--still has 5,500 teams, according to American Legion national program coordinator Jim Quinlan. American Legion is unlike most of the other 23 national organizations that conduct tournaments for teenage players in that it focuses on fostering community values and building teams of players from mostly the same geographic area. Generally, a Legion team can draw players from no more than four high schools.

Thousands of other travel teams that advance into the final stages of regional and national tournaments will play upwards of 70 games in their spring, summer and fall schedules, doing so with players who can distinguish their teammates at times only by a jersey number or position, rather than their first name.

Chet Lemon sees both sides, as he operates Florida's largest AAU chapter, is also the head coach at Eustis (Fla.) High and has his own travel league team, the Juice. "Marcus has averaged in the last four years probably 125 to 130 games per year,” Lemon says. “And that's probably on the modest side."

While most of the Juice players have embraced Chet's influence of playing with passion and respect, he acknowledges the challenge of getting a team of teenagers, already hungry for a shot at a big signing bonus or college scholarship, to play for the team instead of for themselves.

The Lemons’ summer featured a mixture of regional and national tournaments as well as appearances at national showcase events. Shortly after Marcus polished off his final exams, the family piled into read more here>

Little League Considers Pitch Count Cap

2005-12-06T14:12:00.000-06:00

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) - Alarmed by a sharp increase in youth pitching injuries, Little League is mulling a proposal that would limit the number of pitches a player can throw per week.

Little Leaguers are already limited to pitching six innings weekly - and have been since the 1940s - but there has never been any limit on the number of pitches they can throw.

With at least one study linking high pitch counts to an increased risk of shoulder and elbow injuries, league officials believe that reducing pitches thrown, regardless of innings pitched, could help lessen the strain on young arms.

"With the advent of kids playing more baseball in multiple programs, we've seen ... an increase in arm injuries as a result of what we feel is throwing too many pitches,'' Little League spokesman Lance Van Auken said Monday.

Under the proposal, players may throw a maximum of 75 to 105 pitches per day, depending on age. Rest requirements would vary with the number of pitches thrown: For example, a 12-year-old who threw more than 60 pitches in a day would require four days' rest, while one who threw only 40 pitches would need to take two days off.

The scorekeeper or other game official would record the official pitch count.

Coaches participating in a small pilot program last season said the rule change had succeeded in reducing pitch counts.

Initially skeptical because ``they want the best pitcher and they want him all the time,'' coaches came to embrace the rule change, said Don Goodman, who oversees 24 leagues in California.

"It reduced the wear and tear on the big stud,'' Goodman said, while resulting in more playing time for other pitchers on the staff.

Starting next season, any of the 7,400 chartered Little League programs worldwide may adopt the proposed rule change. Depending on feedback from the local leagues, the new regulation could be made permanent as early as 2007.

Buck Martinez is USA Baseball's New General

2005-12-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Dec. 5, 2005

Dallas, TX - USA Baseball announced today that Buck Martinez has been named the Field Manager for the United States team that will compete in the first ever World Baseball Classic in March, 2006. This will be Martinez's first managerial or coaching stint with USA Baseball.

"We are thrilled to have such a knowledgeable leader as Buck Martinez guiding our team into this exciting event next spring," said USA Baseball General Manager of Professional Baseball Operations Bob Watson. "His experience analyzing many of the Major League players that will be participating in the World Baseball Classic - both on the American roster and from the competing countries - should give him a great perspective."

Martinez managed the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001-02, but currently serves as analyst on ESPN's Wednesday night national telecasts of Major League Baseball. He previously worked for ESPN from 1992-2000, following a 17-year career as a Major League catcher. He also calls 60 games a season as analyst for the Baltimore Orioles on Comcast SportsNet.

For the past 10 years, Martinez has been involved in the Rookie Career Development Program, jointly sponsored by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. His radio experience as a color commentator for Telemedia Radio Network (1982-88) includes the World Series, the American League Championship Series and the All-Star Game. He has also served as post-game analyst for Telemedia's regular season Major League Baseball coverage.

During his Major League playing career, Martinez compiled a .225 career batting average with 58 home runs in 1,049 games with Toronto (1981-86), Milwaukee (1978-81) and Kansas City (1969-77).

USA Baseball also announced four members of its on-field coaching staff that will assist Manager Buck Martinez with the United States team competing in the first ever World Baseball Classic in March, 2006. The coaches include:

Davey Johnson: Serving on his third consecutive professional USA Baseball coaching staff, following a pair of stints as the Team USA manager at both the 2005 IBAF World Cup, and the 2005 CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Phoenix, AZ, where he led the Americans to a perfect 5-0 record. Johnson has a career record of 1,148-888 (.564) in 14 Major League seasons as a manager with the New York Mets (1984-90), Cincinnati Reds (1993-95), Baltimore Orioles (1996-97) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1999-2000). He was named the 1997 American League Manager of the Year after leading the Orioles to the A.L. East Division title. As a player, he collected three Gold Glove Awards and was a four-time All-Star second baseman over 13 seasons with the Orioles, Braves, Phillies, and Cubs.

Reggie Smith: Returns to USA Baseball for his third tour of duty. He was the hitting coach for both the 1999 USA Baseball Pan Am Team (Silver medal) in Winnipeg, Canada, and the 2000 USA Baseball Olympic Team (Gold medal) in Sydney, Australia. Smith played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues and was a seven-time All-Star with the Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Giants.

Marcel Lachemann: Returns for his third stint with USA Baseball as well. He was the pitching coach for the 1999 USA Baseball Pan Am Team (Silver medal) in Winnipeg, Canada, and recently held the same position for the 2005 USA Baseball CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Team, under Johnson. He is currently a Special Assistant to the GM with the Colorado Rockies.

Ken Griffey Sr.: Currently a Special Consultant to the GM for the Cincinnati Reds. A lifetime .296 hitter over 19 Major League seasons with the Reds, Yankees, Braves & Mariners. He was a three-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1980 All-Star Game. This will be his first USA Baseball coaching experience.

THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

The World Baseball Classic, a 16-team tournament sanctioned by the International BAseball Federation (IBAF), will feature many of the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories for the first time ever in March 2006. The 16 teams invited to participate in the event have been divided into four pools of four teams for the first round of play. They include: Pool A - China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea; Pool B - Canada, Mexico, South Africa, United States; Pool C - Cuba, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico; Pool D - Australia, Dominican Republic, Italy, Venezuela.

The four Round 1 pools are scheduled to be played in Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. Round 2 will feature two pools of four teams each and is scheduled to be played in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Anaheim, California. The Semi-Finals and Final will be played at PETCO Park in San Diego.

Specialize or Diversify? Year-round Sports Choices

2005-11-30T23:53:00.000-06:00

Ed Note: This is an excerpt from the recent eNews from Cal and Billy at Ripken Baseball and well worth reading. We often hear comparisons between how kids play today (structured, playdates, select leagues, etc.) and the glory days of pick-up games and riding your bike to the local park to play till Mom called for supper.

Truth be told, our kiddos may not be playing more baseball, but as Cal points out, they're playing more intense baseball -- working through tournaments and league schedules instead of time at the sandlot. As you read through Cal's comments, take a minute to reflect on your son or daughter's past year of competition. It may be time to "lighten up" ever so slightly to let the fun stay in the game and your progeny. Which is ultimately where it belongs.

Here's Cal's Comments (visit his site at RipkenBaseball.com, and subscribe to his eNews)

Baseball Doesn't Have to be a Year-Round Commitment

November 30, 2005 -
By Cal Ripken, Jr.
Most people think that my dad, Cal Ripken, Sr., pushed my brother Bill and I to become big league players by making us play baseball and drilling us on the finer points of the game non-stop. Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Dad allowed us to discover the game and develop our own feelings about it on our own.
Of course, we had plenty of opportunities to develop a love for the game of baseball. We had the luxury of being around professional ballparks and professional players for most of our childhoods, which created a certain excitement surrounding the game for us. Bill and I watched our father closely and noticed the joy he felt every time he pulled on his uniform and took the field. If it was that much fun for him then why wouldn’t we want to play, right? But, it was always our decision. Dad never pushed us at all.
As a matter of fact, Dad actually encouraged us to put our gloves away at the end of the summer. He was a very good soccer player and seemed to enjoy teaching us and playing that sport with us, too. In addition to soccer, I developed a love for the game of basketball and played that in the off-season as well. Later as my baseball career developed I found that basketball was a great way for me to stay in shape during the off-season. I enjoyed basketball and its physical benefits so much that I incorporated it into my conditioning program once I made it to the big leagues.
My son Ryan turned 12 in July. He is developing into a pretty good ballplayer and for the past several years has played on a local travel team. One of my biggest fears when it comes to Ryan and baseball – and really when it comes to any youth baseball player – is figuring out how much is too much. I’m worried that some youth teams play too many games in the summer, and I also am concerned about the idea of spreading games out so that they are played in the spring, summer and fall. You want to be sure not to zap the kids’ enjoyment of the game and the fun surrounding it. There is a danger of making baseball seem too much like work.
I have run into parents who hope to develop their children into the next Alex Rodriguez by literally standing over them and forcing them to play and practice baseball as much as possible. One parent I spoke to recently equated practicing baseball to homework: “If my son is going to spend two hours on homework, he’s going to spend two hours playing baseball,” the parent said to me. To which I replied, “Well, how does he like it?” The parent responded, “He doesn’t like it at all, but someday he’ll thank me.”
While this is the mentality that worries me most, there is an argument to be made that if a kid enjoys being on the field and wants to play every day, we as parents should try to accommodate those wishes. I don’t recall playing in that many games as a child; Ryan’s team can play as many as 65 or 70 games during the summer. But, what I do recall vividly is having a glove on my hand almost every day during the summer. Back then we played pick-up games, played games with plastic bats and balls and even invented fun baseball games. I can’t recall many summer days when Bill and I weren’t playing baseball. In this day and age maybe all of those extra organized games make up for the fact that kids don’t play pick-up or sandlot baseball anymore.
There is no blanket answer as far as how much baseball should be played by a child. Each situation should be monitored closely by parents and coaches. To me it is all about the kids’ level of enjoyment and staying in tune with their needs and desires. Watch closely for signals that the fun or excitement to play or practice is fading. It’s okay to take a break from the sport or encourage a kid to try something different for a little while.
“We probably did play more baseball than we thought as kids,” says Daniel Wann, professor of psychology at Murray State University and a member of the board of directors for the National Alliance of Youth Sports. “But, we probably didn’t play as much organized baseball as we thought. For the kids who play so many games on travel teams, the impact on their bodies may be the same, but I’m not sure about the impact on their minds. When you play 70, 80 or 90 games with intense competition, burnout can set in. It’s not the games that burn the kids out, necessarily; it’s the structure of the games.”
One thing that I do feel pretty strongly about is allowing the kids to play other sports in the off-season. I do not favor specialization. Kids who play different sports throughout the year are more likely to avoid burnout and will develop their overall athleticism. If their athleticism improves, it stands to reason that they will improve their baseball performance. I always found that playing soccer allowed me to develop better balance and agility since it really is the only sport where you only use your feet. Basketball movements are more explosive, helping improve power, quickness and lateral movement.
“Kids really need to be encouraged to play different sports,” Wann says, “and there are two sides to the coin as to why that is the case. First, it allows the muscle groups used to play baseball to take a break. And second, it allows for other sports skills to be developed. Many sports skills are transferable. For example, the footwork in soccer can be transferred very easily to basketball or baseball, and the starts and stops in basketball can be transferred to infielders or when running the bases. A kid can be playing sports other than baseball and still be getting better as a baseball player.”
Taking some time off from baseball also seems to allow that flame to rekindle during the off-season, generating a feeling of excitement toward the game as the spring approaches. This is not to say that a kid should never pick up a ball during the fall and winter months. If a kid enjoys playing catch or going to the local batting cage to hit, by all means let it happen. Just let the kid dictate. Don’t force it. Throwing and hitting a little bit during the winter months can help keep the body’s muscles in “baseball condition,” and allow the player’s reflexes to stay sharp. Those are good things, but only if the kid is allowed to make the decision about when and how much to practice.
The key from a parental and coaching standpoint is to keep the kids’ best interests in mind when it comes to any athletic activity. Kids are driven by fun. If they are not having fun, it will become readily apparent. They will be reluctant to go to practice and will perform sluggishly when they are there. Monitor your child’s progress and keep these warning signs in mind. If the child asks to take a day off or to try another sport let him or her give it a shot. Maybe the child will miss baseball and be more excited to come back and play it again. Or perhaps the child will fall in love with another activity and get years of enjoyment from it. Either way the kid wins, and that’s what is most important.
“I don’t think you can make one broad stroke and say that every kid who focuses on one sport all year long is going to be negatively affected,” concludes Wann. “This is just not the case with everyone. There are kids who live for baseball – who don’t want to play football, basketball or soccer. We don’t want to overstate the case. We should just try to do what is right by most kids, and for most kids it is beneficial to have on and off seasons and to play multiple sports.”

Hard Work, Desire & Coaching Challenges

2005-11-21T08:08:00.000-06:00

One of our recent challenges came at an off-season workout, a series of "skill and skull" sessions we're hosting with baseball instructor Shane Davenport.

One of the players, having been repeatedly reminded to get in a "ready" fielding position during a BP session (we try to work both sides simultaneously so it doesn't turn into just a hittng session w/ a lot of bored fielders watching) began arguing with a coach. The coach and player have a 3 year tenure on the same team, and the coach has perhaps become akin to a parent in the eyes of the player -- and we've all seen our kids give their parents short-shrift on occasion.

What brought the situation full-circle was the "skull" session whereby Davenport mentioned several issues he was seeing on the field. In particular he reinforced what the other coach had been stressing, explained further why it was so important, and then took a quieter tact. He asked the players if they felt a lttle furstration being reminded repeatedly. They all exclaimed some sort of frustration, and he went on to explain that without the reiminders, the practices and the volunteer efforts of coaches and dads, that they would not be prepared to play ball later. Noting that high school coaches wouldn't be teaching fundamentals, and -- even more-so -- would not tolerate a lack of fundamental skils among starting players, he pointed to the "when" of learning these skills. Bottom line: these 12 years olds needed to take ownership of their games if they wanted to progress. It was a smart reminder, and an even smarter way to shore up the other coach and respect due him.

Ask teachers and coaches who they remember teaching throught their years, and you'll often hear stories about the ones who "got it," young people who asked questions, had a hunger for knowledge or experience (i.e. put me in coach) and thus were given the "keys to the store" in terms of access to the teacher or coach and the extra time and advice that makes a good student great. Ask them about the other side of the coin and you'll see a lot of frowns and furrowed brows... the sheer disappoinment associated with "losing" a kid, or having to spend more time on the rudimentary while seeking real growth.

In short, after seeing repeated attempts to teach or coach "wasted" by kids who would rather fight than switch -- or rather be somewhere else altogether -- the teacher gives up, and tolerates the player but offers no more.

What a shame, but it is what it is... lost opportunity, and both sides lose.

So how can you reach out to the others? How can you draw them in? Honesty helps, in perhaps the form of a candid one-on-one where each person is given an opinion, a role in the coonversation and a chance to save face. Make this meeting a lecture and it's over before it begins. Give the player a chance to voice his or her opinions, and the feeling he or she is being listened to, and you may have a breakthrough that can change a young life, and certainly make the remaining season or association far more enjoyable. As coaches and parents, we do a lot of bossing, often assuming kiddos will buy into our considerable knowledge. But "teamwork" is more than "a bunch of people doing what I told em to do," it's sometimes brushing aside the pride and position, and reaching into the dynamic of "team" and working to leave no member behind.

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A Word of Thanks...
Special thanks go out to a roster of baseball folks who responded to an email we sent out regarding Avery Sullivan's 4-year anniversary at the Ray Burris Academy. Ave (or Ave-Rod as he prefers) is one of those kiddos that "gets it," working his fanny off and soaking up every bit of the game he can. A joy to coach and know.

We'd like to thank these fine folks (listed in no particular order) for their personal notes and sage words of advice -- they're the people that make the great game great:
Breon Dennis -- Texas Rangers
Jim Sundberg -- Texas Rangers
Ray Burris -- Ray Burris Academy
George Wright -- Ray Burris Academy
Shane Davenport -- Ray Burris Academy
Mark Patrick -- Host, MLB Home Plate on XM Radio
Cal & Billy Ripken -- Ripken Baseball
Rusty Greer -- Texas Rangers great (and Ave's role model)
Randy Galloway -- Long-time DFW Sports Guru
Stephen Keener -- President, Little League Baseball
JD Magee -- Coach and owner Arlington Baseball Academy
John Arnot -- Coach and NALL VP
Jimmy Lilly -- Former Coach