QCBaseball Blog

Getting Young Pitching Arms in Shape for the Season

2012-02-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

A big issue for coaches in all levels of baseball through the high school level is the time available to get your pitcher's arms in shape for the season. Combine that with the cold weather that plagues many locations in the early spring and you have a recipe for sore arms and potential arm injuries.

Given that those two items are things we don't have any control over, let's talk about what we can try to control to protect young arms.

Communicate and Have a System

First we need to make sure we talk to our young pitchers (and parents) and make sure they understand how to get prepared for the season. Many young players will go out on that first day of spring practice and throw the ball as hard as they can. They feel good and really don't understand the danger of not building up their throwing arm.

Rather than just telling kids once that it's important to build their arms up over time, I try to put a system in place that I can use each practice. I apply it to all players in an attempt to keep all arms healthy before the season starts.

So for example, let's say we have 2 practices a week for 3 weeks before the start of the season. The first practice I'll tell the kids that we are only going to throw at 3/4 speed at any time, no matter what we're working on. If you have kids on the side working on pitching then the fastest speed they should throw is 75% of their maximum speed. For younger players I will hand out a catch card for playing catch at home. Make sure you put the maximum percentage that they should throw on the card, in this case 3/4 speed for the first week.

The second week will move the team up to 85% and 90% (Practices 3 and 4). Modify the catch card to have that new level of effort.

The third week have the kids throw 100% during practice. If you have your pitchers throw, let them only throw at 100% for a few pitches. So let's say you have a pitcher throw 30 pitches, have the first 10 at 90%, the next 10 at 100%, and the last 10 at 90%. For the catch card at home, keep the maximum at 90% and tell the kids that you don't want them throwing hard on those days.

Here is a catch card template that is available on QCBaseball.com - Word Version - PDF Version

This is not a specific routine, but rather a guideline to help you try and make sure kids build up their arm strength over time. The other thing to be aware of is that it puts more stress on the arm to throw off a mound then it does to throw off flat ground. So don't rush kids to the mound to work on pitching and when they do work off a mound have them throw less than 100% to take off some of that stress.

Have a Plan for the Games

Little League and other leagues have introduced pitch count rule for pitchers. The problem I have with these rules is that often they treat a cold game in March the same as a hot day in June. I've had 12 year old pitchers that could easily go over 85 pitches in June after a season of playing ball. I would never think of having those same kids throw 85 pitches early in the season.

So as you work to build up their arms early in the season, be aware of the weather and how many games you have played as you determine how long to let a pitcher throw early in the season. Always error on the side of caution and make sure you have someone tracking the number of pitches a pitcher has thrown.

Early in the season you really need to be prepared to make pitching changes at various times. A pitcher that is struggling to find the strike zone may only be able to pitch an inning or two. Don't plan your game plan around a pitcher pitching a certain number of innings. You need to instead have it focused on how many pitches you will allow a pitcher to throw and then stick with that. I let my kids know before the game what the pitch count is and I let them know that I'm not going to be talked into letting a pitcher stay in longer than that. The only time a player will go over is to finish up a batter, I would prefer to have a new pitcher start with a new batter and no count.

Until next time,

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

New Year Motivational Patch Sale

2011-12-31T13:17:00.000-08:00

I started selling motivational patches on the QCBaseball website last year and I really wasn't sure how well it would work. I've used the motivational patches myself and have found them to be a great incentive for kids to play hard at practice. They also provide a way to reward a player who is trying hard but isn't having the success they would like to have. Other coaches have found the same thing and the response to the patches in 2011 was great. Coaches and players really enjoy the patches and I've had many repeat customers in the first year of offering the patches.

I'm including some comments that I've received from coaches at the bottom of this post and you can learn more about them on the QCBaseball.com website.

To start 2012 off I'm going to offer a one week sale on motivational patches. Take 20% off your entire order and receive free shipping!

This sale will end on January 8th, so make sure you order soon!

Don Edlin

Owner

QCBaseball.com

Don, Just wanted to say Thank you for the Motivational Patches. This was a GREAT Coaching Tool! We just won the City Championship Game.My Boys sure did work hard for those Patches and earned the right to be called CITY CHAMPIONS. ~ Coach Freitag

Don, I wanted to take a minute to thank you for the content information of your website and offering the motivational patches. I have been coaching youth baseball for 6 years and struggled keeping the kids engaged and focused on during games and practices. This year I coached a U10 team and implemented the use of your motivational patches. What a difference this has made. The kids loved the patches, worked hard to earn them, challenged their teammates to earn more, opposing teams wanted them, and our team performed much better than in years past. I’m hooked on the patches, please continue to offer them. ~ Coach Hanson

Don, I’m amazed at what these little patches are doing f or my 7-9 year-old team. They are more focused and they all can’t wait for the next "patch ceremony" to see who wins. I only give them out for stuff they can control like defensive decisions, hustle, attitude, character etc. We had a big trouble-maker on the team who is suddenly fairly well-behaved in hopes to win a patch. Thanks! ~ Coach Steve

Winter Hitting Mistakes

2011-11-28T19:05:00.001-08:00

Winter workouts can provide a great opportunity for players to work on their swing or to make major changes and create a new swing. It can also provide an opportunity for kids to get bored and develop bad habits. As a parent or coach, it's not enough to have winter workouts and hope that kids maximize the time they spend there. Make sure you work with each player to develop goals for what they want to accomplish and improve on as a hitter and then tailor the batting practice to help each player work on those areas.

A Common Mistake
A team has a time reserved each week at the local batting cage, the coach sets up the pitching machine and has the kids hit. He walks around and helps the kids with their swings but the pitching is the same week in and week out. There's no variety to the pitches. When kids know that the pitch is coming in at a certain speed, it's easy to time. Poor mechanics can be masked by that simple fact! I've seen a lot of kids look like great hitters in winter workouts only to see completely different hitters when the season starts and a pitcher is actually trying to get them out.

What to Do?
I think the easiest way to fix this problem is get some live pitching added to your winter workouts. Move the pitching screen up and have a coach or parent go in and throw batting practice. This way the players will have to adjust to the motion and the distance while hitting. Get a few different people to throw batting practice so they see many different speeds and release points. Get a lefty as well if you can. Every time I've done this there are some players that will complain and that complaint is almost always the same:

"You're not throwing hard enough"

Don't fall for it.

If they can't hit a coach throwing softer than a pitching machine, then they're in trouble. Those kids are used to picking up the ball out of the machine and swinging at the same time because, guess what, they know how hard the ball is coming in. They aren't prepared to face a pitcher who varies the speed and location of his pitches, they are only prepared for 8 and 9 year old machine pitch league.

A Time for Pitching Machines
On the other hand, consistency can be great for kids that are trying to learn something new and are in the process of changing their swing. It's hard to focus on a mechanics when facing a variety of pitches. So when you have a player that is making a change and they are trying to build that muscle memory, try to provide more consistent pitching until they have it down.

Free Hitting Lessons
If you have players that have struggled in past seasons and would like to make some changes, you might have their parents check out our free backyard hitting lessons on QCBaseball.com. These are great lessons for revamping the swing in the off-season.

Until next time,

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

The Double Switch

2011-10-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Living in a city with an American League baseball team (Seattle Mariners) and with it the designated hitter, I don't get much of an opportunity to see a double switch in baseball. With the World Series starting tonight, I thought I would take a minute to explain the double switch and why it will be in the mind of the managers when they play in St. Louis. If you are from a National League city and/or have a clear understanding of how and why a double switch is made, then this post won't be for you.

Purpose
A double switch is used by a manager to bring in a new pitcher and at the same time change where the new pitcher will hit in the batting order.

How
If you bring in one player, by rule they must bat in the same position as the player they are replacing. So, if you bring in a new pitcher without making any other changes the batting order stays the same. In order to get the new pitcher to bat in a different spot in the batting order, the manager must substitute two new players at the same time (the new pitcher and a position player). The pitcher would actually be brought in for the position player, and the position player would be brought in for the pitcher. Then they would switch defensive positions after the substitution.

Example
Let's say in the game tonight the Rangers are pitching in the bottom of the 5th inning and in the top of the 6th the pitcher for the Rangers is going to be first up. Ron Washington may decide to change pitchers sometime during that inning and at the same time bring in a position player. So if the shortstop is hitting 8th in the lineup and was the last out in the top of the 5th, he could substitute his new pitcher for the shortstop and substitute the new shortstop for the pitcher. The new shortstop would then take over the position in the batting order for the pitcher that was removed and bat 1st in the next inning and the new pitcher would take over for the shortstop that was removed and will bat 8th in the order and might not be up for an inning or two.

Why Not Just Use a Pinch Hitter?
If you don't want the pitcher to hit, you may be thinking that it's easier to just use a pinch hitter when the pitcher comes up. The beauty of the double switch over a pinch hitter is that it allows a manager to use less players. Using the example above, let's say Ron Washington needs to switch pitchers in the 5th inning and doesn't want his pitcher to hit in the top of the 6th and doesn't use the double switch. He brings in the new pitcher in the 5th and then in the top of the 6th, he brings in a pinch hitter to hit for the pitcher. Now in the bottom of the 7th, he must bring in a new pitcher since he used the pinch hitter. He used two players that can't come back into the game and got an inning or less from the one pitcher. By using the double switch that pitcher might be able to pitch two or three innings before he comes up to hit.

What's the Downside?
The downside of the double switch is that the manager is removing a starting position player from the game. That player may be a better hitter, better fielder or a better all around player than the player that's replacing him. So the manager has to weigh the short term gain, not having the pitcher hit, versus the long term possibilities of not having the starting position player available later in the game.

Conclusion
Although I loved watching Edgar Martinez as the designated hitter for the Mainers for many years, I really think having the pitcher hit adds a whole lot of strategy to the game and really makes for more difficult decisions for the manager. I'm looking forward to the World Series and the games played in St. Louis. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers with their great batting lineup will handle pitching changes as the game moves along.

Enjoy the World Series!!!

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Running Lane and Interference at First Base

2011-10-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

I've added a new page to the baseball rule section on QCBaseball.com covering the running lane and interference by the batter/runner on the way to first base. Although interference is not a call that happens very often on the way to first, it can be confusing when a runner is hit with a ball or there is contact with the first baseman. The rule that applies to those situations is discussed on the new page: Running Lane to First Base

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

New Backyard Pitching Video - Hip and Shoulder Separation

2011-08-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

A new backyard pitching lesson videos by Paul Reddick was just posted on the site where Paul continues his analysis of the pitching motion and discusses hip and shoulder separation.

QCBaseball Backyard Pitching Lessons - Hip and Shoulder Separation

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

New Backyard Pitching Lesson Videos Posted

2011-08-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Two new backyard pitching lesson videos by Paul Reddick were just posted on the site and contains some great information on direction, not changing a pitcher's arm path, and also what it means to be "equal and opposite" during the pitching motion.

QCBaseball Backyard Pitching Lessons - Direction, Equal and Opposite

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Tips for Hitters Who are Swinging Late

2011-07-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

You may have a player or two that are having a difficult time getting around on the ball and seem to be swinging late more often than not. This can become more obvious during the summer when the competition level often increases and young players face better and harder throwing pitchers. Being behind on a pitcher doesn't necessarily mean they have a slow bat, often it simply means they are not ready to swing when they need to be. Have those players try the following tips to see if they can develop a quicker bat.

1. More Balanced - many players will coil and go back before taking their stride or start with their weight back. If you see this in a player that is having a difficult time getting around, have them move their starting position closer to center. Next have them emphasize putting their weight on the inside of the back foot. They should now feel like the most natural movement is forward. If the player coils, have them minimize that movement and keep the weight on the inside of the back foot. If they can accomplish this, then they are ready to take a stride and swing and hopefully will see a difference in the time it takes them to start their swing after deciding to swing.

2. Loosen Up - easier said than done, but with better pitching will also come greater pressure on the hitter. Some kids will try to handle that pressure by trying harder and even putting more pressure on themselves. Tight muscles are slower than relaxed muscles and for a hitter the key to being relaxed lies in the hands. If you think a hitter is too tense and needs to relax, have them lift their fingers off the bat and then back on while they are in their stance. They can do this as a reminder to not tighten up. This will keep their hands loose and in turn keep their body loose.

3. Shorten up that stride - some players who have been successful with a longer stride in the past will need to adjust it as they move up in competition and face harder throwing pitchers. If you have a player that has a long stride and it having difficulty, have them shorten their stride. Sometimes this can be easier to accomplish by widening the stance slightly.

4. See the Ball - if a hitter is not picking up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, then it's difficult to make a quick decision and get the bat around on time. Work with the hitter to consistently try to pick the ball out of the pitcher's hand. Have him do this every time he plays catch or takes batting practice. Picking the ball up early is critical to proper timing, especially when facing a hard throwing pitcher.

Hopefully one or more of these tips will help a hitter get the swing started sooner and provide them with better timing.

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Baseball Rules: Dropped Third Strike

2011-07-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

I've received a bunch of email dealing with baseball rules and although I started a baseball rules section on the QCBaseball website, I haven't been good about updating it and adding additional rules and information. The goal of the section is to try and explain rules in an easy to understand way. Not easy as anyone knows who has read through the rule book.

Anyway, I'm going to try and get this section updated and my first addition in quite sometime is about rules regarding a "dropped third strike".

You can find it using the following link: Dropped Third Strike

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

July 4th - Remembering a Great Play in Baseball

2011-07-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

I saw this once before a couple of years ago but someone sent it to me again and I thought it would be a good video to share on the 4th of July. I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday.

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Building a Players Confidence

2011-06-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to be consistently good in the game of baseball. When it comes down to it, baseball is a very tough game and when a player struggles at the plate, on the mound, or in the field, those problems will often be magnified in the mind of the player. Those negative thoughts and loss of confidence will hinder his ability to perform at a high level.

With All-Stars under way for youth leagues and new teams forming for summer, there will be opportunities for each coach to take a kid who had a tough spring and try to help him get things back on track for summer.

Show Confidence to Build Confidence
The most important thing you can do as a coach is consistently show a player that you believe in him. A player who has lost confidence and feels the coach doesn't believe in him will have a difficult time getting back on track.

So how do you do that?
Some coaches will give feedback of "Great try" or "You'll get it next time" after a strikeout or an error. While that's better than kicking the dirt or turning your back on the player, it doesn't do anything to help build confidence in the player or show that you have confidence in the player. If that is consistently the only feedback that is provided, it shows the player that you don't have any expectations that he can be successful.

With a player that's struggling, try and give specific coaching advice for the player to focus on and spend extra time coaching the player. You can do this during practice and during the games.

Game Time
Rather than saying "Great try" after a player strikes out, give him something he can use. "John, you had two great swings at that at bat, but you swung under both pitches. Next at bat, I want you to focus on the top of the ball. Everything else looked good, you were just under it." This gives him two statements of positive feedback along with one piece of coaching advice.

You can do the same thing on a missed ground ball. "Great job of getting in good position. Make sure you start with your glove low to the ground and then come up with the ball. You've made that play all season long and you'll continue to make it the rest of the summer."

Practice
Whether it is hitting, pitching, or fielding, a player that is struggling is often focusing in on the possible negative result of failing instead of the process. Try to get your players to focus in on the process by giving them simple fundamentals to work and focus on.

With hitters that are struggling, I usually start with vision. If you can get them to focus on picking the ball out of the pitchers hand and following it all the way to the plate, you'll often see that player pull out of a batting slump.

Fielders who are having a tough time are often not moving well because they don't want the ball to be hit to them, they seem to be frozen in place. Work on getting them relaxed and moving on every ball that is hit. Give them a pre-pitch routine to focus on and make sure they are moving as the ball crosses the plate.

Pitchers who are having a tough time are often having a difficult time with focus. Same problem with a hitter, they see the negative result before it even happens. Again try to get them to focus on being consistent with their delivery and picking up the target early.

Extra Time
Spending extra time with a player shows that you care, that you are interested in having him be successful and that you believe he can be successful. For me this is really one of the great joys of coaching; helping a player who is struggling for one reason or another become successful. There really is no shortcut; you need to spend extra time with the player to help him build confidence over time.

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

College World Series Starts Tomorrow

2011-06-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite events of the year starts tomorrow in Omaha as the College World Series begins. Here is a direct link to the schedule: CWS Schedule

I'm hoping to watch as much as I can on TV and I wish I could be there. Maybe next year I'll be able to make the trip. If you haven't watched the series before, give it a try this year. Great baseball and very exciting!

Don
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Two New Pitching Videos added to Backyard Pitching Lessons

2011-06-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've just added two new pitching videos created by Paul Reddick for QCBaseball.com. In these videos Paul talks about the myth of the balance point and the importance of what he refers to as the "power angle". There will continue to be more videos added in this series and I hope you enjoy them.

Backyard Pitching Lessons - Balance Point and Power Angle

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Texas Rangers Draft Partially Paralyzed Player from Georgia

2011-06-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would pass along a story that I saw this morning. Nice move by the Texas Rangers and I'm sure a real thrill for a player who is dealing with a severe injury.

Read Story

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

New QCBaseball Backyard Pitching Lessons

2011-05-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

QCBaseball has teamed up with Paul Reddick to provide a series of video pitching lessons that will cover what young pitchers need to do in order to prepare themselves to move up through the baseball ranks.
These videos will cover pitching mechanics and explain the fundamental aspects of the pitching motion. Additional video lessons will cover:

The mental side of pitching;
Proper workouts to help get you into and keep you in pitching shape;
How to avoiding and prevent pitching injuries;
Techniques you can use on the mound to get hitters out!

The first two videos have been posted to the site:

Laying a foundation for the youth pitcher
Training Program

More videos will be added each week. You can view the first two lessons at the QCBaseball Backyard Pitching Lessons page.

I hope you enjoy the lessons as they are added and please feel free to spread the word about the pitching and hitting lessons that have been added to QCBaseball.

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

Top 3 Essentials for Good Outfield Play

2011-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Outfield can be a difficult position for kids to play well for a number of reasons but if you can get your kids to accomplish the next 3 items, you'll see your outfielders play improve throughout the season.

"Expect the ball to be hit to me on every pitch". This basically means that they need to be ready and expect the ball. Easier said than done! Often kids who play in the outfield get bored because they may not get many balls hit to them, especially if there is a good pitcher on the mound. So how do you keep them in the game and ready?

Help them develop a pre-pitch routine that involves movement. As the pitcher starts his motion, they should be moving and getting into a position where they are ready to move as the ball crosses the plate.
Communication. Get your outfielders talking to each other. They should be saying how many outs, what's the count. Where to throw the ball on a base hit. Where to throw it on a fly ball.
Empower them and expect them to adjust where they play based on the hitter. How many times does a big hitter step up to the plate and the coaches are yelling to the outfield to get back or a bottom of the order hitter comes up and you move them in. Try your best to get them to make those adjustments. If you expect them to adjust based on the pitcher, where the opposing team is in the lineup, what the batter did last time up, then your are forcing them to focus and think. It keeps them in the game and gets them thinking about where the ball would most likely be hit by each batter.

Get Behind the Ball! This is true on fly balls as well as ground balls hit into the outfield. Keeping the ball in front of you is an important part of playing outfield effectively. On a fly ball hit directly to a player work with them on trying to catch it moving forward. This will not only help them in not having a fly ball drop behind them, it also helps them setup to make a good throw back to the infield. On a ball hit to the side try to get your players to circle the ball rather than taking a direct path. This will help prevent balls from making it to the fence because the outfielder misjudged the speed of the ball and took the wrong angle.
Backup Everything - Not only will this save your team from giving up extra bases on overthrows, it will be another thing to keep your outfielders moving and in the game. Almost every play in a game where the ball doesn't go to the outfield, can be backed up by the outfield. Ground ball to third, left fielder is backing up third in case the ball gets by him, right fielder should backup the throw to first, center fielder can move toward second in case there is an error and the runner tries to advance to second. If you want this to work you really need to set the expectation and then give a lot of praise for the kids that hustle and meet that expectation.

Playing outfield can be difficult for kids and difficult for a coach to keep kids involved. Hopefully you can use these tips and try to motivate your outfielders to be active and engaged throughout the game.

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

ESPN Top Ten Drill

2011-04-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

As coaches we all have drills that we use to help players improve at a particular skill. What we have to realize is that the drill is only effective when the kids are working hard at it. What I try to do as often as I can is to put kids in competitive and fun situations where I know they will be giving it their best effort. When that happens, improvement will sure follow.

One drill that is fun for the kids is the ESPN Top Ten Drill. If you've ever seen SportsCenter then you've most likely seen the Top Ten. This is the Top Ten daily plays from the sports world. You can make up variations of the drill but basically it goes like this. I'll use groundballs with a throw to first as the drill.

Line the kids up at the shortstop position in a single line going out into the outfield. Have one player at first.
Hit one standard groundball to the first fielder in line.
He must field the ball cleanly or knock it down in front of him and then make a good throw to first.
If he doesn't accomplish that then he goes to the back of the line.
If he does accomplish it, then the second groundball is the ESPN Top Ten attempt. Have him point where he wants the ball to be hit: left, right, straight ahead.
Do your best to hit the ball where he wants it or throw it if it will be easier.
The player then makes a forehand catch with a spinning throw to first, or a backhand dive followed by a throw to first. A slow roller barehanded and a throw to first.
Give them a couple examples before you start the drill and then let them get creative.
After each ESPN Top Ten play the rest of the team and coaches can judge the play by giving it a number between 1 and 10. 1 in this case is the best as it's the top play of the day.

You can do this with fly balls and a throw to second base. Even batting practice can have the last swing be a chance at the ESPN Top Ten.

The thing I really like about this drill is you can emphasize working hard on a skill in order to participate in the ESPN play and when kids stretch themselves to make difficult plays, they are becoming better players! You get the benefit of them having fun while trying to perform a difficult skill.

Maybe you give a motivational patch (cheap plug for patches I sell on the QCBaseball.com site) or some other reward for players that get a 1 from most of the team.

Hints: If you do this with your whole team you have to make sure it moves along quickly. If you need to throw the ball from a closer range to be more accurate. Tell the kids they have to do the best with the one attempt. It will really slow down if you give the same kid 4 or 5 chances.

Also don't take long on the voting. After the play the kids should be yelling a score. You pick out what you think you hear the most of and assign the final score. Your vote.

You can find more baseball drills at: http://www.qcbaseball.com/drills/baseball_drills1.aspx

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

The Tragic Story of Wes Leonard

2011-03-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have probably seen the story of Wes Leonard, the 16 year old Michigan High School basketball player, who died suddenly after making a last second shot during a playoff basketball game on March 3rd.

It was definitely a tragic news story about a life that ended too quickly, but as a parent and coach I was lifted by the reaction of that community and the support that has been provided the family. Unfortunately it often takes something like this for us to realize what a great community of people are brought together by athletics. We hear so often about the abusive parent and other problems in sports but not nearly enough about how athletics brings together people, provides a lifetime of friendships and memories, and in this time of tragedy for the family of Wes Leonard, a great support system.

I wanted to write something about this story because I was really struck by the words of Ryan Klingler, the coach of the Fennville High School basketball team. In the press conference after Fennville lost in the playoffs Coach Klingler was asked a question about Wes and Ryan answered, "Wes was pretty darn special to a lot of people. I know I probably never took the time to tell him how great he was. So I'll make sure I'll do a better job of letting people know how much I care about them, how important they are."

What a great message to take as a coach and parent as you move through the baseball season. In the end it's really just a game. It's what the players learn from the game and the relationships that they develop that are important. As coaches it's how we influence our players that is truly the most important aspect of why we are out there. I know when I look back on my playing days I remember first and foremost my coaches and the friends that I developed over the years. Try to take from what Ryan learned through this terrible tragedy and let your players know how important they are to you and to the team as you coach this year.

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

What's Up With the "Swing at Anything Close Approach to Hitting"

2011-03-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

How many times have you seen kids taken a pitch that is called a strike and then complain that it wasn't a strike when it looked pretty good from where you were standing? Or they swing at pitches that are at eye level or way below their knees. If your experience is anything like mine, then you see it quite often. So the question is "do kids really understand the strike zone, or is it a problem of judgement?"

I think a lot of the problems come from the standpoint of the way we run youth baseball. The strike zone can be confusing at any level but in youth baseball it is more than a little difficult, often it simply isn't even fair. Some umpires will give a ball (or more) on either side of the plate and call it a strike, some will have a large strike zone that doesn't adjust much based on the size of the player. Many coaches (trying to get tentative kids to swing the bat) instruct their kids to swing at anything close. I've heard it over and over again in many leagues that I've been involved in, coaches and administrators want kids to swing the bat. So they expand the strike zone as (I guess) an incentive to get kids to swing. Seems counter productive to me. If a kid really has a difficult time hitting, is it really a good thing to have him strikeout on a pitch he can't hit because it's close to a strike? I don't think we're building confidence in kids simply because they are swinging the bat and not striking out looking. They don't feel good either way and for most kids a walk can be fun, because guess what, they actually get to run the bases once in awhile! If this expanding of the strike zone for young players is such a great idea, why don't we expand the idea to other sports? Why not give kids playing basketball a smaller rim or bigger ball and then tell them to shoot anyway! They may never make a basket but don't they feel great that they were able to throw up a shot. We don't do it because it makes no sense, but in baseball for some reason it seems reasonable. I really don't get it. In an effort to get kids to swing the bat, we're making a difficult task more difficult. Enough on that as I'm not going to be able to change this type of thinking. So...

What can we do as coaches and parents to help develop our young hitters in a league with this swing at anything close attitude?

The first thing we can do is be honest with our players about what the goal is when they steps up to the plate. The goal shouldn't be to simply swing the bat. I really think it's important that kids know what they are trying to accomplish.

First Goal: Get on base!

If they achieve this through a walk, hit, or error, they have achieved the goal. As a coach you should give positive feedback for kids that are doing what they can to achieve this goal and give constructive criticism to kids when they are hurting their chances of achieving this goal.

Second Goal: Hit the ball someplace hard!

Kids need to understand that in order to achieve this goal, they have to swing at a pitch they can handle. Swinging at a ball over their head or a foot outside is not going to give them the opportunity to achieve this goal. It ends up giving them one less chance to achieve this goal. Things must change a little bit with two strikes, but before that it's important that kids realize what the strike zone is and the area of that strike zone that they are confident in.

Third Goal: Don't cheat yourself!

Kids are often so worried about striking out that they will swing at pitches they can't hit simply because they don't want to get called out on strikes. Let your players know that it's okay to strikeout. Tell them you'd rather they swing a good pitches that can help them achieve the second goal than swing at bad pitches that they don't have a chance of hitting. Give them permission to not swing the bat!

You might also tell them that you'd rather have them strikeout looking on a pitch they can't hit then swinging and striking out on that same pitch.

On the other side, make sure they know that when they let a good pitch go by that they can handle they are cheating themselves of an opportunity to achieve the first two goals. They need to develop an attitude at the plate that the next pitch is going to be in their hitting zone. If they don't expect a good pitch, then they will not be successful.

Basically you want them to understand that if they are letting good pitches go by and/or swinging at bad pitches that they can't handle, then they are cheating themselves of the opportunity to hit the ball someplace hard and of getting on base.

Practice to Be Successful

In order for kids to understand the strike zone you have to have kids take the same approach at practice. During live batting practice have the kids take pitches that they can't hit. Let them know how far outside, low, or high a pitch is when they swing at a pitch that they shouldn't be swinging at. Let them know when they let good strikes go by. Try to provide as much feedback about the strike zone as you can during practice.

Use the Batting Tee

A batting tee can be moved to different locations and heights. Use a batting tee station for kids to explore pitches they can handle and pitches that they can't. This is a great way for kids to define their strike zone and get comfortable with the locations of pitches that they should swing at and those that they shouldn't swing at.

Soft Toss and/or Quick Hitter

I really like the Quick Hitter* and soft toss for helping kids swing at pitches in different locations. The Quick Hitter is nice because you drop the ball straight down so it is easy to control inside and outside pitches. Soft toss is great for working on the height of the pitch. Both of these are great for helping kids understand what pitches they can handle and what pitches they can't.

Charting and Videotape

Charting and videotaping hitters are two great tools you can use to show kids what pitches they are swinging and not swinging at. This is great for kids who have a tough time knowing where the pitch is or being honest with themselves about where the pitch is.

Charts: Hitting Zone Chart - Hitting Zone Chart Example

Conclusion: As coaches we want our players to improve throughout the year. Simply patting a kid on the back and telling them good try after a strikeout is not enough. Work with them on taking the correct approach at the plate and give them the drills and feedback that will help them improve. It's not easy, especially for a player that is afraid when they step up to the plate, but you will see improvement and results if you start at the beginning of the season and provide a consistent message.

*Quick Hitter information and drills for working on plate discipline can be found in the drills section of the QCBaseball website.

Until next time,
Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

The Problem with Pitching Machines

2011-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

I was watching a team at the cage the other day hitting off a pitching machine and while most of the players were hitting the ball really well, their timing and mechanics were really off. This reminded me of why I don't like pitching machines very much --- they tend to create bad habits for hitters. This particular team was hitting off a machine with an arm. I tend to like those better than other pitching machines but the problem with this type of machine is that they are so easy to time that players don't stay back. As I watched the team hit I saw a number of players commit to the pitch way too early, get out on the front foot and hit a rocket into the net, pulling the ball down the line. What's so bad about a nice line drive down the line? Well if the machine was able to throw a change-up at that point, these kids wouldn't have a chance or THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY THEY WERE HITTING! The coach didn't seem to notice or was just focused on the result of each swing (in most cases a nice line drive that was hit hard).

This team was taking batting practice and building poor habits at the same time, doesn't make much sense but that's what was happening. So the question is how can we use a pitching machine to help our hitting and build good habits rather than poor habits?

Talk to Your Players
Don't assume that a player knows what he is doing when hitting off a pitching machine. To help players get the most out of their time in the cage, give them something specific to work on and vary what they do.

Example:
Each player gets 10 swings

Bunt first 2
Hit 2 the opposite way, they may need be backup a little if the machine is throwing the ball in.
Hit 2 up the middle
Last 4 hit the ball where it's pitched.

What this does is help the player stay back because they are trying not to pull the ball for about half the swings. You can slice and dice it anyway you want but try to keep the kids from simply going into the cage and mindlessly swinging away.

If you can, stand behind the plate and see where the ball is pitched and where they are hitting it. If they are pulling everything regardless of location, then chances are they aren't staying back.

Also don't let them take to many cuts in a single turn, fatigue will also cause bad habits as they will begin to lunge as they get tired.

Try to mix in some live pitching if you can. If there is an screen available have a coach throw some BP and vary the speed a little. See if the kids are adjusting or not to the various speeds and locations.

Finally, don't crank up the pitching machine too fast. If they can't time the pitch out of the machine very well, then the fast speeds will completely alter their swing. All of a sudden they will have to guess when the ball is coming because they know they don't have much time to start their swing.

In the end we want batting practice to be something to help prepare our players for the game. As a coach you can help this process by not focusing in on where the ball is going but rather what the player is doing as they hit the ball.

Until Next Time,
Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

New Free QCBaseball Backyard Hitting Lessons

2011-01-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce the posting of the new "QCBaseball Backyard Hitting Lessons". These hitting lessons are designed to be completed at home with a minimal amount of equipment. The idea is for players to spend a small amount of time each day working through the lessons to eventually build a new balanced and compact swing.

While many players have access to quality batting instruction, many players don't have that same opportunity. One of the main goals of the hitting lessons is to help those players improve their swing. I hope the lessons will help the player who loves the game (but has struggled at the plate), become a confident and productive hitter so they can truly enjoy the game they love.
For coaches I hope the lessons will provide a good foundation of the basic aspects of a balanced and compact baseball swing. While you may not have time with your team to implement many of the items in the lessons, I hope it will provide you with some good information and give you some ideas on how to teach small adjustments that can help the players on your team make big improvements.

I hope you'll take a look at the lessons and pass them on to your players, parents, other coaches and your league administrators.

The lessons are free and can be found using the following link: QCBaseball Backyard Hitting Lessons

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Good Article and Video from ESPN on Umpire Jim Joyce

2011-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Unless you were living under a rock or out of the country you couldn't help seeing the story and highlights of the almost (should have been) perfect game on June 2nd by Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers. In what Jim Joyce calls the "biggest mistake of his life" he made the wrong call on what should have been the last out of the game and cost Armondo Galarraga a perfect game. Amy Nelson of ESPN has written a nice story about Jim Joyce and how that call has affected his life. You can find it and the associated video using the following link: Searching for meaning in the mistake

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

Winter Workouts

2010-12-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

With the miserable winter weather that most of the country is experiencing, it's a good bet that many baseball teams are having their winter workouts indoors. Practicing baseball indoors with limited amount of space can be a challenge. I've seen teams who do it well and teams that don't. I invite you to email me or add a comment if you have something that has worked really well for you or your team.

One of the keys to judging any practice is how your players are reacting to the practice. Are they engaged in the activities or do they seem bored and spent too much time standing around waiting?

Limited space often gives teams an excuse that it's okay if players are just standing around waiting for their chance in the cage. I've seen teams where two players are hitting in a cage and the rest of the team is standing around waiting for their turn. If for example you have two batting cages, use one cage for live hitting and then use the other cage for multiple activities to keep multiple players active. Soft toss or tee hitting can allow two players to hit in half of the second cage. Other players can use the back of the cage to field ground balls thrown by a coach. With just these 4 activities, you can keep your kids moving around and involved throughout the indoor workout.

If you have more space then the options really open up. An indoor area with a decent amount of space is a great opportunity to go over defensive and offensive situations, have the kids involved in fun competitions, and work on some specific skills. Be creative and try to come up with a plan where you are working on different skills as you move through your winter workouts. I was able to rent a local school gym one night a week and it gave us a great space to get a lot accomplished. You really can accomplish a lot inside with a little bit of planning. Competitions and keeping track of improvement can be a great way to keep kids improving and enjoying the workouts. It's also a good way to help simulate the pressure of game type situations.

One thing to be careful of is safety issues. Bats and hard baseballs in a confined area can be a real danger! Make sure you plan for all the activities to be performed in a safe environment and create strict rules for the players on where they can swing bats, throw balls, etc. One thing I always do is enlist a couple of parents to watch for any safety issues. Make sure you let the parents know what to look for and that they are not afraid to call out immediately if they see anything that could be a problem. This will free you up to coach and not having to be watching everything that is going on.
Good luck this winter!

Don Edlin
QCBaseball.com

How Baseballs Are Made

2010-11-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

I had a few people send me this video link on how baseballs are made. Pretty interesting.

Don Edlin
Ownner
QCBaseball.com
Rteamsite.com

Remembering Dave Niehaus

2010-11-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the World Series as much as I did this year. I thought it was great to see some new teams in the fall classic. Tim Lincecum is a local baseball product so I found myself rooting for him and the Giants this year. Normally that's the kiss of death, but they managed to come through even though I was rooting for them.

In the Seattle area we got some real sad news with the passing of our hall of fame voice of the Mariners, Dave Niehaus. I was 11 years old when the Mariners started playing in Seattle and Dave Niehaus has been the one constant for the Mariners since that first opening day. Like many other Mariner fans I have grown up listening to Dave call Mariner games and I have a tough time thinking about Mariner baseball without him. I was sent a link to a segment from a local comedy show in the Seattle that aired over a decade ago and featured Dave Niehaus. I think it's pretty funny and features Dave near the end giving one of his signature calls, I hope you enjoy it.

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Botched Relay Leads to Big Inning for Phillies

2010-10-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to watch as much of the baseball playoffs as I'd like to but I did get to watch most of both games in the NLCS. I was real excited for Saturdays pitching match up of Lincecum vs. Halladay and it didn't disappoint as it turned out to be a great game.

On Sunday the Giants found themselves down 2-1 in the 5th and in the 7th may have had a chance to escape the inning without giving up a run but were unable to throw out the pitcher (Oswalt) at home plate after he ran through the stop sign from the third base coach. The play was very close and should have been the second out for the Giants but they blew the relay from center.

If you didn't see the game you can watch the highlights using the link below.

Watch the video highlight here (1:00 minute mark)

The situation was that the Phillies had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the inning. Base hit to center field and an opportunity to throw out the pitcher at home plate. The throw from the center fielder looks like it's on target but the first baseman (Huff) cuts the ball and has to turn and pickup the runner before making the throw home. As it turns out, Huff thought they were holding up the pitcher at third and thought he may be able to get him at third if he took a wide turn. Now I've never played in front of a major league crowd going crazy, but at the games we coach, it's a perfect example of why you don't have the cutoff person make a decision about whether to cut the ball or not. That decision should come from the catcher.

I think Huff could have done himself and his team a favor by getting in a better position to make the relay throw. In the video and the picture above you'll see he is squared up to center field to receive the relay throw. If he simply turns sideways as the throw is on the way, he not only would be in position to make a quicker relay throw, but he might be able to turn his head enough to pick up the runner out of his peripheral vision. Just a little better positioning may have made the difference between a run and an out and possibly could have led to the Giants only being down 2-1 going into the 8th inning. The picture below shows just how close the play at the plate was.

Here are a couple of drills that can help your team work on relays from the outfield:
Relay Throwing Race
Team Cutoff Drill

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com

Inspirational TD Run

2010-10-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've tried to link to inspirational stories when I see them on my QCBaseball.com web site and here is the first one where I was able to see the player featured in person. My oldest son is now playing JV football at his high school and their first game of the season was at Snohomish High School. Snohomish has a junior football player (Ike Ditzenberger) who has Down syndrome and in our game got in for a few plays and came out to a big applause from the crowd each time. It was really fun to see the reaction from the crowd and the support that he received from his teammates.

A few weeks later Snohomish was playing Lake Stevens in a Varsity game and were not doing well. Although Snohomish was down big in the 4th quarter, a special play from Ike gave everyone who was there a special memory that they will not forget.

If you'd like to read more about Ike and see an additional video, here is the link to a local TV news story.

Don Edlin
Owner
QCBaseball.com
<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Yankees Beat Rays on Home Run and Questionable Baserunning Play</h1> <p>2010-09-15T10:45:00.000-07:00</p> Jorge Posada had a 10th inning home run to put the Yankees ahead by one on what is turning out to be a great September series between these two teams battling for first place.  What I found more interesting from a coaching and player standpoint was the decision by Carl Crawford of the Rays to tag up and try to reach 3rd on a fly ball to right field in the bottom of the 10th.  It took a perfect throw from right fielder Greg Golson to throw him out and end the game, but the question that of course came up is the long standing unwritten baseball rule that you never want to make the last out of an inning at third base.<br /><br />Both Crawford and his coach explained after the game that they had no problem with the attempt because they play aggressive baseball.  Crawford said, "That's the way we play. When you get thrown out, it easy to say you shouldn't have run."  The reason I bring this up on the blog is because I like that the Rays are sticking to the way they play, even in one of the biggest games of the season, they made no excuses after the game about it.  When you think about the situation, I think we as youth coaches can learn a lesson about sticking to the way you play the game, rather than not playing aggressive because we don't want to break an unwritten baseball rule.<br /><br />Let's look at the situation:<br /><ul><li>1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning and you're down by one run  </li><li>The runner on 2nd base (very fast player) has just stolen 2nd base to get there  </li><li>Dominating pitcher on the mound (in this case Mariano Rivera)</li><li>Strong arm in right field</li></ul>Now it would be easy for me to argue that Crawford shouldn't have tried to advance to 3rd base and I really think given the situation that he shouldn't have.  How much was there for him to gain by getting to 3rd base?  He could score on a wild pitch, balk, or passed ball, not much chance of that with Rivera on the mound.  He could have scored on a wild throw from the right fielder as he attempted to throw him out at 3rd.  That happens occasionally, but not often.  He could have scored on an infield hit or error.  Other than that he had just as much of a chance to score from 2nd as from 3rd.  Given the case that this was a professional game, I just don't think it was worth the risk trying to advance, but I still like the aggressiveness of the Rays in a big game.<br /><br />Now let's think about the play from youth baseball game perspective.  One of the big keys for me is that there is a dominating pitcher on the mound.  <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">You have to think about who is coming up and what the chances of him getting a base hit are.  </span>Now you add to that all the things that can go wrong and do on a regular basis in a youth baseball game and I think you can make a very good case for trying to advance to 3rd with two outs.  All of those things that happen very rarely in a pro game, happen on a fairly regular basis in youth baseball and many runs are scored on passed balls, infield hits, and errors at the youth level.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: blue;">Practice Drill and Communication</span></strong><br /><br />No matter how you would like to handle this situation as a coach, how do you convey this to your team and particularly to a runner standing on second base before the ball is pitched?  One thing you can do is to put the control in your hands as a 3rd base coach and take it out of the player's hands.  During practice run a drill with players on 2nd base and simulating either 0 or 1 out.  Have a coach stand on the beginning of the outfield grass and throw fly balls to the outfield (have him start deeper fly balls and then work the ball in).  The runner should immediately tag up and look at you in the 3rd base coaching box.  You'll have 3 signals you can give him:  <br /><br />1. On a very shallow fly ball, you simply point directly at him.  That means stay on the base after the ball is caught.  This makes sure that the runner isn't caught of the base and thrown out going back to second.<br />2. Both hands up in the air, with palms facing towards the runner.  This means take a few quick steps to draw a throw and then the runner should turn and pick up the throw.<br />3. Both hands down pointing directly at 3rd base.  This means run.<br /><br />Number 1 above can be given before the ball is caught.  The player is not going anywhere, so he doesn't need to know the exact time the ball is caught.  Actually it is good to give this early, so he can turn and watch and see if the ball is misplayed.  <br /><br />Number 2 and 3 above; require that you time the signal with the catch of the ball, as the signal will tell the player what to do and that they can do it immediately when they see the signal.<br /><br />This drill will not only help your team get used to the signals, it also provides you with help on how deep the ball needs to be hit to allow different players to make it to third.  In addition it's a really fun drill for your outfielders to practice making a critical throw in a game situation.  Finally you can work in the cut-off player and help him and the third baseman determine where is the best position to be in when the outfielder is trying to throw someone out and when to cut and when to let it go.<br /><br />All in all it's a good drill that covers base running, defense, and communication on both sides in one drill.<br /><br />Don Edlin <br />Owner<br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>ESPN '30 for 30' on Tuesday Night about Kirkland LL 1982 Championship</h1> <p>2010-08-30T09:36:00.000-07:00</p> I found myself kind of torn as I watched a number of games for the Little League World Series.  I certainly enjoyed the baseball, as there were some great plays made in every game I watched, but I did find myself thinking that having every game on ESPN adds a lot of pressure to what are already pressure filled games.  I do think that kids are probably better equipped to handle the media attention then they were in the past, but it is still a lot of attention and pressure to place on 12 year old kids.<br /><br />I listened to a radio interview last Friday with Cody Webster the star of the 1982 Little League World Series Championship team from Kirkland and although he said there were a lot of positives that came from winning that series, there were also a lot of negatives.  They went from national heroes one season to being the team that everyone wanted to beat the next.  That target on their backs meant they were not always treated well by opponents and opponent parents.  Cody being the star of the team took the brunt of much of that and as kids grew and caught up with him, he found it difficult to match the high expectations that people had placed on him.  He had a difficult time adjusting as his life moved forward and really struggled dealing with everything that came along with being the star of the championship team.  <br /><br />Tuesday night ESPN will air a '30 for 30' special on that 1982 Kirkland team.  As a coach, parent, and baseball fan, I think it should be a very interesting program and I hope you have the opportunity to watch.  Please let me know your thoughts about the show if you have the chance to see it.<br /><br />Don Edlin<br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Logan Morrison of the Florida Marlins and His Ailing Father</h1> <p>2010-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:00</p> If you haven't seen it I wanted to share a nice story I saw this morning about Logan Morrison who was called up in July by the Florida Marlins and his father who has incurable lung cancer and wasn't sure if he'd get the opportunity to see his son play in the Major Leagues.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/26/1792775/ailing-father-travels-to-see-son.html">Ailing father travels to see Florida Marlins' Morrison play</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>South Carolina Takes Game 1 of CWS - Despite Baserunning Mistake</h1> <p>2010-06-29T10:06:00.000-07:00</p> Blake Cooper pitched 8 great innings for South Carolina to take game 1 of the best of 3 series against UCLA. He kept UCLA off balance all night and UCLA just couldn't seem to hit anything hard off of Cooper. I hope UCLA bounces back tonight just so we can have a final game for the National Championship on Wednesday but I think UCLA will have to relax a little if they want to change things around tonight. They looked nervous in the field and at the plate.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: blue;">Baserunning Mistake In 3rd Inning</span></strong><br /><br />A baserunning error in the 3rd inning by South Carolina could have cost them if the game had been closer.  They had the bases loaded with no outs.  Shallow fly ball was hit to center field.  The runner tagged up and faked running home to draw a throw.  The UCLA center fielder launched a throw way over the head of the catcher.  The runner tried to score and was thrown out by the pitcher who did a good job of backing up the throw home.  The baserunning mistake wasn't so much that the runner tried to score but rather that he should have scored easily!  On the replay, they show the runner tagging up and faking running home, which was fine, but once he stopped, he immediately turned around and started walking back to third as he picked up the throw.  It looked like he took 3 steps back before he realized the throw wasn't even close, which is when he decide to try and score.<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Why Go Back?</strong></span><br /><br />There was no reason for the runner to go back.  The reason to fake running home in the first place is to draw a throw and hope it's a poor one.  The runner took way to long to pick up the ball and he wasn't looking as he broke for home.  If you're going to run home on the throw that's okay, put your head down and score. If you are faking, then keep your eye on the throw.  Within a split second of the throw being made the runner will be able to make his first read by looking at the trajectory of the throw.  Can the ball be caught by the cut-off?  If yes, stay a little closer to 3rd to avoid being thrown out.  If the ball is high and can't be caught by the cut-off, then the runner can venture off a little farther and use that time to determine where the throw is going.<br /><br />If the South Carolina runner had watched the throw, he would have immediately known that it was way over the head of the cut-off and may even have known right away it was over the catcher.  By doing that one thing he wouldn't have started walking back to 3rd and he should have gained at least a couple of steps toward home.  If he decided to try and score at the exact same time that he did, he would have been safe by at least a couple of steps instead of an easy out.  <br /><br />Now in the end it didn't cost South Carolina in this game but what a huge mistake as the poor baserunning took them from having 1 run and 1 out with 2 runners still on base, to having no run and 2 outs.<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Drills</strong></span><br /><br />You can use the following drills to work on this situation with your base runners.  In addition to the objectives listed in each drill, you can also have them work on drawing a throw home by faking that they are going home and have them read the trajectory of the ball to determine how far to go off.  Make sure they are not in an unnecessary hurry to get back to 3rd base or the South Carolina mistake could be repeated.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.qcbaseball.com/drills/baseball_drills.aspx?drill=58">Shallow Fly Ball Drill</a><br /><a href="http://www.qcbaseball.com/drills/baseball_drills.aspx?drill=57">Team Cutoff Drill</a><br /><br />Don Edlin<br />Owner <br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Sacrifice Bunt vs. The Big Inning</h1> <p>2010-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:00</p> I just got back from a few days in California, going to the last two rounds of the US Open (what a great experience!) and playing a couple of rounds of golf myself.  Since I've been back it has been hard to turn off the TV as we are seeing one of the best weeks of sports that I can remember.  I'm not a big soccer fan but I was glued to the TV for the second half of US victory over Algeria.  What an exciting game with what was at stake.  Wimbledon then got into the picture with a record 11 hour tennis match played over 3 days that finally saw John Isner outlast Nicolas Mahut.  All of this coming on the heals of the US Open and an exciting 7 game series in the NBA finals.  Amazing that all of this has been going on when what I've really been looking forward to is watching is the College Baseball World Series.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: blue;">Sacrifice Bunt vs. The Big Inning</span></strong><br /><br />I missed most of the beginning games of the College Baseball World Series, but I'm trying to catch all the action I can now that I'm back.  I thought there was some interesting strategy that played out in the Florida State - TCU elimination game on Wednesday. I always remember my first college coach who had the philosophy to bunt early to get the lead, then play for the big inning.  He would quote some study that was done in Major League Baseball stating that 74% of the time (it's been a few years so that percentage could be off a little, but that's what I remember) the winning team scored more runs in one inning than the opposing team scored in the entire game.  Result - play for the big inning.  Now he would certainly sacrifice in certain situations later in the game, down by one run and/or bottom of the order up, etc., but in general his philosophy was to try and score runs in bunches when possible.<br /><br />In the FSU - TSU elimination game, Florida State was up 4-2 in the fifth inning and the first two hitters got on base.  The 3rd hitter of the inning was also the 3rd hitter in the FSU lineup, who had hit a home run in the 1st inning.  Florida State decided to have him sacrifice bunt and move the runners up.  It was successful and they scored a run on a sacrifice fly and two more later in the inning on a double.  So they ended up scoring 3 runs in the inning and took a 7-2 lead.  Seemed like good strategy.<br /><br />In the 7th inning TCU managed to get one back and in the 8th inning, TCU got the big inning and scored 8 runs to take an 11-7 lead which would end up being the final score.  That big 8 run inning accounted for 1 more run than FSU put up in the entire game.  Now it's easy to look back after a game and figure out what could have been done differently and in no way am I saying that the FSU coach was right or wrong, but if I were him I'd have to question having one of your best hitters sacrifice bunt in the 5th inning when you're up by 2 runs.  We'll never know of course, but maybe he would have hit a double in the gap and FSU might have scored 5 or 6 instead of the 3 they ended up with.<br /><br />Now the point of this blog entry is not to question the FSU coach but rather to bring up a situation that you as a coach will face on a regular basis over the course of the season.  If you were in this situation with your team, what would you do?  The first answer would probably be "It depends on the situation".  Meaning:<br /><ul><li>What type of team you have:  do you have many good hitters and your team scores a lot of runs or do you have to scratch and claw for every run?  In either case given this situation, but especially if I have a team that struggles to score, I want my best hitter swinging the bat.</li><li>Who's coming up next: does the next hitter in the lineup strike out a lot or is he a good contact hitter?  If he strikes out a lot, I want my number 3 hitter swinging away, if my number 4 hitter is a good contact hitter, then I would give more thought to bunting.</li><li>What type of firepower does the other team have: Do they struggle scoring runs or can they put them on the board in bunches? If I know I'm playing a very good offensive team then I'd be more inclined to play for the big inning and try to get the big lead.  If not, then any runs you can get to pad the lead may be enough.</li><li>What type of pitching do you have for the rest of the game: Are you confident in your staff to hold down the opponent or are you worried about their ability to get outs?</li></ul>Obviously there are a lot of variables that come into play in this decision, so it's important as a coach that you have an idea of what you want to do depending on your team before the situation comes up.  Once those first 2 hitters get on base, how many seconds do you have to either signal the next hitter to swing away or to bunt?  There isn't much time and you can certainly rely on your gut, but having an idea before you get into the game based on all the available information will allow you to make a decision that you are confident in rather than using your gut and wondering if you did the right thing.<br /><br />Don Edlin<br />Owner<br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Outfield Communication Problem Costs Arizona</h1> <p>2010-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00</p> It's difficult to ever say that one play ever is the reason a team loses a game, but I'm sure it would be difficult for the Arizona outfielders to not feel that way when that one play would have ended the game. That's what happened last night in the College Softball World Series where Arizona had a one run lead with two outs in the bottom of the 7th over UCLA and a fly ball dropped between the left fielder and the center fielder. Both players were going hard after the ball and it looked as if either one could have caught it (about 30 seconds into the video below). It ended up in a near collision and the 3rd out falling to the outfield grass for a double. That run would score to tie the game and then UCLA would win it in extra innings with a walk-off home run.<br /><br />It appears in the video as if the center fielder calls off the left fielder as she is running hard to the ball, but apparently the left fielder didn't hear her.  I couldn't find any interview to find out exactly what happened but Arizona coach Mike Candrea said he thought it was the center fielder's ball. He also said "We've done it a million times...In the moment in time, there was a little bit of confusion."<br /><br />So can this confusion be prevented?  I'm not sure it can be as the Arizona coach stated they've "done it a million times" and I'm sure they work hard at practice to try to prevent this very problem.  It just happens sometimes, even if you're prepared.  My guess is that multiple calls from the center fielder would have eventually have been heard by the left fielder and the catch would have been made.  Again this is just my opinion based on the video.<br /><br />For the rest of us coaching youth baseball and softball, what we can learn from this is to make sure we have a communication plan in place for fly balls and that we practice it enough to have confidence that we are doing our best to avoid this exact situation.  <br /><br />Here is a section on how to implement <a href="http://www.qcbaseball.com/skills/outfield_communication1.aspx">defensive fly ball communication</a>.<br /><br /><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jWjtKHxn_yI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></object><br /><br />Don Edlin<br />Owner <br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Ken Griffey Jr. Retires</h1> <p>2010-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00</p> As a Seattle native and local sports fan it was difficult to hear the news that Ken Griffey Jr. has retired.  During a time in Major League Baseball where performance enhancing drugs have soiled the reputation of many of the game's biggest stars, Ken Griffey Jr. has remained separate from those rumors and by all accounts has put up some of baseball's greatest numbers doing it the right way.  Considering the many injuries he had in his time with the Reds, it's a real testament to the type of person he is that he didn't follow the same path that many of his peers did and use steroids to help him stay healthy and improve his performance.  It must have been difficult for the best player of the decade (90's) to watch Bonds and other players put up amazing numbers in the next decade as he spent much of his time dealing with injuries.<br /><br />There is no doubt he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer, his career numbers are amazing, but that decision to play the game clean and not be mixed up in steroid allegations simply assures that there will be no debate when those Hall of Fame votes are cast.  As young athletes move into high school, college, or become minor league ball players and contemplate using performance enhancing drugs, Ken Griffey Jr. should be pointed to as a role model for making the right decision about how to play the game.  If a young athlete really looks at what has been written about Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Ken Griffey Jr. they will hopefully see that Junior made the correct decision and maybe that will help them make the correct decision themselves.<br /><br />While from a coaching and parenting standpoint I wanted to write about Griffey as a role model and clean player, as a fan of the game I can't help mentioning that Griffey has provided me with some of my greatest baseball memories.  It was special to be able to go down to the Kingdome and watch Griffey play on a regular basis.  There aren't many players that you'll stop whatever you're doing when the game is on to make sure you don't miss his at bat.  Griffey was that player and he could deliver something magical on any given night and did it on a regular basis.  How many players can you say saved Major League Baseball in the town that they played?  With Griffey you can say exactly that as the Mariners most likely would have moved if Griffey didn't play for them.  <br /><br />Griffey never played in a World Series, but that shouldn't take away from what he accomplished in his amazing career.  He was one of the best ever and for me and many others in the Seattle area, we will never forget the pleasure of watching him play.<br /><br />Don Edlin<br />Owner<br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> <article> <h1>New QCBaseball Blog and Communication Changes with Subscribers</h1> <p>2010-05-30T10:58:00.000-07:00</p> I've been receiving a number of emails asking me why "I haven't received any newsletters recently" or "I signed up for the newsletter but I haven't received one".  I have to apologize for spending hardly any time on the QCBaseball web site in the last year and half.  I have been spending a lot of time on my team and league web site product that I sell on <a href="http://rteamsite.com/">rteamsite.com</a> and I also picked up (reluctantly) a contract programming job that has taken way more time than I was anticipating.<br /><br />So with that project winding down, this is the time to get cranking on QCBaseball.com and start working on some major updates and changes to the site!<br /><br />My first goal is to make the process of communicating with site visitors and newsletter subscribers much easier process for both my site visitors and me.  This blog and the publishing options I'm putting in place will help with this process.  I hope to have this update complete within the next couple of weeks.  I will be sending an email to all current newsletter subscribers informing them of the changes and what they need to do to continue receiving QCBaseball.com updates and information.<br /><br />Don Edlin<br />Owner<br />QCBaseball.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"></div> </article> </main></body></html>