Category: Baseball (Page 12 of 16)

What’s wrong with the picture above?  Looks like a fun 9 or 10 year-old baseball game here in Phoenix, right?

Check out the dad behind the screen.  Do I see that correctly?  Is he really holding a radar gun?

I’m absolutely sickened by this image.

There are just so many things wrong here.  Please pass this post on to everyone you know in the baseball community.  I’ll attempt to break down just a few of the disasters here – and try not to rant too long.

The Radar Gun

First of all, with all of the things we now know about young pitchers and arm injuries, the last thing any young pitcher needs to be concerned with is radar gun velocity.

Dr. James Andrews is arguably the world’s most famous and best orthopedic surgeon, and he has saved the pitching arms of some of the greatest professional baseball players on the planet.  To the right is an image of what actually takes place when doctors have to rebuild the joint and the ligament.

So when he has a request for the game he loves the most, we should be wise and listen to his request — especially at the youth and high school level.

“I think they should outlaw the radar gun,” he said. “Young pitchers, coaches, scouts and parents put so much emphasis now on throwing hard that these kids are hurting their elbows and their shoulders because they’re trying to throw 90 mph.”

The radar gun, Andrews says, is one of many injury risks at the youth and high school level in an age of baseball that is seeing more and more teenage athletes on the operating table instead of the pitching mound.

You should read more from Dr. Andrews here…

You should read more from Major League Baseball and PitchSmart here….

The Complete Lack of Perspective on Youth Baseball

What in the world is this dad thinking?  How does measuring the velocity of a 9-year old pitcher have anything to do with what is important in a 9-year old baseball game?

Baseball is one of the most difficult games ever invented – it’s a self-esteem destroyer on it’s own.  We need to be encouraging our kids at the youth level, not measuring the exit velocity of the fastball, for crying out loud.

The goal at the end of every 9 year-old baseball game is that the kid wants to come back and do it again.

I’ve got to turn it over to Steve Springer here so you can see his video on what’s important….a must watch for all baseball parents.  Like Spring says, take the kid out for ice cream after the ballgame.  Tell him how much you love him and how much fun you had watching him.

Also, see Brian Regan’s comedic take on youth baseball that will give you some insight on how many kids view the game.

The Singular Lack of Perspective on Pitching

Youth pitching is completely about having fun and learning to handle yourself on the mound.  And that, by the way, isn’t easy.  It’s also about learning proper pitching mechanics and throwing strikes. Period.

There is absolutely no way that any kid’s baseball future can be determined by how hard he throws or how effective he is when he’s 9.

With that said, there’s absolutely no way you can determine a kid’s baseball future in any way when he is 9 years of age.

The Absolute Unawareness of His Position in the Stands

Dude.  Assuming that your son is the pitcher, he really needs to be concentrating on the catcher’s glove.

Not you right behind home plate holding that radar gun. I bet you give him the thumbs up when he throws a good pitch, too.

You know and I know (and I’m sure his coaches do, too) that he’s looking at you half of the time – and that’s not at all how it should be. 

Secondly, you are more than likely blocking the view of other parents, grandparents, other family members, and friends at that ball game.  You are taking up prime viewing real estate to get the 51 MPH reading, man.  I’m also sure they are really impressed that he’s breaking 50 MPH from 46 feet.

Well, that’s what I’ve got for now – I can’t take this much longer.  Please, please parents, encourage your youngsters.  They need someone there for them after they fail – and they will in this game.  Again, I ask that you share this post with anyone you know in the baseball community – let’s make sure we are encouraging and protecting our young players and pitchers.

“Standing in the batters box 60 feet 6 inches away from the pitcher whom throws a white 3 inch baseball across a 17 inch plate at speeds up to 90+ mph with only a 33 inch bat possessing a sweet spot of 3. 7 inches can cause anxiety for many players.”

“When you factor in the potential for pitches of different speeds, locations, and movements, as well as the 8 other position players behind the pitcher who’s primary job is to defend against those hitters skilled enough to put a ball in play, it is a wonder that hitters are ever successful.”

Source: Michael Monsour’s For The Love of The Game Blog

It is widely acknowledged that hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports.

What I see all the time at the high school level, is that hitters don’t have a consistent hitting game plan.  The majority of high school hitters  end up getting themselves out. Regardless of the pitchers ability, many hitters are unsuccessful offensively by swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, failing to recognize hitters counts versus pitchers counts, and giving up on parts of the plate.  These failures prevent the team from scoring runs and directly impacts wins and losses.

Coach Monsour does a fantastic job here of highlighting some of the key strategies for hitters that will help ready them when it’s time to compete.  Click on his link above for more – but here are they key take-aways:

Aggressive swing thought

Successful hitting requires aggressiveness. The player does not have time evaluate the pitch and then make two decisions (swing or not to swing). Instead, he must commit each at bat to swing unless his assessment of the pitch tells him to not swing. So when you enter the batters box, commit to swinging at the pitch and stop yourself if you decide the pitch is no good.  This requires only one decision instead of two!

Attack fastballs in the Strike Zone on hitters counts

A hitter may face up to 12 counts at any given at-bat (see below). Some of the counts favor the hitter, some will favor the pitcher, while others are neutral. The hitters goal is to operate within the hitters counts by: only swinging at strikes and only swinging at hitters pitches in a hitters count.

Hitter’s Count: 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2 (Expect Fastball)
Pitcher’s Counts: 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 2-2 (Expect Pitcher’s pitch)
Even Counts: 0-0, 1-1

By their own admission, hitters hit the fastball better than they hit the curve ball. Data shows that pitchers have a tendency to throw fastballs when the count is in the hitters favor (hence the name hitters count). So when you find yourself in a hitters count, expect a fastball.

However, one method to get hitters to get themselves out is for a pitcher to throw a curve ball in a hitters count fooling the hitter. As a hitter, if you have a hitters count (let’s say 2-0) and the pitcher throws a curve (or other off speed pitch) do not offer at it. At worst the count is 2-1 and remains a hitters count. The following pitch will likely be a fastball for two reasons: pitchers tend to throw fastballs in hitter counts and pitchers rarely throw the same off speed pitch in sequence i.e. curve ball, curve ball.

Narrow your plate coverage to play the percentages

Few hitters can control both sides of the plate consistently – thus hitters must make a choice of which to give up. Over 70% of pitches in the strike zone are from just inside the midway point of the plate to the outside corner. Many more outs are made on the outside part of the plate. In fact, with runners in scoring position, pitchers will work the ball away (outside part of the plate) to avoid giving up a double in the gap or HR. I instruct my players to expect the ball “middle-away” and react to it “inside”.

Predict pitch type and location based on data and tendencies

Baseball players hit fast balls better than they hit curve balls. Pitchers throw fastballs in hitters counts – and, pitchers also like to throw a majority of their pitches on the outer half of the plate. If we use these facts in conjunction with the known tendencies of the players/coaches, we should be able to predict the pitch and location based on the count on the batter and runners on base.

For example, a batter has a 1-0 count. He should expect to swing at the next pitch which he predicts will be a fastball away. If he receives an off speed pitch or a pitch outside the strike zone, he does not swing. If he receives the pitch he expects in the location he expects it, he is very likely to hit it hard possibly resulting in a hit.

In summary, this is no easy task, but with the right approach, a hitter can dramatically improve his probability of hitting the ball hard somewhere.  With that said  – have a plan and put this information to work for you!

There’s a ton of emphasis at the major league level on hitting for power today.  Interestingly, we see a fair amount of that moving into the high school and youth levels, as well.  One college coach that I’m following argues that the “little things” are getting overlooked.  Many high school coaches (including myself) will argue that it’s costing their teams runs and wins.  When you think about it, there aren’t that many 16 year-old players that can consistently hit the ball out of the ballpark!

Paul Petricca is the softball hitting coach at Wheaton College (IL) and is in his 3rd year on the staff.  He is an astute observer of all things hitting – both baseball and softball….and you can find out more about him here at his blog-site, Torque-Hitting.  He really understands where power comes from and how to convert the power source into bat speed.

At the same time, Paul argues here that one of the most effective offensive strategies throughout the history of baseball has been all but lost—choking up on the bat!

Greater Bat Control

An excerpt: “Choking up on the bat makes the bat shorter, which enables hitters to control it better. It is also easier for hitters to find the sweet spot of the bat. This improved bat control is especially effective with two strikes or in pressure situations. In 2016, Anthony Rizzo almost always choked up on his bat when he found himself in a two strike count”.

“By choking up, he increased his chances of putting the ball in play, instead of striking out. His sole objective was to force the defense to make a play or to find a hole in-between the fielders.”

Source: Paul Petricca’s Hitting with Torque

As a high school coach, more often than not, all we are looking for is solid contact from our hitter.

Think about this situation that is all-too common in our game at the lower level: less than two outs and a runner on 3rd base.  There are essentially two things that won’t allow us to score the run if the infielders are at normal depth – the strike out and the pop-up.

By gaining better bat control and choking-up a bit on the bat, the hitter really does have a better chance to hit that ground ball up the middle that enables the run to score.

Increased Bat Speed and Power

Petricca argues that swinging a shorter and lighter bat increases bat speed, which translates directly into more power. He states that “Barry Bonds was able to hit with consistent power, even though he choked up on the bat, because he was able to generate enough home run bat speed with a shorter bat. I believe if Anthony Rizzo continues his two strike strategy, he will begin to hit more home runs with his hands choked up on the bat.”

Paul is often asked by his hitters whether they should swing a slightly larger or smaller bat.  His answer:

“If baseball and softball hitters can swing a larger bat without sacrificing bat speed, then the change would be appropriate”

More importantly, he states that:

“If hitters begin using a slightly smaller bat, then their bat speed should naturally increase to allow them to hit with the same power as using a larger bat. Choking up on the bat to make it smaller and lighter has the same positive effect.”

Defense Against Getting Jammed

In addition to more bat speed and bat control, hitters can choke up on the bat as a way to get a bigger part of the bat on the ball to eliminate getting jammed inside. Instead of hitting the ball near the handle, the hitter can now hit inside pitchers on a bigger part of the bat.  Even if you don’t find the “sweet spot” of the bat, that extra inch or two can often be the difference between an infield pop-up and a soft line drive to the outfield.

Petricca finishes his piece by stating “hitters should welcome any technique or strategy to gain more bat control without sacrificing power, especially in pressure situations. It is time for choking up on the bat a few inches to make a comeback in baseball and softball.”

I say “Amen”.