Now that was fast...

I gave one last college try to get the new site up and running and lo and behold, it looks like it works now.  It's still a little rough but it looks like most of the content made it to the new site. 

The new address is http://www.generalsbaseball2017.com/.  See you over there....

Frustrations.....

A few months ago, I decided to move the blog over to a new URL address.  It could not have gone worse!  The first run was fine; I was able to get all of the posts over to the new site.  But about a week later, the address didn't work.  So that's why you are not seeing anything new here.  I am still trying to work through the kinks...stand by.  I hope to get some things figured out in the next week or so.

Site Under Construction

There will not be any new posts here for a few days.  We are working on moving the information on this site to a new web address. 

Winter 2010

The story of the 2010 pre-season for youth, high school and college baseball has been the snow.  Will we ever get outside?

Here are a couple of pictures that illustrate what a wild and crazy winter we have had.  To the left is the home of the Myrtle Beach High School Seahawks, courtesy of MBHS Head Coach & FOB (Friend of Blog) Tim Christy.  I bet he never thought he'd see his field covered in snow during Spring baseball practice!

Here is a look at practice at the University of Maryland.  I guess they are working on taking the ball back up the middle?  I must say...I have never seen anything quite like that. 

North and south - this spring has been a challenge.  The good news is that NCAA Division I baseball starts this week...so Spring can't be that far away....can it?

The Three Eyes

Hitting can be complicated.  I once heard Gary Ward speak - he was at the time college baseball's most celebrated hitting coach - and he said that hitting was "the sequential unlocking of body parts to maximize bat speed at the point of contact."  At the same time, hitting can be simple.  Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hit king, said that his key to hitting was "See the ball, Hit the Ball".   My hunch is that it's somewhere in between.

More Hitting Drills

Last week, I listed a few basic tee drills...I will continue to add to that here.  Keep in mind that as you conduct each of these drills, you are coaching good fundamentals.  This is the time to break the swing down, to teach new movements and reinforce what the hitter is doing well.  Good repititions will begin to build good habits.  These habits are what the hitter will take with them to the batters box.

The beauty of tee and soft toss drills are that you can do them in a limited space.  If you have a net, you can have a great hitting session in the yard or garage.  You can use wiffle balls and hit them into a fence or simply pick them up when you are finished. 

One last note -- the magic of the tee or soft toss is not in the variety of unique drills.  The majority of time with the tee and soft toss should be spent with the basic, simple versions of these drills.

Padres Matt Antonelli shares baseball insights

One of the things that we have been discussing with our XPA Generals - and I have written a bit about on this blog - is the mental side of baseball.  From having a gameplan for seeing the ball to having a MASH mentality (Mentally Aggressive Selective Hitting).  On this post, we have the unique pleasure of getting some perspective from a major league player.

Matt Antonelli is a former Wake Forest player who was selected in the first round of the 2006 draft.  He is currently a second baseman with the San Diego Padres.  In the off-season, he is involved in teaching baseball to youngsters in his home state of Massachusetts.  I asked Matt to offer some thoughts that would be beneficial to the youth player.  He offers some excellent concepts that will be beneficial to hitters at every level.  

Many thanks to Matt for sharing these ideas and we wish him the best of luck in 2010.

Tee Drills for Developing the Young Hitter

I have received a couple of emails in recent weeks asking about various hitting drills that can be done at indoor practices. What follows are some drills that I have found helpful in coaching hitters.

Aggressiveness & Control

One of the most difficult things in coaching young hitters is teaching them the balance between aggressiveness and control. On one hand, we want hitters going to the batter's box with a positive, assertive attitude - we want them to swing the bat.  On the other hand, we understand that to be a successful hitter, you have to have a certain amount of control.  Ted Williams stated that one of the most important aspects to being a good hitter is to get a good pitch to hit.  When you think about it, it very difficult to put a good swing on a pitch that is out of the strike zone.  So how do we teach our hitters to balance being aggressive while showing control and discipline at the plate?

The Mess We Find Ourselves In

In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa went on a home run rampage that many baseball pundits say "Saved the Game". Baseball was losing popularity, they say, due to the players strike. This amazing duo put on a home run barrage night after night that had never been seen before. Baseball fans, including me, watched with wonder. How good are these guys? I can remember getting misty eyed when the mighty Big Mac lifted his young son to the air after one of his monumental blasts.

Development vs. Winning

Being a youth baseball coach presents a bit of a quandry...do you make your program developmental or do you focus on winning?  If you choose one or the other, it really makes coaching the team much easier.

Now this is amazing....

This is Bat Control!!  I must say, I have never seen anything quite like this.

Bunting Fundamentals

Every baseball player should be able to bunt. It requires technique and practice, practice, practice.

The bunt is a great offensive weapon for youth baseball. Though the desire is never to take the bat out of a hitters hands, there are certain situations where a bunt can be very advantageous to a team’s offensive success. In the late innings of close games, the bunt can help advance runners into scoring position. For a slumping hitter, the bunt often gives them a great chance to be successful and contribute to the teams’ success. For players with above average speed, the threat of a bunt can put pressure on the defense and give the player a greater chance of getting a ball through the infield due to infielders playing more shallow than normal.

Yet another post on pitch counts....

I have posted several things on this site about pitch counts and overuse/fatique in young pitchers.  As I observe travel baseball, I cringe at the number of pitches kids are being asked to throw in a given weekend. 
I don't think for a second that there are coaches who don't care, who are potentially putting kids in harms way for the sake of winning a trophy.  I don't think that's it at all.  I think it's simply a lack of awareness.

 Hopefully, these posts will find there way to other youth coaches and will at least give some background on age-appropriate workloads for pitchers.  It is something that I have tried to educate myself on now that I am coaching younger kids...I hope by passing some of this on, others can benefit as well.

Questions a College Coach asks a HS Coach...

Doug Kovash is the assistant baseball coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.  He was recently asked to elaborate on the following - "What do you (as a college recruiter) ask High School coaches about a player that you are recruiting?"  I think his answer is interesting...he is interested as much in the kind of person a player is as the kind of player he is.  Obviously, a great kid with limited talent is not going to attract the attention of college coaches.  That said, kids who have the ability to play at the next level also need to have attributes that go beyond the baseball field. 

Contrast Swings to Develop bat speed

It is that time of year -- time for baseball coaches at every level to start thinking about practice goals, putting together drills to help get ready for the Spring season.  I have found myself in this mode for the past few days.  I'll share something that we are planning to do with our XPA Generals for the spring season.

For a hitter, bat speed is Pixie Dust.  It's the magic.  It's what allows the hitter to see the pitch longer and hit it harder.  This is a program that will help a hitter of any age increase their bat speed.

Hitting with Two Strikes

Hitting with two strikes requires that the hitter make certain adjustments.  In this situation, it is imparative that the hitter focus on putting the ball in play.  These fundamentals ring true for youth players as well as older players.  Here are five coaching points that can help your hitters be more successful two-strike hitters.

1.  The hitter should mentally widen the strike zone a couple of inches in every direction.  The worst outcome for a hitter is to be called out on strikes.
2.  It is advisable that the hitter choke up on the bat an inch or so.  This allows for maximum bat control.
3.  Widening the stance can help the hitter stay balanced and hit more with the hands.  Less moving parts generally results in better contact rates.
4.  The hitter should look for the fastball and adjust to off-speed pitches.  This gives the hitter the best chance for success in that most pitchers have better command of their fastball than other pitches - thus will throw it more.  It is much more difficult to look for an off-speed pitch and then adjust to a fastball. 
5. Look for the pitch away and adjust to the inside pitch.  This allows hit to stay closed longer and makes it less likely that the pitch on the outside corner will "freeze" them, as so often happens.

Jr. Generals have changed affiliations

Happy New Year!  I have taken a break from the Jr. Generals site for a couple of months -- but we are just days away from beginning practice for the Spring 2010 season.  I am feeling myself getting back into baseball mode.

We have undergone some changes recently with our team.  We have made a decision that we think will be outstanding for the long-term success of our baseball program -- we are now affiliated with the Extreme Performance Academy in Chester, VA.  XPA, as they are known, has 20,000 square feet of indoor practice space and a terrific staff of instructors.  Among the instructors are one former MLB player, several current and former professional players and a current college head coach.  It's a very impressive organization and our team is excited to be a part of it.

We really enjoyed our time with the Petersburg Generals youth program.  Right now, the city of Petersburg is going through a transition period and we felt it was best to part ways.  We wish them the best in their future baseball endeavors.

We will now be referred to as the XPA Generals...the web address for this blog will remain the same for the time being.  I'll share more about XPA in future posts.

End of Year Assessments

Tonight the Jr. Generals concluded their Fall season officially with what we dubbed a "Measurements" practice.  We wanted to get the kids together one last time to assess various aspects of their game.

We put the team through the following:

• Record Fast Ball Speed with JUGS gun
• Record Change Up Speed with JUGS gun
• Record Differential between Fastball and Change Up
• Measure running speed in 40 and 60 yard dash
• Videotape each hitter
• Videotape each pitcher
• Measure Bat Speed with JUGS gun

We will give each team member a one page assessment.  It will include their Assessment numbers and how they rank against the team average, their season statistics (we don't share these during the season), an analysis of their hitting and pitching video with drills that they can work on to become more fundmentally sound.

It will be interesting to tie the two together over time -- as you improve your fundamentals, your bat speed and throwing speed will increase accordingly.  We will do another assessment in mid-Spring and continue to chart their progress.

We will also offer this Assessment to other youth players. If you or someone you know is interested, we will be offering this as a Jr. Generals fundraiser.  You can contact me at robingreen@petersburgjrgenerals.com.

David Booth Addresses the Jr. Generals

While in the Charlotte area last weekend playing in the Top Gun Winter World Series, the Jr. Generals had the opportunity to work out at Charlotte Country Day High School.  Country Day has among the best baseball facilities in the Charlotte area - it was a great experience for the team.

After our workout, the boys got the opportunity to meet David Booth, who was one of my former players at West Virginia State University.  David is coaching at Country Day while also training college and professional players.  Among his clients is Cameron Maybin, a rising star for the Florida Marlins.  David played professionally in the San Francisco Giants organization for several years after college before settling in the Charlotte area.

He spoke to the boys about what it takes to be successful on and off the baseball field.