The 2008 major league baseball season is quickly coming up. Which teams really have a shot at making it? Which teams are the ones to watch for? Where there be any repeats? That is exactly what we are about to find out.

We are going to discuss several different teams and what their chances are for reaching this years World Series. Will the Cubs make it? Will we see the Red Sox vying for their third Championship? Will we see an appearance by the Mets, Rockies, or Yankees? Let’s have a look.

Boston Red Sox

Still on a high from last years World Series win, can they do it again? It depends on who you ask. Of course, Red Sox fans are biased; they will always choose their favorite team to win. However, what you really need to look at are the facts. Yes, this is the Red Sox’s first Series win in eighty plus years, but can they do it again? It really depends on the Roster. Several of the Sox’s major players were beginning to have difficulties towards the end of the season.

If you look at age, when compared to other teams in the major leagues, many would say that the Sox have no chance in seeing the World Series this year, unless they make some definite roster changes. Some older players like Wakefield and Schilling are getting slack because of their age. The best the Sox can hope for this coming season is some roster changes and some new blood to take their playing level higher. Of course Mike Lowell is getting on in years, he was red-hot right through the World Series. And they have some new blood to work with in Elsbury and Pedroia.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have been borderline many times, always within reach but never getting there. Not in the last nearly one hundred years. Their die hard fans are always hopeful, they are the brunt of jokes, but if the Cubs keep playing like they have been in the last few seasons, we may see their unlucky streak broken yet.

Do not get me wrong, I am not now, nor have I ever been a Chicago Cubs fan. However, it is not as if they have had a terrible team. In most all occasions, when matching the St. Louis Cardinals the Cubs have won. The team is solid and plays well together, but for one reason or another tend to choke when their moment of glory arises.

If they could keep it together, the Chicago Cubs are definite contenders for the 2008 World Series.

New York Yankees

Fresh off their loss of Manager and four time World Series champion Joe Torre, the New York Yankees have some bouncing back to do. A few roster changes and the organization might see better results. Of course, it is going to be difficult to replace a winning manager. However, it is true that there has not been a series championship in the last seven years.

What I tend to see with the New York Yankees is that, yes, they are bringing in young talent, but doing so at a big price. These talents they hire for millions still make their millions regardless of whether or not they bring their A game to the field. The Yankees have a lot of high paid players, but these high paid players are not providing results. If the Yankees want to see another world series win, they are going to have to step up their game, their roster, and get a manager with the right attitude to replace Joe Torre.

The Colorado Rockies

The Rockies were on top of their game last season, giving the Red Sox a real run for their money in the World Series. Could they do it again with a winning appearance this time? Well, to be perfectly honest, this was their first World Series appearance and it was on pure luck in the eyes of many people. Even the players, when asked, could not explain how they did it. This tells us that there needs to be some real stepping up in the game before they can see a World Series win.

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Red Sox Nation is waiting in anticipation for the 2008 MLB season with the hopes of seeing back to back championships, and their prospects look great. No one knows what the season holds, but we can consider a few important things that give the Red Sox an excellent chance of going to the post season again at the very least. After all, the off season was busy, especially with the entire steroids controversy heating up after the Mitchell report was issued. The good news is that during the off-season, the Red Sox managed to keep most of the 2007′s World Series winning team intact.

Their pitching rotation, and their infield and outfield are basically the same. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is back, and Doug Mirabelli, the Sox backup pitcher, finalized a one year deal to stick around. Big bats Ramirez and Ortiz will be back too.

One of the biggest things that stops any team from making it to the playoffs – whether its baseball, football, basketball, etc. – is the loss of players that helped hold the team together.

Missing team leaders can make a team lose their passion and emotion. You lose that; you will lose games. And that’s what happened to the Red Sox after their 2004 World Series win; they lost a number of their important players like Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Orlando Cabrera. Plus, when you replace players, the coaches and staff has to spend their time teaching the new players how their club specifically plays the game.

One reason why key Boston players Mike Lowell and Curt Schilling stuck around for less money and fewer contractual years is because they know that the team has an excellent chance of winning back-to-back World Series.

The outfielders will be same in ’08 as well. This is the last year of Manny’s $160 million contract, but he may stay past this year, especially if he has a good season.

The Red Sox outfield in 2008 will consist of superstar Manny Ramirez in left field, J.D. Drew in right field, and either Ellsbury or Crisp in center field. Both Ellsbury and Crisp are still on the roster, so that may create a healthy competition between the two for center field. A team needs more than three men for the outfield to make it to the playoffs anyway. Crisp underperformed last year, and Ellsbury became a playoff hero last year, but both have their strengths and weaknesses.

Consistency is big part of the game. The season is very long, and stamina and consistency is what gets teams to the playoffs.

Fortunately, Boston’s pitching rotation looks like it is going to be very similar to last year’s. Beckett, Schilling, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Lester or Bucholz is a powerhouse lineup.

The first half of the Red Sox season looks only mildly challenging. Based on the player’s statistics and track records alone, the Red Sox look like they ought to win the ’08 World Series if the line-up doesn’t change, at least on paper. But once again, these guys have to play with heart and be consistent.

Injuries, illnesses, and bannings because of steroids notwithstanding, the Boston Red Sox have a good chance at going all the way once again. The team is strong and although some players have filed for arbitration in order to increase their salaries, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that they will leave the team. The Yankees are still aimlessly drifting in an effort to finish filling their roster.

There are also negotiations still in the works regarding Johan Santana, a possible addition to the Red Sox’s final roster. Once again, only time will tell. But the two time Cy Young Award winner would definitely make an impact on the team. The Boston Red Sox need to snatch him up before the Yankees or the Mets.

The Red Sox have an excellent chance of winning back to back championships, and it’s theirs to lose. If the Red Sox can play with heart, consistency, stamina and stay reasonably healthy, I expect to see them winning in October again.

Jason OConnor owns and operates ClickitTicket.com
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Baseball training mitts and gloves are not new. Their basic shape and design replicate the gloves used by the early Players of the game. When padded gloves made their appearance after world war II, utilizing two hands was the only way to gain ball control.

These padded shells did not offer much if any pocket by witch to trap the ball using the glove only. As the padding in these gloves tended to shift during play, the pocket formed through use would also shift.
Commercially available training gloves include the Kelley Athletics Training mitt, Akadema APG97 Infielders Training Glove, a.k.a. the Pancake; Mizuno GXT1 Training Glove and Valle Eagle Trainer Pancake Training Glove. These gloves share similar geometry and shape.

Using a round training mitt has two obvious advantages. First, off axis catches can still be trapped over any portion of the glove. The rigid perimeter creates a stable base for glove operation as a whole. Second, as Coaches drive grounders to the Player with a baseball bat from 40 feet or more, a properly placed glove will give the visual indicator or a complete circle. This circle is important as it confirms to the Coach that the mitt is perpendicular to the ground. Oblong shapes are tell tale signs that the Player does not have their hand in the proper position. This type of instant feed back allows Coaches greater efficiency in monitoring player position throughout the drill.

Imagine throwing a baseball at a large flat board. If perpendicular to the play, any ball striking the board will simply bounce back towards its origin. This is a great advantage for Players as the ball is in front of their line of site and between them and the play. Now, rotate the board 30 degrees behind perpendicular. Most players not using two hands have their glove in this position as they are reaching out in advance of the ball. With our board, any ball striking will continue its forward progress. The baseball will bounce up and behind the player.

If lucky, the ball will not go too far and the made scramble for control will end in with the base runner only advancing by one. Unlucky Players take the bounce in the face or chest where serious injury can occur.

Several versions of this type of baseball training device have been granted Patents in the United States. From simple rigid materials 4,208,051 held by Thomas S. Robertson 1980 to the Triangle pad, 4,802,669 held by Peter C. Birmingham, 1989

It is interesting to note that under United States Patent 4121824, in 1977 Robert Hirschfield developed what on the outside appears a typical small glove, while the inside is reinforced to impair the ability of the glove to close.

The invention concerns a partially inflexible device which may be worn as a glove by one attempting to increase his glove/hand reaction time proficiency in the baseball skills of catching, fielding and catch/throw agility. It also may be used by an instructor or coach in demonstrating or teaching those skills to players of any skill level.

The glove has the palm portion thereof made inflexible whereby a user cannot flex the palm to catch a ball by squeezing it with his glove hand. Instead, the user is forced to use his free hand to trap a ball between the inflexible palm of the glove and the free hand. The inflexible palm portion of the glove can be integrally formed with the glove; it can be an insert, permanently secured into a pocket of the glove; or it can be an insert which can be easily inserted into and removed from a pocket of the glove.

Summary of the Hirschgield Invention:

Participation in the sport of baseball requires, as does participation in any physical activity involving the use of special techniques, the development of certain fundamental skills. Unless those fundamental skills become “second nature” to the player so that he executes them virtually automatically, and without hesitation or concentrated effort, his level of play will be curtailed.

This invention relates to improving one’s skill in the baseball arts of fielding, catching and the combination of catch/throwing. As will be shown, by using the subject device, one automatically will practice the proper techniques of fielding ground balls, line drives and fly balls; of catching a ball thrown by another player and of catching and throwing a ball in one fluid motion.

A variety of situations arises during a baseball game where those techniques must be executed competently and quickly. To name but a few, an infielder must be able to field a ground ball and throw it without hesitation where the batter, or any base runner for that matter, is running quickly; an outfielder must be able to catch a batted ball, whether in the air or after it bounces, and with a quick release throw to the appropriate base or to home plate; an infielder, usually the second baseman or shortstop, must be able to catch a thrown ball and quickly pivot and throw to effect a double play. A game may be won or lost depending on proper execution.

Accordingly, baseball players at all levels of skills continually practice in an effort to increase and advance their level of play. Correspondingly, instructors and coaches of players who range from elementary school-age children to professional ballplayers insist on the development and enhancement of certain fundamental skills through repeated practice of properly demonstrated techniques. Players and coaches alike have had a long felt need for a training device that would enable one to develop those skills while reducing, if not eliminating, the potentiality of developing “bad habits” or poor skills.

The subject invention, which satisfies the aforementioned long felt need, is a device that provides the necessary means to advance the skills of any player. It is worn as a glove; indeed, its outward appearance may be that of an ordinary baseball glove. However, the pocket (that portion of the glove which covers the player’s palm) and the portion at least one-third of the way up each finger is made inflexible, though it may be shock absorbent. Accordingly, when a ball is hit or thrown to a player wearing the subject training device, he must cover the ball with his ungloved hand immediately upon the ball’s making contact with the rigid pocket, or else the ball will not be caught. In that way the player is properly taught to catch the ball with “two hands”, i.e., to cover the ball immediately upon contact.

The preference for a “two handed” catch exists in virtually all situations — ground balls, line drives, fly balls and thrown balls. Naturally, there are exceptions to any rule, but they are just that, exceptions. Sound fundamental skills require that one be able to perform the basics in a proficient way, and then be able to adapt as extraordinary situations arise (e.g. where one must jump, lunge or stretch in order to reach a thrown or hit ball with one hand).

Even with contemporary baseball glove technology, it is obvious that the advances in manufacturing and function still rely on basic skills to reach peak Player performance. Simple devices that can only function if used properly are the key to any Player success.

Mr. Dowdy is an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA Baseball you can also click over to Hirsch Group for more tips/articles or even Hirsch Group Blog for current events.
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Ever dreamed about the day you smashed that home run to win for your favorite team? I know I certainly have. Even today, the thought of swinging for the ball and making that sweet connection before sending it soaring into the crowds is very appealing. OK, so that goal might be beyond me, but it is possible, if you are just starting out in baseball, that you too could reach that level one day, and you could be smashing that homer for your local team, or even in the major league.

The first thing to think about if you are to become that home run hero is your attitude towards your baseball. Dedication. Loyalty. Commitment. Drive. Enthusiasm. Passion. They are all words you’ll hear from your coach, but what do they actually mean in real terms? What they mean is the sum total of success and team spirit, and in achieving these virtues you will be achieving something in yourself. That means turn up to training, work as hard as you can and live around your baseball. It is the only way you are going to seriously compete, and it’s a great way for you to realize discipline which is a valuable attribute to possess.

As far as improving your batting is concerned, you need to turn through with your entire body weight to propel the ball for a home run. It is simple principles of physics. Put you full mass behind it and watch the ball soar. Additionally, you should aim to create some lag in your stroke by putting your hands in front of the bat. This will whip the bat through the ball, which will ultimately create a faster speed, which combined with the shoulder turn and body weight emphasis will send the ball for miles. That is of course provided you make the connection, and don’t land yourself with an air ball.

Baseball is a sport like any other and requires dedication and practice to improve. With a bit of luck, your efforts will be repaid in glory and triumph at whatever level. Either way, baseball is a truly rewarding sport, and the drive to improve is so strong that this will be enjoyable enough in itself. Furthermore, supporting your team and leading the way on the field can be a tremendous honor, and can allow you to truly appreciate the baseball dream.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Sports, Golf, and Games

Baseball is probably the most watched sport in America today. The way the game is played is two teams are formed with 9 players each. The pitcher will try to haul the baseball to the batter. The pitcher is trying to strike out the batter, three strikes and your out but the batter can hit the ball. The other 8 person playing with the pitcher are the 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, 3rd baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, right fielder and the catcher which catches the ball that the pitcher throws unless the batter hits the ball.

People will argue where the sport was originated but the real origin of baseball lies here in the good old United States. The game was played here back to the early part of the 19th century, but back then it was all white baseball no other players could play until the 60s and 70s came around where they allowed all players to try out and could play if they were good enough.

The National League was formed in 1876 where they started first playing baseball. After that more leagues and teams were added on and they started to play more and more of baseball and soon it grew to what we now know today as baseball. With Barry bonds and Alex Rodriguez hitting home runs every time up to bat, the players are getting better but the game is still the same. Maybe they need to start making the fields larger so it makes it harder for those good players to get a lot of home runs.

After the world wars baseball was a world wide sport and everyone wanted to play it. By then there were so many teams that they could have a baseball world series which didn’t start till later on down the road. There were baseball teams from all over the world like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Netherlands, Australia , Africa, south Africa, Europe, England, great Brittan, anywhere that you could think of as a country there was a baseball team for it that’s how popular baseball got after the world wars ended. If you wanted to play all you had to do in those days was go try out and if you could run and catch the ball with ease and actually hit the ball when you batted you were going to be on the team.

That’s just how it was back in those days; they just wanted players so they could player each others teams and have something to talk about every day. Back then all you heard talk about all day was baseball. Now today all you hear about is news about the Iraq war and occasionally talk of baseball. The big talk on baseball at the moment is the steroid issue.

Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about baseball as well as baseball equipment at http://www.nsearch.com

In building a team, the pioneers of modern baseball discovered patterns which are essential to success on the field. John McGraw always wanted strength down the middle when he managed championship teams for the New York Giants. He wanted topnotch defensive players in center field, at shortstop and second base, and behind the bat. In checking the strength of the Chicago White Sox, 1959 American League champions, you will find it in those positions – Landis in center field, Fox at second base, Aparicio at shortstop, and Lollar doing the catching.

In the top teams of recent years you will find the same pattern. As examples, take the Dodgers with Snider in center field, Reese at shortstop, Robinson at second base, and Campanella behind the bat; and the Yankees with Dickey catching, Rizzuto and Gordon as the second-base combination, and DiMaggio in center field.

Connie Mack concluded that pitching provided 70 per cent of the strength of a club and proved it by winning pennants for the Athletics with such stellar mounds men as Bob Grove, George Earnshaw, Ed Rommel, Chief Bender, Eddie Plank, and Jack Coombs.

Add to this Branch Rickey’s conclusion that it takes five championship players plus pitching to win a pennant under normal circumstances and you have a formula for building a team. By championship players, Mr. Rickey means players who can run, throw, field, hit with power, and have a desire to play the game to the best of their ability.

INFIELDERS AND OUTFIELDERS. Starting from scratch as manager, coach, or captain of a squad of players, who do you want to be your shortstop? You want the player with the strongest arm if he has the other attributes required of an infielder. He should have good running speed and agility and quick hands. Since the shortstop gets more fielding chances than any other player, he should have “glue in his glove”; he should be such a sure fielder that he will rarely fumble the ball.

It is desirable to have a second baseman with strong forearms and wrists which permit him to make quick snap throws. He must be able to get rid of the ball in a hurry without throwing with a big sweeping motion of the arm. The second baseman also has a wide territory to cover and should have good running speed, agility, and good hands.

Particularly in Little League and other junior baseball it is helpful to have a tall first baseman because beginners often make throws which aren’t true to the mark. Of course, it is essential that he have flexible hands which do not fumble balls thrown to him. Agility also is desirable since a good first baseman should be able to leap for high throws, dig low throws out of the dirt, and leave the base to spear wide throws.

A strong arm is important to a third baseman. Balls are hit so hard in his direction that he can frequently knock them down with his glove and still throw out the runner. In fact, some players have gained a reputation for blocking the ball with their bodies, retrieving it and retiring the runner. Observers would comment about Pepper Martin, the St. Louis Cardinals’ star: “He’ll be a great third baseman as long as his chest holds out.”

The catcher should be rugged but still have good enough mobility to field bunts and foul flies and to back up the bases. He should be able to throw quickly and with power and have leadership qualifications since he directs the play on the field.

In the outfield, the player with the best range should be assigned to center field. He directs traffic in the outfield and in most instances has the right-of-way to catch every ball he can reach. He should have a strong and accurate arm.

If you have the privilege of working with players of above average ability in these areas, you won’t have many problems.

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Running Bases, protecting the bag, pitching; what is the level of aggression players should utilize when playing baseball? Does it make sense for a 12u team to have a player round third when the catcher has the ball under control and then dig a bee line to knock the ball out of the catchers glove?

In psychology and other social and behavioral sciences, aggression refers to behavior that is intended to cause harm or pain.

However, it is important to understand what being appropriately aggressive baseball player means, because “being too aggressive’ is often a description indicating a problem player. To clarify a player was direct physical harm was obviously the intent? And could the objective served by the action could have been accomplished by methods less likely to harm another(harding).

Each baseball player makes choices in the heat of the moment. What is important for coaches and parents is to guide these choices. Collisions are inevitable, but the degree to which the collision can be tempered can be taught.

What does this have to do with whether or not a player is too aggressive? At every level a player’s play is formed within the context of the game’s rules as exercised by parents, coaches and umpires(Harding)
Until baseball players reach the paid ranks (I consider college as a paid position) the focus should be that everyone there is to have some level of fun and everyone deserves to be able to walk away from the game without injuries inflicted by others.

Aggression is not limited to the field of play and the actions therein. From the bench, foul language, attempts to intimidate or mocking are all initiating forms of aggression. It may appear on the surface as a benign taunting, but where does it end? If a player successfully taunts opponents without recourse, they will take the next step.

As humans we are hardwired for certain behaviors. Culture is a distinctly human factor that plays a role in aggression. Anthropological research has found that some cultures are relatively low on aggression while others are seemingly high. If allowed to continue unchecked, the culture of baseball runs the risks of aggressive contact as a prerequisite to success.

Environmental factors can trigger more aggressive behavior. Heat, is the predominate environmental event that leads to aggression. Biologically were prefer certain levels of comfort. When weather swings beyond our preferred levels, humans get edgy.

Add the stress of competitive activity and being on the winning or losing side and aggression can flair. Much like a flame to dry tinder, the smallest spark can set the whole enterprise a blaze.

Aggression can be either physical or verbal, and behavior is classified as aggression even if it does not actually succeed in causing harm or pain. Behavior that accidentally causes harm or pain is not aggression.

Left un checked, aggression initiated by one will likely be repaid in kind or a little more, which will then be repaid; a accelerating cycle that can lead to all out violence. Clearing the bench for a team fight is a sorry day for both teams.

As parents and coaches, it is up to us to teach our players what is acceptable aggression. It makes no sense for a 12u team to have a player round third when the catcher has the ball under control and then dig a bee line to knock the ball out of the catchers glove. Here the decision should be to get caught between third and home and force the defense to complete a successful pickle.

Baseball players need to be aggressive in many areas. Fielding, Hitting and base running require active aggressive actions to complete the desired result. When actions involve other players, this aggressiveness needs to be age appropriate, or at least skill appropriate. What is acceptable for a competitive travel 12u team, may not be acceptable for a 12u recreation team.

References:
How Aggressive Should a Baseball Player Be?
Herndon P. Harding, Jr. is the medical director at the Florida Hospital Center for Behavioral Health and a member of the USA Baseball Medical & Safety Advisory Group.
Aggression- source articles on the web
sciencedaily
wikipedia

Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA You can also visit Hirsch Group for more new tips and articles.

Although baseball is a team game – and complete cooperation from every player is necessary for victory – coaches, players and spectators agree that the most important factor in the success of a team is the pitcher.

Many major-league managers have attempted to evaluate just how much pitching means to a team. Their estimates generally run from 70 to 85 per cent. It is not important to accurately gauge the precise percentage of pitching to the success of a team; it is more important for a team to have good pitching.

Pitchers come in all sizes and shapes. The perfect physical qualifications for a pitcher are height and weight in equal proportion. Coaches like their pitchers to be about six feet tall and weigh approximately one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred pounds. These physical attributes are desirous, not necessary, and there are school pitchers with excellent records who fail to measure up to either of these physical qualifications.

Coaches also like pitchers who can “hum that ball”; that is, the pitcher who throws the ball fast and hard. Yet there are many pitchers of school age who can fool the batters without an overpowering fast ball. Good control, and the ability to get the ball over any part of the plate, will sometimes make up for the lack of a good fast ball.

The pitcher who possesses determination and has the temperament and disposition to overlook fielding lapses by his teammates, has won half the battle toward success. Too many young pitchers with excellent promise for the future never develop because they lack an “attitude,” the ability to absorb the intangible factors so common in every game.

The pitcher who never learns to accept fielding and mental errors as part of the game will not advance too far. He may be the perfect physical specimen as regards height and weight but his own mental attitude may be tougher to conquer than a lineup of the most powerful hitters on any team.

A pitcher must remember that his teammates want to win as badly as he does. He must try to ignore a fumbled grounder, a muffed fly, a wild throw. Errors are part of the game and he must bear in mind that all players make mistakes, just as businessmen, or even members of his own family at home.

The Grip. – There is a definite art involved in gripping and throwing the ball. The ball must be held in the proper position if the pitcher expects to throw it with any accuracy and skill. The index and middle fingers must be on top of the ball, placed across the seams, and the thumb should be on the bottom of the ball. This is the throwing grip for just about every type of pitch.

Many pitchers have made the major leagues without that “good fast ball” and without measuring up to the desired physical standards. Control, intelligence and courage are also most important attributes.

Proper Position. – Before delivering the ball to the batter the pitcher must assume the proper position on the mound, the position he takes without any runner, or runners, on base.

This right-handed pitcher is in proper position to deliver the ball to the plate. The heel of his right foot, the pivot foot, is in contact with the pitching rubber or plate, and his left, or free, foot is to the rear of the pitcher’s rubber. Reverse the position of the feet for a left-handed pitcher.

The pitcher should be is relaxed, his eyes straight ahead. He is should look over the batter and wait for the catcher to give him his signal. The pitching arm can be held at the side or behind the back. As long as the pitcher feels comfortable, it makes little difference just where he places his free arm.

Once the pitcher receives the signal from the catcher and nods in agreement, he is ready to start the first phase of his delivery.

Master the grip and proper position, and you will be on your way to becoming a great pitcher.

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When teaching baseball or any other sport regardless of age, the players in ability to understand what the coach is trying to express is sole responsibility of the coach. Teaching involves respect, clarity, organization, motivation and context.

People learn by example, Coaches who are respectful of children are not just modeling a skill or behavior, they are meeting the emotional needs of those children, and create the conditions for children to respond whole heartedly.

Clarity, to effectively communicate using clear ideas, clear goals, clear questions and clear conclusions. This level of interaction is truly age dependant but as a coach you must identify and speak to each players level of clarity. Relate to the age and reference level of your players.

Coaches are not teachers replete with pedagogy that work for every player. Granted, in the High School ranks and beyond this changes, but the majority of players do so through the recreational leagues where Dads, Moms, Uncles, Aunts and Grandparents of all backgrounds volunteer for the joy and frustration of being the coach.

Be prepared for practice with written notes and time schedule. Organization is likely the most critical aspect of any type of teaching. With all that is involved with being the coach, pen can paper can be your greatest allies. Organization is also a quality you can expect from your players.

As the leader, when you present a well formed and organized practice, game or gathering, your players see the success that is gained from organization. It will never be obvious, and you will never have a player come up and thank you for being an organizational icon. But they will learn, and all advances in being personally responsible and organized will always be a benefit.

There are many situations in baseball that can only be taught in situational settings. For regularly successful practices routine is king. For a portion of every practice, set aside time for drills and skills that everyone can perform correctly. This repetitive success is the building block for situational success. Routine drills also bring the team together as a whole as every ones efforts are focused on the singular event.

Cooperative effort may also be a solution for conveying a concept or skill. There are times where having a senior player take a role in teaching a skill to the team. Not only will they be able to communicate on the correct level, but again we provide a superior opportunity to practice leadership and build self esteem.

Skill drills can do a lot for a player. It is an excellent opportunity for the coaches to examine the individual movements of each player and corrections as needed. The downside is that most drills do not involve the context of the game. Within the practice regime it is critical to combine multi skill activities into drills.

Once the skill is placed into the context of the game, players can readily identify the significance of the drill. If someone known to you walked up and told you to walk 2 blocks south then 1 block west, it is likely you would not walk at all. Now if this same person gave you the same instruction with the context, I found a bag of cash and you can keep it, it is highly likely that you would briskly walk the 3 blocks.

A great drill for all ages above t-ball is the practice steal. No batter, with a good lead off first the runner heads for second when the pitcher releases, catcher makes the throw to second where the tag is made.

This drill helps the pitcher get over the worries of a runner stealing, catcher gets a real action throw to second, the catch and tag are evident and your runner under the watchful eye of the coach makes the perfect slide.

Way off the beaten path is having the players perform a skit. Players read from the script as they act out the events on the diamond. Not only does an exercise like this really change things up, but it also provides the opportunity to practice a little public speaking, humm, homework, social skills and baseball at the same time, nice.

Fun, clarity, organization, motivation and context, these are the keys to effective teaching at any level. Be prepared to take it easy on yourself if the plan you created does not seem to work. Allow yourself the grace to make changes on the fly. Enlist the help of others to convey concepts that elude your ability.

Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA Baseball you can also click over to Hirsch Group for more news/tips/articles
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For what ever the reason, nearly every person who has played baseball runs into a slump. The prospect of buying a base hit is all that seems left for the player to get past the desperation of hitting anything.

Pressure placed upon ourselves for letting the team down, pressure from out statistics going in the toilet and pressure from teammates; while nothing is said, the looks and actions tell the real story of what they are holding back. It can be a spiral that places doubt in all your abilities, creating hesitation and second guessing what you already know what to do.

Batting slumps can do far more that merely divot the batting averages. It is important for Players and Coaches to recognize these slumps and do all they can to get their player, teammate back on track. Any chain is only as strong as its weakest link. All links get fatigued and need the time and attention of restoring the temper.

Baseball Players in batting slumps have great difficulty in observing their actions objectively. The best meaning parent can have this same trouble of objective detachment. Even they Players coach can loose the objective focus it takes to figure out what the real trouble is.

Younger Players have the most difficulty developing a consistent swing throughout the season. Constantly changing bodies is the number one culprit. Growth spurts, hormone changes, broader interests, emotions; you name it, everything a healthy growing body goes through affects their swing to some degree.

Intensity changes in activity is largely overlooked as contributors to swing changes. If your Player was dynamite during spring ball but seemed to unwind in summer ball, look to the off diamond activity. It is likely you will find the during spring ball and the school year the Player was on a good regiment. The freedom of summer and no school the structured day to day is gone.

Enterprising Players take the summer time to earn the dollars necessary to support their dreams. Jobs available to these people are usually heavy on the labor. Its simple physics to deduce that heavier work plus longer work hours will invariably build strength. Now that 31 they had been swinging like a pro is coming around too fast and at all sorts of wood chopping angles.

Now that we have covered the detrimental affects of a batting slump, the never ending array of reasons why the slump started and that the inner circle of the Players world may not be able to identify the issue, is there a fix?

Back to the basics, first up, put the bat on the ball. Do the T work under the Coaches eye. Use video to slow things down to take a bit by bit look. If the corrections are not working, seek a once over from a different coach. One of the wonderful things about baseball is the willingness of all Coaches to see all Players succeed. Be it League, Division or School, there is someone closer than you think that would be more than happy to spend and hour to two getting your swing back on track.

Time spent at the batting cage can be useful too. Particularly good is bunting in the cage, yes bunting. The batting slump is a simple result, the bat is not being put on the ball. So, when you can go to the cage and drop a tokens worth of pitches dead, you are now putting the bat on the ball. Start by being square to the machine and catch each pitch with the bat. Once that is done, take your normal stance and go through the whole motion. Drop another token and drop those pitches.

Even if your batting slump is mid season, developing your bunting skills are practical training. If your not ready to swing away, bunting yourself on base is still a base. While your out there, go ahead a steal one too. Plus when you are at the plate, and the pitcher hangs a cure ball, well, smashing that one is going to be a confidence builder.

No access to a baseball batting cage, no problem. Toss yourself the baseball and hit it into the backstop or other net that is not likely to break or get you into trouble. Again, the object is to put the bat on the ball. Even a bad toss you have to chase a little bit to hit is ok. Hitting from different locations, walking to retrieve the ball and hit again; drills like this add variation you will not find at stationary batting Ts or cages.

Inner city Players have options too. Grab your buddies and go play some stick ball. When your buddies are not available, do the toss drill above with a stick bat and golf ball size whiffle ball.

The solution to a baseball batting slump is to discover what has changed and make the corrections to bring back your success. Get back to the basics of putting the bat on the ball in varying situations not all customary and usual.

Above all, the most significant thing you can do to end your slump is to be patient with yourself.

Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA Baseball you can also click over to Hirsch Group for more news/tips/articles