Tips From the Dugout of Coach John Peter

For Hitters Hitting is all about timing and balance! A full mind is an empty bat! You can't think and hit at the same time (from Yogi Berra). For Pitchers Long Toss may be the best way to build arm strength. The majority of home runs are hit off misplaced fastballs. You will become a real pitcher once you realize that your job is to start the hitter's bat. For Coaches Play for the big inning. Speed never slumps. Really learn to teach baserunning this year.

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Baseball Bytes:  Quality At Bats
From Steve Springer, the author of the popular CD Quality At Bats

If I can get players to do 4 things every day. watch their production go up! Get up to the plate with confidence. Have an attainable goal and that is to hit the ball hard! We can NOT control getting a hit! That cannot be our goal. My goal must be to hit the ball hard. Hit the ball hard consistently .and you will get your hits! Getting a hit is 99% of everybody's goal, so if my goal is to only get a hit. I'm in trouble. Hit the ball hard.you win! Hit the ball properly. Properly is to attack the inside part of the baseball. My new analogy is. if Barry Bonds swings as hard as he can swing and it doesn't leave the yard there has to be a reason . sometimes he is on the outside of the ball, which creates a hook type spin on the ball, and more often than not will create a hard ground ball. Help my team win TODAY. today is the only day that counts. Too many players let their mind get in the way of their ability! Everybody knows baseball is 90% mental. Then why do we work on it less than 10% of the time! Everybody's favorite day in pro baseball is opening day and the playoffs because there are no stats to get in the way of our ability. Hitting is about confidence, attainable goals and having fun. We also give ourselves too much credit to retain what were taught. That is why I made the CD for kids and dads to listen to it whenever they want and is why I feel so strongly that any player who has access to this knowledge on a regular basis. I get chilling emails from parents thanking me for making the CD. I thank them for listening. I'm just trying to get your kids some sort of mental game in High School or College instead of learning it at 28 like I did and it was almost too late Thanks for your time! -- Spring A Final Note From Coach JP: We will spend countless hours and money on lessons and take hundreds of extra swings looking to gain that extra edge.and that is absolutely important for the development of a serious ballplayer. But why do we neglect the mind and the mental part of this game of ours? Maybe we just need someone with the experience and the knowledge to focus on the subject and hit us between the eyes! Remember, this game is played "above the shoulders." Slumps just don't happen because we forget how to hit. I'd like to leave you with one more quote from Spring that I found on the cover of the February 25, 2005 Collegiate Baseball Magazine. "If this game was only about physical skills and ability then every first round pick would end up in the Big Leagues. The reality is that only a small percentage do." Thanks Spring.we needed that! -- JP Be sure to read Coach JP's comments on Steve Springer Transcripts from the Quality at Bats CD Look For Your Pitch Sitting on Pitches Attacking the Inside Part of the Baseball Batting Averages Every Player on College World Series Champion Cal-State Fullerton Owns This CD Quality at Bats by Steve Springer - Only $24.95 Hitting is about confidence every at bat. Everyone says baseball is 90% mental...Then why do we work on it less than 10% of the time? After 14 season in professional baseball, including stints with the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets, Steve Springer's breakthrough audio CD has helped players learn the most important part of hitting: the mental side.   34 minutes "You're cheating your kids if they don't have this CD...It's outstanding!"   - Clint Hurdle, Colorado Rockies Manager Send this page to a friend   Featured Article The Arms Race   Coach JP Every year I see another High School pitcher have his dream derailed by an arm injury. It is so disheartening because so much of it seems to be preventable. We've got all of this technology, pitch counts, pitching coaches, sports medicine gurus, etc...and yet the disabled list in Major League Baseball has quadrupled since 1990. I am not a pitching guy so I find myself gravitating to pitching guys who are about correct biomechanics. Men whose job is not to win the 7th game of the World Series, but rather those who work with pitchers just coming of age, say around high school and college aged players. I would direct you to the front page of this month's Collegiate Baseball Magazine (a great publication) where one of my favorites has authored the featured article on the mental side of pitching. He is Alan Jaeger, sometimes known as Barry Zito's guru (he has also had great results with current Big League catcher Mike Liberthal and pitcher Glendon Rusch and others). Alan may have the best long toss program in the Big Leagues! A few pitching-oriented Big League teams have adopted his program with more on the horizon. His throwing program, called Thrive on Throwing, is highly thought of by all who have experienced this young guru's teachings. He works with many younger players and also spends time tweaking "Cadillacs" with equal success. It may be hard to believe in this age of 100 pitch counts, but his students throw up to an hour a day with amazing results and minimal incidence of injury! I would urge any pitching coach, player or dad to check out Alan's program. It is simple...and it works! Armed & Ready Program (featuring Thrive on Throwing)

Featured Products at Baseball Tips.com

Order online in our secure shopping cart or call toll free at 1-800-487-7432 (9-6 EST). The Armed and Ready Program by Alan Jaeger Arm Health & Strength Conditioning Program A systematic throwing program designed to help players and coaches understand what steps must be taken to develop and sustain a strong, durable, accurate, and injury-free arm. Adopted by over 100 professional players, including 2002 Cy Young winner Barry Zito. 4 Phases of Arm Exercise Covered Arm Circles  |  Surgical Tubing  |  Throwing Mechanics  |  Long Toss Randy Wolf, Philadelphia Phillies :   Alan Jaeger not only enabled me to throw harder, but to throw without any mental interference. Common Mechanical Pitching Faults - Bill Thurston Not all successful pitchers throw exactly the same way, but there are many common mechanics that consistent and high performance pitchers use. Coach Thurston's video should be standard equipment for all serious coaches and pitchers, plus any youth coaches who feel a bit overwhelmed in teaching pitchers. This 66 minute video covers Common Mechanical Faults Drills to Teach Proper Mechanics Pitching From the Set Position Techniques to Improve Control Coach's War Club Fungo Bat - Only $39.95 Lightweight Bat for Infield and Outfield Practice The #1 tool that every youth coach needs but doesn't have! A fungo bat is a long, skinny bat specifically designed to only hit a tossed ball for infield and outfield practice, as well as pre-game drills. Our exclusive Coach's War Club Fungo is very light (19 oz.), so coaches can hit hundreds of balls very accurately without getting tired! Our wooden fungo is just 33" long, which is 3-4 inches shorter than similar bats. We designed our bat that way to make it easier to swing. Increase your hitting accuracy & distance Currently available in 4 colors (natural, black, red, royal blue) Ships by USPS Priority Mail within 24 hours Coach JP:   What makes sense about a grown adult coach hitting infield, pop flies or a pre-game workout with the same bat his players use? .NOTHING! Portable Batting Cages - 50', 60, 70' Our Best Selling Cages - Any Sized Player Can Hit Any Type of Ball Save money & maximize yard space with our easy to install (and move) portable indoor/outdoor batting cage. You get: Your choice of 3 cage lengths Your choice of 3 weather-resistant knotted nylon net weights An L Screen to protect the pitcher and the pitching machine A weighted lead rope for ball containment Our cage kits come with everything but the EMT conduit poles, which you can purchase at any local hardware store. All cages are 10' high x 10' wide at the top, and 14' wide at ground level. Installation of our cages takes two people about 45 minutes, using only a wrench & step ladder.   Prices: $565-995 Coach JP:   Want the benefits that only backyard batting cages can bring, but not the permanent structure & price tag? These strong but light training cages absolutely are your answer! Zooka & Portable Batting Cage Packages All of our complete backyard packages will include the Zooka Baseball Pitching Machine and Auto Feeder, Dimple Baseballs, and one of our new Portable Batting Cages.   Prices: 50' Pitching Machine/Batting Cage combos from $1,299 60' Machine/Cage combos from $1,375 70' Machine/Cage combos from $1,425

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Baseball's Believe It or Not

A Major League Team Wears Shorts If you've ever worn shorts for a beer league softball game you have something in common with the 25 players who suited up for the Chicago White Sox on August 8, 1976 at Comiskey Park. Under the ownership of legendary baseball maverick Bill Veeck, the White Sox took the field against the Royals in the first game of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader wearing softball-style Bermuda shorts and a wide collar shirt. The idea belonged to Veeck's wife, Mary Frances, who noted it was very hot in Comiskey Park. The White Sox won the game 5-2, but the players were understandably not happy with their outfits. "It was a fiasco. Players were still talking about them a year later," said Sox third basemen Eric Soderholm, who joined the team in 1977. Chicago switched to pants for the second game, losing to Kansas City 7-1, and never wore shorts again.

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Baseball Training Card Tip

Catching the Ball    Lesson # 6 To do almost anything in baseball, you need to start with the basic athletic stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and weight on your toes. Now, hold you hands in front of your chest, palms facing each other, and you're as ready as can be. If a ball comes to you below your waist, turn your hands over (fingers down and thumbs out). 3 free cards (lessons on front & back) with most DVD, video, CD, and book purchases, including: Ultimate Infield Where's The Play? Ultimate Pitching Mom, Can You Teach Me How To Hit? Backyard Baseball Drills The 59 Minute Baseball Practice Developing A Successful Baseball Program Coaching Baseball Skills & Drills Coach JP: Use these cards to motivate players to work on their own time to correct weaknesses, prepare for the next team practice, learn the game batter, and review skills already covered in practice.

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If you or a player you know is seeking personalized instruction this spring, please take advantage of our free Instructors Section to find a baseball coach in your area. We are now up to 223 instructors in 39 states! States Currently Available Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Mexico New Jersey New Hampshire New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Utah Virginia Washington Wisconsin Washington DC Canadian Provinces Available Ontario Quebec Any coach or instructor can add their credentials and specialties to our database, which can then be viewed by all visitors of Baseball Tips.com. For those that wish to be added, please fill out the form below. Entries without these details cannot be added to this free database. Name: E-Mail: Type of Instruction Offered: Phone: Cost: City: State: Web site URL (if applicable): Comments:  What do you want parents and players to know about you. Tell them what's in it for them. Be direct and to the point.