What I've Learned From Baseball by Coach John Peter
The game of baseball is infinitely more complex than most give it credit for. Most that I have learned about baseball is common sense…but each lesson took someone with more common sense than I to point it out.
Coaching
Don't feel that you always have to be making "moves." Always be thinking, but there are times when the best decision is not to make one!
My favorite coach in baseball once went 36 games (and won a Division III college championship) without ever making a pitching change during an inning!
Pitching
Last issue I wrote "Don't question the pitch … blame the location."
Along that same thought, I would rather see a pitcher throw the wrong pitch with all his heart rather than the correct pitch when he disagreed with the call!
Hitting
There are situations where every player should be called on to bunt!
I heard Coach J.W. Morris of the University of Miami say that the best hitter he ever coached was Pat Burrell (now with the Phillies). And he bunted!
Base Running
It seems that every year my fastest runner does not lead the club in stolen bases! Why? Because I teach all my runners how to steal and every year, another player seems to want it more!
Scouts and Scouting
Character and make up has become almost as important as the physical tools.
Poor attitudes and bad apples really hurt themselves in the long and short run.
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Featured Article
Tips From the Coach by Coach Bruce Lambin
Baseball Quotes, Wit & Wisdom
Nobody ever said, "Work ball!" They say, "Play ball!" To me, that means having fun.
Willie Stargell, elected into the Hall of Fame in 1988
Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand.
Wes Westrum, former Giants catcher and manager
Baseball to me is still the national pastime because it is a summer game. I feel that almost all Americans are summer people, that summer is what they think of when they think of their childhood. I think it stirs up an incredible emotion within people.
Steve Busby, ex-Royals pitcher
When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing. I told him I wanted to be a real Major League baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, elected 34th President of the U.S. in 1953
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Baseball’s Believe It or Not
The Origins of the Mendoza Line
Mario Mendoza was a weak-hitting shortstop who played between 1974 and 1982. The Mexican-born Mendoza was a slick fielding shortstop who wore glasses throughout his career, but became famous for his hitting, or lack thereof, finishing with a lifetime batting average of .215 (in 1,337 at bats). George Brett is credited with introducing the catch phrase into popular public consumption when, in 1980, he claimed that he always looked at the weekly listing of batting averages to see who was below the “Mendoza Line,” which has come to signify anyone hitting less than .200. In nine seasons with the Pirates, Mariners, and Rangers, Mendoza hit below .200 five times, topping out at .245 in 1980 with Seattle. His lifetime post-season batting average was .200 (1-for-5), right on the “Mendoza Line.” He fared much better in his native country after his Major League days, hitting .291 in seven seasons in the Mexican Summer League. Currently, Mendoza is the manager of the Texas League's Shreveport Swamp Dragons, the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to this season, Mendoza managed for nine years in the Angels organization, where his son, 23-year old Mario Mendoza Jr., is…..a pitcher.
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