Okay, we've finished our first week of practice and even though our ground is heavily insulated by beautiful white snow, I am ready to head down south and play some great college baseball! Our arms aren't ready yet, but they will be ready to play.....just four weeks from today we open up!! Maybe it's the coffee I'm drinking, or maybe it was just being able to start the day with an early morning practice, but it feels so much like baseball season already.
All of our pitchers have had one mound appearance now, and Monday we will begin throwing to live hitters in the cages. At this point in time, the pitchers are not necessarily ready to get hitters out (hitters often get themselves out anyway!), but their main goal is to get in there, continue to work on mechanics and location, and gradually get their arms in shape for the season.
Next week most of our guys will throw 40 pitches to the live hitters. Even though they have thrown breaking balls during some drills and flat ground work this week, they will not yet throw any breaking balls to the hitters. I send them into the cages with a specific five-pitch sequence, making changes in the sequence from night to night. For the first week, we will mix fastballs (2-seamers and 4-seamers) and changeups. A typical sequence might go like this: 2 fastballs in, changeup away, fastball away, changeup down. When we throw fastballs on the (throwing) arm side we throw 2-seamers, and fastballs to the glove side are 4-seamers. When we throw this 40 pitch outing, the pitchers just repeat that same five pitch sequence eight times.
We'll probably start introducing some breaking balls to the hitters after next week. These live sessions are generally more beneficial for the hitters than they are for the pitchers, but it is important for us to remember that what makes one group of players better makes the team better. This is not to say that it doesn't help the pitchers, because it certainly does. Pitchers get immediate feedback on their pitches based on the batters' swings and whether the hitters are squaring up the ball or jamming themselves or rolling over. This immediate feedback should help each individual pitcher understand some of his current strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes the hitters figure out the sequence and thus are prepared for the type of pitch that is coming. I have talked to the pitchers about that, and want them to know that it is great for us if the hitters do that. It makes it a bigger challenge to put each pitch in the right location so as to make it more difficult for the hitters anyway.
These sequences also help the pitchers in their preparation for pitching in games, because they tend to learn to follow one pitch with another pitch, and to anticipate the pitching patterns that are more disruptive to the hitters. Ultimately, all practices are designed to help individual players improve and of course to enable the team to get better each day.
In sports, each day an athlete/team either gets better or gets worse. Improving is a choice, as is regressing!!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
My chosen path
I remember the day I decided I wanted to become a coach. It was the spring of 1979 and I was the JV baseball coach at my high school alma mater, Waterford (MI) Our Lady of Lakes. We were a small Catholic High School in Detroit's most northern suburbs. As is typical in Michigan, we probably had about three weeks of pre-season practice prior to our first games, and most of those practices were indoors on a basketball court. Our first game was a home game, though I don't remember the opponent.
What I do remember about that first game was that we were behind 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning and were fortunate enough to get our leadoff batter on base. I do remember sacrifice bunting him over to second, and then later in the inning, with the score tied and only one out, we squeezed the winning run home. Our players (they were almost entirely 9th graders) went crazy, and at that moment, I knew that I wanted to have a career in coaching. I had chills!!
At that time I was 20 years old and working on the assembly line at GM Truck and Coach in Pontiac. I had been to college for two years (one year at Olivet College and a year at Oakland Community College). I had one year of college football experience and two years of college baseball, but I was not a very good student during those first two years of college. The year at GM allowed me to educate myself for the first time in my life and it also gave me an opportunity to try my hand at helping coach the football team at OLL and my first real coaching position on that JV baseball team.
I decided to go back to college to become a teacher and thus be able to coach. I left my job at GM, though my foreman encouraged me to take an educational leave and come back the next summer. I wanted no part of that, though I likely would have made a great living and had been retired by now had I chosen to stay in the factory!!
To skip ahead and make a long story short, I finished my degree at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan, played my last two years of college baseball, became an assistant coach for the college women's basketball team, and even ran on the cross country team in the fall of 1981. I went on to student-teaching and coaching high school football, basketball, and baseball in Westchester County, NY for two years, then in Lansing, MI for a year, and then became a high school teacher and coach back at my old high school again.
After two years I applied for the head baseball coach position at Siena Heights University and got the job in the summer of 1987. I was young, but enthusiastic and ambitious, with a wife and a son. I still had so much to learn about the game of baseball, but those early years I was mentored well by my boss, Fred Smith, the AD at Siena, and also by the late Hank Burbridge, the legendary baseball coach at Spring Arbor University. Additionally, my first graduate assistant coach was a good friend of mine and former teammate, Gary Gill, who has a great baseball mind. I learned a lot from him, as he coached the infielders and outfielders and I coached the pitchers and catchers.
I quickly learned how to recruit. Recruiting at that time was all about hard work and communication, going to see high school and summer games, tournaments on the weekends, and having kids and their parents visit campus. I was able to sell kids on a demanding game schedule against many nationally ranked and Division I teams for sixteen seasons. I still haven't seen any teams who played the kind of ambitious schedule that we played in every season at Siena Heights.
As I learned daily how to be a better coach, whether increasing my knowledge of the game or improving my ability to communicate with my players, I must say that some years I was a better coach than others. We had very competitive teams for so many years into the 1990s and early 2000s. We had guys getting drafted and others getting signed as undrafted free agents during the 90s. I also had a daughter arrive in 1989 and both of my kids became fixtures with me on campus and on the road beating the bushes for recruits.
My separation and divorce in late 1995-early 1996 took its toll on me and often on my ability to coach for a handful of years. In looking back, I know that I allowed my emotions to have a negative effect on my professional life. It wasn't just the divorce, but it was also in the changes in my life due to the divorce that I allowed to interfere with my competence. We were still fielding competitive teams, but I would be lying if I said that I kept getting better as a coach each year. Sure, I was still improving my knowledge of the game, but I allowed my life outside of baseball, and the emotions attached to that, to distract me more than I would like to admit. Looking back, that is part of life, and I learned a lot about myself during that time, even though some days were cloudy with doubt some depression.
To spring forward to 2011, I have been coaching part-time since the 2005 season, having taken the 2004 season off after resigning from Siena. I am a much more competent coach than I have ever been for so many reasons, among them the fact that I (for better or worse) have not allowed my coaching to be affected by other things in my life. My kids are grown now as well, and parenting is probably the one thing I think I have done consistently well since day one.
I don't have to recruit anymore, though I always did enjoy it. Now I get to work with my pitchers at Adrian College every day, do lessons with kids whenever I get a chance, and enjoy working in the public schools with children with various challenges. I love everything I do and I am better at most of the parts of my life than I have ever been.
I have practice in about an hour, and am looking forward to it, as well as an entire weekend full of baseball in January. There is really nothing I would change. My past has brought me to where I am today, and there is no place else I would rather be. I have two fantastic kids, and I have great friends who I coach with every day, as well as great friends whom I coached with at Siena Heights, so many former players whom I consider as friends,and with a healthy body and a positive attitude, I am grateful for the path that God has led me on!!
What I do remember about that first game was that we were behind 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning and were fortunate enough to get our leadoff batter on base. I do remember sacrifice bunting him over to second, and then later in the inning, with the score tied and only one out, we squeezed the winning run home. Our players (they were almost entirely 9th graders) went crazy, and at that moment, I knew that I wanted to have a career in coaching. I had chills!!
At that time I was 20 years old and working on the assembly line at GM Truck and Coach in Pontiac. I had been to college for two years (one year at Olivet College and a year at Oakland Community College). I had one year of college football experience and two years of college baseball, but I was not a very good student during those first two years of college. The year at GM allowed me to educate myself for the first time in my life and it also gave me an opportunity to try my hand at helping coach the football team at OLL and my first real coaching position on that JV baseball team.
I decided to go back to college to become a teacher and thus be able to coach. I left my job at GM, though my foreman encouraged me to take an educational leave and come back the next summer. I wanted no part of that, though I likely would have made a great living and had been retired by now had I chosen to stay in the factory!!
To skip ahead and make a long story short, I finished my degree at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan, played my last two years of college baseball, became an assistant coach for the college women's basketball team, and even ran on the cross country team in the fall of 1981. I went on to student-teaching and coaching high school football, basketball, and baseball in Westchester County, NY for two years, then in Lansing, MI for a year, and then became a high school teacher and coach back at my old high school again.
After two years I applied for the head baseball coach position at Siena Heights University and got the job in the summer of 1987. I was young, but enthusiastic and ambitious, with a wife and a son. I still had so much to learn about the game of baseball, but those early years I was mentored well by my boss, Fred Smith, the AD at Siena, and also by the late Hank Burbridge, the legendary baseball coach at Spring Arbor University. Additionally, my first graduate assistant coach was a good friend of mine and former teammate, Gary Gill, who has a great baseball mind. I learned a lot from him, as he coached the infielders and outfielders and I coached the pitchers and catchers.
I quickly learned how to recruit. Recruiting at that time was all about hard work and communication, going to see high school and summer games, tournaments on the weekends, and having kids and their parents visit campus. I was able to sell kids on a demanding game schedule against many nationally ranked and Division I teams for sixteen seasons. I still haven't seen any teams who played the kind of ambitious schedule that we played in every season at Siena Heights.
As I learned daily how to be a better coach, whether increasing my knowledge of the game or improving my ability to communicate with my players, I must say that some years I was a better coach than others. We had very competitive teams for so many years into the 1990s and early 2000s. We had guys getting drafted and others getting signed as undrafted free agents during the 90s. I also had a daughter arrive in 1989 and both of my kids became fixtures with me on campus and on the road beating the bushes for recruits.
My separation and divorce in late 1995-early 1996 took its toll on me and often on my ability to coach for a handful of years. In looking back, I know that I allowed my emotions to have a negative effect on my professional life. It wasn't just the divorce, but it was also in the changes in my life due to the divorce that I allowed to interfere with my competence. We were still fielding competitive teams, but I would be lying if I said that I kept getting better as a coach each year. Sure, I was still improving my knowledge of the game, but I allowed my life outside of baseball, and the emotions attached to that, to distract me more than I would like to admit. Looking back, that is part of life, and I learned a lot about myself during that time, even though some days were cloudy with doubt some depression.
To spring forward to 2011, I have been coaching part-time since the 2005 season, having taken the 2004 season off after resigning from Siena. I am a much more competent coach than I have ever been for so many reasons, among them the fact that I (for better or worse) have not allowed my coaching to be affected by other things in my life. My kids are grown now as well, and parenting is probably the one thing I think I have done consistently well since day one.
I don't have to recruit anymore, though I always did enjoy it. Now I get to work with my pitchers at Adrian College every day, do lessons with kids whenever I get a chance, and enjoy working in the public schools with children with various challenges. I love everything I do and I am better at most of the parts of my life than I have ever been.
I have practice in about an hour, and am looking forward to it, as well as an entire weekend full of baseball in January. There is really nothing I would change. My past has brought me to where I am today, and there is no place else I would rather be. I have two fantastic kids, and I have great friends who I coach with every day, as well as great friends whom I coached with at Siena Heights, so many former players whom I consider as friends,and with a healthy body and a positive attitude, I am grateful for the path that God has led me on!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Setting team/pitching goals
After our first two practices, I feel pretty good about the direction in which our pitchers are heading. Last night (our first practice) we only had an hour, but then we were able to meet as a pitching staff for about 40 minutes. During that meeting, we discussed our pitching goals for the season. We have team goals for championships, such as conference, regional and national championships, and goals for individual games as well as for the average number of pitches per batter.
Many of our goals are extremely optimistic. Last year's DIII National Champion was Illinois Wesleyan University, who came in fourth place in their conference but earned a regional berth by winning their conference tournament. That tells us that if you are fortunate enough to play in a regional tournament, there is a chance to get to the World Series and win a national championship.
Our job as a pitching staff is simply to give our team a chance to win every game we play, one at a time. We set one goal that I have never concerned myself with before. We want to allow no sacrifice flies all season. When there is a runner on third base we want to get an infield ground out, pop out, or strike out. It may seem like strange goal to have, but last year we allowed six sac flies, which is very few. We allowed none in our 28 conference games. If we get better in that statistical area, that could conceivably help us win more games. Another goal is to have no innings of 20 pitches or more. That will be an extremely difficult goal, but we occasionally throw several games without having a 20 pitch inning, so why not make an effort to be efficient in every inning we pitch.
We have been very fortunate the past few years to have some pretty impressive statistics. Not only does our pitching staff have a good recent history of being pretty highly ranked nationally in some statistical areas, but our offense and defense have been just as successful. Our pitchers know that they have a great group of defensive players playing behind them, and those teammates make it easier to achieve so many of the team pitching goals. The defense and the hitters have their own sets of goals, and together we hope that in striving for some of these challenging goals we can succeed by advancing into the regional and national tournaments.
Many of the goals we have set I have not yet written about, but as a pitching staff we talk about some of them routinely. Our pitchers are constantly reminded of some of them when they go over their pitching charts and figure out what their strike percentages are, how many leadoff batters they are getting out, and how many stolen bases they are allowing, etc.
The importance of setting some statistical goals is that success in some statistical categories makes winning easier to do. In looking at last year's numbers, there are some areas that we must get better at in order to allow fewer runs and thus put less pressure on the offense and the defense. A couple of those areas are walks per nine innings and first pitch strike percentage.
Ultimately only one statistic truly measures the success of a team, and that is the win column. Doing the little things correctly and 'sweating the small stuff', while at the same time having trust, respect and confidence in all members of the team will give us the best chance to achieve success in that win column!
Many of our goals are extremely optimistic. Last year's DIII National Champion was Illinois Wesleyan University, who came in fourth place in their conference but earned a regional berth by winning their conference tournament. That tells us that if you are fortunate enough to play in a regional tournament, there is a chance to get to the World Series and win a national championship.
Our job as a pitching staff is simply to give our team a chance to win every game we play, one at a time. We set one goal that I have never concerned myself with before. We want to allow no sacrifice flies all season. When there is a runner on third base we want to get an infield ground out, pop out, or strike out. It may seem like strange goal to have, but last year we allowed six sac flies, which is very few. We allowed none in our 28 conference games. If we get better in that statistical area, that could conceivably help us win more games. Another goal is to have no innings of 20 pitches or more. That will be an extremely difficult goal, but we occasionally throw several games without having a 20 pitch inning, so why not make an effort to be efficient in every inning we pitch.
We have been very fortunate the past few years to have some pretty impressive statistics. Not only does our pitching staff have a good recent history of being pretty highly ranked nationally in some statistical areas, but our offense and defense have been just as successful. Our pitchers know that they have a great group of defensive players playing behind them, and those teammates make it easier to achieve so many of the team pitching goals. The defense and the hitters have their own sets of goals, and together we hope that in striving for some of these challenging goals we can succeed by advancing into the regional and national tournaments.
Many of the goals we have set I have not yet written about, but as a pitching staff we talk about some of them routinely. Our pitchers are constantly reminded of some of them when they go over their pitching charts and figure out what their strike percentages are, how many leadoff batters they are getting out, and how many stolen bases they are allowing, etc.
The importance of setting some statistical goals is that success in some statistical categories makes winning easier to do. In looking at last year's numbers, there are some areas that we must get better at in order to allow fewer runs and thus put less pressure on the offense and the defense. A couple of those areas are walks per nine innings and first pitch strike percentage.
Ultimately only one statistic truly measures the success of a team, and that is the win column. Doing the little things correctly and 'sweating the small stuff', while at the same time having trust, respect and confidence in all members of the team will give us the best chance to achieve success in that win column!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Anticipation of our first practice
For a college baseball team, this is an exciting and optimistic time of the year. We have our first practice of the season in two days (on Monday). Since my first year (1988) in college coaching, I have always anticipated a great season is approaching. This year is no exception. One of our other assistant coaches just did a statistical comparison between our 2010 stats and the stats of all eight DIII World Series participants as well as the other six teams in our Regional Tournament. Just looking at those stats enables me to see that we are right there we want to be (statistically) with the top teams in the country. Our pitching stats can indeed improve, but there was no World Series participant with a better ERA than ours, and two Regional opponents had ERAs slightly better than ours.
Despite those favorable comparisons, we need to get better at some things this season. With the new NCAA bat regulations, I think it is inevitable that all pitching staffs across the country will adjust their pitching statistical goals and have higher expectations. The one category that we need to show the most improvement in is in our walks per inning/9 innings. We weren't bad, and we fit into the neighborhood of the other successful teams, but we can get much better.
Because I had a couple of free days this week (due to snow days/school cancellations), I had an opportunity to prepare practice plans for the first week and to do some online scouting of our southern trip opponents. Our first two games, against Milsaps College, will test our pitching and our defense. Milsaps was among the nations leaders in home runs, stolen bases, and getting hit by pitches last year. This will be a great opportunity to emphasize some important aspects of pitching during the pre-season practices.
We need to pitch inside aggressively without worrying about hitting batters, and we need to attack (not just control) their running game when they do reach base. These will be some constant themes that will be discussed during our five weeks of indoor practice, and I can't wait to get going!!
With our new practice facility on campus, our practice structure has changed from what we have done previously. Four of our six days (per week) we will have the pitchers and catchers practicing separately from the position players, with the exception of 3-4 pitchers pitching to live hitters each night. We have yet to discover how this might influence our team dynamic, though I believe we will begin our game schedule with high expectations and the anticipation of another conference championship.
The first practice also makes it seem as though spring is almost upon us, and with the weather being as cold as it is right now, that is a fantastic thought!!
Despite those favorable comparisons, we need to get better at some things this season. With the new NCAA bat regulations, I think it is inevitable that all pitching staffs across the country will adjust their pitching statistical goals and have higher expectations. The one category that we need to show the most improvement in is in our walks per inning/9 innings. We weren't bad, and we fit into the neighborhood of the other successful teams, but we can get much better.
Because I had a couple of free days this week (due to snow days/school cancellations), I had an opportunity to prepare practice plans for the first week and to do some online scouting of our southern trip opponents. Our first two games, against Milsaps College, will test our pitching and our defense. Milsaps was among the nations leaders in home runs, stolen bases, and getting hit by pitches last year. This will be a great opportunity to emphasize some important aspects of pitching during the pre-season practices.
We need to pitch inside aggressively without worrying about hitting batters, and we need to attack (not just control) their running game when they do reach base. These will be some constant themes that will be discussed during our five weeks of indoor practice, and I can't wait to get going!!
With our new practice facility on campus, our practice structure has changed from what we have done previously. Four of our six days (per week) we will have the pitchers and catchers practicing separately from the position players, with the exception of 3-4 pitchers pitching to live hitters each night. We have yet to discover how this might influence our team dynamic, though I believe we will begin our game schedule with high expectations and the anticipation of another conference championship.
The first practice also makes it seem as though spring is almost upon us, and with the weather being as cold as it is right now, that is a fantastic thought!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Raising kids on campus
Life as a small college baseball coach brings many positive things into a person's life. Though it has been since the summer of 2003 that I coached full-time, I spent sixteen years doing just that. Of the many great things to come from that was the fact that both of my children virtually grew up on our small campus. They traveled many miles to baseball games, mostly throughout the state of Michigan, as I spent most spring and summer days on the road recruiting. The recruiting landscape has changed tremendously since my kids were young, but those years of traveling helped us to build a unique bond and gave them experiences that most other kids don't have.
My kids are now 26 and 21, and Tess will become the next college graduate in the family this coming May. When they were young, they spent the day (and sometimes the evening) on campus with me on days that they did not have school. That includes school holidays and summers. They spent much time hanging out in the Siena Heights Fieldhouse with kids of other coaches, playing basketball and generally just running around. They also helped me work on the baseball field in the spring and summer. In addition, they often just hung around my office and assisted with daily tasks, such as meeting recruits and their families and running to the Admissions, Financial Aid, and other campus offices. In doing that, I remember how well they learned how to communicate with adults.
When they were on the road recruiting with me, Eric always wanted to play catch. I would have to time our throwing well enough so that I could still see the players we had gone to see, and of course I would ask him to help me decide if the players could help my team become better. Tess didn't want to play catch as often as Eric did, but she was great as she watched the games and talked to parents, scouts, other college coaches, and random people who also attended the games. I remember her asking me why so many of the players at one game caught the ball with only one hand and why the catchers would use their glove (instead of their bare hand) to pick the ball up off the ground.
All of that time spent with my kids was a fabulous benefit of working on a campus that valued children and families, and I will always remember fondly the actual growing up they did while they went to work with me.
Ultimately, Eric has now become a college baseball coach. Last week he had the privilege of being one of the speakers at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Annual Clinics. Among the other speakers were his boss at Hillsdale College, former major leaguer Paul Noce, and Kirk Gibson, the current Arizona Diamondbacks manager and former World Series hero of both the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Eric was the second speaker of the clinic, and his topic was pitching. I know that I am his dad, but I thought he did a fantastic job. He spoke with the confidence of a veteran coach and the maturity of a polished speaker. I had already known most of what he was going to talk about, since he worked on his outline and power point presentation for most of the week here at home. Other coaches there told me (and I'm sure many told him) that they were very impressed by his presentation.
I must say that I am very proud of his performance in front of so many high school and college coaches, many of whom were coaching games that Eric attended with me when he was a small child. I am lucky that I get to share coaching ideas and philosophies at home nearly every night with Eric. I know that I am still learning the game, and now I get to continue to learn with such a good, young coach right here in my own home. I'm hoping he still learns some things from me, too!!
I have been blessed to have been able to spend my entire adult life doing something that I absolutely love to do, and of course I am grateful that I was able to do so much of it with Eric and Tess along for the ride. They have both become awesome, competent adults, and I am proud of who they are! I wouldn't change a thing!!
My kids are now 26 and 21, and Tess will become the next college graduate in the family this coming May. When they were young, they spent the day (and sometimes the evening) on campus with me on days that they did not have school. That includes school holidays and summers. They spent much time hanging out in the Siena Heights Fieldhouse with kids of other coaches, playing basketball and generally just running around. They also helped me work on the baseball field in the spring and summer. In addition, they often just hung around my office and assisted with daily tasks, such as meeting recruits and their families and running to the Admissions, Financial Aid, and other campus offices. In doing that, I remember how well they learned how to communicate with adults.
When they were on the road recruiting with me, Eric always wanted to play catch. I would have to time our throwing well enough so that I could still see the players we had gone to see, and of course I would ask him to help me decide if the players could help my team become better. Tess didn't want to play catch as often as Eric did, but she was great as she watched the games and talked to parents, scouts, other college coaches, and random people who also attended the games. I remember her asking me why so many of the players at one game caught the ball with only one hand and why the catchers would use their glove (instead of their bare hand) to pick the ball up off the ground.
All of that time spent with my kids was a fabulous benefit of working on a campus that valued children and families, and I will always remember fondly the actual growing up they did while they went to work with me.
Ultimately, Eric has now become a college baseball coach. Last week he had the privilege of being one of the speakers at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Annual Clinics. Among the other speakers were his boss at Hillsdale College, former major leaguer Paul Noce, and Kirk Gibson, the current Arizona Diamondbacks manager and former World Series hero of both the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Eric was the second speaker of the clinic, and his topic was pitching. I know that I am his dad, but I thought he did a fantastic job. He spoke with the confidence of a veteran coach and the maturity of a polished speaker. I had already known most of what he was going to talk about, since he worked on his outline and power point presentation for most of the week here at home. Other coaches there told me (and I'm sure many told him) that they were very impressed by his presentation.
I must say that I am very proud of his performance in front of so many high school and college coaches, many of whom were coaching games that Eric attended with me when he was a small child. I am lucky that I get to share coaching ideas and philosophies at home nearly every night with Eric. I know that I am still learning the game, and now I get to continue to learn with such a good, young coach right here in my own home. I'm hoping he still learns some things from me, too!!
I have been blessed to have been able to spend my entire adult life doing something that I absolutely love to do, and of course I am grateful that I was able to do so much of it with Eric and Tess along for the ride. They have both become awesome, competent adults, and I am proud of who they are! I wouldn't change a thing!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Kids hanging up their spikes
One of the sometimes unpredictable things that coaches face is a player's decision to stop playing the sport. Sometimes this happens with young kids, for so many potential reasons. It also happens with college athletes. During our Christmas break we had three pitchers decide to hang it up. One was a sophomore who has struggled with mechanics and control and probably wasn't going to get an opportunity on the varsity squad if that trend continued for him. Another was a junior who has battled injuries to his legs and throwing arm ever since he got to college. It is difficult to improve if injuries prevent an athlete from practicing effectively. He saw a doctor when he was at home for break and the doc said he may be experiencing occasional shoulder/arm numbness due to a bulging disc in his back.
Another pitcher who decided to stop playing, and actually even dropped his course schedule for this semester, is a sophomore lefty who was in our starting rotation last year. He was very effective and started in conference games for more than the last half of the season. Until the last couple of weeks he was among the top ten DIII pitchers in the country in batting average against. He said he was homesick and plans to enroll in the community college near his home. Apparently his parents hoped he would remain here in school and continue playing baseball.
Perhaps being homesick is a real issue for him. If so, then that's fine that he was able to tell that to the head coach. I left him a voicemail message last Saturday, simply telling him that I can respect that he is making that decision, and that I am looking forward to having our team get back to the DIII World Series this season. I said that I wished he would be there with us, contributing to that success, but whether he is there or not, we are going to get there. I haven't gotten any response from him; perhaps in time. I don't really want him to feel pressured to do something he doesn't want to do, and I certainly don't want him to feel as though he owes me a response. I am certain though, that due to the relationship we have developed in the past year and a half, that we will eventually have an opportunity to talk about his decision. I certainly do not hold any grudges nor think negatively about him, I just want him to be happy with who he is and where he is going. I'm sure he's going to succeed at whatever he does.
A few days ago I read that a pitcher at Stanford also decided not to play baseball this year, either. He had a very good ERA and played for one of the more competitive programs in the PAC 10. I would bet he had some percentage of a baseball scholarship, whereas our guy did not, as there are no athletic scholarships at NCAA DIII programs.
What makes these young people make decisions to stop playing in spite of being successful? It could be so many things.
One issue that I occasionally observe (more often that I would like) among young athletes is that it seems that many of them are playing sports due to the dreams of their parents. Many parents are more enthused about their children's athletic participation and performance than the kids are. I have had conversations with parents who think their kids need to choose one sport by the time they are nearing high school, thinking that by concentrating on just one sport they will have a better chance at college scholarships, potential professional careers, etc.
Last night in Mt. Pleasant, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson was the featured speaker at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Annual Clinics. I was glad to hear him say that high school coaches should encourage their athletes to play more than one sport. I have always tried to tell parents and kids that I think kids should continue to play as many sports as they want to play, as long as they are having fun.
Kids should play sports because they love to, not because their parents or anyone else wants them to. Being an athlete is really just enjoying playing a game. When we parents can all decide to let our kids play games for their own enjoyment, and nothing else, the youth sports culture will begin to be a more fun place for the kids.....cuz after all, it is for the kids, isn't it?
Another pitcher who decided to stop playing, and actually even dropped his course schedule for this semester, is a sophomore lefty who was in our starting rotation last year. He was very effective and started in conference games for more than the last half of the season. Until the last couple of weeks he was among the top ten DIII pitchers in the country in batting average against. He said he was homesick and plans to enroll in the community college near his home. Apparently his parents hoped he would remain here in school and continue playing baseball.
Perhaps being homesick is a real issue for him. If so, then that's fine that he was able to tell that to the head coach. I left him a voicemail message last Saturday, simply telling him that I can respect that he is making that decision, and that I am looking forward to having our team get back to the DIII World Series this season. I said that I wished he would be there with us, contributing to that success, but whether he is there or not, we are going to get there. I haven't gotten any response from him; perhaps in time. I don't really want him to feel pressured to do something he doesn't want to do, and I certainly don't want him to feel as though he owes me a response. I am certain though, that due to the relationship we have developed in the past year and a half, that we will eventually have an opportunity to talk about his decision. I certainly do not hold any grudges nor think negatively about him, I just want him to be happy with who he is and where he is going. I'm sure he's going to succeed at whatever he does.
A few days ago I read that a pitcher at Stanford also decided not to play baseball this year, either. He had a very good ERA and played for one of the more competitive programs in the PAC 10. I would bet he had some percentage of a baseball scholarship, whereas our guy did not, as there are no athletic scholarships at NCAA DIII programs.
What makes these young people make decisions to stop playing in spite of being successful? It could be so many things.
One issue that I occasionally observe (more often that I would like) among young athletes is that it seems that many of them are playing sports due to the dreams of their parents. Many parents are more enthused about their children's athletic participation and performance than the kids are. I have had conversations with parents who think their kids need to choose one sport by the time they are nearing high school, thinking that by concentrating on just one sport they will have a better chance at college scholarships, potential professional careers, etc.
Last night in Mt. Pleasant, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson was the featured speaker at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Annual Clinics. I was glad to hear him say that high school coaches should encourage their athletes to play more than one sport. I have always tried to tell parents and kids that I think kids should continue to play as many sports as they want to play, as long as they are having fun.
Kids should play sports because they love to, not because their parents or anyone else wants them to. Being an athlete is really just enjoying playing a game. When we parents can all decide to let our kids play games for their own enjoyment, and nothing else, the youth sports culture will begin to be a more fun place for the kids.....cuz after all, it is for the kids, isn't it?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pitchers and pre-season conditioning
Today our guys ran a two mile run. I like to see fast times from the pitchers but their running times are not an indication of how well they can pitch. Obviously, a well-conditioned pitcher is going to be more reliable and consistent than a poorly conditioned one with similar abilities, but their actual running times won't predict pitching success.
In the past couple of years I have had our pitchers do more sprints than distance running with their conditioning than I had done previously. We still incorporate some days with longer distances, but our focus has become more geared toward sprints of various lengths. The sprints help increase leg strength and explosiveness. Repeating many short sprints is similar to pitching in a game. A pitcher will usually average 12-18 pitches per inning, and each is thrown with intensity. A pitcher generally takes between nine and fifteen seconds in between pitches, so we will often run our shorter sprints with about ten seconds of rest in between.
While it isn't important how fast a pitcher can run two miles, their effort and consistent improvement does tell us coaches a lot. Slow runners may be in good shape, and some faster runners may not be in shape. The athletes who take pride in performing their best, being consistently good, and improving daily are the guys we want on the mound when important pitches are to be thrown.
In saying that, having good feet is certainly beneficial for a pitcher. Pitchers do have to play defense, and often the most important plays a pitcher has to make are in potentially crucial situations in a baseball game. Therefore, some athleticism can help the team win games. Similarly, a pitcher with quick feet will normally have a quick arm, both of which which can help a pitcher develop outstanding pickoff moves.
So, in saying that, I have observed that in the past few years our pitchers have taken pride in being well conditioned as a pitching staff. The pitchers who have been most successful for us condition on their own, outside of practice, in addition to the significant amount of conditioning they to together as a staff on practice and game days.
I love to see the most competitive guys set the tone for their teammates. When they do that well, they not only set the tone, but they also set a great example for the younger guys to emulate now and in the future!!
In the past couple of years I have had our pitchers do more sprints than distance running with their conditioning than I had done previously. We still incorporate some days with longer distances, but our focus has become more geared toward sprints of various lengths. The sprints help increase leg strength and explosiveness. Repeating many short sprints is similar to pitching in a game. A pitcher will usually average 12-18 pitches per inning, and each is thrown with intensity. A pitcher generally takes between nine and fifteen seconds in between pitches, so we will often run our shorter sprints with about ten seconds of rest in between.
While it isn't important how fast a pitcher can run two miles, their effort and consistent improvement does tell us coaches a lot. Slow runners may be in good shape, and some faster runners may not be in shape. The athletes who take pride in performing their best, being consistently good, and improving daily are the guys we want on the mound when important pitches are to be thrown.
In saying that, having good feet is certainly beneficial for a pitcher. Pitchers do have to play defense, and often the most important plays a pitcher has to make are in potentially crucial situations in a baseball game. Therefore, some athleticism can help the team win games. Similarly, a pitcher with quick feet will normally have a quick arm, both of which which can help a pitcher develop outstanding pickoff moves.
So, in saying that, I have observed that in the past few years our pitchers have taken pride in being well conditioned as a pitching staff. The pitchers who have been most successful for us condition on their own, outside of practice, in addition to the significant amount of conditioning they to together as a staff on practice and game days.
I love to see the most competitive guys set the tone for their teammates. When they do that well, they not only set the tone, but they also set a great example for the younger guys to emulate now and in the future!!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
ABCA Convention
I returned home a little earlier than expected tonight after a great couple of days in Nashville at the ABCA Convention. I'm working a camp tomorrow and wanted to leave early enough so that I didn't fall asleep behind the wheel, after a relatively short night of sleep last night.
In coming home sooner than expected, I did miss out on an opportunity to listen to some more great presentations, especially two from friends Brian Shoop (UAB) and Jay Alexander (Eastern Michigan University). Hopefully Eric is taking good notes to share with me.
The best reasons for attending our annual convention are to learn more about teaching the great game of baseball, networking with other coaches, and spending some quality time with friends. As always, I enjoyed the NAIA Hall of Fame Luncheon, as my friend Q.V. Lowe (Auburn University-Montgomery) was inducted into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame. That luncheon again provided some moments of inspiration and tearful moments. I am always grateful for the opportunities that my profession has given to me.
I also had a great time Friday night, hanging out with my good friend and fellow SHU Saint Scott McClure, along with my fellow AC coaches and Eric, as we helped him celebrate his birthday in downtown Nashville.
Many other coaching friends and acquaintances made the weekend a fabulous one.
Among the speakers who were very good throughout Friday, as well as Saturday morning, were Ray Tanner of the DI National Champion University of South Carolina, a passionate Gary Ward of New Mexico State, John Savage from UCLA, David Price and his Vanderbilt pitching coach Derek Johnson, Mike Bianco of Ole Miss, Dan O'Brian from UCSD, Mike Lees of Oregon State, Howard Johnson of the NY Mets, and Manager Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies, among others.
I always like the speakers who discuss the mental part of the game, ethics in coaching, and subjects related to coach-player relationship building, as well as all of the pitching, hitting, and fielding topics.
Though I missed this afternoon's speakers and tomorrow morning's sessions, Eric will come home with some good insights and notes from those, and he will have some more information with which to prepare for his own speaking session next weekend in Mt. Pleasant at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches' Association annual clinic.
Ultimately, listening to so many quality baseball people helps me to prepare for our season, provides some new ideas to incorporate into my plans, and reinforces some of the things I already do. Of course, the opportunity to question some of my own philosophies and look in my own mirror (about coaching for the right reasons and treating athletes the way they deserve to be treated) helps make coaching such an enriching way to spend my days.
In coming home sooner than expected, I did miss out on an opportunity to listen to some more great presentations, especially two from friends Brian Shoop (UAB) and Jay Alexander (Eastern Michigan University). Hopefully Eric is taking good notes to share with me.
The best reasons for attending our annual convention are to learn more about teaching the great game of baseball, networking with other coaches, and spending some quality time with friends. As always, I enjoyed the NAIA Hall of Fame Luncheon, as my friend Q.V. Lowe (Auburn University-Montgomery) was inducted into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame. That luncheon again provided some moments of inspiration and tearful moments. I am always grateful for the opportunities that my profession has given to me.
I also had a great time Friday night, hanging out with my good friend and fellow SHU Saint Scott McClure, along with my fellow AC coaches and Eric, as we helped him celebrate his birthday in downtown Nashville.
Many other coaching friends and acquaintances made the weekend a fabulous one.
Among the speakers who were very good throughout Friday, as well as Saturday morning, were Ray Tanner of the DI National Champion University of South Carolina, a passionate Gary Ward of New Mexico State, John Savage from UCLA, David Price and his Vanderbilt pitching coach Derek Johnson, Mike Bianco of Ole Miss, Dan O'Brian from UCSD, Mike Lees of Oregon State, Howard Johnson of the NY Mets, and Manager Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies, among others.
I always like the speakers who discuss the mental part of the game, ethics in coaching, and subjects related to coach-player relationship building, as well as all of the pitching, hitting, and fielding topics.
Though I missed this afternoon's speakers and tomorrow morning's sessions, Eric will come home with some good insights and notes from those, and he will have some more information with which to prepare for his own speaking session next weekend in Mt. Pleasant at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches' Association annual clinic.
Ultimately, listening to so many quality baseball people helps me to prepare for our season, provides some new ideas to incorporate into my plans, and reinforces some of the things I already do. Of course, the opportunity to question some of my own philosophies and look in my own mirror (about coaching for the right reasons and treating athletes the way they deserve to be treated) helps make coaching such an enriching way to spend my days.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Hall of Fame, ABCA Convention
I have had a rare couple of days with no hands-on baseball activity. Tomorrow I will drive to Nashville for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention. This is always a fabulous baseball weekend, typically with about 4000 baseball coaches in one place trying to learn new things and prepare for the new baseball season.
I will be driving by myself this year. Eric took off today with one of his coaching mates, Brandon Hubbard. The rest of our AC staff is taking off tomorrow morning, but I am not leaving until the school day ends tomorrow. The main reasons to attend the ABCA Convention are to learn new coaching theories, new pitching and hitting mechanics and drills, network with other coaches from other areas of the country, and receive inspiration for the season that is about to begin.
I love being able to see old coaching friends who I don't see as often as I did when I was a head coach. Not only do we now compete against different teams than I did when I was at Siena, but I also no longer spend much time on the recruiting road, which is another place to develop relationships with other coaches and scouts. So in addition to continue to stay up to date about coaching the great game of baseball, I get to enjoy the brotherhood of coaching baseball with so many others.
This will be my longest trip since my sickness last spring, and I am looking forward to the eight hour drive tomorrow. Driving has been more a part of my life in the past, and the peace of driving on our roads, listening to my own thoughts as well as the magic of XM radio is something that will be an enjoyable part of tomorrow.
As for the Hall of Fame voting, the results of which were released today, congratulations are in order for Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar. The players whose names are associated with steroids in the past decade or so are still far from receiving enough votes for the HOF, and who knows what is still yet to come for them. I don't really care if they get inducted or not, though some of them accumulated brilliant career statistics.
I still think that former Tigers Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammel, and Jack Morris deserve their day in the sun in Cooperstown, and perhaps one day they will have it.
I will be driving by myself this year. Eric took off today with one of his coaching mates, Brandon Hubbard. The rest of our AC staff is taking off tomorrow morning, but I am not leaving until the school day ends tomorrow. The main reasons to attend the ABCA Convention are to learn new coaching theories, new pitching and hitting mechanics and drills, network with other coaches from other areas of the country, and receive inspiration for the season that is about to begin.
I love being able to see old coaching friends who I don't see as often as I did when I was a head coach. Not only do we now compete against different teams than I did when I was at Siena, but I also no longer spend much time on the recruiting road, which is another place to develop relationships with other coaches and scouts. So in addition to continue to stay up to date about coaching the great game of baseball, I get to enjoy the brotherhood of coaching baseball with so many others.
This will be my longest trip since my sickness last spring, and I am looking forward to the eight hour drive tomorrow. Driving has been more a part of my life in the past, and the peace of driving on our roads, listening to my own thoughts as well as the magic of XM radio is something that will be an enjoyable part of tomorrow.
As for the Hall of Fame voting, the results of which were released today, congratulations are in order for Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar. The players whose names are associated with steroids in the past decade or so are still far from receiving enough votes for the HOF, and who knows what is still yet to come for them. I don't really care if they get inducted or not, though some of them accumulated brilliant career statistics.
I still think that former Tigers Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammel, and Jack Morris deserve their day in the sun in Cooperstown, and perhaps one day they will have it.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Pre-season time line
Today is only January 3rd. Our first practice is three weeks from today, on January 24th. Our first game is on February 26th, which will give us five weeks of practice before playing game #1. I am used to having six weeks of practice prior to our trip south. When I was a head coach I experimented with seven weeks and even eight weeks one season, but that was too much time in the fieldhouse, especially with each day beginning at 6am. I eventually became comfortable with six weeks of practice as being ideal to help pitchers prepare to throw about 90 game pitches.
So now that we have just five weeks for preparation, our pitchers know that they need to have about one week of throwing done as a base before entering into the first week of practice. Throwing six days per week at practice is significantly more challenging on the arm than throwing a few days a week to build up some stamina and strength. We will experience that first hand in a few weeks.
What I try to do is to begin our practices with our daily progression throwing drills. I prefer not to have our pitchers throw to live hitters much at all during our pre-season practices, but we will start doing so during the second week of practice. The live pitching is much more beneficial for the hitters than it is for the pitchers, but the team is ultimately better for it. The first live outing will consist of about thirty pitches for each pitcher, with no breaking balls. They will throw two-seam and four-seam fastballs as well as changeups, and nothing else during those live sessions.
This year our plan is to have each guy throw live only once per week, which will emulate what we do during the conference season, when we play four league games per week, with two doubleheaders approximately a week apart. The past few years we have had the pitchers throw live (pre-season) sessions with 3-4 days of rest in between. I think the change this season will be good, as the pitchers will have more opportunities for building arm strength through long toss with the additional days in between their live outings.
After the initial session of about thirty pitches, each week the pitchers will increase their pitch count by about ten pitches, though some may have instances of fifteen more and others may miss turns or stay at lower pitch counts if they are experiencing any tenderness in their arms. In addition, as we get closer to our trip south, we begin to figure out which pitchers will most likely be starting, who may be used out of the bullpen early in games, and who might be used for shorter stints. As we get into mid-February, our projected starters will continue to increase their pitch counts up to nearly ninety pitches. Guys who may be closers, set-up guys, or situational guys will decrease their number of pitches, but will prepare for games by throwing live a few days per week, sometimes even on back to back days.
Off subject, tomorrow I get back to school with the little kids. I have had a relaxing Christmas Break from school and have enjoyed staying awake later at night and sleeping in longer in the morning. Hopefully I'll remember why my alarm is ringing in the morning!!
So now that we have just five weeks for preparation, our pitchers know that they need to have about one week of throwing done as a base before entering into the first week of practice. Throwing six days per week at practice is significantly more challenging on the arm than throwing a few days a week to build up some stamina and strength. We will experience that first hand in a few weeks.
What I try to do is to begin our practices with our daily progression throwing drills. I prefer not to have our pitchers throw to live hitters much at all during our pre-season practices, but we will start doing so during the second week of practice. The live pitching is much more beneficial for the hitters than it is for the pitchers, but the team is ultimately better for it. The first live outing will consist of about thirty pitches for each pitcher, with no breaking balls. They will throw two-seam and four-seam fastballs as well as changeups, and nothing else during those live sessions.
This year our plan is to have each guy throw live only once per week, which will emulate what we do during the conference season, when we play four league games per week, with two doubleheaders approximately a week apart. The past few years we have had the pitchers throw live (pre-season) sessions with 3-4 days of rest in between. I think the change this season will be good, as the pitchers will have more opportunities for building arm strength through long toss with the additional days in between their live outings.
After the initial session of about thirty pitches, each week the pitchers will increase their pitch count by about ten pitches, though some may have instances of fifteen more and others may miss turns or stay at lower pitch counts if they are experiencing any tenderness in their arms. In addition, as we get closer to our trip south, we begin to figure out which pitchers will most likely be starting, who may be used out of the bullpen early in games, and who might be used for shorter stints. As we get into mid-February, our projected starters will continue to increase their pitch counts up to nearly ninety pitches. Guys who may be closers, set-up guys, or situational guys will decrease their number of pitches, but will prepare for games by throwing live a few days per week, sometimes even on back to back days.
Off subject, tomorrow I get back to school with the little kids. I have had a relaxing Christmas Break from school and have enjoyed staying awake later at night and sleeping in longer in the morning. Hopefully I'll remember why my alarm is ringing in the morning!!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!
I'm hoping to be able to put some words on these pages that will reflect the new 2011 trip through my baseball season as well as related aspects of my experiences with my own players on the Adrian College Baseball (I am the pitching coach) team, with kids I work with at camps and similar instructional venues, with parents of all athletes, and with my coaching peers.
I get inspiration from both of my kids. Tess is a senior at Michigan State University and is an experienced writer with her own online blogs. Eric is the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Hillsdale College. Both of them provide enthusiasm for what they do and help me to feel as though I have some sort of relevance in the modern world in which they thrive each day.
I am also privileged to receive inspiration from special needs kids with whom I work on school days, kids of all ages I am fortunate enough to attempt to help them make their current athletic seasons more enjoyable, and of course my coaching colleagues, many of whom are my best friends and often remind me that I am some sort of piece of work!!
I have been lucky enough to have spent my entire adult life as a coach. Early in my career (the early to mid 1980s) when I was a teacher I enjoyed coaching three different high school sports (football, basketball, and baseball/softball). By the summer of 1987 I was named the Head Baseball Coach at Siena Heights College (now University) and became a full time coach, with other on campus responsibilities related to the athletic department.
Every January brings birth to a new baseball season, as pre-season practices are right around the corner. Next weekend the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention will take place in Nashville and will provide new ideas, some new terminology, and enthusiasm to begin the 2011 season. Speaking of the 2011 season, I believe it will be another banner year for the AC Bulldogs, but I will get into that later.
So again, I wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that if I am lucky enough to have anybody reading this blog, that you can enjoy the ride along with me and root for my team and your own teams to achieve goals that have not yet been determined, and perhaps to overachieve and surpass pre-season expectations.
I get inspiration from both of my kids. Tess is a senior at Michigan State University and is an experienced writer with her own online blogs. Eric is the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Hillsdale College. Both of them provide enthusiasm for what they do and help me to feel as though I have some sort of relevance in the modern world in which they thrive each day.
I am also privileged to receive inspiration from special needs kids with whom I work on school days, kids of all ages I am fortunate enough to attempt to help them make their current athletic seasons more enjoyable, and of course my coaching colleagues, many of whom are my best friends and often remind me that I am some sort of piece of work!!
I have been lucky enough to have spent my entire adult life as a coach. Early in my career (the early to mid 1980s) when I was a teacher I enjoyed coaching three different high school sports (football, basketball, and baseball/softball). By the summer of 1987 I was named the Head Baseball Coach at Siena Heights College (now University) and became a full time coach, with other on campus responsibilities related to the athletic department.
Every January brings birth to a new baseball season, as pre-season practices are right around the corner. Next weekend the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention will take place in Nashville and will provide new ideas, some new terminology, and enthusiasm to begin the 2011 season. Speaking of the 2011 season, I believe it will be another banner year for the AC Bulldogs, but I will get into that later.
So again, I wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that if I am lucky enough to have anybody reading this blog, that you can enjoy the ride along with me and root for my team and your own teams to achieve goals that have not yet been determined, and perhaps to overachieve and surpass pre-season expectations.
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