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A Place Called Tulane

2012-03-15T02:01:54Z

Tulane University is a prestigious private university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Not only is Tulane known for its academically-oriented curriculum, the Green Waves are also nationally recognized for excelling in athletics. The reason this is important to know is because back when I played college baseball, we played Tulane each season. However, being from California, I’d never heard of Tulane until they appeared on our baseball schedule. One day during my freshman year while talking to my father on the phone, I said something like, “Yea the season has started, next week we play at ‘A Place called Tulane.’” Of course my father thought that was funny because he knew Tulane was a well-known university and his sheltered Southern California raised son was clueless.

Now, before I get to the meat and potatoes of this blog, please allow me to set the table and give you some appetizers so that you will scarf down the main course. At this point you have been updated on “a place called Tulane”, but there is another critical piece to this story. This part is kind of personal but very, very relevant. During my junior year of college, we were playing a 3-game series against Texas A&M at College Station. Since College Station was located close to where my parents lived, they decided to drive down for the series. I was extremely excited not only that I was going to see my parents and that they were going to see me play baseball but I also knew that I’d be eating a tasty steak dinner the first night. After the first game my wish came true and my parents treated me to Outback Steakhouse. I had a delicious, gigantic steak dinner alongside a schooner of ice cold beer. What could be better after a day at the ballpark? As the dinner came to an end, my parents threw me the biggest curve ball of my life, they informed me that after 25 years of marriage, they had decided to divorce. Needless to say, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I did not understand what the heck had just happened. There was zero warning and from my perspective, until then, life was perfect.

The next day a scout watched me as I warmed up in the bullpen. My mind was running wild and it was everywhere but with me on that bullpen mound. However, I do have two memories from that day; #1 – I saw our head coach on the game mound pointing to his left arm (for you rookie baseball fans, that is how the coach signals the umpire that he wants the left-handed pitcher from the bullpen to enter the game, if the coach pointed to his right arm then….. you get the rest). #2- before I began the long run from the right field bullpen to the game mound, the scout who’d been watching me warm-up leaned over and said something like, “Hey 42, do you always throw that hard?” I looked directly in his eyes and simply said “NO.” That should give you some type of reference of what my emotions were going through. Confused, disappointed, pissed off…

Okay, I’m getting close to the main dish. Interesting enough and probably a common occurrence in children of divorced parents, I became close to my father after the divorce. He tended to call me more often and would travel to see a lot more of my games. If was a difficult yet, meaningful time in my life. If you are really paying attention to this blog, you probably know what’s going to happen next. Yep, my father traveled to New Orleans to watch me play at “A place called Tulane.”

At the time, I felt we both knew how special it was that he was there watching me play at Tulane. We spent most our time together down by the bullpen and were more like spectators of the game. When the game approached the fifth inning, I began to loosen-up. As a relief pitcher, it is important to not only understand the current situations of the game but also to look ahead to the future and anticipate which direction the game is headed. Relief pitchers spend a lot of time warming up then cooling down, then warming up, then realizing the situation did not call for them and the game is over. Then, they arrive at the ballpark the next day and do it all over again. Most people (especially starting pitchers) feel relief pitchers have several attributes depending on the current situation and the outcome of the game. Sometimes relief pitchers wear halos, other times they wear horns. Sometimes they have nerves of steel, other times they fold under pressure. Sometimes they make the starting pitcher look awesome, other times they make the starting pitcher look like a schmuck. Basically, relief pitchers are in a class of their own, sometimes good and sometimes bad. As a former Division I reliever, and on behalf of all relief pitchers, I have to say, yes, that’s who we are and we love it!

Let’s get back to the bullpen at Tulane. Now it was the top of the sixth inning and I knew that a left-handed batter was in the hole, so I continued to warm up to the point where I was prepared to enter the game. As the left-hander walked to the plate, my head coach walked to the game mound and once again, pointed to his left arm. It was my turn. I sprinted to the game mound.

That night, my father wrote this…

A Special Night at “A Place Called Tulane”

It was a night game between nationally ranked Tulane and Nicholls State. Tulane is located in the heart of New Orleans and their baseball field is first-rate.

Mike and I were able to chat down near the bullpen during the early innings of the game and between his warm-ups. The game was in the sixth inning when the announcement came – “Ladies and Gentlemen may I have your attention? Now pitching for Nicholls State, number 42, Mike Welsh.” The excitement grew and I hurried to get a better seat behind home plate. As I looked up, I saw Mike emerging from a misty fog which had just started to move over the field. It was as though Mike appeared out of the mist… like out of the corn from the Field of Dreams. An almost mystical, deeply stirring feeling of emotion and pride hit me as I realized the true meaning of this moment in time.

Mike’s quest to play on a Division I team, his hardworking spirit and dedication, his remarkable journey to reach his goals had indeed earned him the right to be on the mound in a big-time baseball stadium. In my eyes, he had reached the top of the mountain, the pinnacle of achievement on that mound at “A place called Tulane.”

I am proud of you and I love you!

Dad

Game played night of February 27, 1997.

As you can imagine, I still get teary eyed when I read his letter. Now that I have two sons of my own, I view it in a whole new light. I can only hope that I am able to impact my boy’s lives in a way that my dad has impacted mine.

Dad, you’re amazing. Thanks for always being there. You taught me more about life than you’ll ever realize.

Love,

Mike

Play the Game!

2012-02-21T21:05:52Z

Play the game not the opponent. Too many players and coaches worry and place too much emphasis on the opponent. Seriously, you may think this is a silly and ridiculous statement but no matter the sport, this is a fact. What coaches and players should focus on is the game! Yes, the opponent you face may cause you to change how you approach certain situations but if you do not stay true to the game, you’re sure to lose more than you win.

Let’s begin with the best game God created, baseball. To me, one of the most powerful attributes of baseball is that any team is capable of winning any day, against any opponent. During my college baseball days, my coach Jamie Pizzolato (un-doubtable the most intriguing coach I have every had the honor to play for) and I happened to be sitting on the bus together on our way to play the College World Series Winning LSU Tigers at the old Alex Box Stadium. During the ride, I turned to Coach “Pizz” and asked what he thought would happen if we could switch uniforms with #1 ranked LSU and then played a baseball game. Coach “Pizz” said, “Stop focusing on LSU, it doesn’t matter who you play, it’s how you play the game.” The team that plays baseball the way it is supposed to be played, will more than likely win! From that moment till right now, as I write this blog, I view most situations in the same manner. Whether you are referring to sports, business, politics, or plain old life, who cares what your “opponent” is doing, what matters is how you do it.

As we quickly approach another presidential election, it humors me to watch politicians using “attack” ads against their opponent. To me, attack ads are stupid. Instead, they should run ads that convince me to vote for them. Focus on the game not the opponent. Unfortunately, for some reason, attack ads have become the way they play the game. If political competition in America did not exist, wouldn’t we then be governed by a Dictator? No competition means there is no game!

Anyways, let’s get back to baseball. Mastering basic fundamentals and executing situational strategies wins games. While on offense, get a runner on base, bunt the runner over (or steal a base), hit a single, the run scores. If you do that five or more times during a game you’ll probably win the majority of games. On defense, throw strikes, do not allow walks, do not allow runners to get a large lead while on base, watch the ball into your glove, do not make throwing mistakes, and protect the foul lines from doubles in the late innings. If you do those basic fundamentals during the entire game you’ll probably win the game. Kinda sounds easy.

The Texas Rangers have won the American League Pennant and have been to the World Series back to back seasons. They do not have high paid powerhouses on the team; instead, they just know how to play baseball. They use the basic fundamentals and execute situational strategies. I know, I know, they did not win the World Series! From my perspective, while sitting on my couch at home, the Rangers got away from their game plan and did not play the way that got them to the World Series in the first place. They started relying on the “big hit” or a homerun to win the game instead of just using basic strategies. Perhaps, Ron Washington will read and print out this BLOG and use it next year during their 3rd World Series appearance (1st World Series Win!). Come on Ron; don’t get away from what you know. It does not matter if you’re playing a game during Spring Training or Game 7 of the World Series, baseball is baseball. Play the game!

Seriously, I love this topic. “It’s how you play the game” is everywhere you turn in life. Check out these everyday samples:

Wal-Mart plays the game	K-Mart, not so much.
Google plays the game in their world	AOL, nice try
Facebook writes the rules for the game	MySpace, uh sorry
American Idol is the game	X-Factor, come on
Chili’s got yummy game	Bennigan’s bankrupt

So, there you go. From this day forward, think about “it’s how you play the game” in all of aspects of your life. I promise that you will see things in a whole new perspective. As a matter of fact, you will quickly realize that playing the game is easier than you thought. As humans, we tend to complicate things by adding too many unnecessary elements that end up clouding our focus.

Play the game, not the opponent!

- Mike Welsh, Between the Lines Blogger Extraordinaire

Copyright, Between the Lines, LLC.

Sticks and Stones Are Priceless in Baseball!

2012-01-16T04:44:56Z

It saddens me when I drive around my neighborhood and not see children out playing. These days, video games, social media, and TV take the place of good ’ol outdoor fun. When I was a child growing up in California, my parents had to drag me inside every night for dinner and homework. Being outside meant I was involved in a game of “over the line”, “300”, wiffle-ball, or plain old fashion pick-up baseball.

If I recall correctly, most the time my friends and I were not prepared to play a baseball game. We usually did not have the proper baseball equipment with us, so we would just find items that were “good enough” to resemble the equipment needed to play. On days when we actually planned a baseball game, we would show up to the park carrying our baseball bat on our shoulder like a solider carrying a rifle, except we would slide our glove onto the bat through the wrist strap. It never mattered to us what type of glove or bat we used, all that mattered was that we were playing the best game ever created. All we had to do was “eyeball” the distance between bases and find something such as a pinecone, empty Coke can, sweatshirt, or an extra glove to resemble the bases. Typically, we would have only one baseball so it was critical that one of our little brothers tag along and be responsible for retrieving foul balls. Just playing baseball was all that mattered to us.

These organized “pick-up” games were always a blast. We’d have lefties playing short-stop, we’d try to switch hit, we’d bat out of order if someone had to take a leak, we’d even have “ghost runners” if the number of players were limited. But, there was one thing that always happened. At some point during the game, we’d pretend it was the bottom of the ninth inning of the World Series with bases loaded, two outs, and a tie score. We all dreamed of becoming a Major Leaguer.

Youth baseball was always fun, easy, and cheap. Yep, those days are long gone. These days, youth baseball is a big business. Everyone thinks their child will be the next Babe Ruth. Parents spend thousands of dollars on their child’s baseball equipment and training. My Dad bought me one baseball bat every couple of years that never cost more than $40. Today, a typical American youth player has multiple $300 bats in their $100 “bat bag” that is big enough for their $250 glove, $100 cleats, $100 helmet, $200 Oakleys, $200 iPod, and $50 Phitten necklace, not to mention the thousands of dollars shelled out to play “select” or tournament ball. Yea, I know that looking and feeling good helps with confidence and I’m sure I’ll buy the same stuff for my boys when they get older, but come on, does any of this increase the chances one of my boys will make it to The Show? Hell no.

This past summer I had the privilege of having lunch with Jack Lazorko. Jack is a former MLB player and is currently the President of the MLB Players Alumni (MLBPA), Dallas/Fort Worth Texas Chapter. We had a terrific discussion about several different baseball related topics. Considering he played MLB and is involved with the MLBPA, he knew a lot of the “behind the scenes” of MLB and the players. His stories were interesting and neat to hear considering I knew who he was talking about. He talked about all the ballplayers I watched in my youth and the same ballplayers I get to watch today. Part of the conversation pertained to players from the Dominican Republic. With the surge of MLB player from the Dominican, I had to know two things:

Why is there such an increase of Dominican Republic players?
Why are they so good?

Before I tell you Jack/s response to my questions, I first want to share some data that I researched. Foreign born players make up 28% of Major Leaguers and 47% of Minor Leaguers! Of the foreign born MLB players, 37% are from the Dominican Republic, 27% are from Valenzuela, 9% are from Puerto Rico, leaving 27% from other countries (such as; Canada, Japan, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Germany and Australia). Not to mention, the Dominican Republic players are powerhouses. We’re talking about players like; Sammy Sosa, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Juan Marichal, David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Robinson Cano, Bartolo Colon, Nelson Cruz, Neftali Feliz, Rafael Furcal and Ervin Sanatan. I feel like I’m forgetting someone kinda important, oh yea, that guy that just signed for a guaranteed $240 million with the LA Angeles, Albert Pujols. Anyway, back to Jack’s response. He asked if I’d ever been to the Dominican Republic, which I haven’t. He said when you drive around the Dominican Republic you will see nothing but pastures with children playing baseball using rocks and sticks!

He continued by saying, if you can consistently hit a rock with a stick, then you will absolutely crush a baseball with a bat! As I listened to this statement I could not help but draw a picture in my head. At that point I began to smile and thought back to my youth. Dominican children also do whatever it takes to play baseball. I’m sure at some point during their game, they also pretend it was the bottom of the ninth inning of the World Series with bases loaded, two outs, and a tie score. Like I said, we all dreamed of becoming a Major Leaguer!

Jack’s point got me thinking; perhaps I should start a baseball equipment company. I’d offer one product called the ‘D.R. Baseball Kit’ (I love names of companies or products that are a play on words; UHaul, Hot Booties, Sofa King, Pho King Restaurant, Trojans – you get my drift). This kit would include one semi-round rock and one semi-straight stick. The instructions would suggest “for best results” that the kit be used on an uneven surface. Going back to a typical American youth ballplayer, I could charge $500 for the kit and would still save parents thousands of dollars. I could even go as far as having a slogan that would read “Proven system used by the highest paid Powerhouses in Major League Baseball!”

People have made millions selling ridiculous products like the Pet Rock and the Snuggie. The D.R. Baseball Kit would actually have a proven track record and could potentially put $240 million dollars in your child’s pocket one day. Who knows one day American players who grew up using the D.R. Baseball Kit may be highly scouted and desired by MLB clubs. MLB may even put these players in their own category. American Players (AP) vs. American Players with D.R. Baseball Kit experience (APDRBK). I’m just saying, this could be the next big thing!

BTW – publishing this BLOG refrains any of you freeloaders from patenting this idea, sorry.

Mike Welsh

Between the Lines LLC

Home of The Oyster Baseball Cleaning Machine (BaseballOyster.com) &

Innovative Baseball Products (InnovativeBaseball.com)

The Day Game Opponent

2011-12-28T03:33:51Z

Being a fanatic about baseball, my family and I tend to watch a lot of games during the spring. Most the time we are tuned into a Texas Rangers game at night while the kiddos are playing. My wife and I love it when the Rangers are playing a west coast team because it usually means there is still a lot of game left for us to watch once the kiddos are in bed. Peace, quite, and baseball! The only thing better is watching a day game.

There is something about a day game that gives me a completely different feeling and energy. Day games seem to make all my troubles go away. No matter if it is a weekday or a weekend, watching a day game kind of makes me feel like I’m missing work or doing something wrong. As a Texas Rangers fan, it seems there is only one weekday day game and it is opening day. Opening day at work is similar to the day before a holiday weekend; the office resembles a ghost town. Everyone is either at the game or at the bar watching the game. I love opening day!

Of course the Cubs are notorious for day games. Every time I watch a Cubs day game I become jealous of those spectators. I wonder if employers in Chicago treat Cubs day games as a holiday or something. Think about it, Cubs games average 37,000 in attendance, not to mention all the packed bars around Wrigley Field. Cubs fans who purchase season tickets probably miss 50 work days a year just due to day games. Like I said, jealous.

Wrigley Field in 1916

Day games give teams another opponent to outsmart besides the other team. That opponent is the sun, of course. Sometimes the sun is directly in the players eyes causing “can-a-corn” pop ups to drop. Or, the shadows will give an advantage to the pitcher by decreasing the batters reaction time. Yes, the sun is sometimes hard to beat. So, it got me thinking about the direction ballparks face. Do they all face the same direction?

According to the Official Baseball Rules, section 1.04, it is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East-Northeast.

Referring to this rule, I researched the direction of all the 30 ballparks. Here is what I came up with. Out of the 30 baseball stadiums, only 18 follow the guidelines of the Official Baseball Rules. That’s right, 12 of the 30 baseball stadiums DO NOT follow section 1.04 of the Official Baseball Rules set by Major League Baseball. Just to be fair, almost all of the stadiums do face a direction that protects the batter from getting direct sunlight in his eyes. Minute Maid Park in Houston is the only stadium to face northwest. However, Minute Maid Park is also equipped with a contractible roof to protect players from the sun if needed. I guess I’m okay with that considering the Astros are moving to the AL West in 2013. That means the Astros and the Texas Rangers will be playing games that actually mean something. Playing in 100 degree, 90% humitity is enough, no need to have to worry about the sun blinding the batters. Go Rangers!

In case you are wondering, yes, Wrigley Field does face northeast. Whereas, my beloved Rangers Ballpark faces southeast. At least I now know where to sit if I want to keep the sun out of the faces of my family.

- Mike Welsh, Between the Lines Blogger Extraordinaire

The Baseball Hall of Fame - A Must Visit for All Americans

2011-11-16T16:12:59Z

One of the many items on my bucket list is to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Perhaps I will venture to this historic baseball cathedral on my family RV adventure across the country to visit every Major League Baseball park. My wife still doesn't know about this "Griswold" trip - I'll just have to surprise her one year, just as Clark would surprise Ellen.

It is my opinion that all Americans should visit the Baseball Hall of Fame, as it holds a rich passage to America's pastime. Here is some fun facts and some cool information to get all of you excited about your future trip!

The Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York remains an impressive place for all visitors to enjoy. The museum not only is an educational experience for both young and old alike, but also is a tribute to the true spirit of sportsmanship that baseball teams and heroes who have reflected throughout the years.

The Baseball Hall of Fame is privately funded with the purpose of preserving the history of baseball in the United States and beyond. Visitors can find many displays of baseball-related artifacts and exhibits as well as tributes and honors to people who have excelled in playing, managing and serving the sport.

As of January 2011, 295 individuals had been elected to the Hall of Fame.

More than 350,000 visitors enter the museum every year, and the running total has surpassed 14 million. Visitors only see a fraction of the 35,000 artifacts, 2.6 million newspaper clippings and photos and 130,000 baseball cards.

The first floor includes a large plaque museum and many rotating exhibits. For entertainment there is a baseball movie memorabilia room that features a large movie screen that shows scenes from the films. Next to that area is the Bullpen Theater, which has daily programming that includes trivia games and book discussions. Children will enjoy the Sandlot Kids Clubhouse with a wide variety of interactive displays.

The second floor includes the Grandstand Theater with a 12-minute multimedia film. The theater has 200 baseball stadium seats and is decorated to resemble a ballpark. The Game area displays many important artifacts including the Babe Ruth Room that has Ruth’s uniform and many of the bats he used to set records.

On the third floor is a tribute to Hank Aaron and a gallery that hosts school groups and special presentations -- including a version of Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s On First?” routine. Also in on the floor is the Records Room, which includes charts showing active and all-time leaders in various baseball statistical categories.

More information including the hours and admission charges vary and can be found on the Hall’s official website (http://baseballhall.org/). Check it out and start planning your trip to the gateway to America's Pastime. When you get there, tell them Clark W Griswald sent you...

‘Moneyball’ - A Great Baseball Film

2011-09-21T02:30:04Z

There is a new movie that many baseball fans will appreciate. “Moneyball” is based on the 2003 book by Michael Lewis and stars Brad Pitt as the real-life Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane. You’ll remember that Beane had to rebuild his cash-strapped team after many players were taken away during what has been called a buying frenzy. It was Beane who successfully put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. What is so good about the film is that it offers an insider’s view on how coaches and players relate, or in some cases, don’t relate.

Some critics have described Lewis’ book as one of the single most influential baseball book ever written. In an early interview with the author, Lewis said he wrote the book because he “fell in love with the story. The story concerned a small group of undervalued professional baseball players and executives, many of whom had been rejected as unfit by the big leagues, who had turned themselves into one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. But the idea for the book came well before I had good reason to write it – before I had a story to fall in love with. It began, really, with an innocent question: how did one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Oakland Athletics, win so many games?”

The movie is faithful to the book with the point that money can’t buy the secret of success in baseball – or in business. The movie begins with Billy Beane having to relinquish three of the teams most prominent and expensive players (including first baseman Jason Giambi). Any possible victories by the team was then thought to be over, but the team makes an astonishing comeback to challenge the American League record for consecutive wins. Bean presided over a 2002 season that included a 20-game winning streak. However, Bean’s Oakland A’s never made it to the World Series.

The movie’s wonderfully adopted script is credited to two Oscar winners: Aaron Sorkin (‘Social Network’) and Steve Zaillian (‘Schindler’s List’). They both made equal contributions on the final screenplay that made for an effective adaptation of the book. Director Bennett Miller (known as the director of Capote) gave the movie strength and power, and created a film that reflects the human spirit. The film reportedly had a $47 million dollar budget.

Brad Pitt has lost his pretty-boy looks in the film and portrays Billy Beane with commitment and humor. The film does touch upon Beane’s personal life, but it is underplayed and doesn’t get in the way with the story. Beane’es ex-wife is portrayed with depth by Robin Wright (“Message in a Bottle”, “The Conspirator). Other stars in the movie include Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Andy Howe), Jonah Hill (Peter Brand), Sphllip Seymour Hoffman (Art Howe) and Chris Pratt (Scott Hatteberg).

‘Moneyball’ is one of the most entertaining sports movies to come along in many years. It’s not about winning the big game, but concentrates on athletes fulfilling dreams and earning redemption.

Here is what some of critics wrote about the flick:

“Here we have the finest film about baseball since ‘Bull Durham’ and the most in depth film about the game that I can recall.” – Andy Kiser

“’Moneyball’ is not a film that falls into the sports film clichés we're accustomed. Mostly, it's about guys and statistics and changing a culture and how somebody with a new idea has to battle and fight the establishment to innovate. Really, sabermetrics is a metaphor for any innovation. It usually takes one person's commitment and drive and devotion to overcome all the obstacles that stand in his way. That's how this story works. Billy Beane had a vision and he made it happen. It isn't so much about how much success he had with it, but about the journey he took to get there.” – hubpages

“An inspiring sports movie totally different from any other one ever made.” -- Chris McKittrick

“One of the best movies of the year.” – Rolling Stone

“I came into the movie with low expectations and was bothered by some of the poetic license taken in telling a tale I’m very familiar with, but the underdog story is compelling, the individual performances are mostly very good, the Aaron Sorkin-penned dialogue is funny and charming, and ‘Moneyball’ is absolutely worth seeing.” -- Aaron at the Movies

Amazing Plays in Baseball

2011-08-02T03:16:56Z

I hear people say that "baseball is boring" or "baseball's not very exciting to watch". I've tried to make different arguments over the years, but today these videos are my only argument. Check these out these fun and amazing plays I found on youtube (somehow, no matter who the broadcaster is on the video, I can hear Chris Berman commentating every one of them):

http://youtu.be/2oHWD94jgaw

http://youtu.be/UdYBEJzy-F0

http://youtu.be/ltrGuRZY4Jk

If you come across a cool or funny baseball video, then send it to us and we'll share it with our crew of readers.

Thanks and touch 'em all!
www.InnovativeBaseball.com

Debut of The Oyster in Music City

2011-01-03T02:08:00Z

It is finally time! The Oyster is making it's debut at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention in Nashville, TN on January 6-8, 2011. The following weekend (January 13-15), The Oyster will be heading to Waco, TX to turn heads at the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) Convention.

Check out our News Release below.

News Release

Between the Lines LLC Launches Innovative Baseball Cleaning Machine

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (January 6 – 8, 2010) – Between the Lines LLC, a company committed to pioneering baseball cleaning solutions, has launched a brand new product, a baseball cleaning machine called “The Oyster” (patent pending). The Oyster uses tumbling elastomer technology to simultaneously clean a bucket of baseballs. In other words, “The Oyster makes pearls one bucket at a time.”

The innovative machine is creating an exciting buzz within the baseball community. Baseball coaches from all levels will now be able to use The Oyster to have new-looking baseballs during every practice. The advantages of using The Oyster are three-fold: Safety, Ball Rotation Recognition, and Saving Money.

First and foremost, bright-white baseballs are easier for players to see when on the field, so using The Oyster between practices increases safety on the ball field. Secondly, repetitive experience with new-looking baseballs enhances training since the red-to-white contrast between seam and leather forces recognition of ball rotation. This is the same type of ball rotation that players experience during game time, so it makes all the sense in the world to practice with pearls (just like the pros). Last but certainly not least, The Oyster will undoubtedly save baseball programs money. Instead of discarding dark and discolored baseballs, coaches will be able to send them into The Oyster and turn them into pearls. This will prolong the life of dozens and dozens of baseballs, saving baseball programs money. “The Oyster will change the way baseball teams across the country practice, ultimately enhancing The Game for universities, high schools, little leagues, and baseball academies,” said Sam Welsh, co-founder of Between the Lines LLC.

The Oyster is manufactured in the USA, and consists of a sturdy “base” and a specially-designed “drum”. The base is a cube-like structure that contains a rotating shaft and free-standing wheels on the top of the structure. Roughly 2-3 dozen dirty baseballs and specialized elastic cleaning compound are placed in the drum and the drum is placed on the top of the base. When the machine is turned ON via the built-in timer, the drum rotates for the specified amount of time. As The Oyster drum rotates, the carefully-crafted elastic cleaning compound interacts with the baseballs, lifting the dirt off of the leather without harming the seams.

This electrifying new baseball cleaning machine, The Oyster, will debut at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN on January 6-8, 2011. Check it out at booth 268. For more information about Between the Lines LLC and The Oyster, please visit www.baseballoyster.com , call 866.765.6056, or email contact@baseballoyster.com.

About Between the Lines, LLC

In October of 2009, two brothers, Mike Welsh and Sam Welsh, decided to pursue the design, manufacturing, and selling of baseball cleaning machines. The duo formed Between the Lines LLC in order to pave the way in baseball-cleaning technology. Their first product, The Oyster, is able to clean multiple baseballs simultaneously and will be debuting in January 2011.

Mike Welsh has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing, 12 years of experience in the financial industry, 1 year of experience in the baseball equipment industry, and a lifetime of baseball experience. He was a middle-relief Division I pitcher for the Nicholls State University Colonels in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.

Sam Welsh has a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, 5 years of experience in the human spacecraft industry, and many years of baseball experience. He pitched and played short-stop for the 1995 Texas 4A State Championship team at Coppell High School and then played two years for the Tyler Junior College Apaches in Tyler, TX.

Baseball Quiz

2010-11-16T13:56:00Z

Here is a little 5-question quiz to test your baseball knowledge. Take a crack then scroll down to see the answers...enjoy!

QUESTIONS:

1) How many seasons did Ty Cobb NOT hit at least .300?

2) Who was the first MLB player to have 300 homeruns and 300 stolen bases?

3) If a line drive hits the rubber and bounces into one of the dugouts, what is the ruling on the field?

4) In what year did brothers playing for the St Louis Cardinals combine for 49 wins. Dizzy Dean had 30 while his brother Paul had 19.

5) Who was the first rookie pitcher to win the Cy Young award in 1981?

Scroll down to see the answers.....

ANSWERS:

1) One. Ty's only season to not hit at least .300 was his rookie year. His lifetime batting average was .366 - what a stud!

2) Willie Mays

3) A foul ball.

4) 1934. The Cardinals took the World Series that year against the Tigers.

5) Fernando Valenzuela

A Few Historical Facts of the San Francisco Giants

2010-11-04T14:09:44Z

In honor of winning the World Series this year, here are a few historical facts of the San Francisco Giants. Congratulations to the Giants for defeating a very tough Texas Rangers team.

The Giants were originally known as the Gothams and entered the National League in 1883.
The famous Giants player-manager, John McGraw, managed the Giants for three decades.
One of the most famous moments in Major League Baseball history was known as “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” when Giants’ slugger Bobby Thomson hit a walk-off homerun off of Brooklyn Dodger’s pitcher, Ralph Branca, on October 3, 1951. You may have heard the famous call from announcer Russ Hodges after Thomson launched the shot – he shouted “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

The Shot Heard 'Round The World
The Catch”, an amazing over-the-shoulder grab made by center fielder Willie Mays of the Giants, occurred in game 1 of the 1954 World Series. The Giants went on to sweep the Cleveland Indians in 4 games despite the fact that The Tribe won 111 games in the regular season. This was the last World Series Title for the Giants until this year’s defeat of the Texas Rangers.

The Catch
In 1957 the Giants moved to San Francisco and the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Both teams moving west the same year was not a coincidence because The Dodgers’ owner, Walter O’Malley, was told that the Dodgers couldn’t move to LA without another team coming to California. In essence, O’Malley put some pressure on Giants’ majority owner, Horace Stoneham, to head to San Francisco.
The Giants played ball at Candlestick Park for 40 years, then moved to what is now known as AT&T Park in 2000. The park sits on the shores of the China Basin, which is commonly referred to as McCovey Cove by Giants fan.
In 2002, the Giants and Angels both entered the post-season as wild card teams. They ended up playing in the World Series, marking the first time two wild card teams played in the World Series. The Angels defeated the Giants in an exciting 7-game series.
The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in this year's World Series. It was the first trip to the World Series for the Rangers.
To date, the Giants have 21 National League Pennants and 6 World Series Titles.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants#New_York_Giants_history

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/01/giants-world-series-champions-2010_n_777417.html

The Small Ball Approach to Baseball

2010-10-25T16:24:00Z

Over the past decade or so, Major League Baseball has been overshadowed by power hitters blasting towering shots in record-breaking numbers. Most people agree that homeruns are exciting, but teams like this year’s Texas Rangers have shown that scratching and clawing for runs can be even more electrifying. In honor of the Texas Rangers first trip to the World Series in their 50 year franchise history, this blog will discuss the main approach that got them to this elite stage. I’m talking about "small ball".

Generally, the term "small ball" represents an approach to scoring runs by getting runners in scoring position (second or third base) by any means possible. A small ball team will typically give up an out to get a runner in scoring position, or take greater chances on the bases – for instance stealing, stretching singles into doubles, or performing more hit-and-runs. For that reason, small ball teams usually have a good amount of speed and aggression on the pads. This type of team is playing the odds of scoring 1 or 2 runs in an inning and is less likely to have the "big inning" where many runs are scored. Therefore, a small ball team needs to have a quality pitching staff to ensure the opposing team can’t take the lead.

Many teams have no choice to use the small ball approach because they lack consistent hitting throughout the lineup. This isn’t true for the Rangers – they have consistent sticks with power, but still choose to manufacture runs any way possible. This is the way baseball should be played and I hope that the Rangers’ success this year will re-ignite the small ball approach throughout the game. Show the world how it's done Rangers!

To read more about small ball, including its history check out this article.

Copyright, Between the Lines, LLC.

Top 5 Major League Baseball Mascots

2010-10-12T16:42:00Z

The Major League Baseball mascot revolution was started in 1964 with "Mr. Met" of the New York Mets. However, the MLB mascot revolution didn't catch fire until the late 1970's after the success of the well-known "San Diego Chicken". Interestingly enough, the famous chicken wasn't San Diego's mascot at all, rather it was a marketing promotion from a local rock station called KGB (Maybe you can use that bit of trivia someday).

Thanks to Mr. Met and what is now called "The Famous SD Chicken", almost every MLB team has a mascot that entertains the crowds, reminding us that baseball is a fun game. In the honor of all those people that run around and sweat inside of a mascot costume, here's our list for the Top 5 MLB mascots:

5.) Bernie The Brewer of the Brewers

Gotta love that stash!!

4.) Fredbird of the Cardinals

Apparently this bird has "beaked" millions and millions of fans.

3.) Rangers Captain of the Texas Rangers

Any mascot with a horse-head is hilarious. Plus, I'm a little biased towards Texas.

2.) Wally The Green Monster of the Boston Red Sox

Catchy name and I love the beer belly - baseball fans can definitely relate.

1.) Phillie Phanatic of Philadelphia

What is this giant green monstrosity? Regardless, it is the most energetic and the funniest mascot in the bigs.

A New Record for the Fastest Pitch Ever Thrown

2010-09-26T02:25:00Z

Today I read an article on Yahoo! news about a new record being broken in Major League Baseball. Aroldis Chapman, a 22 year old left hander for the Reds was clocked at 105-mph on Friday 9/24/10 against the Padres. Yes, that is one hundred and five miles per hour!

Wow.

On top of that, he threw 25 pitches that inning and every single one was over 100-mph. No change-ups, no sliders, no deuces, no need to, just good old fashion heat. Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate a finesse pitcher, but there's something super exciting about a guy that can throw some serious gas. I was so inspired about this story that I thought I would do a little research to understand how anybody can throw a baseball that hard?

There are many factors that impact the speed of a pitch, but only one significant factor. Philip Unruh performed some research based on the The Physics of Baseball, a well-known book by Robert Kemp Adair. Based on Unruh's research, here's the physics behind pitching:

"The pitch starts with the motion of the pitcher. The pitcher brings all his weight behind the rubber and then thrusts it towards home plate. The momentum of the motion that the pitcher goes through is transferred to the ball as it is released. This transfer of momentum is described as a biomechanical principle called sequential summation of movement. This principle says that large bodies start moving first followed by progressively smaller ones. The pitcher drives with his legs first, and then his hips, shoulders, arm, wrist and fingers follow in that order. This movement causes a whip-like action to occur as the pitch is being delivered. Another aspect that contributes to the momentum of a pitch is the length of the pitcher’s arm. A longer arm cause the ball to travel further and gain more speed as the pitcher moves towards home. This can explain why people like Randy Johnson can really bring the heat. After the pitcher releases the ball is when many laws of physics kick in."

At the point of release, all pitchers are at the mercy of the forces of nature - essentially drag and gravity. For all practical purposes, the force of gravity is the same for every pitcher, but drag is dependent on air density and wind velocity. (I just pushed up my glasses, so I'll stop there before I really nerd-out about the aerodynamic forces of subsonic airflow). For the sake of this discussion, just know that all pitchers have to deal with the ball's speed decreasing after release and isn't the primary factor behind a pitcher throwing gas (I couldn't throw three-digits even if I had hurricane force winds at my back).

Back to the real reason why pitchers can throw cheese. Some independent research by Glenn Elert and his students also point to this Unruh's "whip-like" motion as the primary source of the heat, but they refer to it with a more scientific term, torque. They also explain why there is a ceiling to a pitcher's velocity:

"When throwing a baseball, it isn't the pitcher's muscle mass that determines how fast the ball goes, but rather it is the amount of torque the pitcher puts on his body. The elite flame-throwing pitchers can maximize this effort, and throw a baseball at speeds in excess of 100 mph (44.7 m/s). It seems as if there is an imaginary boundary, preventing pitchers from going much past that point. However, this boundary isn't as imaginary as one would think. The reason that pitchers struggle to throw a ball faster than that, is because once you get to that speed, additional muscle mass doesn't help throw a baseball any faster. It has been calculated that bout 80 newton-meters of torque act on a pitchers elbow when he throws it at 100 mph. If a person were to put any more torque on their elbow, they would probably snap. Hence, pitchers usually are unable to go past that point."

So there you have it - if you want to throw gas make sure to work on your torque-generating ability. The only problem is that torque is largely dependent on your natural characteristics like arm length, hand size, and height. I guess Aroldis Chapman should give a "shot out" to his parents.

Does Enhanced Instant Replay Belong in Baseball?

2010-09-17T03:39:00Z

There was a bold addition to the Little League World Series (LLWS) this year - enhanced instant replay. Coaches could challenge nearly every call on the field except balls and strikes, and if there was indisputable video evidence then the challenged call was reversed. In addition to the only scenario that can be reviewed in the big leagues, whether or not it was a homerun, little league umpires could review foul balls, tag outs, force outs, dead balls (hit-by-pitch or ball hitting runner), and appeal plays. Each coach was given one unsuccessful challenge per the nominal six inning game and one more unsuccessful challenge if it went into extra innings. In other words, a coach could challenge over and over all game until the gamble didn’t pay off.

I don’t know how I feel about this whole enhanced instant replay business; there are definitely some pros and some cons. So here is my plan: I’ll outline my positive and negative thoughts and come to a conclusion at the end of this entry.

Positive thoughts on enhanced instant replay:

It makes the game more “fair” in the sense that more of the calls are guaranteed to be correct.
It advocates innovation by leveraging our ever-increasing video technology. (My nerd-like tendencies are shining bright with this statement).
Incorporating instant replay into the LLWS acts as a test-bed for the Major Leagues, potentially saving cost and perhaps embarrassment.
It adds excitement and suspense to the game by incorporating a whole extra level of strategy. There were a couple of instances during the LLWS when the coach had to make a tough choice whether or not to gamble on a challenge. Many times he had to trust the words of the players involved in the questionable call.

Negative thoughts on enhanced instant replay:

It makes the game more “fair”. Yeah, I know that was a positive thought, but what are we teaching the little leaguers, that life is always fair?
It slows down the game. The game of baseball isn’t fast-paced as it stands now, so adding instant replay would result in even more spectator naps.
For little league, it gives adult coaches more control. This game is about the kids, not the coaches.
It demolishes one of the most important aspects of baseball (and life) – human error. There is no substitute for a costly mistake of an umpire. It can unite fans, create entertainment (like coaches throwing bases or covering home plate with dirt), and it helps develop poise within players that were clearly wronged.

After this little exercise, I think cons outweigh the pros. In addition to the list of negative arguments above, there’s an awkward feeling about incorporating enhanced instant replay into baseball. This feeling seemed to manifest itself as I typed this article. Call me old-fashioned, but injecting baseball with coaches “throwing red flags” and umpires peering under the replay hood to watch various camera angles of a close play just seems to obliterate the spirit of baseball.

So there you have it, I’m taking the stance that Little League should NOT continue with enhanced instant replay in the LLWS and MLB should NOT incorporate it into the big leagues.

What’s your stance?

Some Fun Baseball Trivia

2010-09-11T04:45:00Z

Baseball fans love their trivia. Its not uncommon to hear phrases starting with "Did you know that in baseball...." or "Have you heard that in baseball..." when hanging out among baseball gurus. I always though I knew a substantial amount of baseball's fun facts, but then I started to peruse the web. What did I learn? Well, for one - I'm a baseball trivia amateur, two - there is an absurd amount of baseball trivia out there, three - reading baseball trivia is addicting. Somehow, I had enough self control to stop surfing the web and share some of my favorites with you - enjoy:

Random Baseball Statistics (Source is Book of Odds)

"There were 21,733,839 hot dogs served in 2009."
"1 of 6 men and 1 of 9 women will attend a MLB game in a year."
"Of the 18 presidents since 1909, only 1 president never threw out a first pitch at an MLB game (Jimmy Carter)."

Random Facts (Source is Life 123)

"Babe Ruth put a cabbage leaf under his hat during every game. He would change it for a new one every 2 innings"
"The shortest major league player was Eddie Gaedel, who was three feet, seven inches tall. His sole appearance in an MLB game was a publicity stunt."

When A Home Run Wasn't Ruled as a Home Run (Source VDBA) - This one is really cool

"Until 1920, in the last of the ninth inning or in the bottom of an extra inning, home runs that drove in the winning run ahead of them were scored only as singles, doubles, or triples, according to how many bases the baserunner needed to advance to score the winning run. For example, if the batter hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning with a teammate on third base and the score tied, the batter was credited with only a single. Under current rules, the batter would be credited with a "walk-off" home run and the home team would win by two runs. In 1918 Babe Ruth hit a "home run" with a teammate on first base in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tied game. Under the rules of the day, Ruth was credited with a triple.
In 1968 the Special Baseball Records Committee voted to restore home runs to players who had lost credit for them because of the above-mentioned pre-1920 rule. But even people in power tinker with baseball's traditions and statistics at great peril. After a hyper-decibel outcry by casual and serious fans, the committee changed its mind in 1969."

The Ball that Never Landed (Source ESPN)

"The most famous "roof incident" [In the Metrodome] occurred in 1984, when Oakland slugger Dave Kingman hit a pop fly that went up, up, up ... and never came down. Kingman, who could hit a ball as far as anybody, had unintentionally discovered a drainage hole in the roof. After a while everybody got tired of waiting to see if the ball would return to the field, and so the umpires used their discretion and awarded Kingman a double."

The Longest MLB Game Every Played (Source The Longest List of Longest Stuff at the Longest Domain Name at Long Last)

Wow, what a name for a website!

Longest Game by Inning - 26 Innings between Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers on May 1, 1920. The game was called due to darkness, since they didn't have lights to play under back then.
Longest Game by Time - 8 hours and 6 minutes between the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers on May 8-9, 1984. It lasted 25 innings. The game started on May 8, but finished the next day. Since games can't go passed 1am based on MLB rules, the game was called at 12:59am and resumed the next day. I wonder how many fans made it back the next day for the end of the game?

Nine Reasons Why Baseball is Superior to Cricket

2010-09-01T01:40:00Z

I have a brother-in-law from England that argues cricket is superior to baseball, carrying on about cricket’s long history, its prestige, and how it’s the 2^nd most popular sport in the world. Well, here is my official argument to him and the rest of the world. Yeah, cricket’s been around a long time and is very well-known around the globe, but the same could be said about a toilet.

Here are the top 9 reasons why baseball is superior to cricket:

9) The terms“Cricketers” and “Batsman” just sound funny.

8) Real men bend their elbow when they throw and don’t need the ground to change the direction of the ball. Tim Wakefield can make a baseball change directions in the air – baseball players are like magicians!

7) A baseball game isusually about 3 hours – that seems normal. A cricket match can last anywhere between 6 hours and 5 days (yes, that’s days).I don’t know about you, but my butt would get numb in those bleachers. On the flip side, at least I would be some good sleep.

6) A “bowler” should be someone that drinks beer, smokes, cusses loudly, and screams “over the line”!

5) Anyone can tap a ball with a paddle with an absurdly large surface area. Try hitting one with a small, cylindrical bat.

4) Even at an older age, Nolan Ryan could still beat up any cricketer that ever lived. By the way, I think Robin Ventura grew up playing cricket.

3) In baseball, a pitcher doesn’t need a running start.

2) Baseball players drink water/Gatorade, eat sunflower seeds, and chew tobacco DURING a game. Cricketers TAKE A BREAK in the middle of a game to drink tea and eat crumpets.

1) The uniform of a cricketer is ridiculous. V-neck sweater vests and polo shirts with neatly creased shorts….really?

Major League Baseball Records

2010-08-25T00:38:00Z

Anyone that knows about baseball knows that statistics are embedded in the legacy of The Game. Fans, players, and coaches alike seem to be fixated on stats and records, especially in The Bigs (any coaches that say the don't get caught up in the stats of baseball are lying). As one that is obsessed with the fundamentals of the game, I certainly recognize that records aren't the core of the game and don't paint the entire picture. In the words of ex-pro ball player/manager Toby Harrah, "Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot but not everything."

Regardless, MLB baseball records are exciting and great for discussion, so I'm providing you with a couple of great resources to check out. The first is an awesome blog discussing baseball's most unbreakable records and the second is a table from Baseball Almanac providing all types of pro-ball records.

Baseball's Most Unbreakable Records from The Baseball Page.com

Baseball Records from Baseball Almanac

As a bonus, I thought I'd give you one more record list that will be sure to spark some controversial discussion - The Modified Home Run List (Modified by Zoner Sports). What do you think about this one?

Mental Gems of Baseball - Baserunning

2010-08-18T23:24:00Z

This is the fourth and final entry of the "Mental Gems Series". Well, since I'm such a huge fan and a persistent advocate of the mental aspects of baseball, its probably not the final "Mental Gem" entry. I'm sure there will be more in the future. Today's topic covers baserunning....

Baserunning is one of the most underrated aspects of baseball. However, it is one of the most important parts of The Game. Of course, coaches need to spend time teaching fielding, throwing, and hitting techniques, but one portion of the game that is consistently overlooked by coaches isrunning bases. I'm not talking about conditioning ball players to make them faster, speed is only a small fraction of the equation. Baserunning is about knowing what to do in every possible situation given the circumstances (hmmm, kinda sounds like defense) and exploiting the weaknesses of your opponent.

Rather than wasting your time with all the possible scenarios that a baserunner may face and what he should do, we will go over a few valuable baserunning nuggets and discuss how coaches can effectively teach baserunning during practice (rather than letting them learn by making mistakes during a game).

Valuable Baserunning Nuggets. I've directed them towards the players....

Never loaf down the line! Why is it in a game where players stand around more than other sports, many of you consistently mosey down the line. Ridiculous.
Be aggressive. After a for sure base hit, that player should be making a turn as if it was a double. Round that bag hard and make that defense think your taking second. You will be surprised how many times you can take 2nd or they make an error because of your hustle.
Second base is holy. They call it "being in scoring position" for a reason.
With less than 2 outs, always freeze on a line drive.
Never, ever ever make the 1st or 3rd out at 3rd base. Why? Because 2nd base is holy.
If you are on first, and there is a basehit to the right of second base, pick up your 3rd base coach half-way to 3/4 of the way between 1st and 2nd. Dont look back and make the call yourself.
Likewise, always trust your 3rd base coach when rounding 3rd base.
Pay attention to "down angles".
Study the pitcher's timing, pick-off moves, and "tells" every chance you get. Does he always look at the runner at 2nd, then turn and throw? If so, take 3rd and make him quit his bad habit.

Here are some suggestions

Make baserunning a regular part of practice. A good approach is to have players run bases as part of Batting Practice (BP). On the hitter's last pitch of BP, make him run the bases at least once around with a standard scenario that is verbalized prior (1 out, down by 1, etc.). Make sure he works on the "little" things every time.
At the higher levels, make players have to run laps if they loaf in a game. At the lower levels, give recognition to players that always hustle.
As for being aggressive, it is a mindset and should be used appropriately. There is a difference between being aggressive and being careless. The difference can be tough for a player to recognize come game time. Thanks to the blog "Baseball Ideas" authored by Jerry Kreber, a coach from Omaha, here is a great drill for teaching aggressiveness on the basepads titled "Taking the Extra Base: Practicing Aggressive Baserunning".
Reading "down angles" is a concept that I didn't consistently practice until junior college. Coach Jon Groth from Tyler Junior College really harped on the importance of reading down angles - aka a pitch in the dirt. It was amazing how many times this turned a single into a double during games. The concept is simple - if you can project that the ball is going to be in the dirt, then start heading to the next base. The majority of the time, a catcher will block or bobble the ball, giving just enough time to take the base. If the catcher gets lucky and gloves it, then just come on back. To practice reading down angles, have everyone line up behind first base and have a coach throwing to a catcher, sometimes throwing it in the dirt and sometimes not. Runners go around the bases reading down angles from every base.
Finally, I want to send you to another Jerry Kreber blog. He has a great overall article on baserunning and various ways to coach and practice this underrated aspect of The Game. Check it out - Baserunning: Committing to It Everyday.

As always,submit a comment if you have any thoughts or ideas on baserunning or anything baseball!

Keep 'em clean,

Sam

Mental Gems of Baseball - The Defensive Edge

2010-08-11T04:28:00Z

This is the third entry of the "Mental Gems Series", a series that discusses various aspects of The Game where the mind is used to help defeat the opponent. Today's topic covers a few defensive mental gems....

The defense on a baseball diamond can have a significant edge over the offense prior to every pitch, but teams at all levels rarely take full advantage of this fact. There are three main nuggets of information that a defense needs to position each player and be mentally prepared such that the hitter is less likely to get on base. A team can take advantage of past information, stay on top of current information, and think one step ahead to minimize the hitter's chances of reaching the base-pads. Two of the three nuggets of info are rather simple to obtain, but the third takes a bit more legwork. Let's check 'em out...

1) Know The Next Pitch

EVERY defender on the field should know what pitch is coming next. Is it a deuce, low and away? A fastball up and in? It's easy for the infielders to see the catcher's signs, but how in the heck do I get the signs to outfielders? Well, the shortstop (SS) and second-baseman need to relay them to the outfielders. They simply need to put there throwing hands up against their lower back and flash an open fist for off-speed pitches and a closed fist for a fastball. Relaying the location is a bit much, but most outfielders should be able to see where the catcher is setting up. Keep in mind, however, that other teams may have bullpens in the outfield that could pick the signs and relay them back to the hitter, so be cautious (see the First Mental Gems Article about picking catchers signs). Your team may have to come up with a more creative approach to relaying signs (tapping gloves, kicking dirt, etc.) to the outfield if you think they are getting picked. Once the defense knows what pitch is being thrown, then they can shift appropriately. The shifts don't need to be extreme and they shouldn't happen too early - this will tip off the hitter. However, a subtle couple of steps towards the hole for a SS when a change-up is coming to a right-hander can be the difference between ending an inning and giving up a big one. Likewise, a RF shifting towards the line when a fastball is coming to a righty may turn a shot down the line into a single instead of a triple.

2) Know What To Do If It's Yours

You've probably heard this over and over if you ever played any ball, but it is still the Golden Rule of the diamond and can't be overlooked. Each defender has an edge if he knows how many outs, where the runners are on the bases, and what he's going to do if the ball comes to him. Furthermore, ball players need to know what they're going to do for ALL types of plays. For instance, a 3B needs to know what he's going to do if the ball is to his right, his left, a hot-potato right at him, or a slow-roller. Players must communicate prior to the play if there's a potential sharing of responsibility. For instance, is 2B or SS going to take the double play throw from the pitcher in the event of a come-backer?

3) Chart Hitters on Opposing Teams

As The Game becomes more competitive, charting opposing hitters becomes more important and worthwhile. It may not be appropriate for coaches of younger teams to chart hitters, but perhaps at the 13-14 level and up this comes into play (Check out an informative coaching site called QC Baseball to learn when its worthwhile to start charting hitters). This type of information is NOT difficult to track and can easily be done by one of the pitchers not throwing that day. We all know they're probably goofing around in the dugout anyway It could also be done on a simple scale by the scorekeeper for your team. The concept is very simple but powerful. All that really needs to be done is to keep track of where each opposing hitter hit each type of pitch for each of his at-bats. There are plenty of charting tools that exist to document this information - Click here here for an example from QC Baseball. The importance of this information lies in the statistics of each hitter over many at-bats. Yes, position players can shade a step or two when they know what pitch is being thrown, but this type of charting information allows the coach to place the defense into extreme shift defenses. This not only puts the defense in an optimal configuration based on statistics, but it also gets in the hitter's head. If a big lefty always pulls the ball and your team stacks the right side, he'll probably try to go the opposite field even when he shouldn't (i.e, a fastball in). And if he does pull it, just as your statistics said he would, then your defense has the best possible chance of making the play.

As always, let us know if you have any more inputs on this topic!

Touch 'em all,

Sam

Mental Gems of Baseball - Top Trick Plays

2010-08-01T22:47:56Z

The coach of my high school baseball coach was a genius. He was able to take a bunch of scrappers and create a State Championship Team by using a few effective techniques - enforcing relentless repetition of the fundamentals, teaching strategy for all facets of The Game, and masterminding the flawless execution of trick plays. This entry is the second of the Mental Gems Series and it reveals two of the coolest and most effective trick plays from the repertoire of my high school baseball coach (I'm withholding his name since he still coaches and probably still uses these trick plays today - I hope this isn't a spoiler for his team!).

"Invisible Overthrow" Trick

This is a rather well-known trick, but our team's execution was equivalent to that of the drama club. The key actors had to commit and really sell this one. Unbeleivabley, It worked nearly every time until teams started to catch on to us.

The Situation - A runner on second base only. It works the best if he has a significant lead and is an aggressive baserunner. It doesn't matter how many outs there are in the inning.

The Deception - The pitcher performs a quick pick off move to second (spin move) and fakes a throw; a real full fake. In the mean time the shortstop lays out behind second base as if he was supposed to be covering the bag and was late. The timing of his dive must be in sync with the fake throw from the pitcher. At this point the center fielder (CF) sprints towards the right-center gap, chasing the imaginary ball and the second baseman throws up his arms as the cutoff man to third base. Its helpful if all the other players yell "Three! Three!" to help sell the fact that the CF is "actually" chasing down the ball. The best situation is when the runner dives back to the bag because all he sees is the SS laying out, then the CF sprinting to the gap. His instinct is to get up quick and start sprinting to 3rd. Guess who's standing there...yep, the pitcher holding the ball.

"End of the Inning" Trick

This is an awesome trick and I've never heard of any other team using it. As far as I'm concerned it is genius, but it takes participation from the ENTIRE team and the situation changes, depending which base is occupied and which dugout the defense resides.

The Situation - There is one runner on base, either 1st or 3rd base, and there is either: 1) One out and two strikes on the batter, or 2) Two outs with one strike on the batter. On top of all of that, the next pitch has to be a strike, making it 1) Two outs in the inning, or 2) Two outs and two strikes on the hitter.

The Deception - When a strike hits the catcher's glove, the entire defense starts sprinting off the field as if the inning is over. Remember, If that pitch is not a strike, the trick play is off! When the catcher starts heading to the dugout, he keeps the ball instead of rolling the ball back to the mound and keeps the runner on base in the corner of his eye. The whole point is to get that runner to start walking off the bag because he's sold that the inning is over or to get him to think that that defense is "giving" him the next base and he sprints down the line. Either way, he is hosed. Now here is where things are dependent on the situation, namely what base the runner is occupying and what dugout the defense is occupying. Lets explore two scenarios: 1) A runner on 3rd and the defense in the 3rd base dugout. 2) A runner on 1st and the defense in the 3rd base dugout.

1) With a runner on 3rd base and the defense in the 3rd base dugout, the catcher starts toward the dugout and the pitch strolls off the mound slowly to protect the runner from taking home. In the mean time, the first baseman is making sure to take a route towards home as insurance and the shortstop (SS) sprints as quickly as possible towards 3rd base. If the runner sprints towards home, the catcher throws to the pitcher or the 1st baseman (its a judgment call). If the runner starts to mosey off the pad towards his dugout, then the catcher zips the ball to the SS and he tags out the runner. Now the inning is over

2) When there's a runner on 1st and the defense is in the 3rd base dugout, then the pitcher is out of the picture, the 2nd baseman covers 1st base and the SS takes the slow approach, making sure he has 2nd baseline covered. The left fielder is responsible for quickly getting to 2nd base for insurance. Once again, if the runner is sleeping or thinks he has a "free" base, then the inning really is over after the catcher snaps a throw to the appropriate teammate.

Well there you have it - some of the coolest trick plays I've heard about. Curbabe, I hope you're not upset for disclosing a couple of our secrets! Everyone else, let us know if you have any trick plays via sending us a comment.

Play hard and keep it clean!

Sam Welsh