Interesting article on what it takes to be a hitting coach in the big leagues:
Hours are spent together inside batting cages hidden underneath the stands, sitting around video screens analyzing the intricacies of a swing and standing around batting cages, where a simple reminder to keep the bat head in the zone longer could be the key to breaking out of a slump.
Swingtraining.net has joined with Perfect Competition sports performance facility in order to provide comprehensive strength, speed, and hitting specific workout programs in the Southeast Florida area. Perfect Competition already has a well established reputation for their MLB Performance Enhancement program, and now Swingtraining.net will add the most specific hitting training available.
R.I.T. alumni game at Frontier Field
I’ve been posting some articles about the hitting approaches of major league hitters, and seeing that Ichiro just set the record of 9 consecutive 200 hit seasons reminded me of this ESPN.com article by Jim Caple that came out last week:
“He understands he’s a leadoff hitter and his job is to get the bat on the ball and get on base for the people behind him because he can use his speed on the basepaths,…..All you just have to watch him in [batting practice] to see how far he can hit the ball. But he doesn’t get outside of himself during the game, which is a compliment to the discipline he has to stay in his approach and do what he wants to do.
Ichiro’s swing mechanics and combination of speed & power are surely a unique set of tools, but the point is that he’s figured out what works for him to be successful and fill his role on the team. It’s worth mentioning that there is a lot of value in just that – identifying your own strengths and weaknesses and then building your plan as a hitter around those things. Part of your plate discipline as a hitter is being able to execute what you are best able to do.
This previous post was a directive to a USA Today feature where Albert Pujols explained his own swing thoughts and hitting mechanics. More recently, there was an article after a Cardinal win where Pujols gave some more insights into his hitting approach and situational plan:
In that situation, my main job was to try and drive in that run however I could. Elevate the ball and try to hit it deep enough so Colby could score from third base. I wasn’t thinking about hitting the ball out of the park in that situation.”
We’re on our last road trip, finishing up the last week of the season. Spring Training plus 140 game schedule is a grind, but when the end comes, it seems like the season went by very fast.
Plans are up in the air for the off-season – winter ball, lessons, clinics, travel…lots of possibilities.
This is our last day in Sarasota, which has been the Spring Training home of the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are moving out to Arizona next year, and I’ve heard a couple of things about what might happen with this complex, but I’m not sure. Here are some shots of Ed Smith stadium:
More shots from the stadium and a museum side trip below…
In my post about Sports Motion video software, I mentioned that I travelled to Europe to speak at the European Baseball Coaches Association (EBCA) Convention. It was held in Vienna, Austria in December of last year, so it’s about time I made an official update about it.
The convention is sponsored in part by International Sports Group, and I was invited to speak by ISG team leader and fellow presenter, Tom O’Connell. Each year, ISG helps organize and carry out a full roster of international conferences, and going on the trip was a great experience.
I made 4 presentations in total:
There I am on the left during introductions
What type of diet do you follow to improve or maintain your baseball or softball playing performance? Here’s an interesting article on how some teams are changing the types of pre-game foods they prepare for their players.
For the ballplayers, whose muscles can command multimillion-dollar contracts, the push for sound nutrition has more to do with performance and recovery than deflating a spare tire.
The article goes on to talk about how, despite the efforts to offer more nutritious foods, it is still a challange to get players to eat right. Ultimately, it’s the player’s choice.
B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Carl Crawford
Port Charlotte is spring training home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and summer home of the Charlotte Stone Crabs, which is Tampa’s Florida State League affiliate. This is definitely one of the best places to play (or watch) a game in the league, with Clearwater being my favorite place in the north division.
Check out this illustration on curveballs:
The ball appears to swerve because our peripheral vision system cannot process all of its features independently. Instead, our brains combine the downward motion of the ball and its leftward spin to create the impression of a curve.
This article gives some information about why curveballs may be more difficult to hit:
Shapiro notes that curve balls start off in the centre of a batter’s vision but overlap with the peripheral system as they come nearer. This transition may be why such balls appear to change direction suddenly, he says.
It would be nice to know when this transition happens. If you remember my old post, Professor Robert Adair (Physics of Baseball author), gives some insight into the visual process in batting.
Here’s another video interview (link to previous post) with New York Yankees’ hitting coach, Kevin Long. This one is from Yankees Magazine during spring training of 2008 and includes some impressive praise from players (including Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada) and especially manager, Joe Girardi. There’s also footage of guys like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Johnny Damon.
This gives some good insight into the thought process of both players and coaches. There’s also a little info in there about the Yankees’ pre-game batting practice routine (similar to the David Wright bp video).
Keepin it rollin’ with more updating, transferring this old link from ‘06
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Here is what she wrote:
“Hey Jeff, hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to let you know that I made first team all county this year and lead my team in doubles and almost tied the school record for homeruns, all thanks to you.”
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