For Players
Play This Game For Fun...and for today!
The best T-ball player on your team may not be playing after Little League age.
The best 9-year old player on your team may or may not become one of the best High School Players.
The best High School player on your team may never play after his senior year.
For Coaches
Teach your players to love the game first and foremost.
Here's a couple of hard facts...
Only 1 in 1,000 players will ever draw a paycheck from Pro Ball
A player drafted in the 2nd round has a 24% chance of ever playing on a Major League field!
Make the last 10 minutes of every practice fun. Even better, find ideas, drills, and games that involve running.
For Dads
Teach your boy all you know about Mickey Mantle. It's okay to cheat- here's a Web site I found for you to cut 'n paste... http://theswearingens.com/mick/index.html
Plan To Succeed by Coach John Peter
If it's so easy to coach youth baseball and do it well, why do you see so many poor coaches? My solution: game plan focus and playbook organization. Read the full article
Order online in our secure shopping cart or call me toll free at 1-800-487-7432 (9-6 EST).
The Better Practice Pack - $49.95 (Save $5)
2 Videos, 84 Drills Coaches: A high quality practice is your goal. Now you can make them even more organized and fun. Our new combo features The 59 Minute Baseball Practice and Practice Organization. These drills are tried and true and designed to make better coaches, which in turn makes better teams.
Coach JP: Get help from the experts. These videos are from the best in the business. You're bound to incorporate some of these ideas into your practices. After all, you have 84 drills to pick from!
Catch Net II - Introductory price of $89 (Save $10)
Perfect For Soft Toss Lightweight, portable, and waterproof, the Catch Net II comes with a built-in training target and carry bag.
Coach JP: You've never seen a catch net that sets up and breaks down quicker and easier. Use it inside or outdoors. Great for backyard or team use, especially baseball & softball travel teams.
New High School Baseball Bat Standards
The National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted standards for metal bats that limit the diameter of a bat to 2 5/8 inches. Also, the weight-length differential can be no greater than three (e.g., a 32-inch bat must weigh at least 29 ounces).
Umpires will be checking to ensure players are using bats with BESR certification. BESR stands for "Ball Exit Speed Ratio," an independent and scientific calculation designed to measure the performance of non-wood bats.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) adopted the BESR bat performance standard in June 2001, a move that follows the steps taken by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1999.
Elliot Hopkins, NFHS liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, highlighted the reasoning behind the rule change in a July 27, 2001 press release, "Adding the BESR requirement for bats used in high school baseball is a continuation of changes made for the 2001 season to ensure that bat performance mirrors the performance of wood bats."
The Baseball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) mark ensures a bat will have:
A maximum exit speed on the approved test which limits performance to mirror the best Northern White Ash wood bats
Met the moment-of-inertia requirement (balance point)
A barrel diameter not exceeding a maximum of 2 5/8 inches
A length to weight differential of no greater than minus 3
Bats that can be used in high school games this year will be clearly marked with a BESR designation, and many BESR-approved bats are already being used by players.
BESR Certified Wood Bats: Brett & Hoosier
For those players who prefer a wood bat, Baseball Tips.com does carry the Hoosier Woodforce and Brett Stealth bats, which are both BESR certified for high school and NCAA play. Plus, the Hoosier boasts of an astounding 7" sweet spot (a normal wood bat is only 3").
Did You Know?
Two Hoosier bats are in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Sammy Sosa used a Hoosier bat when he hit home runs number 64, 65 and 66 in 1998, while Lance Johnson used a Hoosier bat when he collected 200 hits in back-to-back seasons in the American and National Leagues.
Throwing Relay by Bill Deutsch
You have teams of two, everyone wears a glove. One player from each team stays at the starting line. There are two balls on the ground, 30 and 60 feet away from each runner (Or whatever distance is appropriate for the age group).
The object is for the runners to race to each ball, pick it up with the throwing hand, turn, and make a clean throw, and then race back to the starting line. If the throw is not complete, the partner throws the ball back and they try again.
In order to win the race, the runner must make two clean throws to his partner, which must be caught, of course. The idea is to balance speed and control in a pressure situation.
Jackie Robinson went hitless, but scored the winning run, when he integrated baseball on April 15, 1947. As a 28-year-old rookie, he played first base the entire season because it was the only position open on the Dodgers. He moved to second base the next year. After playing his entire career with Brooklyn, he was traded to the New York Giants on December 13, 1956 for pitcher Dick Littlefield and $35,000. But a month later, Robinson announced his retirement in Look magazine and the deal with the Giants was voided.
Robinson also broke barriers at the collegiate level when he became the first person to letter in four sports at UCLA, where he was the NCAA long jump champion.
Softball's Power Offense by Susan Craig & Ken Johnson
Learn How to Develop an Effective Hitter This video covers the cornerstone of an attacking offensive strategy. Items covered include: concepts of hitting, attitude, the hitting diagonal, common mistakes, top ten questions, and much more.
The pitcher has to throw a strike sooner or later, so why not hit the pitch you want to hit and not the one he wants you to hit? Johnny Mize
Mental attitude and concentration are the keys to pitching. Ferguson Jenkins
Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away. Tommy Lasorda
When you step into the batter's box, have nothing on your mind except baseball. Pete Rose
Associate with those who help you believe in yourself. Brooks Robinson
Fundamentals are the most valuable tools a player can possess. Bunt the ball into the ground. Hit the cutoff man. Take the extra base. Learn the fundamentals. Dick Williams
Instructional Articles - There are currently 92 articles available covering all aspects of baseball. Message Board - Become a part of our baseball community by asking your questions here. Receive answers and different perspectives from the many coaches and players who take advantage of the Baseball Tips.com Message Board. Stat Calculators - In our stats area you can use our calculators to compute your batting average, earned run average, and slugging percentage.
Got an article or drill you want to share? Maybe there is something that you would like to see added to this newsletter. What product or information would you like us to add to the Baseball Tips.com website? Please fill out the form below and press "submit comments." Thanks - Coach JP
We are beginning a FREE resource for players and coaches who are interested in personal instruction in all aspects of baseball and softball.
National in scope, any instructor can simply add their credentials and specialties to our database, which can be viewed by all visitors of Baseball Tips.com. The Instructors Section is currently in production.
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For Players
2 Videos, 84 Drills
Perfect For Soft Toss
Printable Version