TOP 15 TEAMS IN THE NCAA BASEBALL COLLEGE WORLD SERIES.  THRU CY 2011.
TOTAL TEAM TITLES AND TOTAL CWS APPEARANCES;  since 1947.

THE TOP 10 TEAMS WITH 2nd PLACE FINISHES.
TOTAL TEAM RUNNER-UP FINISHES AND TOTAL CWS APPEARANCES.

FACTOID:  WHICH TEAM WITH THE MOST CWS APPEARANCES WITHOUT MAKING THE FINALS?
ANSWER:   CLEMSON WITH 12 APPEARANCES HAS NOT YET REACHED THE TITLE GAME.

EVER WONDER HOW BASEBALLS ARE MANUFACTURED?

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE A DISCOVERY CHANNEL ESIPODE OF "HOW IT'S MADE."

http://www.reliableplant.com/view/25724/how-baseballs-are-manufactured

ONCE YOU WATCH THIS, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE BASEBALL TRIVIA QUESTION:  HOW MANY STITCHES ON A BASEBALL.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW "BBCOR" STANDARDS FOR METAL/COMPOSITE BATS?

The letters BBCOR stand for "Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution."

The BBCOR standard measures the "bounce" the ball makes off the bat, or the "trampoline" effect it has.  When a ball hits a bat during a game, the ball literally holds a lot of energy that you can see in the speed of the ball coming to the plate.  Now with Wood Bats, the energy transfer is lost as the ball compresses upon impact because wood is solid and has density, so it absorbs much of the energy.  Player bat speed also becomes another factor or variable that allows the ball to compress by almost a third of the size of the ball.

With hollow core metal/composite bats, the walls of the bat actually give way a little, which means the ball distorts less and the energy that is retained is released upon impact through a trampoline type of effect.  This is why metal/composite bats hit balls much farther and come off the bat much faster than wood.  Wood bats have a far less trampoline effect than metal/composite bats.

BBCOR measures the loss of energy at collision.

NOW WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU PLAYERS?

The game of baseball has changed over the last 15 years.  Offense is up and home run production is far more common than past playing generations.  The new BBCOR standard is forcasted to decrease offense by 10-25%, allowing the game to be played more traditionally again.  The safety of the game will increase and ball-off-bat injuries will go down.

The reason for this new bat standard is because both the NCAA and NFHS want:  "All bats to perform the same as your best wood bats in the market."

The first thought is that it may still  be cost effective to purchase metal/composite bast because they will last much longer than wood bats.  The truth is somewhere in the middle because hitters will learn to hit better and thus break less bats in return.  Plus the market will adjust to the conditions and better prices on wood will be introduced.

WHY SWING WOOD?

From the factual information provided above, there are really no tangible performance reasons to swing metal/composite bats anymore other than efficiency and cost factors.  As a matter of fact, it is common knowledge in the wood industry that your best quality woods will perform on the same levels of the new BBCOR bats.

As a knowledgeable coach, player or parent, we all know wood not only helps develop a better hitter, but prepares them for the next level of play.  There have been studies that after 1-year of team use, players percentages have actually gone up by .050 to .100 because the players become more selective hitters who come to the plate with a plan and a true understanding of waiting for quality pitches.

What this means is that hitting with wood helps you develop better hitters, that will break less wood bats and have a better opportunity to transition to the highest level of play.  The real question is, how good do you want your hitters to become?

THE 7th INNING STRETCH IS A BASEBALL TRADITION WHERE ALL FANS RISE FROM THEIR SEATS DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE 7th INNING, GIVE THEIR ARMS AND LEGS A STRETCH AND MAYBE GET A LATE-GAME SNACK.

THE ORIGINS OF THE 7th INNING STRETCH ARE DISPUTED BUT THE TRADITION MAY DATE BACK TO THE LATE 19th CENTURY.  HOWEVER POPULAR CULTURE HAS PROMOTED THIS TRADITION AS ORIGINATING WITH PRESIDENT WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, WHO STOOD UP TO STRETCH AT A WASHINGTON SENATORS GAME IN 1910.  PRESIDENT TAFT  WAS A 6' 2"  ROTUND MAN OF 300 POUNDS AND THE WOODEN CHAIR HE WAS SEATED IN JUST BECAME A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE.  AND SO WHEN HE AROSE TO STRETCH LATE IN THE GAME, THE ENTIRE STADIUM ALSO ROSE OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE COMMANDER-IN-CHEIF.

WHAT MAKES THIS TRADITION SO GREAT IS THAT'S IT'S STILL AROUND EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARY.  BACK THEN THE BLEACHERS WERE HARD, UNCOMFORTABLE AND PEOPLE WEREN'T ON THEIR CELL PHONES OR GETTING SNACKS EVERY INNING, THEY JUST SAT THERE AND WATCHED THE GAME, SO THE STRETCH WAS NEEDED.  NOW, IT'S NOT REQUIRED SO MUCH BUT WE STILL HONOR IT.

"TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME" BECAME INCORPORATED INTO THE 7th INNING STRETCH DURING THE 1970s, WHEN FAMED BASEBALL ANNOUNCER HARRY CARAY BEGAN SINGING THE SONG OVER THE AIR DURING HIS JOB WITH THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX.  WHEN HE JOINED THE CHICAGO CUBS IN 1981, CARAY CONTINUED THE PRACTICE AND HIS NATIONWIDE POPULARITY LED TO FANS OF ALL TEAMS ADOPTING THE TRADITION.  SINCE THE ATTACK ON 9/11/2001, SOME BALLPARKS HAVE SUBSTITUTED "GOD BLESS AMERICA" DURING THE 7th INNING STRETCH BREAK.

ONE QUESTION FOR HARAY:  SINCE YOU WERE ALREADY AT THE BALLPARK, WHY WERE YOU SINGING THIS SONG?

BEFORE PURCHASING THAT NEXT NEW BAT FOR JUNIOR, PLEASE NOTE THAT BATS MUST COMPLY WITH A NEW NFHS RULE COMING EFFECTIVE 1/1/2012.  THE BATS MUST STILL ADHERE TO THE -3 LIMITATION ON LENGTH TO WEIGHT DIFFERENTIAL BUT THEY ALSO MUST NOW HAVE THE  BBCOR STICKER IN LIEU OF THE CURRENT BESR STICKER.  ALTHOUGH NOT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 2012 BBCOR BATS WILL BE COMING INTO PRO SHOPS SOON, SO BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND DON'T GET CAUGHT SHORT WHEN THE RULE GOES INTO MANDATORY EFFECT.  YOU MIGHT SEE SOME VERY ATTRACTIVE SPECIAL PRICING ON BATS SOON AS SHOPS MOVE TO LIQUIDATE THE CURRENT SUPPLY OF BESR RATED BATS.  JUST REMEMBER BESR BATS ARE NOT LEGAL STARTING JAN. 1, 2012.  EITHER BAT SPEC  WILL BE LEGAL DURING THE PHASE IN PERIOD.

A change to Rule 1-3-2 regarding bat specifications was made in the hope it will clarify bat compliance. The rule, which will be effective January 1, 2012, specifies that the bat should be a "smooth cylinder implement from the top of the cap to the top of the knob."

"The committee was looking to clarify the rule and make the purchase of bats an easier process," said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. "We want to make sure that kids and parents know what is permissible."

The change will also require that all non-wood bats meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, which is the standard used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Formerly, non-wood bats had to meet the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) standard.

The new rule also states that non-wood bats must be labeled with a rectangular certification mark "a minimum of a half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color." The new standard ensures that performances by non-wood bats are more comparable to those of wood bats. It's also expected to minimize risk, improve play and increase teaching opportunities.

"After working with the NCAA and having access to its research, we've concluded it's in our best interest to make this change," Hopkins said. "BBCOR includes the BESR standard, so we're actually expanding upon our current standard, which will be more appropriate for our age and skill level."

FYI:      FOLLOW-UP INFO:   9/30/2010.

THE NCAA REQUIRES THE 'BBCOR' BAT SPECS EFFECTIVE FOR 2011.  THE LINKED ARTICLE BELOW GIVES SOME CURRENT FEED-BACK ON THE PERFORMANCE IMPACT OF THE NEW 'BBCOR' SPECS.  YOU HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS MIGHT WANT TO STAY WITH THE 'BESR' SPEC BATS 1 MORE YEAR.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/news/2010/2610722.html

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1-PITCH AND HIT THE SHOWERS!!!

(1).
ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL WINNING PITCHER STATS HAPPENED ON JULY 27, 1930.  CINCINNATI (RHP) KEN ASH, A 28-YEAR OLD ROOKIE FROM WEST VIRGINIA CAME ON IN RELIEF IN THE TOP OF THE 9th AGAINST THE CHICAGO CUBS WITH BASES LOADED , NO OUTS, SCORE TIED (5-5).  ASH THROWS 1-PITCH AND NOTCHES THE WIN.

HOW'S THAT, YOU ASK?  WELL, WITH THE CHICAGO 1st BASEMAN AT THE PLATE, CHARLIE GRIMM HITS THE FIRST PITCH FROM ASH INTO A TRIPLE-PLAY!!  INNING OVER!  TIE GAME!  ASH IS REMOVED FOR A PINCH-HITTER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9th AND THE REDS RALLY FOR THE WINNING RUN IN A 6-5 WIN OVER THE CUBS.  ASH IS THE PITCHER OF RECORD AND SO GETS THE WIN!!

(2).
FLORIDA MARLINS, BRENDAN DONNELLY EARNED A SAVE ON 1-PITCH IN A SEPTEMBER 30th, 2009 GAME AGAINST THE ATLANTA BRAVES.  LEADING BY 1 RUN, WITH 2-OUTS WHEN HE ENTERED THE HOME GAME IN TOP OF THE 9th, DONNELLY'S ONLY PITCH LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GAME-TYING WILD PITCH.  HOWEVER, MARLINS CATCHER, RONNY PAULINO MAKES A GREAT GRAB AND PICKS ATLANTA'S MATT DIAZ OFF 3rd BASE FOR THE FINAL OUT.  GAME OVER!!  RECORD THE SAVE!!

FYI: 
FOR MORE INFO ON THE MIDGET EDDIE GAEDEL:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gaedel

WHY YOU CAN'T HIT?

HAS YOUR HITTING GONE INTO THE TANK?  HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN YOUR HITTING SKILLS.  SOMETHING TO CONSIFER.

THE AVERAGE BASEBALL PLAYER PRACTICES HITTING ONLY 33 SECONDS PER DAY!  BASEBALL SEASON LASTS 16 WEEKS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.  IF YOU PRACTICE 5 DAYS A WEEK, 2.5 HOURS PER DAY, THIS WOULD TOTAL 80 DAYS OF PRACTICE PER SEASON OR ABOUT 200 HOURS TOTAL.  HALF OF THIS TIME (100 hours) IS SPENT PLAYING SCHEDULED GAMES.  OF THE REMAINING TIME (100 hours), 50 HOURS ARE SPENT PRACTICING DEFENSE, AND 50 HOURS ARE SPENT PRACTICING OFFENSE.  GENERALLY, 15 PLAYERS DIVIDE THE 50 OFFENSIVE HOURS, GIVING EACH PLAYER 3.5 HOURS OR 200 MINUTES OF HITTING PRACTICE PER SEASON.

IF THE PLAYER DOES NOT PLAY OTHER SPORTS, THE PLAYER ACTUALLY PRACTICES ABOUT 33 SECONDS PER DAY PER YEAR.  A MUSICIAN PRACTICES NO LESS THAN 3.5 HOURS PER WEEK OR 182 HOURS PER YEAR.

BASKETBALL PLAYERS PRACTICE SHOOTING THE BALL AND TENNIS PLAYERS PRACTICE HITTING 40 TIMES AS MUCH AS BASEBALL PLAYERS PRACTICE HITTING.  MOST OLYMPIC ATHLETES PRACTICE 4-6 HOURS PER DAY, 300 DAYS PER YEAR, OR 1200-1800 HOURS PER YEAR.  THE AVERAGE BASEBALL PLAYER PRACTICES HITTING ONLY 3.3 HOURS PER YEAR!  KEVIN SEITZER, FORMER 3rd BASEMAN FOR THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS, WORKED OUT 6 HOURS A DAY IN HIS OFF-SEASON, AND HIT AT LEAST 300 BALLS A DAY.  JIM LEFEBVER, FORMER HITTING COACH FOR THE OAKLAND A's SAID, "AT SPRING TRAINING, TONY LaRUSSA AND I GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED THAT THE ONLY WAY FOR OUR TEAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL WOULD BE FOR OUR PLAYERS TO SWING A BAT 200 TIMES A DAY.  WE DIDN'T CARE HOW THEY DID IT---LIVE PITCHING, MACHINE PITCHING, TEE, SOFT TOSS, OR DRY CUTS.  JUST GET THE 200 SWINGS IN."

SO, GRAB A BAT AND GET IN THE CAGE.  GET THOSE SWINGS IN!!  OR BETTER YET, GET A TEAMMATE AND BOTH OF YOU GET SWINGS IN.  IT WILL BE MORE FUN AND MUCH EASIER WORKING TOGETHER,  YOU CAN TRADE-OFF FEEDING SOFT TOSS AND LIVE PITCHING.   FOR YOU HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS, IF 200 SWINGS SEEMS EXCESSIVE, THEN START WITH 100 SWINGS A SESSION.  BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR WORK AND YOU SHOULD SHORTLY SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR HITTING SKILLS.
    PORTIONS STOLEN FROM TBS (TRAVELBALLSELECT.COM)

ONE OF THE CONCERNS IN DEVELOPING YOUNG PITCHERS IS THAT THEY ALWAYS WANT TO JUMP AHEAD AND TRY PITCHES THAT THEIR  BODY JUST MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY HANDLE.  LIKE THE CURVE AT AGE 10.  THIS IS A BIG NO, NO!!  AT THIS AGE THE STRESS AND STRAIN ON THE ELBOW AND SHOULDER IS MORE THAN THE YOUNG BODY CAN CARRY.  IT MIGHT SEEM COOL AND LOOK IMPRESSIVE, BUT THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS DO NOT JUSTIFY ANY SHORT-TERM GAINS.

BELOW IS DATA FROM A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE (AMSI) FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AGE AT WHICH A PLAYER COULD LEARN DIFFERENT TYPES OF PITCHES.

    PITCH: ........................ AGE:

FASTBALL.......................8-10
CHANGE-UP...................10-13
CURVE BALL...................14-16
KNUCKLE BALL................15-18
SLIDER..........................16-18
FORK BALL.....................16-18
SCREW BALL..................17-19

SOME ADDITIONAL ASMI SURVEY CONCLUSIONS:

..IMPROPER TECHNIQUE IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN INJURY POTENTIAL.
..CONDITIONING OF THE THROWING ARM AND ENTIRE BODY CAN REDUCE A YOUNG PITCHER'S RISK OF INJURY.
..WHILE THE NUMBER OF PITCHES SHOULD BE LIMITED, THE YOUNG ATHLETE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO THROW.  THIS INCLUDES PLAYING CATCH, PLAYING OTHER POSITIONS BESIDES PITCHER AND PRACTIING PITCHING.

A LOT OF BASEBALL EXPERTS HAVE SHIFTED THEIR THINKING REGARDING PITCHING LIMITS.  PREVIOUSLY PITCHERS WERE MANAGED BASED ON THE # OF INNINGS THEY PITCHED.  (AND THE OSSSA DOES IMPOSE A DAILY MAX & WEEKLY MAX PITCHING BASED ON INNINGS PITCHED).  MANY EXPERTS NOW BASE PITCHING LIMITS ON THE GAME PITCH COUNT AND APPLY A REST-DAY POLICY BASED ON THE AGE OF THE PITCHERS.  THIS NEW PHILOSOLY IS DESIGNED TO HELP PROTECT YOUNG PITCHERS FROM OVER USE AND ABUSE BEFORE THEY FULLY DEVELOP AS ADULTS.  THERE ARE TOO MANY STORIES OF YOUNG PHENOMS WHO ARE PITCHED OUT BEFORE THEY EVEN FINISH HIGH SCHOOL.  BELOW ARE RECOMMONDATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE (AMSI).

PITCH COUNTS:

 AGE:         MAX PITCHES PER GAME      MAX GAMES PER WEEK

 8-10              52                                  2
11-12             68                                  2
13-14             76                                  2
15-16             91                                  2
17-18            106                                  2

RECOVERY TIMES:  (BASED ON PITCH COUNT)

 AGE:        1-DAY REST      2-DAY REST        3-DAY REST       4-DAY REST

 8-10          21                34               43                 51
11-12         27                35                55                58
13-14         30                36                56                70
15-16         25                38                62                77
17-18         27                45                62                89

WE WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS TO MONTOR THE PITCHING ACTIVITY FOR THEIR KIDS.  UNFORTUNELY NOT ALL COACHES WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN BALANCING THE INTERESTS OF THE TEAM VERSUS THE BEST INTEREST OF THE DEVELOPING PLAYER.  HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT YET THE PROS.  PERSONALLY, I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT THE TEAMS MY SON HAS PLAYED ON UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS IN PROTECTING THE PITCHER FROM OVER USE.  A SORE ARM TODAY CAN TURN INTO NO ARM FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.  THE PC PIRATES HAVE QUALITY COACHES WITH GREAT INTEGRITY.  NOT ALL HIGH SCHOOLS DO.

PROBABLY EVERYONE HAS HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT A  5-TOOL PLAYER, BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?  PLAYERS WITH THE 5-TOOL DESIGNATION ARE HIGHLY COVETED AND AS PROS WILL BE AMONG THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS IN THE GAME.  MOST PLAYERS POSSESS AT LEAST 1 OR 2 OF THE TOOLS, BUT A PLAYER WHO HAS ALL 5 IS A RARE GEM INDEED.  THESE ATHLETES ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.  A PLAYER WHO EXCELS IN THE FOLLOWING SKILLS WILL BE CONSIDERED IN POSSESSION OF THE HALLOWED 5-TOOLS:

1.  HITTING FOR AVERAGE.

2.  HITTING FOR POWER.

3.  SPEED AND BASERUNNING SKILLS.

4.  GREAT THROWING ARM.

5.  FIELDING ABILITIES.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR GAME IN EACH OF THESE AREAS.

1.  BECOME A GOOD CONTACT HITTER.  PUT THE BAT ON THE BALL AND GET ON BASE.  AS A CONTACT HITTER, YOU'LL BE THE GUY YOUR TEAM WANTS UP TO BAT IN A HIT-AND-RUN SITUATION OR IN A LATE GAME BASES LOADED SPOT.  YOU WON'T STRIKE OUT OFTEN.

2.  HIT FOR POWER.  IN ADDITION TO BEING ABLE TO PUT THE BALL IN PLAY, YOU'LL NEED TO HIT THE BALL WITH AUTHORITY,  OPPOSING TEAMS FEAR A PLAYER WHO CAN CHANGE THE GAME WITH ONE SWING OF THE BAT.  AS A POWER-HITTER, YOU'LL BE A GUY YOUR TEAM CAN COUNT ON TO DRIVE IN RUNS.

3.  LEARN TO RUN THE BASES WELL.  MAKE THINGS HAPPEN ON THE BASE PATHS IN ADDITION TO AT THE PLATE.  SPEED HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT, BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO BE A SMART BASE RUNNER.  MAKE SMART DECISIONS AND ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE OPPOSING FIELDERS WHEN YOU'RE ON BASE.

4.  DEVELOP GOOD ARM STRENGTH.  FIELDING IS MORE THAN JUST CATCHING THE BALL;  OFTEN TIMES YOU NEED TO THROW THE BALL TO COMPLETE A PLAY.  IF YOU HAVE GOOD ARM STRENGTH TO GO WITH GOOD FIELDING ABILITY, YOU CAN BE A REAL FORCE ON THE FIELD.

5.  FIELD YOUR POSITION WELL.  WORK ON AND TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN YOUR DEFENSE SO THAT YOU WILL BE A PERSON YOUR TEAM CAN COUNT ON THE MAKE THE TOUGH PLAYS WHEN NEEDED.

NOT EVERYONE CAN ACHIEVE THE 5-TOOL DESIGNATION; ACTUALLY VERY FEW DO.  BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T BETTER DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS IN THE AREAS THAT BEST CONFORM TO YOUR ABILITIES.   GOOD LUCK.

Who Needs a Left-Hander?
  
IN LAST YEAR'S MLB DRAFT, 4 OF THE TOP 10 PITCHERS WERE LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS.  7 OF THE FIRST 15 WERE LEFT-HANDED.  IN THE FIRST ROUND AND SUPPLEMENTAL ROUND, 13 L-H PITCHERS WERE TAKEN.  ONE SCOUT ONCE TOLD ME IF HE HAD THE CHANCE TO TAKE AN EVERYDAY PLAYER OR A QUALITY L-H PITCHER, HE WOULD GO WITH THE LHP EVERY TIME.

EVERYONE WANTS A LEFT-HANDER.  MOST SCOUTS SAY THAT A LEFT HANDER HAS TO PROVE THAT HE CANNOT PITCH.  MOST MLB CLUBS HAVE A LH SPECIALIST JUST TO GET L-H BATTERS OUT.  SO WHAT MAKES A LHP SO SPECIAL AND WHY ARE THEY SO COVETED?  CONSIDER THESE IDEAS:

1.   IN MOST LEAGUES AND SCHOOL TEAMS, SELDOM DOES A LEFT-HANDED PITCHER THROW BATTING PRACTICE.  THINK ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU FACED A LEFT-HANDED PITCHER.  IT WAS PROBABLY IN A GAME UNLESS YOUR FATHER WAS LEFT-HANDED.  HITTERS JUST DO NOT FACE LEFT-HANDERS AS OFTEN AS THE DO RIGHT-HANDERS.  THE PERCENTAGES SAY THAT ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THE POPULATION IS LEFT-HANDED.  HITTERS GET USED TO FACING R-H THROWERS FAR MORE OFTEN THE L-H THROWERS.  (THERE IS A OLD MLB SAYING:  10%  OF THE PITCHERS GET 50%  OF THE JOBS).

2.   SELDOM DO LEFT-HANDERS THROW ANYTHING STRAIGHT.  THEY DON'T HAVE TO THROW AS HARD TO BE SUCCESSFUL.  THEIR BALL SEEMS TO TAIL AWAY FROM RIGHT-HANDED BATTERS.  MOST NOVICE HITTERS ARE NOT ADEPT AT HITTING THE BALL THE OTHER WAY AND THEY OFTEN PULL OFF THE BALL.

3.   LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS USUALLY DO A GOOD JOB OF CONTROLLING THE RUNNING GAME.  IN YOUTH LEAGUES AND SCHOOL BALL, HAVING ONLY 2 UMPIRES IS THE NORM.  A GOOD, LEFT-HANDED PITCHER CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SEEING THE RUNNER AND WITH THE UMPIRE BEING IN A DIFFICULT POSITION TO CALL A BALK, TO CONTROL THE RUNNING GAME.

4.   LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS SEEM TO BE FAR MORE ADEPT AT GETTING BOTH LEFT-HANDED AND RIGHT-HANDED HITTERS OUT THAN RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS.  RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS SEEM TO STRUGGLE WITH LEFT-HANDED HITTERS FAR MORE THAN LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS STRUGGLE WITH RIGHT-HANDED BATTERS.

SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A LEFT-HANDER ON YOUR TEAM, MAKE SURE HE IS GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PITCH.  HE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A STEVE CARLTON OR SANDY KOUFAX TO BE SUCCESSFUL.     STOLEN FROM TBS. (TRAVELBALLSELECT.COM).

For those parents and coaches who want to help the long-term prospects for those players who pitch, the following info should be an aid in protecting those arms.

KEEP THAT ARM WARM!
IN BETWEEN INNINGS, A PITCHER'S ARM TEMPERATURE CAN COOL RAPIDLY, ONLY TO BE ASKED TO UNDERGO THE STRESS OF PITCHING AGAIN ONCE THE MUSCLES HAVE CONTRACTED DUE TO THE COOLING EFFECT.  THIS IS WHY YOU SEE MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHERS ON TEVELISION WEAR A JACKET IN BETWEEN INNINGS, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.   FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE.  IF YOUR PITCHER WILL BE PITCHING AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT HE KEEPS A JACKET ON;  IF ONLY ON THE ONE ARM.   THIS WILL RESULT IN LESS SORENESS THE NEXT DAY, AS WELL AS A LOWER RISK OF INJURY.

RUN BOY, RUN!
AS SOON AS YOUR PITCHER LEAVES THE MOUND AT THE END OF HIS OUTING, HE NEEDS TO RUN SEVERAL WIND SPRINTS.  THIS HELPS BRING MUCH NEEDED OXYGEN VIA INCREASED BLOOD FLOW TO THOSE EXERTED MUSCLES.  IT'S ALSO AN EXCELLENT IDEA TO HAVE A COACH OR ANOTHER PLAYER HELP THE PITCHER STRETCH HIS ARMS AND LEG JOINTS, TO PREVENT THEM FROM TIGHTENING UP.

OF COURSE, IN TRAVEL BASEBALL, PITCHERS ARE USUALLY AMONG THE BEST FIELDERS ON THE TEAM, SO THEY WILL FREQUENTLY BE PLACED AT ANOTHER DEFENSIVE POSITION WHEN LIFTED, RATHER THAN SENT TO THE DUGOUT.  IN THIS CASE, HAVE THEM RUN AT THE END OF THE INNING.

ICE, PLEASE!
WHEN THE OUTING IS OVER, WE NOW WANT TO COOL THAT ARM DOWN - THIS STOPS THE MICROBLEEDING IN THE MUSCLE TISSUE OF THE ARM.  OF COURSE, YOUR PARK'S CONCESSION STAND PROBABLY HAS PLENTY OF ICE, AND WILL PROBABLY PUT IT IN A ZIPLOCK BAG FOR YOU.

MOVE IT AGAIN!
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE ICED DOWN YOUR MUSCLES, YOU'LL NEED TO RESTORE BLOOD FLOW.  A NICE JOG OR BRISK WALK WILL HANDLE THIS FOR YOU.

FEED THOSE MUSCLES!
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PLAYER GETS A GOOD HIGH PROTEIN/HIGH CARB MEAL 1-2 HOURS AFTER PITCHING.  THE BODY NEEDS TO REPLENISH THE USED ENERGY, AND NEEDS TO TEND TO THOSE EXERTED MUSCLES.  BANANAS ARE ALSO AN EXCELLENT CHOICE.

IF YOU FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES AND  EMPHASIZE GOOD MECHANICS WHILE PITCHING, THIS CAN MINIMIZE THE CHANCE FOR INJURY TO YOUR PITCHERS.
STOLEN FROM TBS. (TRAVEL BALL SELECT).

Ya just never know who's watching! Just a comment for some of the players that might soon be drafted or college bound. I was at a game a couple of weeks ago watching and I was suprised at what I saw from some players that get a lot of press either here, locally or in print. What suprised me was some of them dogged it on the bases, during warm-ups before the game, and also between innings, quite honestly some didn't look like they wanted to be there. I am not sure what some of the HS, travel, legion players are told, but I think many scouts watch you the entire time they are there. They see a lot more balls to the shortstop during warm-ups than during some games. They also see how you react when you fly out as well as go deep, is it always run out thinking double or do they jog to first base in disgust. How do they act with their coaches? If some of these kids think a college or pro coach would want someone that yells back at their coaches or players, they better think again. My point is you never know who is in the stands and who they might be watching. Heck they might be looking at another player and they find you, but I think you can rest assured they won't look again if you are the one doing any of the items I mentioned. I just thought I would make mention of this, as I saw this happen more than once over the last couple of summers and I was shocked that their coaches didn't correct it, but then again it isn't going to effect their coach down the road. By the way at this particular game a couple of weeks ago there were 2 scouts in the stands, I don't think they went away very impressed. (jah) 
stolen from TBS (travelballselect.com)
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