I haven't written in quite sometime. But as we hurl headlong into another Christmas season I want to hope for you and your family a wonderful season. Spend time with your family. If you can't, give them a call of even do that "face time" thing. Life is unpredictable. You don't know what 2020 will bring. I want to believe it will be filled with wondrous and joyous events, like my 11 year old grandson getting a grand slam! But one never knows.
While I love baseball and all that the game entails, it palls in significance to the men and women who serve in our armed forces. We just passed another December 7 and this one was the 68th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As I have mentioned in previous posts, my dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor aboard the USS Tennessee, right in front of the USS Arizona. Christmas time always gives me pause to reflect. So to all the brave men and women scattered all over the globe, doing their job and protecting us here at home, I say thank you. You are the true heroes.
So while you're opening the presents and eating to your fill, give those grand kids an extra hug. Everyone put down your electronic devices and look at each other and even talk. It could be actually fun. At Thanksgiving, my wife has adopted a tradition that she got from her mother. She puts three pieces of candy corn on the side of each plate of food. Before you can go back for seconds, you have to be thankful for three things. Try it you might like it.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. May you hits be solid, your catches be clean, and your throws be accurate! And remember as of today, December 11, 2019, it is only 62 days until spring training. Go Mariners! Come on, hope springs eternal. I'm an optimist at heart.
By now, late March, 2018, most teams have been chosen and you are already practicing or playing games. This brings up a pet peeve of mine - baseball starting early with not that many games so the league can get to the "All Stars." Here is what happens across the country. Millions of kids try out and start playing baseball in late winter or early spring, long before school is out. By mid to late May, before school is out, it's over! Then the leagues pick their All Stars. Millions of kids don't get to play the "game of summer." In many cases over 500-1000 kids play during their regular season in a community. Then when it's over the league picks a team or two for each age group and you go from 500 down to possibly 50 kids on just a few teams for the All Stars. They play well into the summer and hope to make some tournament like Cal Ripken World Series or Little League World series, which happens sometime in August. Meanwhile, what about the other 450 kids left out? They're done, no more baseball. I wish there were a true All Star setup, like the pros do. Stop the regular season, pick your all stars, play your All Star games, then resume the regular season. Or have two seasons. A "pre-season", with say games 10 or so. Then stop and select the All Star teams. You would now have a good idea about the better players and some may even surprise. Then start up the "post-season" with another 10 games or so. I've heard a lot of the arguments against this. While I was president of our local board, a long time ago, I tried to do this. But the idea was met with too much resistance from other board members and some coaches who wanted to be All Star coaches. Many of them gave the arguments below.
Start your throws from not too far a distance, say 50' or so. Then gradually move apart and throw farther and farther. Step and throw to your target. Receivers make a good target. Practice accuracy. Coaches like those who can not only throw well, but also throw accurately. Receivers move to the ball, move your feet. There are many practice drills where you can move to get your body in front of the ball. Don't be lazy. Coaches like players who hustle. Not all layers have the same amount of talent, but everyone can hustle. Have some fun while at it. Get with a friend and make a competition out of it. Try to throw and receive without any throwing or receiving errors. Make a game out of it. For example, a bad throw, the thrower goes after the ball. A missed catch, the receiver goes after the ball. Try to set a goal of no misses in 10 throws, if that is too easy, make it 20. Speed it up, make it faster and faster.
What is one of the best ways to improve a skill? Practice! If you’re looking for a great way to increase your batting average, consider getting a pitching machine for your own home. No matter what age level or skill level you are currently at, WHEELHOUSE has you covered! With a large selection, they are sure to have a pitching machine to match your needs. Offering pitching machines from brands:
• First Pitch (Includes Free Shipping and Handling)
• Bata
• Zooka
• Sports Tutor
Pitching machines throwing power varies from 20-100+ Miles Per Hour! Visit Cages Plus or call (866) 475-9148.
]]>Dietz does not get to take a leisurely walk to first base. While Dietz was hit by the pitch, Harry Wendelstedt, in just his second year umping in the majors, made a gutsy and perfectly correct call. He decided that Dietz, in making no effort to avoid being struck, gave up his right to first base. Because the pitch was inside, it was called ball three and Drysdale eventually induced Dietz to fly out to shallow left field, keeping his remarkable streak intact. Sucking it up even more, Drysdale then got out of his jam by retiring two pinch hitters--Ty Cline hit into a first-to-home force play, Wes Parker to Jeff Torborg, and Jack Hiatt popped up to Parker. In his next start on June 4, he lowered his ERA to 1.31, knocking off the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jim Bunning, yet another future Hall of Fame pitcher, 5-0. The shutout string eventually ran just one out shy of fifty-nine consecutive scoreless innings and covered a record six straight shutouts.
Drysdale's skein ended after opening his June 8 start with four and two-thirds scoreless innings before surrendering a sacrifice fly. His record was one that would hold up for almost exactly twenty years until 1988, when a fellow Dodger great, Orel Hershiser, officially went him one out better, working fifty-nine straight shutout innings (wrapping the record up on his last start of September 28) before his skein ended in the first inning of Opening Day of the following season. His streak, then, stayed locked in at fifty-nine innings. Personal comment: I wish more umpires would make this call! I have seen this ploy by a lot of players over the years. And when I umpired high school ball I would call the batter back. Some would lean into the pitch to try and get hit, some would lift their elbow to try and get it hit. Or some would not move at all. Some would crowd the plate and even get hit by a strike call and try and take first base.
]]>Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale was talented enough to be the ace of most any pitching staff. However, with the Dodgers for several years he was relegated to being their second-best hurler, behind the great Sandy Koufax.
In 1968, however, he did something that topped every other pitcher in the history of the game to that point. He threw 58 2/3 consecutive shutout innings. His remarkable run began on with four straight shutouts: on May 14 he toiled for a 1-0 win, topping future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins; four days later he won his third 1-0 contest of the year - as well as he was pitching (his ERA at the end of the day was a microscopic 1.85), his record then stood at a modest 3-3; on May 22, he came back with a 2-0 victory over another future Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson; he finally got a bit of run support in his 5-0 shutout on May 26, though even then his Dodger teammates had backed him up with just two run through the first seven innings.
Then, on the final day in May, now sporting a 5-3 record with a sparkling 1.47 ERA, he faced the rival San Francisco Giants. He took his shutout streak into the top of the ninth inning when danger struck. With two men out and Giants on every base (via a walk to Willie McCovey, a single by Jim Ray Hart, and a walk to Dave Marshall), "Double D" ran the count to 2-2 against Dick Dietz. The next pitch trailed inside and hit Dietz, who stood still, allowing the ball to hit him. That action, or lack of action, forced in a run, halting Drysdale's shutout string -- or did it? What is the correct call here?
Stay tuned, answer coming shortly...
]]>It seemed high tech was the buzz word around the exhibit hall this year. One newcomer was Zepp.com. They make a sensor that fits on the end of your bat, tennis racket, or golf glove. It tracks all sorts of data. It retails for $149.99. It will show your swing, time to impact, angle at impact, bat speed, and many other important facts. It will also compare your data to the pros. It connects via Bluetooth to your smart phone or iPad and that software is a free download.
I'm still impressed by Sports Tutor Pitching machines. Their Home Plate is the Cadillac of pitching machines. You can program any pitch at any time with amazing accuracy. It does carry a hefty price tag at over $7,000. They do offer some less expensive options that still do quite a bit. Jim Joyner of Allstar Video Pitching Simulators may be coming out with a video system that is affordable for the family soon. Keep on the look-out. It would fit in nicely with our Wheelhouse Batting Cage system. If you are in the market for a batting cage, we have an affordable solution that fits in your backyard and is portable. Order one today and be hitting within a week. Hope you have a wonderful 2015 and a great 2015 baseball season.]]>ESPN.com recently took on that question, profiling a few of the young guns who are, as a Chicago Cubs special assistant puts it, “throwing the dog crap out of the ball.”
Back in 2003, a Houston Astros relief pitcher was the only hurler who managed to hit the 100-mph mark on at least 20 pitches in one season. Last year, seven pitchers did the trick.
"This is my 29th year in baseball," says a special assistant to the Washington Nationals, "and I see more guys throwing 100 than I ever have."
Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski says, "It's unusual now to face guys who don't throw in the mid-90s on a consistent basis."
Over the last ten years, the average velocity for pitchers of all varieties has risen, though most who throw 100+ are relievers.
So, why are pitchers throwing harder? As with all sports, training has improved, which makes pitchers more fit and better able to perform. Also, managers and their assistants are keeping a closer eye on things, taking advantage of radar guns to track each and every pitch for speed.
Tommy John surgery has given many big league pitchers a second chance. And pitchers have simply increased in size: In 1955, the so-called average pitcher was about 6-foot-1. Today, the average hurler stands a good two inches taller, giving him a longer stride, which helps to generate more force and speed on the ball.
With all that speed on the rise, it only makes sense for batters to adjust their skills by spending more time in batting practice. Not just to “get up to speed, but to alter technique for those pitches that will invariably come in slower and with more movement.
Ready to step up to the plate? Check out one of our pitching machines today!]]>