Saturday, 17 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Mental Errors Are More Expensive
Than You Think.
Mental errors can cause you lack of concentration.
Mental errors can cause your teammates lack of concentration.
Mental errors can cost your team a run.
Mental errors will cost your team the game.
Mental errors can lose a run for your team.
Mental errors can cause lack of trust from your coaches.
Mental errors can cost you playing time.
Mental errors sometimes never go away.
Mental errors will not go away if you continue to think about them.
Mental errors will embarrass you.
Mental errors will make the other team laugh at you.
Mental errors will make the other team think you are a push-over.
Mental errors will cost your team the game.
Mental errors do not have to be made.
Mental errors can be avoided with proper pre-game preparation.
Mental errors will be punished.
Mental errors will cost your team the game.
Do not be the victim of a mental error!!!!
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Most NCAA Division 1 studies indicate the following:
30% of all grounders are base hits and over 40% of the time result in the batter getting on base
80% of all line drives are base hits resulting in the batter getting on base 80% of the time
Only 20% of all fly balls, including home runs, are base hits, resulting in the batter getting on base just under 30% of the time. There's just something about forcing a player to cleanly field a ground ball, make an accurate throw to another player who then has to make a clean catch. More things can go wrong for the defense, and right for you!
High on-base percentages followed by hits are what win ball games
30% of all grounders are base hits and over 40% of the time result in the batter getting on base High on-base percentages followed by hits are what win ball games
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
The Nationals' new focus
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wants his team to run more. That doesn't always mean more stolen bases. That means better focus and more aggressiveness on the bases.
"It's a mindset," Rizzo said. "Last year we ranked 30th in scoring from second base. That told me we had to be more athletic, but it also told me we have to be more aware and more aggressive on the bases -- secondary leads, looking to take the extra base. ... [Third-base coach] Bo Porter has been a big part of bringing that kind of aggressiveness this spring.
"We also added veterans like Jerry Hairston and Jayson Werth, guys who are not just good base runners but also who share what they know with the younger guys. Jerry Hairston said every time he gets on first base he checks the position of the outfielders. I asked some of our younger guys if they ever did that and a few of them told me they never had heard of it."
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wants his team to run more. That doesn't always mean more stolen bases. That means better focus and more aggressiveness on the bases.
"It's a mindset," Rizzo said. "Last year we ranked 30th in scoring from second base. That told me we had to be more athletic, but it also told me we have to be more aware and more aggressive on the bases -- secondary leads, looking to take the extra base. ... [Third-base coach] Bo Porter has been a big part of bringing that kind of aggressiveness this spring.
"We also added veterans like Jerry Hairston and Jayson Werth, guys who are not just good base runners but also who share what they know with the younger guys. Jerry Hairston said every time he gets on first base he checks the position of the outfielders. I asked some of our younger guys if they ever did that and a few of them told me they never had heard of it."
Monday, 7 March 2011
 |
| Carlos Pena |
MESA, Ariz. — He has been with the club only a few weeks and might not even be around in November, when the one-year deal his agent called a "pillow contract" ends.
But Carlos Pena already has melded in seamlessly in the Cubs' clubhouse and felt comfortable enough to join Marlon Byrd in calling a players meeting Thursday at HoHoKam Park, after the Carlos Silva-Aramis Ramirez dugout scuffle the day before.
Despite the commotion, Pena said it is one of the more enjoyable clubhouses he has been in during his career.
"Some other clubhouses are a little more businesslike," he said. "I don't think that's necessarily good. I like guys who love the game, who appreciate they're a big-league player and they never take it for granted and enjoy themselves like they were kids. This is that kind of clubhouse."
But Carlos Pena already has melded in seamlessly in the Cubs' clubhouse and felt comfortable enough to join Marlon Byrd in calling a players meeting Thursday at HoHoKam Park, after the Carlos Silva-Aramis Ramirez dugout scuffle the day before.
Despite the commotion, Pena said it is one of the more enjoyable clubhouses he has been in during his career.
"Some other clubhouses are a little more businesslike," he said. "I don't think that's necessarily good. I like guys who love the game, who appreciate they're a big-league player and they never take it for granted and enjoy themselves like they were kids. This is that kind of clubhouse."
"You love being here. You can't wait to wake up and go out and play. That's what this clubhouse is like. That type of mentality stands out. I've been in a lot of great places, but this is one of those teams that has it. Very cool. I have been very impressed."
Asked Friday about leadership potential, manager Mike Quade named Byrd, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood and "the two guys from Tampa Bay" — Pena and Matt Garza — as the kind of veterans who "can command the kind of respect where you would like to think players are listening and keep things together."
Wood, who has rejoined the team after a two-year absence, said it's too soon for leaders to emerge and for chemistry to form.
"It's tough to get a read to where it fits for the first two weeks," he said. "We're split up into different groups. We've only been together for four days and we're still split up. Half the team goes home when they're not playing. It's really tough to see that. Once we cut (the roster) down a little bit and start staying for the majority of the games, the everyday guys are there, guys will have a better read."
Dempster, Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly were seen by management as the three leaders the last two seasons. But Lilly was traded in July and Lee in August, leaving a vacuum. Pena, who is on his sixth major league team in 11 seasons, eschews the label, saying he only wants to foster a family atmosphere in the clubhouse.
"I don't particularly care about that at all," he said. "I'll take that as a compliment when someone says 'Carlos, you are a leader.' I say 'thank you,' and that's where it ends. It's all about being a family and feeling comfortable enough that if I have a suggestion to make to my teammate, or he has one for me, we can do it like we're brothers.
"That's the type of energy I want to give off to my teammates — that togetherness, and familylike atmosphere. If a teammate says, 'Carlos, I think you should've hustled, should've ran harder on that ground ball, but you jogged,' I'd be like, 'Did I? My bad. You'll never see that again.' I want a teammate to feel comfortable enough to say that to me. And I want to feel comfortable to say it."
Pena believes that kind of comfort zone is necessary for the Cubs to succeed. Everyone needs to be able to call each other out and take some constructive criticism.
"That goes a long way," he said. "It's extremely powerful. I want to make sure if I'm telling you this, I also embody it.
"We're trying to set a tone, make sure we get together and communicate well. Stuff like leadership? Those are just labels."
psullivan@tribune.com
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Cal Ripken, Sr: The Ideal HitterThe ideal hitter would probably have a combination of these qualities: strength, determination, coordination, confidence, vision, rhythm, style, body control, quick hands, and the will to learn and to take advice. The following is a list of batting tips that can help anyone become a better hitter.
- Select a bat you can handle.
- Learn the strike zone - don't swing at bad pitches.
- Keep your front shoulder and chin tucked in, and your hands back. Turn your head so that both eyes are on the pitcher - don't look around your nose. Stay on the balls of your feet - keep off your heels. Keep your head still.
- In order to get the bat started, move your hands back slightly as the pitcher is getting ready to release the ball. If you like the pitch, go ahead and hit it. If you don't like the pitch, then hold up your swing.
- Take a short step and stride - a long stride will only throw you off balance.
- Stay on top of the ball. A slight downward swing allows this and is a good way to keep from upper-cutting. Keeping the front shoulder in and down also allows a hitter to get the bat head out in front and prevents dropping the back shoulder.
- Learn to hit your strength. Every hitter has a strength just as every hitter has a weakness. Hit your pitch. When you get it, don't let it get away. Concentrate on solid, hard contact.
Mike Piazza: Fundamentals of Batting - Look for a good pitch to hit.
- Have a quick bat.
- Stay inside of the ball so you can hit the ball to all fields.
- Try to spread your feet a little wider than shoulder width for balance.
- Hold your bat at a 45-degree angle to alleviate unnecessary movement in your swing.
- Keep your back elbow close to your body to help your hands and the barrel of the bat swing through the ball.
- Have someone watch you while you swing and check your mechanics.
For me the most effective way to practice hitting is to use a batting tee and a bag of wiffle balls. Tee it up and start hacking. The sooner you can hit a wiffle ball cleanly off a tee, the sooner you will become a better hitter. When you hit a wiffle ball off a tee correctly, it acts like a knuckleball. You can hear the air going through the ball. When you don't hit it correctly, you create spin on the ball and it goes all over the place. When the ball spins alot, I make adjustments to correct my swing. Even after 18 years in the big leagues, every winter I go home and break out the tee and wiffle balls. It's not the most exciting thing, so you have to be creative. I put my headphones on and listen to my favorite music while I concentrate on my hitting technique.
Andre Dawson: Hitting Philosophy"I never considered myself a home run hitter," says Andre Dawson. "I had quick hands, a quick bat, and the ball would jump off my bat. But I always liked to focus on hitting for average."
- Be patient and selective.
- Try to avoid the temptation to be overly aggressive and simply focus on putting the ball in play.
- Try to use the entire playing field.
- Do not be afraid to wait on the ball.
- Approach the plate with a plan in mind. Think thoroughly about what you are trying to do, but try not to force anything.
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Team pride is essential for any team. Success builds pride, but so does hard work and commitment to individual and team goals. Every player must believe that hard work pays off, and the harder players work, the more they will achieve. Being successful is a goal for everyone, yet each player should focus on effort - not outcome. The team can always control effort, but rarely the outcome of a game.
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