The Two or Three Sport Athlete Dilemma

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I am currently on an airplane flying back to Baltimore from Baseball Factory’s Under Armour Southwest Tournament in Peoria, Arizona. As a sidebar, wow is it hot in Arizona at this time of the year (our in-car thermometer read 133 degrees at one point during the week)! I decided to write this blog while still on the plane because the topic of playing multiple sports was brought up during this trip and I wanted to comment on what transpired during the discussion while it was still fresh in my mind.

As a part of our Player Development events at Baseball Factory we usually try to include a parent/player seminar on the college recruiting process. During the seminar we cover key topics to be mindful of as the recruiting process begins to unfold, and we open up the forum for parents and players to ask questions. In Arizona, the seminar was run by me and our Senior Vice President of College Recruiting, Kelly Kulina. A lot of good questions were raised by the parents in attendance, but one that came up in particular sparked a lot of discussion. The question was how Kelly and I felt about players competing in multiple sports, and what the general consensus was from college baseball coaches on the topic.

This topic is a highly debated one in our field. I could easily defend both sides of the argument on whether it is more beneficial for an aspiring college baseball player to strictly focus on baseball or to play other high school sports. To be completely honest with you, there is no right answer to this question, and there is not an overwhelming consensus on it from college coaches. However, I can give you some good guidelines to consider as it relates to your son and what he should think about before making a decision.

1. Does he really love playing the other sports? It seems like a simple question, but not all families look at it from this point of view. If your son really doesn’t enjoy the other sports that much and is just playing them because “that is what he has always done since he has been little,” then I think it could be time to give them up and focus on baseball.

2. Who is he satisfying by playing the other sports? If as a parent you played football/basketball/soccer, etc. and your influences are getting in the way of this decision, take a step back and let your son speak on the matter and what he wants to do. Also, is he playing football because the football coach is “pressuring” him to do so? Or does he feel like he doesn’t want to let the team down if he doesn’t come back for his senior year? In my opinion, these are not good reasons to continue playing a sport if his dream is to play college baseball.

3. Is he a contributing member of the other sports teams to the same degree he contributes to the baseball team? If your son excels in baseball, but is just a secondary player in the other sports, it may not be in his best interest to keep up with the other sports.

4. Are you overwhelmingly concerned about injuries? This is a really good one to consider, especially for pitchers. Are you willing to take the risk of playing football, even if it means hurting your pitching arm? Pitchers in particular really have to think hard about playing football where their shoulder can be exposed to serious injury.

My personal opinion is that baseball players do learn a lot from playing other sports as it relates to the mental side of the game and developing key athletic skill sets as well. Football players learn a “never say die attitude” and they usually are mentally tough baseball players. Basketball players are well conditioned athletes and that usually bodes well on the baseball field. Soccer players usually show good lateral mobility and agility which also is a big part of baseball. So the benefits can be quite substantial, not to mention that it also helps to prevent burnout from focusing only on baseball.

As a high school athlete, I played baseball, basketball, and ran cross country so I saw first-hand some of the benefits from playing more than one sport. There are a good percentage of college coaches that like to recruit multiple sport baseball players because they think it creates well-rounded athletes with a variety of skill sets and competitive instincts. Try using the four questions above as a guideline and attempt to make the best decision for the player when considering these options. If you decide to stick with more than one sport, just don’t abandon baseball completely during the fall or winter seasons so you are not starting from square one once the baseball season kicks off again in the spring.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist - Part 4

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

You gotta Market and Promote…

The last ingredient on the Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist is an action item that you don’t want to miss.

Okay, your grades are in good shape, you have improved your weaknesses on the field and you have tested yourself against top competition. Now what?

There are usually three types of approaches I have seen families take when it comes to marketing their respective sons to college baseball programs:

Approach 1
Coaches Will Come and Find Me – The type of player who sits back and thinks coaches and scouts are going to magically appear at their high school and summer league games.

Approach 2
Over Showcased – The player that attends as many showcases and college camps they can get to in the hopes of being recruited by whomever is in attendance.

Approach 3
Strategic Planner – The player that maps out a plan with targeted colleges that are a match academically and athletically and finds the best way to reach that particular coach.

How many of you are taking the third approach listed above? This approach will not only save you time and money, but also the headache of not getting the results you want.

Here is the bottom line, college coaches need to know about you as a player in order to recruit you. Furthermore, the best way to promote yourself to a college is to provide the college coach with a video of yourself performing and an evaluation from an unbiased source.

A college coach can then either take the next step and come watch you play, or eliminate you from his recruiting list. Either way, you then know where you stand with that particular school and what your next step should be.

Go out and get a video and a recommendation from a pro scout or baseball person that a college coach can trust. Get this recommendation and video e-mailed to colleges that match your athletic and academic ability.

Be aggressive and stay on track with your strategy!


Steve Sclafani is the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory. Steve's ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles for players has revolutionized the player development and recruiting industry. His contacts and strategic partnerships have led the way to Baseball Factory being recognized as the top recruiting service by The National High School Baseball Coaches Association. Steve's scouting ability and penchant for matching players up to the right college baseball programs has lead to over 10,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players playing college baseball, $500 million in scholarships, and over 1,500 players selected in the MLB draft. Steve is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

The APR: Cause and Effect

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As we enter the stretch run of summer and student-athletes prepare to head back to the classroom, I believe that now is a good time to go over the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), and how it affects the college baseball landscape.

The APR, which was introduced in 2005, measures the ability of each Division I team’s student-athletes to make progress towards receiving a college degree in a reasonable span of time (five years). In the most practical terms, it measures the academic performance and retention of Division I student-athletes from year-to-year. The NCAA created the APR to promote success in the classroom and graduation for all sports. It also serves as an institutional-wide metric of support for student-athletes.

The NCAA assigns points for certain criteria a scholarship athlete fulfills. The two criteria are retention and eligibility, which are assigned once during the fall and once during the spring for a total of four points. To calculate a team’s APR, the total number of earned points for the team are divided by the total possible points for the team, and multiplied by 1,000.

The benchmark number for APR has been set at 925, which translates roughly to a 60% graduation rate. Evaluated on an annual basis as well as four-year intervals, teams that exceed this level will benefit from positive public recognition, while those that fall below this benchmark are subject to a variety of penalties. Given college baseball’s enormous schedule (56 games), first-time offenders may lose 10% of their schedule. Down the road, repeat offenders can lose 10% of their total scholarships, practice time, postseason competition and even lose their Division I status!

While all Division I sports are subject to the APR, the nature of college and professional baseball make it especially vulnerable to special challenges and consequences. Beyond the short-term benefits and penalties involving the APR, I believe we will see a major long-term impacts including:

• More college players in summer school than ever, which will have an adverse effect on development and collegiate leagues. There are also financial ramifications, as families will have to pay for the extra credit hours out of pocket, as scholarships will not normally cover these.
• Coaches will have to weigh the academic liabilities of their prospective recruits more carefully. This will mean that more kids will be driven to professional baseball, as they will not be given the chance to prove themselves in the classroom. Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JC programs will also benefit from a trickle-down effect of more talented players without the necessary grades to play Division I.
• Smaller schools, located in colder climates, will be more affected by penalties such as reduction in schedule because they are already subject to the loss of games through weather. This will exacerbate the competitive inequality between northern and southern schools.
• Coaches have always been evaluated on wins and losses, but now the success of their athletes in the classroom is more important than ever. This all will add to the pressures of winning on the field!

In the long run, I believe the APR will have a positive effect on Division I sports. In the short-term, however, it will create some indirect hurdles for college coaches and prospective college baseball players and will put more emphasis on the academic piece than ever. Bottom line, as long as you take care of business in the classroom, these hurdles will not affect you in the college search process and, if anything, will make you more of a commodity!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Curveball: Part 2

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

I commented in my previous blog about the curveball and the "demon" that it can be for hitters both young and old. I see hitters making the same mistakes over and over again and they never make any adjustments. So I thought to myself, maybe they don't make an adjustment because they don't know what adjustment to make. Last week I listed the three major problems I see happening with hitters and curveballs. Today, we are going to deal with Point 1, hitters have no idea how to hit a curveball.

First, ask yourself how do I hit a fastball? Do you lunge at the fastball and hit it with your weight out on your front foot or do you stay centered? Do you pull everything or are you able to spray the ball all over the field based on where the ball is pitched? If you are a guy who pulls everything and has a tendency to jump out at the fastball you probably really struggle to hit curveballs (see Wily Mo Pena). So the first thing you must be able to do is load your hands and take your stride getting to a neutral position. This means that your hands are back, your stride foot is down and closed, and your body weight is centered.

This position allows the hitter to react and handle any pitch that is thrown at him. If you are not able to get to this position before swinging the bat you will have a tough time hitting anything off-speed.

Next, once you are able to get to this position consistently, you must be able to hold it for an extra split second. When hitting the fastball the sequence is load-stride-swing. When hitting the curveball it should be load-stride-pause-swing. The pause is necessary because the breaking ball is going to be slower than the fastball, usually by 8 to 12 mph. This pause allows you to hold your launch position a split second longer giving the ball time to reach the hitting zone, where you can drive it. Players who are not able to reach this position and hold it, are players who lunge at the ball and get out in front, usually rolling their wrists over the ball and grounding out or popping up weakly.

These two tips will help you not only hit the curveball better but will give you the chance to hit the change up AND the fastball better. One of these is purely a mechanical fix and the other requires that you be patient and allow the game to come to you.

There are many ways to work on this but here are two that you can try at home:

1. Hit off a batting tee. Work to reach the good load-stride position. Pause in that spot for a moment or two, then swing. This will help you feel the position that you should be getting into and it will help you feel the pause.

2. Do side toss. Have a coach, friend, or parent flip you balls and occasionally have them pump fake the toss without you knowing. When they pump fake you, your weight should stay centered. If you are not you have started to commit your swing and you have no chance to hit an off speed pitch. After getting good at this, have your tosser do the same thing but when they pump fake, hold your position and then have them toss it. This will get you to hold your launch position and wait for the ball to come to you.

Try those few drills out and see how they work for you. Stay patient as it takes some time. Tune in next week when we will cover: "What the pitching is trying to do to you with the curveball."


Matt Schilling is the Senior Director of On-Field Instruction at Baseball Factory. Schilling graduated from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an All-Conference and All-State player while being voted the fourth best second baseman in the country by the Smith Award Group. Schilling went on to coach at Coastal for five years, helping them reach the top 25. He is also a former Associate Scout with the Atlanta Braves.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Southwest Tournament

Dave Lax: We're There

In the end of July temperatures above 110 would make you believe that you were in the desert. At the first day of round robin play at this year’s Under Armour Southwest Regional Tournament the temperature touched 113 degrees. However, the scorching temperatures did not seem to sway the players or the fans. All of the teams came out with good spirits and played good baseball.

In the early games of the day the St. Louis Pirates took advantage of extra outs given at the expense of the Baseball Factory White team and notched the first win of the tournament 11-3. The Arizona Clash, which played in the finals of last year’s tournament, was back and came out with an opening game win against Baseball Factory Red. The Clash squeaked out the win by a slim margin of 4-3. The final game of the morning showcased a high level of defense as only four runs came across the plate. In the end the Players Baseball Academy 16U team won 3-1 over the Baseball Factory Navy.

As the temperatures started to rise, the second set of games kicked off shortly before noon. A couple of the Baseball Factory squads took advantage of their back-to-back games and stayed loose to cruise for a win. The Baseball Factory White took out the Tucson Baseball Academy 10-1 using strong pitching and an explosive offense. The Baseball Factory Navy team was squaring off against the St. Louis Pirates who took out Baseball Factory White in the early game. With the Baseball Factory Navy down by one run going into the last inning, they strung a few hits together, tied the game and then a patient at bat eventually lead to the “walk” off win for the Navy squad. In the final of the three games played at midday the Baseball Factory Red ran into the Under Armour Winter Classic powerhouse West Texas Cats. The Cats took their well-oiled machine to an 11-1 win.

In the final two games of the day in possibly the hottest temperatures, the two teams from Texas squared off. On a side note, the sportsmanship of the West Texas Cats was spectacular as they allowed their opponents, the El Paso Dragons, to use some of their baseball gear because the Dragons gear was lost by the airline. As for the game, extra innings were needed to decide a winner. It seemed that generosity would be rewarded as the Cats scored two runs in the top of the eighth; however, the Dragons made a run at the comeback scoring one in their half of the inning. In the end, the Cats held on for the victory.

The West Texas Cats thus far have the best record in the tournament at 2-0. In the other game the Players Baseball Academy 18U team and the Lake Havasu Stars battled it out in extra innings as well. The Players Baseball Academy eventually took the win 5-4.

In an exciting and over-heated day the Under Armour Southwest Regional Tournament was officially underway and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the tournament has in store for us. We know the temperatures will be hot, and lets hope the baseball is too.


Dave Lax is the Assistant Director of Marketing at Baseball Factory. Dave started with Baseball Factory in June of 2006 having earned his degree in Business from the University of Maryland, College Park. He majored in Marketing and minored in Communication. At Maryland, he played on the Scout Basketball Team for three years, where he was part of the National Championship team in 2006. In addition to his marketing responsibilities Dave serves as the administrator for Baseball University and helps design and maintain the website.

Baseball Factory Four Point Checklist – Part 3

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

Are you playing against top competition?

This week we are going to discuss part three of the Baseball Factory four point checklist; What type of competition are you playing against?

We already discussed the cornerstone of the four point checklist which is academics. We have also discussed the importance of training and developing your strengths and weaknesses. Now it’s time to get down to business and test our new found improvements in a game situation.

Are you testing yourself against top-notch competition? Have you been outside of your state and competed nationally? Have you played against players who are a year or two older then you?

In the game of baseball (and life, for that matter) we need to constantly test ourselves and make adjustments to our game if we want to continue to improve and give ourselves a chance to play at a higher level.

While it is certainly fun to mash the local rec pitching and hit .500, in the long run a combination of building your confidence locally and getting humbled nationally will normally be the right mix for a high school player’s development.

Another important factor is the type of coaching you are receiving as the game gets more difficult and moves faster. Do you have a coach who can help you to interpret the game? For example, after swinging at a first pitch curve ball and popping it up, is your coach discussing your overall approach and game plan as a hitter with you?

Do all you can to play on some national teams with top notch coaching and competition. It will help you to grow as a player and you will better understand why accelerated training is important for your maximum development.

Think you have what it takes to play on an Under Armour/Baseball Factory National Team? See you at a tryout near you!


Steve Sclafani is the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory. Steve's ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles for players has revolutionized the player development and recruiting industry. His contacts and strategic partnerships have led the way to Baseball Factory being recognized as the top recruiting service by The National High School Baseball Coaches Association. Steve's scouting ability and penchant for matching players up to the right college baseball programs has lead to over 10,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players playing college baseball, $500 million in scholarships, and over 1,500 players selected in the MLB draft. Steve is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

Listen Closely

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Are you a good listener? Are you distracted when you are talking to your children? Are you thinking about something else, or are you living in the present moment?

Being a good listener is a wonderful character trait to possess. I work very hard each day on trying to be a respectful listener. A close friend of mine says that she tries to listen to her colleagues “with her entire body,” which I think is an accurate way to describe a good listener. I constantly have to fight the urge to cut someone off mid sentence and interject my viewpoint during a discussion. In the end, this type of behavior is disrespectful and the person on the other end feels not validated.

Do you really listen to your kids? Do you try and help them understand their feelings or do you constantly put your feelings and thoughts on them? I think so many arguments and inter-family conflicts could be avoided if people really listened to one another and respected the other person’s position.

Being a good listener will come into play many times in the college recruiting process and the baseball development timeline. Make sure you show your child some respect and really hear what he has to say when he expresses his opinion. You many not always agree, but it will go a long way to creating a healthy relationship with your son.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

The Power of Now

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Greetings from Kiwanis-Wallas Park! For the past two weeks, the Baseball Factory has been operating the Kelly Kulina All-Star and Elite Summer Baseball Camps in the Howard County area. The camp was designed to teach and hone the fundamental skills of baseball, while all of the proceeds went to the B.A.S.E.-H.I.T. Foundation. Even as our focus shifted away from recruiting and onto youth development, I had a chance to speak with many of the campers about my experiences with the recruiting process, and I feel that there are still some excellent points to make to our younger prospective student-athletes.

As a former associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, I tried looking at prospective student-athletes in terms of the “Three Aces”: 1) Attitude, 2) Academics and 3) Athletic Ability. While athletic ability may be an obvious choice, I think too many players overlook attitude and academics. If a player can’t show me the attitude necessary to compete and willingness to learn, I don't want him on my team. And as for academics, coaches simply do not have the time to waste on athletes who are academic liabilities. Everyone loves to work on their game, but few spend the same amount of time on their studies, which ultimately, will make or break you in the end. For you younger players, you all can work on these two areas starting today- make them a priority!

My staff and I spent a great deal of time trying to instill lessons that can be applied to both on and off the baseball field. The biggest point I made to our campers is that, no matter how hard you throw or hit the ball, you won’t be playing college baseball if you don’t show a coach:

• that you have the discipline to improve your skills beyond physical ability and, more importantly, study hard and effectively in the classroom.


• a willingness and an interest in learning about the game.


• character inherent to a team leader, and someone that will always represent themselves (and their school) in the best way possible.

Granted, not all of this has to start on a baseball field. Instead of finding ways to avoid chores, try actively volunteering to help your parents with everyday tasks around the house. As for school, be proactive and ask your teachers for areas they believe you can improve on, and how to do so. I believe you’ll find that if you change how you approach daily issues and activities, you’ll find a change for the better on the field, as well.

There is no better time than now to focus on being a better player, student and person. The intangibles such as leadership and self-discipline don’t happen overnight. It takes a concentrated effort to change your habits, whether it be how you approach homework, chores or taking extra infield groundballs. So, why not give yourself as much time as you need? Just like in the recruiting process, there is no such thing as “putting it off until later.” Unfortunately, in life, “later” happens in the blink of an eye!


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Carlos Quentin – Chicago White Sox

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

During my high school career I had the privilege of competing against players including Cole Hamels (Philadelphia Phillies), Mark Prior (San Diego Padres), Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres), Barry Zito (San Francisco Giants), Danny Putnam (Oakland A’s), Brian Barden (St. Louis Cardinals), and several other current big leaguers. But no other player that I played against stood out more than Carlos Quentin.

I remember one home game in particular. Los (as his teammates called him) had already hit homeruns to left center and right center. He came up for his third at bat, while facing a teammate of mine and future draft pick Joshua Muecke (AAA Round Rock-Houston Astros). Josh threw a split finger that grazed the dirt and Los proceeded to hit it 400+ feet over the batters eye. To this day, I cannot remember a high school player hitting a baseball that hard and that far. After his high school career, he went onto make a name for himself at Stanford University.

The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in 2003 and after getting the call to the majors in 2006, he received limited playing time at the big league level. Since being traded to the Chicago White Sox during the off-season, Los’s numbers have exploded. At the All-Star break he is hitting .275 with 22 HR’s and 70 RBI’s. As you can clearly see, Los broke out of his shell and has become the player we always thought he would be.

Carlos attended a couple of Team One Showcases during his high school career.

Team One West 1998
Team One National 1999

We wish him the best of luck and many successful years as a big leaguer. In addition to Carlos, eight other Team One and Baseball Factory alumnus played in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. Check out the All-Star Review.

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, OF
Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies, RHP
Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays, RHP
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, OF
Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers, OF
Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves, C
Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
David Wright, New York Mets, 3B

18 Team One and Baseball Factory alumnus have now played in the All-Star Game with a total of 29 appearances. Roy Halladay leads the way with five total selections (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008).


Justin is the Director of Team One Baseball. Justin Roswell joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007 he became the Senior Director for Team One Baseball, the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director, he leads the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also runs the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University - Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.

Are you giving back?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

As a parent, I think one of the most valuable gifts you can teach your children is to give back to your community at large. In my opinion, community service (and or donating to a cause) should be a part of every family in some capacity. It is important for young people to participate so they can gain perspective and appreciate all that they have. Here are some tips to start giving back if you are not currently making it a priority:

1. Find a cause that appeals to your family. Baseball would be a natural fit. You can find a local or national organization and donate old baseball equipment and uniforms that your child no longer uses. There are many groups that would be happy to take it off your hands and it is much better than throwing it away and having it sit in a garbage landfill.

2. On your child’s birthday, encourage folks that normally give gifts to make a donation to a charity instead. Have your child research the charity with you. My family does this each year for our daughter’s birthdays. We have collected books, pajamas, toys, and clothes and made multiple donations to local organizations like Bright Beginnings. The organizations are so grateful and it teaches our kids the importance of helping others.

3. As parents, instead of throwing away your old clothes, books, and house wear items that you no longer need, find a local shelter to give the items to. Bring your child with you when you drop off the items.

Giving back to the community has always been something that is paramount to my family and to our Company. Back in 1994, when the Baseball Factory was incorporated, we also started a non-profit organization called The B.A.S.E.-H.I.T. Foundation, which stands for Baseball & Academic Student Enhancement – Helping Inner City Teams. We run a six team middle school academic and baseball program for at-risk children in Baltimore City. We provide coaches, tutors, equipment, uniforms, bus transportation and training for the participants. It has been a great way for our Company and staff to give back to our community and provide an organized, safe, and motivational program for children to achieve success in the classroom and on the field. It has been one of the most gratifying parts of our work!

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

Don’t Call it a Comeback…

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Josh Hamilton has been here for years. Well, it depends on how you define the word, “here.” Josh Hamilton’s talent has been “here” for years. The rest of him took quite a long and rocky journey to finally make it to the big leagues.

At this point, you’ve probably heard some of Hamilton’s story, but here a short recap: Hamilton went from one of the most hyped high school prospects in the nation*…to #1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB Amateur Draft…to cocaine and heroin addict…to baseball drop-out…to recovering addict…to working the wood chipper for his brother’s tree service business…to Rule 5 Draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds…to MLB outfielder…to MLB All-Star with the Texas Rangers…to the hero of the 2008 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.

Not such a short story? How can it be with so many twists and turns? Talk about ups and downs, and once again, that is the short story. Back in 2007, ESPN the Magazine ran an amazing article on Josh, after he made his triumphant return to baseball. He has come a long way, and as he tells it, he is finally winning his personal “fight with the devil.”

Watching him hit 28 mammoth home runs during the first round of last night’s Home Run Derby, I was filled with a sense of joy. I have no connection to Josh, but I found myself rooting for him to succeed. Rooting for him to drill each pitch even farther than the last. I think that it was his joy and happiness that was coursing through the veins of almost every fan in Yankee Stadium last night. His humble approach to life, now that he has come back from the depths of addiction, makes it hard to root for anything but his success.

So where does this story go from here. Only time will tell. Addiction is a very serious thing that affects millions of people. No matter what he accomplishes on the field, he will be faced with that addiction for the rest of his life. But regardless of what’s next for Josh, I know I’ll be rooting for him, because if we changed places, I know that he would be rooting for me.


*Josh Hamilton was named the Top Prospect at the 1998 Team One National Showcase


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

The Truth About the NCAA Clearinghouse

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

One of the more frequent questions our staff gets throughout the recruiting/college search process is the NCAA Clearinghouse. I’d like to take some time to explain what the Clearinghouse is, how it operates and what you need to do to make sure that you’re on track to accomplish what you want to at the next level, both academically and athletically.

The NCAA Clearinghouse, now known as the NCAA Eligibility Center, regulates, maintains and processes all eligibility certifications. In plain English, the Clearinghouse makes sure that all prospective student athletes at the D-I or D-II level are academically eligible for intercollegiate sports and are certified as amateurs. For more information on academic eligibility requirements, check out the NCAA Freshman-Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet. Assessing a player’s “amateurism” simply means checking for professional contracts, prize money or placement on professional rosters. Your amateur status will determine your eligibility for scholarships, team practice and intercollegiate play. For more information on amateurism, please see the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

Players that register with the Clearinghouse will fall into one of three categories: 1) qualifier, 2) partial qualifier and 3) non-qualifier. A qualifier is eligible for scholarship money, team practices and games. A partial qualifier is eligible for athletic aid and team practice, but cannot play in intercollegiate games for one year. A non-qualifier cannot practice or play games in his first year. One important distinction to make is that being academically eligible for intercollegiate play is NOT the same thing as being admitted into the school. It is possible to be eligible and not offered admission to a particular school, and vice-versa!

When I was coaching at Jacksonville University and Maryland in my early years, each individual university’s Admissions Office had to determine eligibility for their incoming student-athletes. When the Clearinghouse first came about, there were a lot of concerns of how it was going to work, and what benefit it would have for student-athletes, athletic departments and academic standards. More so, would it more trouble than it was worth? After seeing both ways, I can honestly say that, after some bugs had been worked out of the system, it has definitely made a tremendous difference for admissions and college coaches. The effect on academic standards is pretty obvious, but even for coaches, the ability of the Clearinghouse to provide accurate and updated information regarding a prospect’s academic record is a major help in the recruiting process.

For players, registering with the Clearinghouse during the junior year may prove to be a useful compass when deciding which level of athletics to pursue from an academic standpoint. For example, if a prospect has a 2.0 GPA and historically does not test well, it may be worthwhile to look into community college. As I have stressed in my previous blog entries, finding the right fit academically is very important for your overall happiness and success in college. If you’re struggling with academics now, playing sports at the D-I or D-II level may not be the best formula for success on the field or the classroom right now.

So, what does all this mean? College coaches can no longer afford to waste time with “borderline” players. There are too few spots for many prospective student-athletes out there that are comparable on the field. The players that get the job done in the classroom are the ones that will get the last spot on the team, not because they’re a better player, but because they are less likely to be a liability down the road. It’s important to remember that coaches aren’t just looking for the best players; they’re looking for the best players that are going to represent their school, community and program in a positive way. Position yourself to be an asset, not a liability, for a coach and a baseball program!

The Curveball

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

On a daily basis I see hitters both young and old struggle with one particular pitch. Day in and day out I see guys swing and miss and wave at this demon of a pitch. I see the same mistakes over and over again and it drives me crazy. In college I majored in History. There is one quote attributed to history that I love and it crosses over all walks of life and especially into baseball. "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." In other words, if you don't pay attention you can make the same mistakes over and over again. Or even better, learn from your mistakes. This demon pitch that I am referring to is the curveball.

I see hitters struggle with this pitch endlessly. At the big league level Wily Mo Pena quickly comes to mind. This guy can hit the ball a mile and has tremendous bat speed, yet he is not a very productive hitter because he has one enormous weakness...he can't hit a curveball and pitchers know it. I go out and watch high school and youth games and I see much of the same.

From my point of view it appears that three major problems are happening:

1. Hitters have no idea how to hit a curveball.

2. Hitters have no idea what the pitcher is trying to do with the curveball.

3. Hitters do not practice hitting curveballs enough.

Over the next few weeks I will be discussing a plan of attack for hitters on how to attack this evil demon.

Quote of the week:

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should accomplish with your ability" - John Wooden, legendary basketball coach


Matt Schilling is the Senior Director of On-Field Instruction at Baseball Factory. Schilling graduated from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an All-Conference and All-State player while being voted the fourth best second baseman in the country by the Smith Award Group. Schilling went on to coach at Coastal for five years, helping them reach the top 25. He is also a former Associate Scout with the Atlanta Braves.

Take Control of Your Actions

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

When I get home from one of our Baseball Factory Player Development events, I am usually completely exhausted. We work extremely hard over long hours to try and produce a first class and memorable experience for each player. We are on the field early to prepare, keeping things moving during the day, planning for the next day in the evening, laundry and lineups at night, curfew checks and the occasional ER visit late night. The hours add up quickly.

I’m not complaining, it’s all part of the job. The only thing I ask in return is that each player gives an honest effort and behaves himself. That’s fair, isn’t it? Someone made an effort to get the player to the event, and the staff is making every effort to deliver a quality experience…the player has the easiest job doesn’t he?

Most of the time we have no trouble at all. Players show up, work hard, behave, learn and get better. However, a small number of players at some of the last couple of events I was involved with have left a bad taste in my mouth.

The two most common trouble areas are:

1. Lack of effort
2. Lack of discipline

Why wouldn’t those two things always be among the most important for each individual player? If you really think about it (specifically from a baseball player’s point of view), what else do you actually have control over? Nothing else, in my opinion.

You can have a great swing, but you can’t control whether or not you get a hit – sometimes they fall, sometimes you get robbed. You can throw a great pitch, but you can’t control whether or not you get an out – sometimes you get by with marginal stuff, sometimes you get lit up with great stuff. You can perfectly approach a ground ball, but you can’t control the hop – sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t.

So, what’s the moral of the story? Simple.

Wake up on time. Be on time. Make an effort. Look people in eye. Speak up. Don’t mumble. Follow instructions. Be responsible for your actions. Make an adjustment. Try to understand. Ask a question if you don’t. Treat others with respect. Respect yourself. Realize that at all times you represent yourself, your family, your team and/or the organization you are a part of. Be careful of the company you keep. I could go on, but hopefully you get the point.

You control all of these things. Someone may help you with certain ones now, but there will be a time when you will be on your own.

None of the items above have anything to do with baseball. However, they are all very relevant to life and to learning to be a quality human being and eventually a productive member of the work force. Keep in mind that only a very small percentage of baseball players will play professional baseball, and only a small percentage of those players ever make it to the Major Leagues.

Guess what. Late for stretch at camp may be no big deal, school may even be the same way a couple of times, but do it too many times at work and you’ll be in the unemployment line. Same thing with effort, and following instructions, and respect, and on and on….


Andy Ferguson is currently the Senior Director of Baseball Operations with the Baseball Factory. Ferguson joined the North Carolina State baseball team as a walk-on, and went on to solidify his role on a team that participated in four consecutive NCAA Regionals. He later coached with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and then served as an Associate Scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

Dynamic Warm-Ups: Part 2

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

So, we talked about Dynamic WARM-UPS in the last 2 posts, and this is the new buzz word surrounding training for sports, so, sometimes many think that since this is the new "way" to warm-up, its the only way to warm-up. Much like the Functional Strength Training Revolution that is now taking place, with med balls, physioballs, and training movements in a free environment rather than machines, Dynamic Warm-Ups are in, but we can not throw out the methods of the past.

With this being said, we must focus on static stretching methods as well as Dynamic. How do we use static stretching in a new world of Dynamic Movement? The way we do it is by using static stretching on the areas of the body that are typically overly tight on ballplayers. These areas of the body include the following:

1. Hip Flexors
2. Glutes/ External Rotators
3. Obliques/ Intercostal Mucles
4. Hamstrings

These 4-Major Areas of the body should still be addressed by static stretching, which will require the athlete to hold a stretch position, then back off, then repeat again. Back in the day, it was said to hold a stretch for 30 seconds, but the reality is, a more effective means to increasing tissue length and extensibility is to hold a stretch for 3-5 seconds, then back off, then repeat again through a larger range of motion.

So, its simple, stretch the hamstrings by using the stretch above, leaning into the stretch for 3 to 5 seconds, then get off it, then get back on it at a new range of motion.

As we continue to speak about static stretching, we will talk about using angles to increase depth.

"TRAIN HARD"

For more from Dana please check out his blog.


Dana Cavalea and Major League Strength serve as baseball performance strength and conditioning consultants for all Baseball Factory events. Dana currently serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. He has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Dana founded Major League Strength, a company that works to provide athletes with first class professional training and a dynamic program designed to elicit positive results in all aspects of Human Movement and Sports Performance. Dana is certified by the CSCS, NASM-PES and the USAW.

All-Star Beef

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Every year there is a debate about the players selected to the All-Star Game:

- “How did the fans vote in that guy?”
- “I can’t believe the manager is playing favorites and taking him over a guy who really deserves to be in.”
- “Why do they need to have a player from each team? So-and-so should definitely have made it before that guy.”

There are always going to be a few players that got the All-Star snub. Who fits the mold for this year’s game?

What A Snub:

A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox, Catcher
Pierzynski is hitting .296 with the same number of homeruns as Jason Varitek, and six more RBI. Not to mention 21 more runs scored. Varitek clearly got preferential treatment from Terry Francona. No one hitting .215 should be chosen as a reserve.

David Wright, New York Mets, Third Base
Seriously, how did he not get selected? He has scored 56 runs, hit 17 homeruns and driven in 70, while stealing nine bases and hitting .288. Hopefully he receives the “Final Vote” from the fans because he should be there.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox, Outfield
Head-to-head, his stats match up with J.D. Drew and Manny Ramirez, both of whom are in the game. While I personally would put him in over Drew, I can’t fault that selection by Francona. Dye is another candidate who could get in the game through the “Final Vote” by the fans on MLB.com.

Carlos Lee, Houston Astros, Outfield
I think the fact that Lee was left off the team is a complete reflection of the fans voting in Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. Soriano and Fukudome both have solid numbers, but not in comparison with Lee and some of the other reserves that were selected. It would not surprise me if Soriano was still hurt and Lee was named as his replacement.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher
Of all the pitchers not selected, Hamels can raise the biggest argument. He is 9-5 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings pitched. This may be another case of favoritism as Clint Hurdle selected Aaron Cook from the Rockies. Cook is 11-6 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and only 64 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings pitched. He is having a career year, but Hamels deserves it more.

Regardless of the snubs, the game should be a classic and help bring an end to the era that is Yankee Stadium. I know that whatever players are competing, I’ll be watching.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

A Few Life Lessons

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

I was recently glued to the College World Series coverage on ESPN. It was a great series with a fantastic champion, the underdog Fresno State Bulldogs taking the national title. That in and of itself is a great story and a great lesson. When you get a group of people together who work hard and believe in each other, greatness is possible.

Being an east coast guy, I was actually pulling for the Georgia team to win it all and particularly for one player. Dawgs centerfielder Matt Cerione. Cerione had a rare accomplishment, he struck out five times in one game. Can you imagine, 0-5 with 5 K's on national TV in the biggest game of the year at the World Series. The reason that I am writing about this is because in his next game he went out and had two super clutch hits including a double late in the game that plated two and put the Dawgs ahead.

The mental toughness this kid showed to bounce back from such a dreadful night at the plate was incredible. Many young players would shut down and quit if this had happened to them. But what Matt Cerione understands is that in baseball, these things happen, that you must learn to deal with both the good and the bad. And no matter how bad you are at the plate one day, the sun will rise and you will get a chance the next day. To be a good player in baseball you must be able to deal with failure. Face it you are going to fail a heck of a lot more than you are going to succeed. How you deal with that failure is going to go a long way towards whether or not you are going to be a success in the sport or a failure. My hats off to Matt Cerione...tremendous bounce back.

This April, Manny Burriss was called up to the big leagues to play short stop for the San Francisco Giants. Manny is a local product from Washington DC. I had the pleasure of doing some one-on-one lessons with him at the Baseball Factory when he was just a junior in high school. While he was an athletic kid, he was very skinny and not a huge powerhouse like you might expect a future big leaguer to be. What I do remember about him was that he was working on switch hitting and when the time was up on our sessions, he never wanted to stop. He always wanted more swings and I had to kick him out of the cages.

While I did not think at the time he would play in the majors, I do remember thinking that he had that one ingredient that you have to have to be great...desire. He wanted to be good and he willed himself to be good. To put it simply, he worked his butt off. Many young players say they want to make it to the big leagues, but few truly are willing to do what it takes to get there. Manny Burriss knew what he wanted and made the sacrifices and put in the time and effort to do it. He was recently quoted in Sports Illustrated as saying "practice, practice, practice, drive your parents crazy." That means get off the video games and get off the couch and go work at whatever it is you SAY you want to be great at.

Lastly, if you didn't catch it on ESPN, you can watch it on youtube.com. You will see a 8 minute long piece on a young man named John Challis, battling for his life with cancer. He loves sports and in particular baseball. While his cancer is terminal, his courage and attitude are incredible and should inspire people for a full life time. This young man is incredible. Parents do yourself a favor and make your son watch it.

Lastly I will leave you with a quote that I recently heard:

"If people accomplished everything they are capable of they would astound themselves"

-Thomas Edison

Matt Schilling is the Senior Director of On-Field Instruction at Baseball Factory. Schilling graduated from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an All-Conference and All-State player while being voted the fourth best second baseman in the country by the Smith Award Group. Schilling went on to coach at Coastal for five years, helping them reach the top 25. He is also a former Associate Scout with the Atlanta Braves.

The Incredible (and Potentially Scary) World of Social Networks

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

After much prodding from my brother and friends, I decided to get with the times and join a social network. For me, the network of choice was