Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft is set to take place next Thursday and Friday. This is an extremely exciting time for many young baseball players, as having their name called by a team next week gives them a chance to continue furthering their dream of playing in the Big Leagues.

For most people outside of the professional baseball community, the draft is a mystery. I field thousands of draft questions each year from players and parents at our Baseball Factory events. I won’t take this time to go through all of the rules and processes of the draft, but I do want to clear up one thing. You do not have to live in Florida, Texas or California or play in the College World Series to get drafted. Do a lot of players in those three states get selected? Yes. Do players from major DI schools get drafted? Yes, but along the lines of last week’s blog on different college levels – there are schools everywhere that are producing players selected in the draft.

Let’s take a quick look at the Boston Red Sox drafted players in 2007. In last year’s draft the Red Sox selected forty-seven players – twenty-five high school players and twenty-two college players. They drafted high school players from Long Beach, CA, Flower Mound, TX and Parkland, FL, but they also took players from high schools like St. Mary’s in Paducah, KY, Kalani in Honolulu, HI, Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, CT, Don Bosco Prep in Teaneck, NJ, Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, CO and Blue Springs in Blue Springs, MO among others. On the college side, they took players from well known schools like Rice, Oklahoma, Washington and Duke, but they also drafted quality players at LSU-Eunice, High Point, Northeastern, Edmonds CC in Washington, Trinidad State in Colorado, Dixie State College in Utah and Dominican College in New York.

I know – the Red Sox have the money to scout in all these places, but what about other teams? To compare, let’s look at an extremely low budget team, the Florida Marlins. Last year, the Marlins selected fifty players in the June draft. Eighteen of the fifty were high school players and the other thirty-two came from the collegiate ranks. The Marlins did select several high school players from California including their top two picks, but they also found talent in some interesting places. Their sixth rounder came from Oak Grove HS in Hattiesburg, MS while their seventh rounder played at Tremper High in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Add in some players from Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia and it looks like the Marlins’ scouts see a good bit of the country as well. Of their college selections, they drafted players from schools like the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Carson-Newman College, Kaskaskia JC in Illinois, Delta State and Itawamba CC both in Mississippi, Norfolk State in Virginia and Compton CC and JC of the Canyons in California.

As you can see, both teams scour the country to find the best talent. It is true that, with very few exceptions, if you can play – they will find you. One thing these players do have in common is that they PLAYED. You don’t see many teams draft players who sit on the bench. Go to a place – no matter where it is - where you can play, and if you have the talent your name will be called during a future ML Draft.

Situational Hitting: Part 3

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

The last few weeks we have been discussing situational hitting and being able to execute when faced with those situations as a hitter. Last week we talked about suicide and safety squeeze bunts. This week we are going to focus on the next two on the list:

Man on 2nd with Nobody Out
&
Man on 3rd with Less than Two Outs

When a coach says that his team does all the little things well, these two items are big ones on that list. I go crazy watching professional games because so often the big leaguers do not execute in these situations. Worse yet it does not even appear that they are really trying to execute correctly. As young players you can make yourself a valuable member of the team and a productive hitter if you can execute in these spots.

Man on 2nd with Nobody Out

This is when you are not asked to bunt by your coach but you must still advance the runner to 3rd. A simple ground ball to second will do the job perfectly; however, I prefer to have my hitters look to drive the ball to the right side. The key for hitters in this situation is to get a pitch on the outside portion of the plate if you are a right-handed hitter and on the inside portion of the plate if you are a left-handed hitter. Simply swinging at a pitch in the correct portion of the zone makes your job much easier. In the end you need to hit the ball behind the runner and ideally on the ground so that the runner can advance to 3rd. It does not matter if you make an out, you will have done your job.

Man on 3rd with Less than Two Outs

This is probably the most important situation that you can be in. This is when there is an RBI on the line. You have got to score that runner. Teams work so hard to get runners to 3rd with less than two outs so that it makes it easier to score the run. What is critical in this situation is that you are aware of where the defense is playing. If the infield is back, all you need to do is hit a routine ground ball out and you will score the run. If the infield is in, you will need to drive a fly ball to the outfield or hard through the middle.

When in this situation many young hitters will alter their swing too much to try and hit a fly ball and will pop up in the infield. You must keep your head down and stay on the ball so that you can make solid contact. Focus simply on hitting slightly below center on the ball so that you can get the necessary lift. When in these spots, keep it simple and don't try to do too much. Don't try to hit a homerun when a simple ground out will do the job.

Remember these tips and be in control of what you are trying to do in these situations and you will become a clutch run producer for your team. Next week we will talk about hit-and-runs, a man on second with two outs and leading off an inning.


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.

Glenn Gray – Occidental University

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Glenn Gray (San Diego, CA) was recently named to the 2008 Second Team All-SCIAC for the Occidental University Tigers. Glenn finished the season for the Tigers with a .373 batting average, four homeruns, .449 on-base percentage, and 28 RBI’s.

For the second consecutive year Gray, a sophomore left fielder, earned this honor. During SCIAC play Gray batted .375 with 21 hits (fourth on the team) including a pair of triples and homeruns. Additionally, Gray drew a team high seven walks. He drove in 12 runs (fourth on the team) while scoring 13 runs (second on the team) as he finished SCIAC competition with 34 total bases. His .607 conference slugging percentage also led the Tigers as he accumulated a .438 on base percentage. Gray was responsible for 27 putouts with one assist and no errors in the outfield.

Four years ago was the first time that we had the privilege of watching Glenn Gray workout for our organization. In May of 2004, we held a National Tryout at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. Players that day tried out for various Baseball Factory events. I was glancing through the scout cards while the players were stretching, and noticed a player who had written Scripps Ranch High School, which is my alma mater. It was Glenn Gray, an outfielder with above average speed, a good glove, and a smooth swing from the left side.

Our scouts that day enjoyed watching Gray perform and invited him to attend our Dodgertown World Series, which was being held at Dodgertown, Spring Training Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gray happily accepted the opportunity and was looking forward to stepping on the same field as some of the Dodger greats, even though he was a San Diego Padre fan at heart.

At the Dodgertown World Series, Gray performed very well during the workouts and tournament play. Because of his outstanding performance, we invited Glenn to attend the 2005 and 2006 Baseball Factory Pre-Season All American Tournament (now the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament) that was being held at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

In addition to his participation at the Dodgertown World Series, Gray represented Baseball Factory at the Best of the West Hawaii Tournament, participated at the Mac Seibert Training Camp, and our Exclusive College Recruiting Program.

Gray will head up to the Northwest to play for the Moses Lake (WA) Pirates of the competitive West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL).

Occidental finished the season with a 15-24 overall record and a 7-14 mark in SCIAC play.

We would also like to acknowledge several other players who have participated in Baseball Factory events.

Best of luck to those outstanding student-athletes as they continue their baseball careers at Oxy.

Ross Pomerantz, Freshman, LHP, 5’11”, 165, L/L, Marin Academy, Kentfield, CA

Spencer Woolwine, Junior, Util/RHP, 5’10”, 180, R/R, Middle Park HS, Winder Park, CO

Nicholas Smallman, Freshman, RHP, 6’0”, 175, R/R, Carson HS, Carson City, NV

Check out the team roster and overall stats.


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.

Bring Your Own Bottle...(Of POWERade or Water)

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

This is a big one for parents (especially moms). With two young children of my own (see picture on the right), I know keeping your children hydrated is a major concern for parents. My wife is constantly reminding me to bring sippy cups wherever I go so that our little girls are never thirsty. But at some point, as your children get older, the responsibility of bringing your own liquids needs to shift from mom (or dad) to the kid.

A major no-no for college coaches or pro scouts is to be at a game watching high school prospects and see a mom walk over to the dugout, open the door, and throw bottles of liquid to their sons. At our Baseball Factory Player Development Events, I have seen moms perform acrobatic stunts in an effort to reach their arms over chain linked fences to ensure that their son is properly hydrated. For a funny video, click below to watch Rick Sofield, Baseball Factory Special Advisor, and current head coach of University South Carolina-Beaufort speak about this exact topic.

Moms and Dads, this is a major red flag for on watching baseball professionals. What is going to happen when the player gets to college? Is he going to remember to bring his own liquids, uniform, or equipment when mom and dad are not around? It creates question marks in a coach’s mind as it relates to the player’s responsibility and maturity level.

Here are a few suggestions for how to eliminate this issue in the future:

1. Go to Target and buy a small cooler
2. Prior to the game, load the cooler with ice
3. Put bottles of POWERade or water in the cooler
4. Have the player carry the cooler with his baseball equipment into the dugout

There we go! That wasn’t that hard now was it? The player is sure to not dehydrate on the field and he looks responsible in the eyes of the coach. This also eliminates the need for moms and dads to run around like lunatics at the field looking for the nearest convenience store and missing out on the chance to watch the game.

As a parting comment, if you are a Yankee fan like me, you will see Derek Jeter’s mom and dad in attendance at almost every home game. Just like you, they are loyal parents who are dedicated to their son’s baseball endeavors. I am certain that Derek’s mom has never reached over the Home Dugout at Yankee Stadium to flip him a bottle of liquid. Start taking the same approach with your own son and it will only help him in the long run.

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.

Roll Out...Did you get your Roll ON?

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

Time to get back to training! Hopefully you enjoyed last weeks talk about the MENTAL GAME, but this week its back to getting your body right!

If you don't own a foam roller, you need to buy one! This is the greatest tool for a self massage. As athletes, due to the repetitive patterns/movements/ and stresses of sport, your muscle tissue gets knotted up and can't slide and contract optimally. With this being said, if you can afford a bi-weekly, or weekly massage great, but for those that can't, you need to get on the roller. The roller is like a MUSCULAR ROLLING PIN, which will not only flush the tissue and promote blood flow for healing, but really works to release the tension that builds in the tissue.

At first the roller hurts, but when you get up from a good session you will feel relief, and your legs will feel extremely light, and they will have new life! This foam rolling is a part of regenerating the body, and for athletes could be done everyday, and for Coaches, it is a must do post game!

For more info. check out our Recovery DVD which breaks down foam rolling, and combines it with stretching techniques that will keep your muscle tissue at ideal lengths, and in ideal health!

Click here to see the RECOVERY DVD: http://www.mlstrength.com/store.php

Keep on Rolling!

For more Blogs from Dana, check out his blog Major League Strength
Dana Cavalea CSCS
Major League Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach
www.mlstrength.com
Check out the mlstrength.com blog

Dana Cavalea 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 is certified by the CSCS, NASM-PES and the USAW.

Short & Sweet

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

With the holiday weekend, I wanted to keep it simple, so here's a few random notes of interest.

Short

Jon Rauch is 6’11”, the tallest player in the big leagues. David Eckstein is 5’7”, the shortest. Estimating a 6’11” wingspan for Rauch, and Eckstein standing at 5’0” when crouching down in his batting stance, Rauch would release the ball a good 4 ½ - 5 feet above Eckstein’s head when delivering a pitch to the Blue Jays shortstop. (Eckstein comes off the DL on Tuesday, May 27)

Jimmy Rollins (5’8”) is on pace to tie the Major League record for doubles in a season, and that is with an early season stint on the DL. Rollins is hitting .321, which is 43 points higher than his career average, and has 14 doubles on the season in 29 games played. With 109 games remaining in the Phillies’ schedule, Rollins is on pace for 67 doubles. At the same time, the ankle injury that sent him to the DL is clearly still affecting his power. He has hit only one homerun in the 17 games since returning from the DL and is currently on pace for 14 homeruns this season (he hit 30 in 2007). If he keeps hitting .321 with a double every other game, the Phillies shouldn’t be too concerned.

Sweet

Magglio Ordonez is up to it again. Over the past week, he is hitting .478 (11/23) with three homeruns, seven runs and nine runs batted in. Twelve games into the season he was hitting .234 with one homerun and three RBI, but he has turned it on and has raised his average to .328. The Tigers have not followed his lead, but it is still early.

How sweet it is? Just ask Scott Kazmir. He has recovered quite nicely from the strained elbow he suffered to start the year. Since returning from the disabled list, Kazmir is 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 32 K’s and only 10 Walks. Last week he went 2-0 striking out 18 batters in 14 innings while giving up only seven hits and two runs. During that stretch, the Tampa Bay Rays are 5-1 and recently moved into first place in the AL East.

Finally, talk about "Sweet," the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship bracket was announced over the holiday weekend. 64 teams are still alive to dogpile in Omaha.

The Road to Omaha…and Appleton

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

This is the time of year that college baseball turns it attention to the post-season. Teams hope to make runs through Conference Tournaments, Regionals, Super Regionals and ultimately the World Series. There is nothing better in the game of baseball than playing for a team that wins a Championship. Being the only team left standing (or dog-piling as the case may be) at the end of a long season is a feeling of accomplishment that very few get to experience.

When most fans think of the College World Series, they think of Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha and the games that have been televised for years on ESPN. The players who join us for our Omaha Pro Weekly Training and Tournament get to attend some of these games and I must confess that the atmosphere at Rosenblatt Stadium is unbelievable. This is the highest profile World Series for college baseball, but it is certainly not the only World Series for college players. In fact, Omaha is only one of seven college-level World Series that will be played over the next month.

The Junior College Division III Championship is hosted in Tyler, TX while the top teams at the JC DII level play in Millington, TN. The Junior College Division I World Series is a great event held in Grand Junction, CO where Chipola College won last year’s event before a crowd of 10,000 plus at the final game. The NAIA hosts its National Championship in Lewiston, Idaho where host Lewis and Clark won last year’s final before a crowd of 5,400 fans. The NCAA Division II World Series is played in Sauget, IL where the University of Tampa under Coach Joe Urso will try for their third Championship in a row this year. And finally, local Baltimore powerhouse Johns Hopkins, where eight Baseball Factory alums contribute, will try to bring home the NCAA Division III title from Appleton, Wisconsin.

The bottom line is that all of these National Championships provide top-level competition in great atmospheres. Players who participate in any of these World Series will leave with memories for a lifetime and some may even leave with a National Championship Trophy for their school and a ring for their finger.

When you choose a school, make sure that you approach the selection process with an open mind. Division I baseball offers many great opportunities, but they are not the only opportunities—and for some they are not the best opportunities. My guess is that the players who won last year’s Division III National Championship at Kean University wouldn’t trade places with anyone. They’ll tell you that Appelton is a pretty cool place to be this time of year.

Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt currently serves as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.

Power Outage

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

The last two S.C.R. and Under Armour National Tryout dates I worked both featured ballparks with a short porch down at least one foul line. In Fairfax, VA the fence was a little over 300 feet down the left field line. Last weekend in San Antonio, TX the right field fence was 299 feet away and the left field fence measured 312 feet. Needless to say, both ballparks sure made it a good day to be able to lift a ball to the pull side.

However, the biggest problem with this type of situation is an inaccurate perception of raw power. Not by our scouts, since we know that most (not all, but most) balls leaving these band box ballparks would be routine outs at most college parks, but instead by the players and parents. I’m sure that many people were surprised to hear their raw power grades from their Player Development Coordinators in the days following these two events.

I was part of a few of these conversations, which usually started with something like, “but he hit two balls over the fence, how can you rate his power as average?” The answer is that raw power has nothing to do with where the fence is in any given ballpark. A ball that is hit 300 feet to the pull side is going to indicate the same power whether it hits the top of the light tower in a tiny yard or breaks up a tea party of pitchers hanging out in the outfield of a large park.

Last Sunday in San Antonio, I was evaluating hitters with fellow Baseball Factory scout Ernie Ramirez. In the afternoon session, there was a string of about five or six left handed hitters in a row that were just launching balls over the right field fence (299 feet to right field, 371 to center field, so figure about 340 to right center). While it was somewhat captivating to watch, we both looked at each other about the same time and said, “when I see a guy hit an oppo bomb in this park, I will be impressed. Until then, we need to get someone to go round up those baseballs.”

The same thing happened later in the BP session with a string of right handed hitters, only this time there were some opposite field home runs. There were even a few guys that clearly mishit balls, and they carried easily over 350 feet the other way. In this case, they were home runs, but even if they didn’t hit the warning track in a particular ballpark they still indicate above average raw power. Why? Because when compared to the average hitter it takes a better swing, the ability to hit the ball deeper in the zone, and more bat speed or physical strength to drive balls from center field to the opposite field.

So, remember, it just isn’t that impressive to see a hitter yank balls over the fence to the pull side. It simply does not indicate anything that may differentiate you from any other hitter. If you want to impress someone with your power, drive balls up the middle and to both gaps. If you don’t have the strength or ability to do that yet, then hit line drives and hard ground balls up the middle of the field. That type of contact indicates skill and ability to deliver the barrel to contact on a good route, along with the ability to get some extension through contact – both components of any good hitter, let alone power hitter.

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.

Get the Trophies and Banners Ready – Part 3

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

So what’s in a prediction? Do predictions really matter? Do we just make predictions so that when they are right, we can brag to our friends? “I knew it, I told you so! Remember back in March when I said that the Nationals were going to finish last in the NL East? Yup, I predicted that.”

Way to go out on a limb.

And that’s another thing…do predictions have less value (or bragging rights) if you go with the majority? Are correct predictions impressive only when they are outlandish? Maybe you should only be able to brag about a correct prediction if you were made fun of when you made it?

“Get a load of this guy…he picked the New York Giants to win Super Bowl. What a joke. Did I miss the news that they traded Eli Manning for Peyton Manning?” I wish I could say I was the predictor, and not the ridiculer.

What about all of the predictions that were wrong? If we are going to reward outlandish predictions, shouldn’t we also hold people accountable for predictions that go terribly wrong? A few years ago Peter Gammons predicted that Bobby Crosby would win the AL MVP. Crosby hit .229 with 82 hits and 76 strikeouts. Gammons is a Hall of Famer, and well deserved, but shouldn’t he be held accountable for such a horrible prediction? He clearly followed the outlandish prediction rule so that he could be honored at the end of the season if it came true. And when it didn’t, nothing happened.

I feel like these incorrect outlandish predictions go the way of incorrect Super Bowl Champion t-shirts. They fade into the distance as if they never happened; yet someone out there is proudly sporting a 2008 New England Patriots Super Bowl Champions T-shirt.

So the moral of this story is that outlandish predictions are the way to go. Making outlandish predictions is a clear win-win situation. You get them right, and you have bragging rights for a year. You get the wrong and no one remembers.

PREDICTIONS*

AL EAST – 1) Boston Red Sox, 2) Tampa Bay Rays, 3) New York Yankees, 4) Toronto Blue Jays, 5) Baltimore Orioles

AL CENTRAL – 1) Cleveland Indians, 2) Detroit Tigers, 3) Minnesota Twins, 4) Chicago White Sox, 5) Kansas City Royals

AL WEST – 1) Los Angeles Angels, 2) Oakland Athletics, 3) Seattle Mariners, 4) Texas Rangers

NL EAST – 1) Atlanta Braves, 2) New York Mets, 3) Philadelphia Phillies, 4) Florida Marlins, 5)Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL – 1) St. Louis Cardinals, 2) Houston Astros, 3) Chicago Cubs, 4) Cincinnati Reds, 5) Milwaukee Brewers, 6) Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST – 1) Los Angeles Dodgers, 2) Arizona Diamondbacks, 3) Colorado Rockies, 4) San Diego Padres, 5) San Francisco Giants

AL WILDCARD – Tampa Bay Rays

NL WILDCARD – Arizona Diamondbacks

ALDS – Boston over Los Angeles, Tampa Bay over Cleveland

NLDS – Los Angeles over Atlanta, Arizona over St. Louis

ALCS – Tampa Bay over Boston

NLCS – Arizona over Los Angeles

World Series – Tampa Bay over Arizona

“Like anyone would pick the Rays to win the World Series anyway.”

*I’m claiming the Outlandish Prediction Rule for these picks. Don’t hold me accountable if these are wrong. If they are right, you should expect to hear about it!

What’s in a Letter? – Part 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Before getting started this week, check out last week’s blog to see my approach to recruiting players when I was at the University of Maryland. Let’s talk more about the recruiting process and what it really means to receive a letter from a college coach vs. being actively recruited.

Receiving information from coaches means you’re on their list, you could be a prospect, a camper, or maybe they’re not sure right now so they sent you information anyway? Receiving mail from colleges and coaches is a good thing, but you need to keep it all in perspective. This is the beginning of the process, which is good, but it’s just a start. It doesn’t mean you’re a legitimate prospect let a lone a priority player for them yet. There’s a big difference between getting a newsletter and having a coach call once a week. Don’t get caught up in the fact that you’re hearing from 50-60 schools. You should be concentrating on:

• Who’s calling
• Who’s inviting you to visit
• Who’s seen you play in person
• Who’s making commitments and offers

Like most processes, there is a law of averages involved with college recruiting. Great recruiters keep as many top-notch prospective student-athletes interested in their school until they have set in stone the six to ten players that they are bringing in. I have sent out thousands of letters over the years to players that I never called and signed many players who I sent very little information to because of the timing of the process.

On the flip side, it is the player’s job to keep as many coaches interested in him as possible. The most important first step you can take in the process is to recognize QUALITY over QUANTITY. You should FOCUS on the schools that have the most interest in you. Don’t get caught up in chasing schools down just to receive a letter or camp invite from them. Take charge of the college search process on your end!

Food for thought: It is possible to be able to play at certain schools or levels, but not be recruited by these programs. Why? Well, there are many reasons for this including: out of state, no need for your position, not fitting the coaches’ philosophy, lack foot speed and/or size that they’re looking for, etc.

Here is the CliffsNotes version of the recruiting process from the coach’s perspective, so consider this very carefully:

• Initial letters/camp information sent by coach to large list of players
• Information about the school, baseball program sent to shorter list.
• July 1^st after Junior Year – coach begins making calls to serious prospects
• Unofficial visits
• Official visits
• Offer scholarships to top prospects
• Sign players in November (few players) or April – August (most players)

Stay focused and realistic, and gain as much guidance as possible, and you will succeed in your college search.

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.

Danny Cepin and Scott Heylman – University of California, Davis

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Recently added to the NCAA Division I roster and now competing in the prestigious Big West Conference, the University of California, Davis Aggie baseball program has several former Team One participants. Two in particular, Danny Cepin and Scott Heylman have been impacting the Aggie roster in their first year of NCAA Division I competition.

Let’s turn back the clock this week to a National Tryout that we held at the University of California, San Diego in January 2006. Two players that stood out that day were Danny Cepin (MIF – Coronado HS) and Scott Heylman (MIF – Point Loma HS), both from the San Diego area. Cepin and Heylman both tried out that day at the shortstop position. I remember myself, Robert Ruiz (Associate Head Baseball Coach – Azusa Pacific University), Tony Cougoule (Assistant Baseball Coach – Iowa Western CC), and Chad Addison (Assistant Baseball Coach – UC San Diego) discussing who was better. Collectively we could not decide which player out performed the other.

Cepin hit from both sides of the plate, had plus speed, and had smooth actions in the field. Heylman had plus power, speed, and good feet and hands defensively. That day players tried out for various National Tournament Teams and for our 2006 Team One West Showcase. As a scouting staff, we could not come up with a definitive player that out performed the other. We could not invite one and not the other. So, we decided to invite both to our prestigious Team One West Showcase, which was held that summer at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Heylman was also a part of the Baseball Factory Exclusive Program.

Out in Arizona, we had Jim Gemler (Scouting Director – Team One), Mac Seibert (Former National Crosschecker), and Andy Ferguson (Former Professional Scout) scouting the event and they too debated over the same argument that we had been discussing six months earlier. Well, UC Davis must have had that same argument because they recruited both Cepin and Heylman as shortstops out of the same city.

In their true freshmen year at UC Davis, both Cepin and Heylman earned starting roles in the Aggie lineup. UC Davis had an overall record of 31 – 19 entering play on May 17.

We would also like to recognize some other UC Davis players who attended a Team One Showcase.

• Grant Bauer – 2006 Team One West
• Alex Dreyfuss – 2005 Team One Bay Area World Series
• Alex Johnson – 2005 Team One Northern California Preview
• Ty Kelly – 2005 Team One Bay Area World Series
• Dayne Quist – 2005 Team One Bay Area World Series
• Justin Schafer – 2005 Team One West and Bay Area World Series

Best of luck to those outstanding student-athletes as they continue their baseball careers at UC Davis.

Check out the UC Davis player bios and team statistics

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.

A Guaranteed Way to Get Better

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

I don’t have a secret formula for getting faster or throwing harder or hitting with more power. I’m also not going to generically tell you to work harder and subsequently get better. What I am going to do is to offer one piece of advice that I guarantee, if followed, will lead to better results.

What is this great advice?
Keep your eye on the ball.

I know – you heard this in tee ball. It’s elementary. It’s below you as a player. But is it really? Do you properly track each pitch as a hitter? Do you follow ground balls and fly balls into your glove every time?

What I really mean by “keep your eye on the ball” is to improve your head and eye discipline as it relates to all parts of the game. If you consciously work to watch the ball longer at the plate; you will have more success as a hitter. If you work to track the ball all the way to the glove; you will be a better defensive player. If you, as a pitcher, lock your head and eyes on the target earlier and keep them there longer, you will throw more strikes. If catchers will lock their eyes on their target at second base earlier and infielders will lock on the first baseman earlier after fielding ground balls; their throws will be consistently more accurate.

I don’t have proof of the old saying, “your head is the heaviest part of your body,” but I do know that where your head goes…your body follows. When a hitter “pulls” his head, his front shoulder and hips follow the head and open early. The result is a poor mechanical swing that rarely results in a hit. When a right handed pitcher’s head leans to the first base side, his shoulders and hips also open early. This usually results in a bad pitch, strain on the arm or both.

It may be simple, but watching the ball longer at the plate and in the field and seeing the target longer when pitching or making a throw will immediately make you a better player. I guarantee it!


Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt currently serves as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.

Situational Hitting: Part 2

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

Last week I began talking about the importance of "executing" when faced with different hitting "situations." I noted seven different hitting "situations" that tend to stick out more than any others. This week, I am going to discuss the first two on the list. In case you forgot, here are the first two:

1. Sacrifice bunts

2. Suicide squeeze and safety squeeze

Most young players think that being a productive hitter means getting a lot of hits. The reality is that it is great to get a lot of hits but it does not guarantee that you will be productive. You can also be a productive hitter without hitting for a high average IF you "execute" well in hitting situations.

1. Sacrifice Bunts

Most young players do not know how to bunt. This is one of the most under taught skills in baseball today. Young players also hate to bunt because we wait all that time for our turn to hit and now we don't get to swing, we have to bunt, yuck. But a good ballplayer will gladly give himself up or "sacrifice" for the team. My first tip to being a good bunter: Commit to it. A lot of players will give a half-hearted attempt at it and miss or foul off the first attempt in hopes that the coach will take the bunt sign off. This is the worst thing you can do. Usually this will make the coach angry because he can clearly see you are not making a good effort, so as a matter of principle he will make you try to bunt even with two strikes. So COMMIT to the bunt and it will help you have greater success.

A few other tips to help you. When Sac bunting you must get UP, UP and UP. Move UP in the box, move UP on the plate and move UP on the bat. If you do this correctly this will guarantee that when you square to bunt, your bat will be in fair territory (this is critical to bunting the ball fair). Once you have done this, you should pre-set the angle of your bat. What I mean is, if you are going to bunt to 3rd you should square up and get your bat angle set so that if the ball hit your bat it would ricochet towards 3rd. You must also make sure to always keep the tip of the bat slightly above your hands. If the tip of the bat drops you have a greater chance to pop the bunt up. Lastly you must know what direction to bunt. With a man on first you should bunt to first. If you can make the first baseman field the bunt it becomes a very difficult throw for him to try and throw out the runner going to second. He likely will opt to throw to first and you will have done your job. With a runner on second you want to bunt to third and make the third baseman field the ball for the same reasons mentioned above. While these are not all of the tips for bunting, these are a few that are not always taught and can give you an edge up.

2. Suicide squeeze and safety squeeze

Suicide squeeze means that when the pitcher winds up to throw to the plate the runner from third is breaking like he is stealing home. As the hitter you have to bunt the ball in fair territory. At worst you must make some sort of contact with the ball otherwise the base runner will be a dead duck. In this "situation" it is most important to just get the bunt in fair play and not be so worried about what direction you bunt the ball. If you can keep it away from the pitcher a little bit that is a huge help.

Should your coach call this play and you achieve the element of surprise it is usually fairly successful. If the defensive team is on its toes and looking for a possible squeeze it becomes a little more difficult. The best defense against a squeeze is to throw a pitch-out or a pitch that the hitter cannot bunt but that the catcher can catch. So as the bunter you must be prepared to get the bat on the ball. Do whatever it takes to make some form of contact. Throw the bat at the ball, take one hand off the bat to extend your reach if you must, but make contact. Again if you don't the runner is going to be out. If you are given the squeeze, be prepared for the worst, and if you get a decent pitch it will be a lot easier for you.

The safety squeeze simply means that the base runner at third is not running on the pitch, but waiting to read where you have bunted the ball. This "situation" is much more like a sacrifice only instead of advancing the runner to second or third, you are sacrificing him home. Therefore in this spot you must "execute" a quality bunt directed away from the defensive pressure. Usually the third baseman is a little more aggressive charging and more athletic, so in general you will want to get the bunt down towards first. This spot does not require that you go after the pitch, you have the option of waiting for a good pitch to bunt, so make sure you "bunt strikes."

Next week we will take a look at the next few "situations."

Man on second with no one out and man on third with less than two outs.

Trivia Question answers:

1. Hank Aaron is third all-time in career hits behind Rose and Cobb
2. Ernie Banks has 4 of the top ten single season home run totals by a shortstop, A-rod has the other 6


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.

Get a Grip On Release Times

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

Last time I was working out catchers at one of our events, I heard plenty of stopwatches beeping in the stands. The dad cross checkers (or maybe mom cross checkers) were out in full force, filing away their own reports of the catcher release times. There isn’t anything wrong with that, though usually one of us has significantly lower times recorded than the other....

By now you probably know I am down on the standard measurable that most people like to live and die by. If not, just read back a bit – I have denounced both the 60-yard dash and fastball velocity over the last couple of months. Well, maybe not denounced…how about, I have been trying to put them into a meaningful context.

So, this week I would like to look into why catcher release times (I also hate the term “pop times”) are important. Since we all know the most basic reason in this case, I will skip that part and move on.

Lets do a little math to help this make sense. But first, I’ll introduce the term “steal time.” A steal time is the amount of time it takes a base stealer to reach second base from about a 12 foot lead. The watch starts on his first move, and stops when he reaches the bag.

Our first example will look at Major League standards. An approximate average steal time at the Major League level is 3.30 seconds. At the Major League level, the pitcher is expected to get the ball to the catcher in 1.3 seconds or less. The watch starts on his first move (in the stretch) and stops when the ball hits the catcher’s glove.

Now for the math (don’t worry, you shouldn’t need a calculator).

3.30 seconds = average Major League steal time
1.30 seconds = desired Major League pitcher release time
=
1.90 seconds = desired Major League catcher release time

I know there are 2.0 seconds leftover in this example, the 1.90 is an approximate desired release time at the Major League level. It just goes to show that if the pitcher and catcher both do their jobs, runners with solid average or maybe even above average steal times can be caught regularly.

It is important to note, the leftover 2.0 seconds above must include the throw and the tag. Any throws that are off line must reach the bag quicker in order to accommodate a tag.

Now, hold on a minute before you panic and run to the ballpark with a bucket of balls and a stopwatch. Remember that the above example was based on Major League standards. There are not too many guys running 3.30 at the high school level, and it is still pretty rare at the college level.

Below are similar examples*, with more realistic numbers for each level.

HIGH SCHOOL

3.70 seconds = steal times of 3.70 and up can be regularly caught
1.50 seconds = pitchers maximum release time
=
2.20 seconds = time remaining for throw and tag

COLLEGE

3.50 seconds = steal times of 3.50 and up can be regularly caught
1.40 seconds = pitchers maximum release time
=
2.10 seconds = time remaining for throw and tag

*As usual, I should point out that the examples above are simply my opinion. You will most certainly find different interpretations of average, and I only share mine to help explain the relationship between the factors.

I strongly believe that an ACCURATE throw of around 2.05 will result in more out calls than safe calls. I really don’t care what level either. If the pitcher gives you a chance, and you come out and throw 2.05 right on the money and the guy is safe…blame it on the pitcher…just kidding. There isn’t much more you can do. That’s why base stealers are so valuable, they require us to execute beyond our normal expectations in order to keep them from changing the game in the favor of their team.

Though I know everyone loves to talk about throwing from behind the plate, I have to finish with a reality check. If you can’t catch, you can’t catch. If you can’t block, you can’t catch. If you don’t understand the game, you can’t catch. If you can really throw, but can’t catch, you should pitch. If you can really catch, can throw a little, but can’t hit a lick, look into coaching....

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.

Who Makes The Call?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

“The Call” in the title refers to calling college coaches. The “Who” refers to mom, dad, or the player. I have spoken to many moms, dads, and players over the years and I have gotten many different responses to this question. Here is a sample conversation I have had with our families on this topic:

(I am sitting at a Baseball Factory Player Development Event at Dodgertown with a mom, dad, and player. For the sake of this exercise, we will call the player Johnny):

Me: So Johnny, which schools have you contacted for your college search?
Mom: (Doesn’t allow Johnny to answer)… I have sent Johnny’s resume to 15 schools and then I made follow up calls to each of the schools reviewing Johnny’s statistics.
Me: Johnny, have you sent any follow up emails to these schools?
Dad: (Doesn’t allow Johnny to answer)… Actually, I sent the follow up emails from my work account to make sure the coaches received the information.

This discussion is the classic quintessential example (unfortunately) of how you should not approach the communication process with college coaches. Unfortunately, I have had this type of discussion about 150 times over the past 10+ years.

I know this is a really tough one for parents. Parents are used to jumping in and “taking control” for their kids. However, you have to take a step back from the situation and realize that the coaches are recruiting the player, and not the parent. They want to see how a player handles himself on the phone and via email. By doing so, it helps to gauge the player’s genuine interest in the college program, and the coach gets to learn a little bit about the player’s make up. A coach will not learn anything about a player’s makeup from speaking to their parent. Coaches usually have their own children and know that a mom or dad can never be 100% objective about their son. It also throws up a red flag for a coach when they see this type of dynamic, because they start to question how the player will handle the responsibility of college academics and balancing their social life when mom and dad are not around.

So, the answer to the question of “Who Makes the Call” in the title of this blog...the player. There may be specific times when a coach needs to speak to mom or dad (ie; scholarship talk or setting details for a college visit), but the primary point of contact needs to be the player. Mom and dad, I know it is tough to sit on the sidelines here and allow your son (who may not be 100% comfortable representing himself on the phone) to be pushed to the forefront. Parents should view themselves as the “coaching staff” in this exercise. Your role is to help your son research the college programs, read his cover letter before he emails it to a college coach, help to organize him with folders and phone logs for correspondence from each school, and to do mock phone calls with the coach to help get him prepared.

Letting the player make the call will go a long way towards establishing the player as a responsible adult in the eyes of a college coach. It also helps to build his self esteem and self confidence. In the end, this approach will help give him a leg up in the recruiting process!

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.

Get the Trophies and Banners Ready - Part 2

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Last week, I recognized the premier performances in the American League through the first week of May. This week, let’s examine the top performances in the National League, at this early point in the season (all stats are through games on May 14).

National League

MVP

Lance Berkman, Houston Astros, .392, 42 Runs, 13 HR’s, 38 RBI’s, 6 SB’s, 1.260 OPS
When I first started analyzing the top players in the National League, I was having a tough time deciding between Lance Berkman, Chase Utley and Chipper Jones. I had this long argument put together analyzing the three players’ stats. I argued that Berkman was the MVP at this point in the season, mainly because he was hitting homeruns and driving in runs late in close Astros games. I was pretty impressed with the thought and analysis that went into this argument.

Then Berkman went on a stretch during which he went 22 for 31 (that’s a .710 batting average) with four homeruns, 11 RBI, seven doubles, two stolen bases and 14 runs scored. During this eight game stretch, he scored in every game, hit homeruns in four and had at least two hits in seven of the eight. This included a five-hit game, four-hit game and two three-hit games. Plus, the Astros went 7-1 during that stretch. Unbelievable! I wasted all that time putting together my initial argument just to have Berkman blow the other two out of the water last week. Thanks for wasting my time Lance!

Runner Up #1

Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, .415, 27 Runs, 10 HR’s, 31 RBI, 1.158 OPS
What a season for good ole Larry Jones, Jr. If he can get through the season without getting injured I will be surprised, but while he’s healthy, he is going to continue putting up impressive numbers.

Runner Up #2

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies, .325, 32 Runs, 13 HR’s, 28 RBI, 3 SB, 1.075 OPS
Utley got off to a blazing start, hitting 10 homeruns in his first 22 games. If I had decided to blog about this back on April 24, he clearly would have been the early season favorite for NL MVP. But I didn’t…

Honorable Mention

Considering how bad the AL was, I figured I’d mention these players that are having very impressive starts as well (BA, R/HR/RBI, SB, OPS):

Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates, .305, 32/10/31, 3, .996
(1999 Team One Midwest)

Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins, .325, 34/9/23, 13, .968
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