There is Good High School Baseball Talent All Over the Country

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Many parents believe that the best baseball players in the country have to come from warm weather states. Do you agree?

I would agree that the average high school player in the warm weather states (ie: California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc) tends to be stronger versus the colder/seasonal climates. This is most likely a result of these players having the distinct advantage of getting to play outside on a year round basis. While the average high school player in these areas may be stronger, I have found over the years at Baseball Factory that there is upper echelon talent all over the country and in places you might not suspect.

Let’s take this past weekend for example. I traveled to Portland, Oregon to run Baseball Factory’s Under Armour National Tryout and Signature College Recruiting Program in Monmouth, Oregon (just outside of Portland). Keep in mind, this event took place in November so we utilized an indoor facility. Baseball Factory hadn’t held an event in Oregon since 1998, but we have had the pleasure of working with many Oregon based players over the years in events that took place in other states. In fact, 25% of the current Oregon State baseball roster are alumni of Baseball Factory or Team One.

Getting back to this weekend, we worked with a total of 45 players. This group was extremely focused, engaged, and serious about baseball. Everyone showed up on time and they had a strong sense of desire and determination. Once the baseball drills and testing started, this group did not disappoint! As a whole, this was one of our most talented sessions to date this year. Keep in mind that Baseball Factory holds 200 events a year in areas all over the country and into Canada. Would you ever suspect that Portland, Oregon would be one of the most talented groups? I am sure the players and parents that were in attendance this weekend would have.

So if you live in a state that is not known for producing top high school baseball talent or is in a seasonal climate, don’t let it get you down. All it means is that you might need to be a little more creative. Seek out alternate ways for your sons to train like using indoor facilities in the colder months. Just use it as motivation to help your sons work harder!

If anyone from our Oregon session is reading this blog, thanks for a great weekend. It was a pleasure meeting the parents and working with this talented group of players. Baseball Factory will certainly not be waiting another 10 years before we come back to Oregon. Most likely it will be closer to 10 months.

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.

There Is No Off-Season: Part 2

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

Remember, it’s the “opportunity season”…not the off-season. Treat it as such if you have aspirations to play baseball in college or beyond. If not, stick with texting and Guitar Hero like everyone else.

Last week we covered ACADEMICS and STRENGTH & AGILITY TRAINING.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

There aren’t any big leaguers that don’t work to improve at least one skill between the end of their last game and the start of spring training. In fact, you’d probably be amazed at how hard 95% of them actually work on all facets of their game. Sure, it’s their job to be a baseball player…but I seriously doubt that guys all of the sudden start working once they get to the big leagues. You have to learn how to learn and learn how to work in order to get anywhere at anything.

Most hitters would benefit greatly from tee work. A particularly helpful drill for most is what we call the “high tee drill”. Raise the tee so that the ball is about chest height, and position the tee so the ball is about even with your front hip. Work to stay on top and hit backspin line drives (ideally down the length of a batting cage, we call this a “back panel drill”). This series of drills will force you to deliver the barrel to contact on a proper angle, and will help you extend the barrel properly through contact – thus creating backspin.

Infielders and catchers can always work to improve their exchange (the move to get the ball from your glove into your throwing hand). This should be a simple and compact action, and it should take place basically as soon as the ball enters your glove. However, most young players hold the ball in their glove too long and then make way too big of a movement to actually transfer the ball. As a rule (at least in my opinion), infielders should exchange the ball below knee level while catchers should exchange the ball on the second base side of the middle of their chest and only slightly below chin height. Go through some dry repetitions at your position and examine your action. Mirror work starting at a slow speed will help you feel the proper action.

Pitchers would benefit from learning to break their hands in sequence with their delivery. A lot of young pitchers break their hands too high (up near chin level), which makes their arm path much longer than normal and requires a very early separation of the hands (in relation to the stride leg beginning towards home plate). The goal is for the arm path to have fully completed at the same time as the stride (front) foot lands – when done properly, the pitcher would arrive at what we call a “power T” position (weight favoring back leg = power, elbows parallel with the slope of the mound and in direct line with the mitt = T). Mirror work will help you determine the sequence of your delivery. You can adjust both the height at which your hands break, and at what point you break your hands (before or simultaneous for most, very rarely after) in relation to the stride leg beginning towards the plate.

These are just examples, and certainly do not represent the only things you can work on. The first step is to evaluate your own abilities, for more on this topic please read (or hopefully re-read) Steve Bernhardt’s Plan of Action series: (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

Coming next week: THROWING (Sorry…I originally planned throwing as part of this entry, but skill development got a little long)

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.

What to Watch For This Off-Season

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

With the next meaningful baseball game another five months away, the true baseball addicts need something to turn to during the off-season. For me, it’s a variety of things. The NFL and College Basketball are high up on the list, but I also try to keep a close eye on the MLB free agent market.

What players are changing teams this off-season? How is this going to affect next year’s competitive landscape? Are my Orioles going to pick up a few players so that they have a chance to possibly make the playoffs in 2009? Probably not, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Here are a few players to keep an eye on during this off-season:

C.C. Sabathia – The Yankees courtship of Sabathia has started early. They have already made him a six-year, $140 million offer. Most of the experts expect Sabathia to sign with the Yankees, which will have an effect on the rest of the free agent pitcher’s market. If the Yankees don’t get Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe are the next best options. The Yankees may sign Lowe, even if they do get Sabathia. Watch for the Sabathia signing to have an effect on whether the Yanks sign Andy Pettitte, or pressure Mike Mussina to consider coming back for another year (he seems to be leaning towards retirement). There’s not much else out there, so this should be interesting. (Prediction – Anaheim Angels)

Manny Ramirez – This year, Manny “being Manny” took on quite a few different meanings. Manny was just “being Manny” when he shut down and for all intensive purposes, forced the Red Sox into trading him. Then there was Manny “being Manny” as a Dodger, which produced a .396 batting average, 17 homeruns, 53 RBI, 36 runs and an absurd 1.222 OPS in 53 regular season games. He went on to top that performance by just “being Manny” during the playoffs, hitting .520 with four homeruns, 10 RBI, nine runs and a 1.746 OPS in only eight games. Think he was playing for the last contract of his career? Regardless of his motivation, Manny put on a show last year and is going to be paid quite well because of it. But can you trust him to continue focusing and putting in this type of effort? I think the Dodgers believe in the West Coast version of Manny Ramirez. (Prediction – LA Dodgers)

Mark Teixeira – Like Manny, Teixeira went off last season after being traded. During his 54 game stint with the Angels in 2008, Teixeira hit .358 with 13 homeruns, 43 runs batted in, 39 runs and a 1.082 OPS. As if he wasn’t already a top free agent, this performance, not to mention a .467 average in the playoffs, really bumped up his stock (and asking price). Many teams are in the running including the Angels, Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers (if they don’t sign Manny). At age 28, don’t be surprised if he signs a seven+ year deal, especially with Scott Boras representing him. (Prediction – Baltimore Orioles…this might be more hope as an O’s fan, than intuition)

Francisco Rodriguez – Do you think there are a few teams out there that would like to have KRod at the end of their bullpen? Yeah, I do too. The Angels would love to keep him, but they can’t afford to and have already let him know this. The New York Mets made a splash last off-season by signing Johan Santana to a seven-year $137 million contract. He helped the front of their rotation, but the Mets still missed the playoffs, in large part because they didn’t have the pieces in their bullpen to close the door. KRod instantly provides them with consistency at the end of games. It’s a perfect fit, both on the field and off, as the Mets are ready to pay what it will take to get Francisco on the roster. (Prediction – New York Mets)

Here are the best of the rest. The top free agent players at every position, after the ones I listed above.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
First: Jason Giambi (probably more a DH, but not many 1B available after Teixeira)
Second: Orlando Hudson
Third: Casey Blake
SS: Rafael Furcal
Outfield: Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu
DH: Adam Dunn
Starting Pitcher: A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets
Closer: Brian Fuentes


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 Mindset of a Champion

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

Hey Guys,

A close friend of mine, Anthony Famiglietti, US Olympic Runner wrote this to me in an email in response to a question I asked him about training, and getting it done no matter what! I thought it would be cool to share with you, and let you into the mind of an Olympian!

"You know how it goes its not where you are, but where your at. My head was in the right place and I trained like a beast in NYC in the snow, rain, no coach, whatever. I was all in and I'm still all in. Second Olympic team and now I'm gunning to be the best in the world. Our sport is so tough though. We don't just compete against the guys in developed countries we compete against third world countries-everyone. Those guys are so tough too they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So when you become world champ in running you really are world champ all countries included."

I thought this was an awesome piece, coming from a guy that has guts, and trains, and competes because he loves it, not just for financial compensation. Think about "GETTING IT DONE" and "BRINGING IT" everytime you lock it in to train or play!

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.

Time to Re-Evaluate, Revise and Regroup!

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

So, you’re not signing your National Letter of Intent this week. Sit down. Take a deep breath and relax. It’s ok; most players don’t make their decision in the early period. Now, making the most of the time you have is the KEY!

Players that sign early are the ones that have been proactive in the recruiting process and on the coaches’ radar for months (and years!). Yes, it’s a payoff for hard work, determination and baseball skill, but I think it’s a poor measure of “success” for most prospective student-athletes. The reality is that for someone to sign early, several things have to fall into place. Players that sign early have had many conversations with coaches, have been seen in person and have spent the night on several campuses. You can’t expect to sign early without having these things happen, and to try to rush through them would be a mistake!

The bottom line is that you can’t beat yourself up over not signing early, or even worse, shut down the process. Let’s look at the positives:

• You have more time to research and look at schools. Chances are you never had a chance to visit the campus of many of the schools on your list and meet with a coach while there. Now you’ve got time to do that!
• Additional time to get your grades and College Board scores up.
• You have more time to get bigger, stronger and faster. This is a great time to take your game to a higher level. If you take advantage of the off season, you will be prepared and ready to open some eyes this spring!
• You don’t have to rush applications, which will be non-binding. Signing or committing early could mean that you’d have to apply with a binding application.
• Schools may have new recruiting needs, and not all coaches make their decisions early!
• You’ll have a much better idea of what your financial aid package looks like before you make your decision. In addition, more time to research grants, scholarships and loans available.

So, where to go from here? After the dust settles, it will be time to evaluate where you’re at with schools on your list.

• What have you heard from coaches? Have you received personal phone calls, or just camp information? Check out my series of blog entries, “What’s in a Letter” for more information on interpreting what you’re hearing.
• Which schools have you visited? Campus tours and information sessions are great, but how many coaches have you met with on campus? This is a great chance to show your interest, but you have to make it happen! Be proactive with coaches over e-mail and phones, and usually they can accommodate you.
• Have a plan in place and execute it! You can’t rely on coaches coming out to come see you play- be active in the process! The winter is a great time to market yourself to coaches using your Personal Player Page to separate yourself from other players. Remember, with video, there is no dead period!

Now is not the time to panic or resort to knee-jerk reactions. You’re not going on vacation, college will be your home for the next four or five years! Take inventory of what you’ve done up until this point- what you’ve seen and heard and where you’re at with schools on your list. What do you need to do to put yourself in a better position? You have plenty of time to find a place to play baseball and study if you’re willing to take the appropriate steps NOW. Remember, more mistakes are made in Early Period by college coaches and players! Take advantage of the time you have today to reap the benefits of tomorrow!

One Way to Keep NCAA DI Athletes from Leaving School Early to Turn Pro

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

This blog is a little off topic from my usual posts, but this is an idea I have had for long time. I wanted to get it out and see what people think.

A big dilemma in college sports (especially in NCAA Division I football and basketball) is how to keep more underclass players in college and have them resist the temptation to turn professional. When underclass players leave school early it causes recruiting turmoil for the college programs because the coach needs to shift gears and replace a highly talented player before they were slated to graduate. It makes the overall recruiting strategy much more difficult to manage because every year the coach needs to project who might have a big year and may elect to turn pro instead of finishing school.

The college programs have a lot of potential revenue to lose when these types of athletes leave school early. Bowl games in football and NCAA Final Four games generate millions of dollars for the college program. If they lose their best players to the draft before they graduate, it could cause the program to regress, and miss out on these national events with high revenue streams.

For the player, the decision to leave early is a juggling act of risk versus reward. One side of the argument is that you never know when injury will strike (especially in football) and if you have the chance to leave and turn pro, you should because it may not be there down the road. The flip side of the argument is that if you leave early without a college degree, and your pro career doesn’t pan out as planned, you may be unprepared to navigate the greater world at large.

So what could the NCAA do to try and keep more kids in school and make it easier on all three constituents (players, coaches, and school programs)? Here is my idea. It may sound off the wall at first, but if you really think about it, I think you might agree that it makes sense. The idea is to put the players on a vesting schedule that pays them a share of the individual sports program’s revenue from TV, licensing, ticket sales, etc AFTER they have graduated from the program.

So here is how it would work: if you are making satisfactory progress towards graduation after one year in school, you are fully vested for a ¼ share. By the end of 4 years you would have a maximum of 1 full share (ie: ¼ share x 4 years). The NCAA would calculate the revenue generated from the program over that 4 year period and pay the graduate out pro-rata for their 1 share. How much this equals would vary year to year depending upon the success of the program, but the number could be pretty significant when you consider how much money the head coaches of these top level programs are paid. I would also suggest that they enter into a licensing agreement as part of the indivdual’s vesting schedule so as to allow college athlete names to be sold on the backs of basketball and football jerseys. Again, this money would only be paid to the athlete in a pro rata fashion if they were vested, and if they graduated. How much more money could the college programs generate with this type of licensing deal? Think about what fans would have paid to have a Reggie Bush named jersey from USC or a Vince Young named jersey from Texas?

To me, this provides the type of incentive that is needed to keep athletes in school and give them a chance to earn money at least in the neighborhood of what they might earn if they turned professional. It also wouldn’t jeopardize their amateur status because they would not earn the money unless they graduated and were vested.

This is just one person’s opinion and you may not agree, but I have yet to hear a better suggestion. In the end, there would be more college graduates and the players would have additional incentive to play their hearts out for a chance to be compensated down the road.


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.

There Is No Off-Season

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

While there are still a few competitive team events around, the vast majority of players are done with their 2008 baseball season. For some, this time of year also signals football playoffs and/or the beginning of basketball. For others, the countdown to the first day of 2009 practice is on.

In any case, this is the beginning of the season of opportunity – not the off season. You have the opportunity to better yourself as an aspiring college baseball player - without the constant games, travel, showcases, travel, tournaments, travel and more games. Keep in mind that as an aspiring college baseball player, you have a lot of things to work on…so you shouldn’t have any trouble staying busy.

Over the course of the next several weeks, we will identify and review areas in which you should focus your “opportunity season” efforts.

ACADEMICS

If you think it’s tough to stay on top of your school work now, spend a couple of weeks as a student-athlete in college. And no, not just because of bus rides and weekday night games during the Spring semester/season. How about 6:00 am workouts, afternoon swimming and/or running, early work before practice, or extra time on the tee/extra flat ground work after practice…all while trying to handle a 15 or 18 hour course load during the Fall semester.

Take the time now to try and improve your academic standing. You don’t have as many demands on your time – you really need to take advantage of that. Get some extra help on a subject you are weak in, and make it important to prepare for the SAT and/or ACT tests.

Remember, ACADEMICS MUST BE CONSIDERED FIRST. You have heard it a million times, but you have to understand that student always comes before athlete. Ever heard of anyone being called an athlete-student?

STRENGTH TRAINING

There are very few, if any, high school age players that have any real amount of physical strength. To be fair, it is hard to actually get stronger over the course of the 500 or so game schedule it seems most play between March and October. However, that isn’t the case from November through the beginning of high school practice.

Skip the bench press (unless you are willing to keep the weight low and the reps high), and spend time instead on improving the strength in your legs and your core. You don’t want bulk in your upper body, so spend time strengthening the smaller muscles in your shoulders (Jobes) and work hard on your forearms. Jobe work can be done with a sand filled tennis ball can and/or elastic band, and forearm work can be done with rope connecting a weight to a small length of PVC pipe – simply roll the weight up, then back down. (For more information on these excercises, please feel free to email me at andy@baseballfactory.com.)

Baseball players must maintain range of motion while improving strength - flexibility is vital. Make sure to stretch often – whether you are lifting or not, you can make gains in your flexibility. I see so many players that are stiff and muscle bound, which makes it so hard to play a sport that requires quick and compact movements. It is so easy to do, it just requires time, effort and commitment – something most are not willing to give. For more on this topic, please read (or re-read) Dana Cavalea's entry on static stretching methods.

Coming next week: SKILL DEVELOPMENT, THROWING

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.

The Curveball: Part 4

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

We have been discussing the curveball and how to hit it and how pitchers are trying to use it to get you out. Today we are going to discuss some different ways to practice hitting the curveball.

If you think about it, most hitters practice hitting fastballs about 99% of the time. Therefore it is no shock that most hitters are better at hitting fastballs than any other pitch. Imagine if in your daily routine or practice sessions you could change that to 75% fastballs and 25% off-speed pitches. You would make great improvement in your ability to hit off-speed pitches. What I have found is not only does it make hitters better at hitting breaking balls but it actually enhances their ability to hit the fastball and use the whole field. When you only work on hitting fastballs it is easy to develop the habits of lunging at the pitch, not keeping your weight centered, and not keeping your hands back; because you can get away with some of these flaws to hit a fastball. There is no way you could get away with these flaws when facing a pitcher who changes speeds (which most pitchers do).

So what can you do to work on hitting breaking balls? Here are a few ideas for you:

1. Change of speed side toss
Have a friend flip you normal good old fashion side toss; however, he will need to vary the height of the flips. A low flip will get to you quicker, much like a fastball. A high looping flip will be slower and take longer to come down into the hitting area, much like a curveball. Sometimes have him simply pump fake the pitch without telling you. If you can take the pitch centered and balanced you are in good position, if you have commited yourself forward, your in trouble. This drill will help you to feel yourself get to your launch position without commiting to a fastball or curveball and will give you the chance to hit either one.

2. Change of speed front toss:
Have your buddy set up behind an L-screen about 15 feet in front of you and flip you front toss, but rather than just pumping you straight pitch after straight pitch, have him loop the tosses up a little higher with a little spin on it. This will simulate a slower, looping pitch much like a breaking ball and it will get your eyes in tune with looking for spin.

3. Machine curveballs:
If you have access to a pitching machine, set it up to throw you curveballs. But don't set it up to throw the nasty sharp down breaker. Set it up to throw you hangers. A hanging curve is a mistake, HITTERS MUST KILL MISTAKES! The really good, tight, sharp breaking balls are great pitchers pitches. First train yourself to hit the mistakes, if you get good at that you can start working on the pitchers pitch.

4. Live BP:
If you have a friend or coach who can throw a decent breaking ball in batting practice, have him throw it to you. Have him throw you regular fastball batting practice, then breaking ball batting practice and then have him mix it up.

5. Pitch recognition:
Simply play catch with a buddy who pitches. Get about 60 feet apart and have him throw fastballs, breaking balls and change ups to you. It does not have to be full speed and you can do it standing up. Work to try to recognize the pitch in his release point. Shout out what pitch it is as fast as you recognize it. Sometimes you will be wrong...so what. The goal is to train your eyes and brain to recognize what pitch is coming to you as quickly as possible.

I hope these tips help you. Implement these drills into your practice sessions and see your batting average and hitting ability rise. Good luck!

Quote of the week:

Before everything else; getting ready is the secret of success.

-Henry Ford


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.

From Television and Newspapers to Youtube and Facebook

Dave Lax: Tip of the Week

Back when I was in high school, you would rarely see a local newspaper reporter or photographer at your game. Talking to the media wasn’t a lesson that most coaches would address. Back then if I was approached by a reporter I would answer their questions and try not to stutter too much. I mean how many people were actually going to read the Columbia Flier’s local high school sports section (circulation 37,000)?

However, today everyone has a video camera, phone that records audio/video and digital cameras. Every action you take off the field is just as noticed and talked about as the ones you take on the field.

I cannot tell you how many times I am at one of our Baseball Factory Player Development events and I see or hear a player act or speak inappropriately to a reporter or even a coach. Now “reporters” can come from anywhere. It doesn’t have to be the beat writer for the Washington Post, it can be a local publication, a blog, coach or even a parent for the team’s newsletter. How you carry yourself and understanding how to speak to the media is very important. With access to videos, pictures and newspaper articles, college coaches, recruiters and the general public can learn more about you then you may even be aware of.

I wanted to talk about the importance of speaking to the media (including television, newspaper, parents, bloggers and anyone documenting the event). When addressing an audience, television camera or even conducting a phone interview try and think about the following:

1. Be able to control your emotions after a game whether you win or lose.

2. Thank the sponsors, tournament director, staff, umpires and fans.

Usually the people putting on the event or game put a lot of effort making the event run smoothly. It shows maturity to recognize all the people involved in the process of this event.

3. Speak positively about opponents, being respectful of their playing ability and personal attributes.

If you watch most pro athletes give a post-game interview, you will hear them speak about the quality team they just played. You will never hear Derek Jeter say “Can you believe how bad that second baseman was tonight?” Whether it was a blowout or a hard fought battle, both sides deserve to be there and the credit that goes along with getting to that stage. So win or lose, being respectful is a must.

4. Be aware of posture and make eye contact with fans and on-field personnel.

5. Answer questions with a clear and concise answer.

Try not to ramble, as this may cause you to go off topic.

6. Always appear to be friendly, considerate and easygoing with reporters. Try to remember names and always be polite and patient with reporters who may not have an understanding of sports terminology.

You always want to be courteous to whomever you speak with after a game. I know how hard it is sometimes to speak about a game after a tough loss, but sometimes as a leader you will need to talk about the game and represent yourself and your team. It is important to approach the media with respect because they will publish how they view you and if you are hostile it may affect the way others see you. A good tactic is to always repeat the reporters name and publication back to them to help you remember who they are.

Not everyone grows up playing sports; even if they follow it on a regular basis there are certain terms and language that the general “fan” may not understand. When explaining something to a reporter, keep your explanations simple so that both advanced and beginner fans can understand your description.

Check back next week for more philosophies you should be aware of when speaking to the media.


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.

Breaking the cell phone and PDA addiction Part II

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I heard from a number of parents after my last blog (Breaking the cell phone and PDA addiction) that their cell phone and PDA use doesn’t come close to how much time their high school students spend texting, calling their friends, checking emails, or using the other applications available on their devices. The cell phone and PDA addiction is certainly not generational, as everyone from middle school students to grandparents seem to have become hooked by the technology and the ability to be constantly connected. While it is not realistic to expect that your teenage children will not spend time on their phone or mobile devices, it is very reasonable to put some practical rules in place to help your family manage the situation.

The number one thing you can do is communicate with your children as to when it is inappropriate to be on their phone or mobile device. I have seen many Baseball Factory players texting their friends while their parents are speaking to our staff during an individual player performance meeting. This is obviously very disrespectful to the parents and to anyone else who is participating in the meeting. Rules need to be defined up front, and when it is inappropriate to be texting, their phone needs to be turned off. Don’t assume that this should be common knowledge. Phones and mobile devices have not been around that long and people use them so frequently to communicate that the “rules” are still evolving.

Here are some other suggestions for how to keep your kids from racking up huge bills and wasting away with their faces and fingers pinned to their mobile devices:

1. Stay away from unlimited plans. If there are no limits, there are no boundaries to stay within and abuse of what would be considered “normal” results.
2. Have the teenager contribute towards their calling/texting plan. Once they need to start paying, their use will go down.
3. Set boundaries and rules within your family dynamic for when the phone or mobile device (for parent and teenager) needs to be turned off. For instance, at the dinner table, during family time, etc.

It is important for families to set rules and communicate on this topic because as the technology continues to evolve, it will only get more difficult. As more devices offer TV, movies, and other time consuming applications, the urge to be absorbed in these devices will become even more compelling. Help your teenage children break their addiction and assist them to re-engage with the people physically around them. It will certainly help in their continued emotional development.

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.

Preparation Leads to World Series Championship

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

The biggest play of the World Series clinching game wasn’t the RBI single by Feliz or the slider by Lidge that ended it; it was Chase Utley’s defensive play in the top of the 7th. Utley changed the game and he did it through the long-term and short-term preparation that we preach at our own Baseball Factory Player Development events.

In case you missed it, the play happened in the top of the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on second base. Akinori Iwamura hit a ground ball up the middle that Utley backhanded. He faked a throw to first and threw home to get Jason Bartlett trying to score all the way from second. The inning was over and the tie was preserved. In the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies gained the lead that they would never relinquish.

Let’s look at the many ways Utley had to prepare himself both physically and mentally to make this play.

Physical Preparation

1. He has spent time working on his agility and first step quickness. That showed as he reacted quickly with a crossover step immediately after the ball was hit and had enough range to get to the ball in the first place.

2. He has put in countless hours of mechanical work and it paid off as he flawlessly backhanded the ball – the most difficult play for most infielders.

3. He has worked on his arm strength as he made a throw that is longer than normally required from a 2B. It shows why second basemen need to long toss regularly and not form the habit of all throws being a ¾ arm slot “flip.”

4. He has practiced throwing on the run. His throw was accurate and bouncing it gave the catcher a chance as opposed to a high throw.

Mental Preparation

1. He knew that the runner on 2B (Bartlett) was a fast and aggressive baserunner.

2. He knew the speed of the hitter – Iwamura is a fast runner and is quick out of the box after contact.

3. He had anticipated the different scenarios in his head for any ball hit to him or anywhere else on the field. This way he wasn’t surprised by the play.

4. He understood how valuable the ball is and that a throw must be made with a purpose. A throw to 1B there would not have gotten Iwamura and a futile throw there would have allowed Bartlett to score easily.

5. He knew to always keep your head up and look for the next play. There was no hesitation between his pump fake and making the throw home.

Everything Chase Utley did showed that he is a “true” baseball player. Thanks to his preparation, both mentally and physically, he made the biggest play of the game and put his team in position to celebrate a World Series victory.


Steve Bernhardt is the Executive VP of Baseball Operations with Baseball Factory. 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.

Striking a Balance

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Introduction

Like most things in life, finding the best college for your son usually means striking a balance. Sometimes a school meets every one of the criteria on the student’s wish list, but most often there are a few trade-offs in the picture. The role the player expects to have on the school’s baseball team may become the deciding factor. At the risk of lightning striking me, though, there’s more to life than baseball – and when baseball gets frustrating, it’s the rest of college life that helps your son keep a healthy perspective.

The college search was a good way for Kyle to define who he really was, and what he truly wanted out of the next four years of his life. First, we created a profile, which was reflected on his baseball resume. Then came the wish list: a four-year school with solid to strong academics, competitive baseball – defined as the highest level at which Kyle could expect to play (and okay, in reality, baseball came at the top of Kyle’s wish list…), a climate where baseball could be played outside as many months as possible, and an urban, or at least busy, college setting.

There weren’t a lot of schools that fit this list – in actuality, there was only one Kyle wanted. He never lost sight of the list, but talked to every coach who called, responded to every email, and visited as many schools as he could. Kyle thought about ideas that were out-of-his-box – and, although he may have been less enthusiastic with some situations, he never closed a door. He surprised all of us one night after a conversation with a coach from a junior college in a cold climate. The coach’s presentation and ability to connect had made Kyle realize there were a lot of different ways to approach the college years.

In the end, Kyle went to his “wish list” school – with one caveat. He chose to be a part of a large, outstanding baseball program where he was “one of the group,” instead of an impact player. That decision has its own set of trade-offs. The talent pool was deep, and the playing time, limited. To someone who lives for baseball, the work-outs were ‘rigorous’ – to those less dedicated, they were ‘grueling.’ It was a lot work and a heavy time commitment for what many players would consider too little a return.

Kyle’s friends that chose to be impact players at lesser known, but still solid programs freely admitted they wouldn’t have had the patience or personality to be a part of Kyle’s situation. Kyle kept a positive attitude however, accepted the trade-offs, and improved substantially as a player. And on those days when baseball got frustrating – and it did – Kyle reveled in the rest of his life. He loved so many things about the school – the climate, the surroundings, the type of student the school attracted – his life there, in general. He thrived academically. Others may have chosen a different balance, but Kyle set his priorities, resolving to accept the trade-offs – and even when baseball dealt Kyle some disappointment, life in general was still pretty darn good.



Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.

College Players Make Big Impacts in Postseason

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Take one look at the World Series rosters for both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies and you’ll notice one thing: there are a lot of former college players! Whether coming from powerhouse Division I programs or the Division III ranks, college players have played impact roles for teams competing for baseball’s highest honor. Just take a look at both teams’ rosters:

Philadelphia:

Joe Blanton - Kentucky
Clay Condrey - McNeese State
J.A. Happ - Northwestern
Brad Lidge – Notre Dame
Jamie Moyer – St. Joseph’s (PA)
J.C. Romero – Mobile
Chris Coste – Concordia (MN)
Eric Bruntlett - Stanford
Greg Dobbs - Oklahoma
Chase Utley – UCLA
Ryan Howard - Southwest Missouri State
Pat Burrell – Miami (FL)
Geoff Jenkins – USC

Tampa Bay:

Chad Bradford – Southern Mississippi
Matt Garza – Fresno State
J.P. Howell – Texas
David Price – Vanderbilt
Andy Sonnanstine – Kent State
Dan Wheeler – Central AZ
Jason Bartlett – Oklahoma
Evan Longoria – Long Beach St.
Carlos Pena – Northeastern
Gabe Gross – Auburn
Eric Hinske – Arkansas
Ben Zobrist – Dallas Baptist
Fernando Perez – Columbia

In earlier blog entries, I’ve discussed the benefits that attending college can have on a baseball player. While it’s easy to concentrate on the player development benefits, one can’t ignore the learning opportunities that exist off the field. Learning to balance the training for the future with today’s performance and everything in-between takes time to master, and college is simply the best environment for that type of education.

Chase Utley is an excellent example of raw talent that had a chance to develop into All-Star performance in a college setting. Coming out of Long Beach Polytechnic High School as a shortstop, Chase was drafted in the 2nd Round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he opted to attend UCLA, where there were plenty of lessons for him to learn away from home. While hitting 15 home runs his freshman year, Chase’s grades were a major problem and put him at academic risk. When Coach Gary Adams showed no pity, Chase learned to balance his baseball career with a solid approach to academics and returned for his sophomore year a man on a mission. His success with the academic piece brought new confidence to the field, an increased work ethic (he learned a new position, 2nd base, at the request of Coach Adams) and a propensity for leadership. Not only is he now a perennial All-Star, he’s known as one of the hardest-working players in the game, and a clubhouse leader: three important ingredients for a postseason player!

Not only does collegiate competition prepare players for a career in professional baseball, but it gives them the experience needed to have success in the postseason. For the most part, college players are simply more composed in crucial game situations than players coming out of high school. They’ve competed at a high level, facing major league-quality players in college with success. More importantly, they have learned from failure on major national stages.

For an example of tough lessons learned, look no further than David Price. After helping to lead Vanderbilt to the #1 ranking in the country and striking out 17 Austin Peay batters in the 1st game of the Nashville regional, Vanderbilt was upset by Michigan with Price on the mound, who surrendered the game-winning home run. That’s not to say that Price lost the game all on his own, but in the 15 months since the ’07 Draft, wouldn’t you think that David has been using that tough loss for motivation? For an answer to that question, just look back at his ALCS performance.

As a wrap-up, I’m not making a case against high school players. Talent is talent, no matter what level you’re playing- just look at Cole Hamels, who has shown unwavering discipline in tough situations and simply dominated this October. Still, you can’t ignore the fact that overall, college players are more likely to move through the Minor Leagues and are more prepared to make an impact early at the Big League Level!

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 3

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

When last I blogged we were discussing the curveball and the mechanics involved with how to hit this pitch. This week I want to discuss exactly what pitchers are trying to do with the breaking ball when they are attacking hitters. I believe that if you as a hitter understand how the pitcher is trying to go after you with the breaking ball, you will be better prepared to hit it OR lay off of it.

First lets deal with a RHP vs a RHH or LHP vs LHH:
Generally speaking, early in the count the pitcher is trying to throw the curve for a strike. In doing so they are usually going to start by throwing the curve at you, usually at your waist and let it break over the plate. The idea being, if they start it at you they can raise doubt in your mind and get you to bail out or at least freeze. This pitch is actually a good one to hit because it is intended to be thrown for a strike which means it is going to cross the plate around mid-thigh level. This is an elevated curve that you can get good wood on. (as long as you don't bail out)

Once the pitcher has two strikes on you he does not want to throw you a strike. He wants to throw a breaking ball that starts as a strike then breaks out of the zone. See the final pitch of the world series for a perfect example. By starting this breaking ball in the zone, the pitcher gets the hitter to start his bat, by breaking it out of the zone he gets the hitter to chase a bad pitch, which he is either going to miss or hit weakly. This breaking ball usually starts down the middle and breaks low and away out of the zone, often in the dirt. If as a hitter you know this, you can train yourself to take this pitch and force the pitcher to bring the ball up in the zone. Anytime you get the pitcher to bring the ball up in the zone it is going to work in your favor.

Next lets talk about the RHP vs. LHH or LHP vs. RHH:
In these match-ups the breaking ball is no longer going away from the hitter but actually coming towards the hitter. Because of this, the pitcher has to adjust how he attacks the hitter with the curve. In these match-ups, the pitcher usually will try to throw a backdoor curve for a strike early in the count. Meaning he will throw the breaking ball by starting it off the outside corner of the plate then break it over the outside corner for a called strike. The thought being he will get the hitter to give up or quit on the pitch because he thinks it is a ball, and then drop it in late for an easy called strike. As long as you dont give up on this pitch too soon, it is a good pitch to hit because it it elevated and easily shot into the opposite field.

With two strikes, the pitcher will try to break the curve at your back big toe. He will start the breaking ball middle-in at strike height, but get it to break low and in under your bat. Usually the hitter will either swing over the top of it, foul it off his foot or dribble it weakly on the ground. Again as a hitter you must train yourself to lay off of this pitch and make the pitcher bring the ball up in the zone. If you get the pitcher bringing the ball up in zone you will have a great chance of getting a good pitch to hit.

Tune in next time as we will cover the final part of this series when we discuss, "How to practice hitting the Curveball."

Quote of the week:
The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage of weapons is in my favor and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting.
-- Hank Aaron

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.