Superstitions

Baseball is a sport with a long history of superstition. It's a game of rituals, routines, secrets, and superstitions. A timeless game played by grown men who get paid to be boys. Superstitious boys. From the very famous Curse of the Great Bambino to some players' refusal to wash their clothes or shave after a win. No major sport has more rituals or superstitions than baseball.

The desire to keep a number a player has been successful with is strong in baseball. In fact anything that happens prior to something good or bad in baseball, can give birth to a new superstition. Players avoid touching the foul lines as if they are the third rail. They never talk to the pitcher during the late stages of a no-hitter. Some behave as if the baseball gods will strike them dead if they don't follow the same rituals.

First baseman Dick Stuart -- known as "Dr. Strangeglove" -- used to get comfortable in the batter's box and then take his used gum out and toss it across the plate. Third baseman Wade Boggs made it into the Hall of Fame with a routine of eating chicken before every game, taking batting practice at exactly 5:17, and running wind sprints at exactly 7:17. He also took exactly 150 ground balls in practice and carved the Hebrew "chai" symbol in the dirt each time he stepped to the plate, even though he is not Jewish. Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra taught a whole generation of New England kids to tap their toes and adjust their batting gloves before they stepped in.

Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn used to sleep with his bat. Tony La Russa wore a bulletproof vest covered by a warm-up jacket after receiving a death threat while managing the Chicago White Sox. But when his team went on a winning streak, he kept wearing the jacket. Mike Hargrove of the Orioles used to do so much fiddling and diddling at home plate that he was dubbed "The Human Rain Delay."

Tiger Mark Fidrych conversed with baseballs and wanted them thrown out of the game after he gave up a hit. Steve Finley and Darin Erstad wore mineral pouches to ward off injuries. Roger Clemens used to pat Babe Ruth's plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium on the way to the mound. Larry Walker of the Cardinals had an obsession with the No. 3. He wore No. 33. He got married at 3:33, and reportedly paid a $3 million settlement to his ex-wife, according to the book "Jinxed:

Superstitions. Many people have some kind of superstition, but baseball players and managers seem to have more than most.......and most will never give them up!!!! Rally caps anyone?

Timely Hitting

This time of year teams are fighting for one or some combination of the following; a playoff spot, seeding in the playoffs, League Title or pride. After a long season, (summer, fall, winter and spring) key games during the end of the season push usually come down to timely hitting. Most teams have figured out their pitching and defense which will keep them in games if all other variables are equal. However, it is timely hitting which will usually determine the outcome.

Timely hitting can come from anywhere in your line-up, that's the beauty of it. This makes it not about who, but when. Building confidence in your players that anyone can be the right guy at the right moment, can give players a reason to work hard down the stretch. The Playoffs usually find opposing coaches focusing on trying to stop or slow down one or two key players, leaving the door open to others to deliver key blows for their teams.

This is a good time of year to cut practice a little short and work with players who are struggling. By putting in extra time with them individually, you communicate their importance to the team, build their confidence and increase their probability of delivering that timely hit.

Scheduling

Most High School Baseball programs choose to play in tournaments during the Easter break to stay sharp and to get in additional games. However, some schools chose to take a more conservative approach of: a few short practices, play one or two single contests during the same period of time, scaling back the scheduling demands. Which approach is the best?

There are many variables to consider when thinking through which option is best for your program: number of games, number of days, competition, pitching and gains for your program vs set backs. However, a good rule of thumb when scheduling a tournament (especially during a vacation period) is, playing somewhere you can be competitive. This will go a long way in cementing feelings of time well spent for both players and supporters. It will also help build confidence and positive mental attitude for the league games that follow after the vacation period.

Don't fall into the trap of keeping up with higher divisional programs when it comes to tournament play. Do what is best for your team and the personnel you have.

Handling Mistakes

It is unproductive for a coach to criticize an athlete in the presence of others, yet it happens quite often. This can have a more damaging effect on team unity if done in a public setting say, after a game in view of all the spectators. Punishing the team for the mistakes of a few can only lead to division, certainly not unity. Besides, most coaches I know have made a few mistakes themselves. It is a part of life. But, how we handle our players mistakes is what defines our character and eventually our reputation.

The handling of mistakes should be done one on one and away from the public eye. Say, on the practice field the next day. This gives time for all parties to think more rationally about the degree of the mistake. Especially in the light of the following:

1) All players make mistakes. So, Expect mistakes.
2) Players don't intend to make mistakes.
3) Players don't like to make mistakes.
4) Players want to "make up" for mistakes made.
5) Players want to learn from their mistakes.
6) Players are hurt more by self-regarding feelings than criticism from others when they make mistakes.

So remember this before punishing the team for the mistakes of a few. All the running of bases after a game will not change the fact the majority of your team did not make the mistake. But it can change the majority of the team's view of their coach.

Coach's Check List

Through 30 years in Baseball and Athletic Administration I have compiled a "Coach's Check List" that I feel every coach should coach by! This list reflects the duties and responsibilities accepted when one becomes a coach. Remember, coaching involves far more than filling out a line up card, recruiting players or calling a pitch. Here are a few key duties for all coaches.

1) Be fair to every player. Treat every player equally and with the same respect.
2) Always be honest with your players. Be mindful that praise is a great motivator.
3) Speak "one-on-one" with every player, every day. This may be something as simple as the question, "Jon, how is your day going?" Build relationships not walls or platforms.
4) Always remember that you are a role model, on and off the field, for all players and kids. You must remember that everything you do is observed. Everything you say is heard and can have a profound positive or negative affect on a player.
5) Remember that to be a good coach, you must first be a good teacher. Structure and organization are a must in teaching the fundamentals, rules and skills of the game. Coach the details during the game to help players learn and perform to their highest level.
6) Be mindful that character development and self-confidence are what sports are all about. Kids do not have to play. They play because they love the game! Be sure you do not take that love from them.
7) Finally, teach that "WINNING is NOT EVERYTHING" but PREPARING to WIN" is. A good work ethic on the field will carry over into a good work ethic in life.

Have a great season as you coach your athletes on more than Baseball.

Over Confidence

One of the biggest mistakes any team or individual can make in competition is, being over confident. This usually occurs because the true sense of the team's (or individuals) strengths and weaknesses are inflated. Factors which can lead to over confidence are: playing a weak schedule early, not doing your homework on your opponent, an unrealistic evaluation of talent, poor game preparation and counting the contest in the win column before it is played. Over confidence can lead to a complacent attitude and a work ethic which often translates into a less than average effort on game day.

Getting off to a slow start during a game can be hard to overcome, especially when your opponent is playing with no fear or intimidation. They are executing while you are still trying to find your best effort. This explains why teams with lesser talent beat teams with more talent. Remember, upsets happen every day in athletics. Why? Because teams are ripe for an upset due to over confidence and complacency. Work hard, be humble, do your homework and avoid the upset.

Defense

Many people have written articles on the quote, "Offense wins games but defense wins championships." Some go as far as stating that the best offense is a good defense. I believe teams must have a balance of both in order to be successful, especially against teams of equal or better talent.

Success in the game of Baseball usually comes down to pitching and defense. It is not the 10 to 1 wins that will define a team, but the ability to win a 2 to1 game on the road. Having a team identity of, "being difficult to score on", can go along way in building respect for your program and confidence in your players for each other under pressure. Good defense can pick up a team and lead to an offensive explosion. However, poor defense can cause a let down and lead to an implosion with the inning running the wrong way.

Be careful to place a proper balance on both aspects of the game so as to send the right message to your players, supporters and opponents.

The Line-Up Change

There comes a time when most coaches consider a Line-Up change. Line-up changes are good for competition. They shake things up and give other team members a chance to start and show what they can do with that opportunity. This keeps everyone on their toes while taking nothing for granted. It gives hope to those who are not regular starters, develops their confidence, strengthens the team and keeps others humble.

However if line-up changes never occur (even when a player is not producing) then the coach sends a dangerous message to his team and others watching his program that production does not matter. Baseball is all about production, especially at higher levels. Sending a message that production does not matter, suggests that factors other than production on the field, do. This can be viewed as favoritism or prejudice and has no place in athletics.

So look for those opportunities where you can reward other players with some quality time. This will pay dividends in many areas over a long season.

Scoring a Difficult Job

Baseball is a game of numbers where scoring can become a challenge. Most High School teams keep statistics on the three basic categories of offensive, defense and pitching. These categories can be further divided into many sub categories to cover all facets of the game like: pass balls, wild pitches, fielding errors, earned and unearned runs, etc. The official scorer, in some instances, must use his own judgement to reconstruct the outcome of an inning when errors are made and determine what the inning would have been like error free.

Score books are kept, statistics are recorded and even posted on websites for anyone to view. High school coaches can check on opponents records and statistics at the click of a mouse. College coaches can check on game locations, team records, individual stats and even contact information.

The importance of keeping accurate information becomes crucial in light of the public access to these figures. Most coaches review the score book before posting is done, especially when it is kept by a novice (who may not understand all the scoring rules) or by a parent. However even then, mistakes can be made, rules misinterpreted and applied. How should one handle this?

A simple request to the coach to review the instance in question based on the, "Book Rule" you wish to site will do. Remember the official scorer and coach have the final say but mistakes are made and corrections do help the team records as well.

The Scrimmage

This past weekend, High Schools all across Southern California were allowed by CIF-SS regulations to conduct their annual scrimmage. The CIF Blue Book defines a scrimmage as follows. "An interscholastic scrimmage in baseball is a training session between a minimum of two and a maximum of three schools where no score is kept, free substitution and time-outs are permitted, spectators are not urged to attend, and officials are not paid."

This is what makes a scrimmage unique and the reason why it is not counted as a contest. This format permits coaches to set up situations, get game experience in the execution of certain skills in a more controlled, relaxed format. The scrimmage also allows the coaches to freely substitute players in and out giving a great deal of flexibility not normally afforded in the game.

While many High School Baseball Coaches still run a scrimmage as it was intended to be, a training session with teachable moments and free substitution, some have gone far beyond this definition and treat it as a regular contest. Even to the point of sending a message or setting the tone for the season and playing to win. This attitude is far beyond the intent of the rule and reflects a selfish will to win when no score is to be kept.

I like this rule and as a traditionalist, I would not like to see it changed........only followed.

Leadership and Character

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test his character, give him power.” All leadership positions come with a certain degree of power, but character, is displayed through the use of that power.

Character, is the firm foundation upon which one must build to win respect. The respect that leaders must have requires that one’s ethics be without question. Therefore, no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on anything less. In the final analysis, how we are perceived communicates far more than what we say.

As parents, coaches and professionals, we are constantly being watched and evaluated. To provide the right example, we must stay above the line between right and wrong and stay well clear of the gray areas. By taking the higher road, and demonstrating the courage to do the right thing, people will follow. This will build others up, challenge, inspire and bring out the best in one’s athletes or employees, because no one will follow a hypocrite. So, look over your shoulder now and then to be sure someone’s following you. If they are, then you are leading in the right direction.

As Andrew Carnegie once said, “the older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.”