College or Majors?

With the completion of the 2009 June draft, many High School and College Players are facing the difficult question, College or Majors?

So, what is a player to do? Take whatever money is offered and start on his competitive journey to the Pros or head to college, get an education and hope to improve his draft status in the seasons ahead? College will win right? Not necessarily.

It becomes a question of, What is worth more: A college scholarship in an environment that offers something more than baseball or the fulfillment of a live long dream to become a pro baseball player. The answer is different for different players.

Take Bryce Harper, at age 16 he is not even eligible for the draft but he is already thinking about both college and the draft. Granted, he is the exception rather than the rule, yet he is not immune to the question, College or Majors? He is just able to avoid it for now. However, in 2010, it will become a real dilemma.

For most players it will come down to their confidence in improving their draft status vs their desire to play immediately. Money can obviously play a big role in all decisions but in either case (college or majors) the athlete still gets to play baseball and that is very cool...

How Valuable is Time Off?

While most High School baseball programs have finished their 2009 spring seasons, some have not skipped a beat and have already begun the 2009 summer season requiring commitments of two days a week and Saturdays. This begs the question, How valuable is time off? or What other direction could High School baseball take in developing their players? Let's look at what is done in higher levels.

By rule, Junior College, NAIA and NCAA Baseball are restricted in the amount of games they may play in the off-season, to the point where some may not play any games at all as an institution. So, what do they do? JC's can offer summer baseball classes (if funding allows) while NAIA or NCAA schools may have open field workouts (which are unstructured) designed for optional work. Additionally, most college coaches look for summer leagues, semi-pro leagues, instructional or scout leagues for their elite players as an option but certainly not as a requirement.

Once school starts in the fall, baseball classes may begin, if allowed by rule. These classes focus on strength, conditioning and individual skill development. They are offered during the regular instructional day so a college student will have time to study, work a part time job or take a night class. The governing bodies of collegiate baseball have cut back the number of games played in the fall by college teams, while allowing athletes the option to play individually if they desire but not year round as a team. Therefore, while college teams will have played 0-12 games in the summer, winter and fall combined, most high school teams could have played 25-35 games in the same time period.

Why then does high school baseball find it necessary to run such an extensive off season baseball program? The answer is, because they can. The CIF has no restriction on the number of games played in the summer, winter or fall: including no Saturday restrictions. They literally have legislated year round competition at the high school level with only a three week dead period required by rule in all sports.

The answer to the question, "How valuable is Time off?" is different at every level, for every individual and age group. With a fine line between passion and obsession, balance seems to be key, as too much of anything is not healthy and can lead to a myriad of problems over time. Taking time off can give one a fresh perspective, drive and hunger to work harder upon return.

LBCC Moves On

The Long Beach City College baseball team will head to San Diego County for next weekend's (May 15-17) Super Regional tournament. Top-seeded Palomar College will host a four-team, double-elimination tournament to determine one of the South's two repesentatives for the State Championships. No. 6 Long Beach will face No. 5 Santa Ana College on Friday at 4 p.m. Palomar (34-11-1) plays No. 14 Mt. San Antonio College (30-16) at noon in the tourney opener.

The Vikings (29-16) advance to the Super Regionals for the first time since their state championship season in 2006. LBCC is coming off a thrilling 10-8, 10-inning win over Grossmont College on Saturday to take their regional series 2-0. Santa Ana is 34-11 overall and was champions of the Orange Empire Conference. Santa Ana beat Southwestern College 2-0 to capture its regional series. GO VIKINGS.

LBCC Earns SCC Honors

Long Beach City College’s Casey Crook was named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year and nine Vikings earned All-SCC postseason honors at last week’s postseason coaches meeting. Also, Long Beach has been named the No. 6 seed for the Southern California Regionals Playoffs and will host No. 10 Grossmont College in a best-of-three series this weekend. www.lbcc.edu.

Click here to find where your local JC is playing this weekend in the Regional Playoffs.
2009 State Playoff Seeding and Schedule

The Cream Always Rises

There is an old saying in athletics, "The Cream always rises to the top." This saying has been used to describe how the best players always rise to meet the challenge of the moment. They play up a level when the pressure is on, thus rising to the top of their game. They believe in themselves against all odds and lead by example. They are full of enthusiasm and positive energy, pulling others to a higher level as well. Never taking a play or a pitch off, never giving up, always focused on the moment and what is needed to get the job done.

David Eckstein always comes to mind when thinking of this type of player. Throwing his body around, diving, knocking down balls, taking hard line drives off his chest (or any other part of his body), fouling off 10 pitches before getting a line drive base hit. He has been described as a Pest, a Nat, a tough out, a spark plug, solid on defense, a leader, a team player and a great club house guy. He is a confident, infectious player with NO FEAR........I'll take 9 please.....and beat anybody.

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.