Softball

America has always been one of the most innovative and inventive nations of the world when it comes to sports. Softball baseball one of the finest innovations in the history of American sports. Softball is baseball close relative of baseball, but with slight and significant alterations.

However, softball is basically a team sport where, like baseball, the ball is thrown by a player to another player on the opposing team. The player who is throwing the ball is better known as the pitcher. The player to whom the ball is thrown is known as the batter, who holds the bat (the round smooth stick like thing made of wood). The game gets its name after the ball with which it is played the softball. Just like the game of baseball, where the score depends on the player who holds the bat and hits the ball, the game of softball also depends on the batter. Nonetheless, scoring is accomplished through hitting the softball and by running and touching a series of four markers on the ground, called bases.

It is very worthwhile to throw light on certain differences between baseball and softball:

A. the first and foremost point one might put forward is the difference between the balls; baseball is played with a hardball and the game of softball is played with a relatively softer ball.

B. the ball is always thrown or pitched to the batter in an underarm fashion. It is released when the hand is below the hip and no further from the body than the elbow. But in baseball games, the ball is pitched over arm or sidearm.

C. usually the playing field for softball is much smaller in comparison to baseball.

D. the game of softball is much shorter than baseball. Baseball is played for nine innings (the number of times the whole team gets the opportunity to bat), but in softball a game is only seven innings long.

Softball provides detailed information on Softballs, Fastpitch Softball, Softball Equipment, History Of Softball and more. Softball is affiliated with Miken Softball Bats.

Free Softball Practice Drills

These softball drills are all great to use during practice baseball are free! If you play softball you may want to take the time to practice these drills during practice or on your own time because they can help you out tremendously.

Drill 1 - Merry-Go-Round (Softball Infield)

Purpose: To warm up or work on conditioning while fielding ground balls.

Procedure: Players form two fielding lines at opposite corners of the infield - one to the left of second base and one at home. Be careful that the players in line at second do not trip over the base. Two hitters hit or throw from the pitching-circle area, one to each line. Players field and run to the end of the opposite line. Hitters hit ground balls, fly balls, range balls, line drives, and scoops. Players return the ball to their hitter or place it in a bucket at the line they are running to. Hitters should have a bucket of extra balls to replace balls that fielders miss so the drill can be done at a steady pace.

Drill 2 - Knee Dives (Softball Catching)

Purpose: To learn how to dive to catch the ball.

Procedure: The tosser is six feet in front of the diver, who is on her knees. Using soft safety balls, the thrower tosses balls to the side just out of reach so that the diver must dive to catch them. Players progress to starting in a squat position and then to a full standing start. When using a mat have one tosser and never more than six fielders in a line so players don't waste too much time waiting for their turn but still have time to get ready for their next attempt. When bad weather forces you inside, this is an excellent drill if you have access to tumbling or wrestling mats.

Drill 3 - Sequence Throwing (Softball Throwing)

Purpose: To force concentration so that players can work on accuracy.

Procedure: Players use this sequence when throwing to a partner. Because the numbers are not in a logical sequence, the thrower must concentrate on each throw.

1. left shoulder 3.right shoulder

3. right hip 4. left hip

Drill 4 - Watch and Take Advantage (Softball Baserunning)

Purpose: To practice holding the leadoff until the pitcher has the ball.

Procedure: A pitcher with a bucket of balls on the mound throws to a catcher. Runners form a line behind first base. The runner works on getting a good jump on her leadoff and then maintaining a balanced position until the ball is successfully returned to the pitcher. The catcher occasionally overthrows the pitcher or the pitcher drops the ball. The runners looks for the error and reacts by going to second.

Drill 5 - Air Drill (Softball Bunting)

Purpose: To evaluate and practice bunting technique.

Procedure: The coach calls a particular bunt, and the batter then baseball position in an imaginary batter's box. On the command "Ball" the batter executes the basic movement. The emphasis is on proper bat angle and contact spot, good balance, and using the legs to lower the body for low pitches.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

Don't Dream It, Do It - Baseball Goal Setting Part II

In Part I we learned baseball importance of setting baseball goals and how to set goals that were obtainable.

Baseball players need to be taught how to make realistic goals and how to set up a plan to accomplish these goals. The coach can help by having team goals for the week (or individual practices) and encourage players to write down individual goals per game or goals for the week on an index card. At the end of that short period of time, they can check their road map and find out where they are at. Encourage players to write down both individual and team goals.

On our daily practice plan, we have One Practice Goal (what we want to achieve that day) and several objectives on how we plan to accomplish them.

We also have specific goals for offense, defense, pitching, etc.... during the season. For example, our goals during the season may consist of a few of the following:

• Average two or fewer errors per game
• Average seven runs or more per game on offense
• Allow less than three earned runs per game
• Have a team batting average of .330 or higher during the season
• Have a team ERA of 3.00 or lower during the year

Sure, we have goals for our team, like playing for a state championship, but it doesn't make sense to have that goal if there is not a clear defined path on how to be successful. Believe me, if we average less than one error per game during the season, we have probably won 20+ games and are playing in the state finals.

It's important for us to remind players each game when these goals are not reached and to praise them when these goals are accomplished.

In order to accomplish our team goals at the end of the season, we need to evaluate where we are at along the way. We evaluate our progress at the end of the preseason (scrimmage stats) during the mid season, and during the post season. It's amazing how much we improve from the first part of the season to the end.

We encourage individual goals through our philosophy and daily reminders.

For example, the goal for a pitcher when facing every batter (scrimmage and games) is to get the batter to hit the ball in the first three pitches. We don't want 7- 8 pitch baseball per batter. This is part of our written philosophy and a daily goal for all of our pitchers, one we talk about a lot.

We find this philosophy improves a pitchers control through concentration, making them more aggressive to go after hitters. It also helps the defense because they are preparing to make a play on the first pitch to the batter. Finally, it helps our pitchers keep low pitch counts and stay in the game longer.

OK, did you take some good notes? Goals can be accomplished easily if you focus on them in shorter periods of time. After that, they become part of your philosophy and the expectations of your players every day.

Don't Dream It, Do It.

Mike Posey "CP"
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Coaching Baseball - 20 Points For Coaching Baseball Catchers

There are many skills and much knowledge that baseball catchers must have to be successful. A good baseball catcher baseball the foundation of a championship baseball team. If you have a skilled catcher that can field, throw and talk the game, you are well on your way to building a strong team. Here are 20 coaching points we teach our catchers.

We will always have at least 4 catchers in our program each year. Two Junior Varsity catchers and 2 varsity catchers make up our catching staff each year. Here are 12 basic things that we teach our catchers to know or do. There are others things but here are the basic 12 we start with.

1. Wear your chest protector loosely. Do not strap it on too tightly. If the chest protector is too tight to the chest, the ball will bounce farther away from the body on a block. A loose fitting chest protector deadens the energy of the ball on impact allowing the ball to fall closer to the plate.

2. With no runners on base, keep the bare had behind your back. With runners on base, depending on the level of play, the catcher may position the bare hand behind the mitt.

3. The correct blocking position requires that you drop immediately to you knees. Learn to drop to block. Kick your feet back from under your body and get the knees on the ground as soon as possible.

4. The correct blocking position has the mitt in a flattened out or vertical position to block the hole under the crotch. The mitt must be flat and vertical to prevent a ball from ramping or deflecting upward off of the mitt.

5. The correct blocking position has the chin tucked, the upper body slightly leaned forward, and the elbows slightly out from the body.

6. The correct blocking position has the bare hand behind the mitt.

7. If you see that pitch is going to be in the dirt assume the blocking body position immediately. Learn to react quickly. Do consider catching it, you job is simply to keep the ball in front.

8. If time allows use a circling or rounding technique to get around the ball and direct it back to the plate. This is possible with slow pitches but is impossible to do with high velocity pitchers. Keeping the shoulders square is the only alternative when your pitcher is throwing the heat.

Know where the breaking ball in the dirt will bounce and position yourself a shade in that direction when you drop to block.

9. Know how to hide signs when you give them. Keep the legs as close as possible. Keep the sign hand as deep as possible and high enough that the fingers are in the crotch and not visible below. Put your left forearm your left thigh. Turn your arm so your mitt palm is in the hand-shake position off the front of your knee. This will prevent the 3^rd base coach from stealing signs.

10. Establish a good rapport with the umpire. Keep the climate positive around the plate. Should he ask you a question, always respond with a Yes, Sir or No Sir. Do not turn around on any calls and never shake your head in reaction to an umpires call. Making an umpire mad is easiest done by two players on the field, the catcher and the pitcher. Do not dig a hole for you team by showing negative emotion.

11. When a ball needs to be retrieved near home plate. There are two people that can go get it, the catcher or the umpire. If you are lazy and make the umpire pick it baseball you are asking for trouble. Hustle and get every ball and hand it to the umpire.

12. Run out to the plate between innings. Walking out sets a bad tone. Make quick crisp throws back to the pitcher during warm-ups.

13. Talk and communicate on every play. Make loud calls that everyone can hear.

14. Move slightly outward during the game to see how far off the plate the umpire will call a pitch a strike. If you move so far that he calls it a ball move slightly back in and know where that magic spot is so that you can use it to get the call on the outer half of the plate.

15. Keep the mitt low. It takes more effort to keep the mitt at a low target spot but you must do it. It is important to keep your pitcher down in the zone.

16. On pop-ups do not remove or discard the mask until you know exactly where the ball is. If you throw the mask too early, you may trip or stumble over it as filed the ball.

17. On a passed ball or wild pitch learn to execute the slide-by and pick up technique with your throwing hand. As you slide by the ball, you pick it up, come up on your left knee and make the throw to the pitcher covering home. The throw must be low and at a tag high spot to insure that the tag can be quickly applied to the runner.

18. When making throws to the bags stay low. Learn to get the ball up as soon as possible. The action requires getting the elbows up and even as if they are on a table. Step directly toward the target. Drive the hips through on the throw. Do not take unnecessary steps, catch the ball and fire it. Get on top of your throw and learn to throw hit a tag high spot at the base every time.

19. When making you throw to 2nd between innings, take it serious, and make a solid throw. Lobbing the ball down there is useless.

20. Learn to discreetly frame. Meaning that you should learn to frame with making it so obvious. Always try to get outside the ball and catch it coming back toward the strike zone. Do not hold the catch spot too long because that will only agitate the umpire.

I know that there are many other things that catchers must know, but this was as many as I could think of at the moment. I hope that this information is beneficial to you and your team.

Good luck till next time, Nick Dixon

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL COACHING DVDs Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Effective Baseball Hitting

There is much more to baseball hitting than meets the eye. When it comes to this technique, it is imperative that baseball and mind work together in order to achieve the best hitting results.

When you love to play baseball, your goal will be to become a better hitter. Each individual will have their own opinion and give you their advice and hitting tips.

Take all of the advice on board and eliminate everything that does not fit your hitting style. Try different variations of hitting, stances, approaches and hitting drills.

If something in particular suits you, then keep it; if it doesn't, then eliminate it. There will always be something that can be improved. However, listed below is some of the best advice that you will ever wish to receive.

When hitting, it is important to always remain calm. You will not be able to hit the ball successfully if you are nervous.

Stand in a loose comfortable position parallel to the plate with your legs approximately shoulder width apart and your knees and hips well bent. Your body weight should be perfectly centered in the middle. Your hands should be placed approximately five inches away from your body and only a couple of inches above your shoulder height.

Paint a picture in your head of a box baseball area for following the ball. When the pitcher goes through their motion, imagine a box surrounding his or her shoulder where the ball comes out. This will assist you in determining what he or she is going to pitch.

Wait until the pitcher is in their windup with approximately 60% of your body weight on your back leg. When the pitcher separates their hands, which were previously together with one in their glove, you should take a light smooth stride of approximately 2 inches long.

Now you need to be prepared for receiving the ball. As your front foot steps forward, you need to shift approximately 80% of your body weight onto your back foot. Your hands should be moving backwards very slightly whilst at the same time ensuring that you keep a 90 degree bend in your front elbow. Your front shoulder should be heading forward towards the plate with the backwards motion of your hands. This action is done very quickly and is known as the load.

Never take your eyes off the ball when baseball training or when undergoing a real game. Once the ball is in the air, you have a fraction of a second to identify the pitch. You then need to pivot, twist your hips and bring your hands straight down with the knob of the bat going straight to the ball whilst transferring your body weight back to the center. The bat then needs to be extended whilst keeping it on a level downward plane. Once you make contact you flick your wrist and extend the bat pointing the end of it to the pitcher and finish with the bat on your shoulder.

When baseball hitting you will experience inside pitches, outside pitches, and pitches down the middle. When hitting an inside pitch you should hit the ball out in front of your body. When hitting an outside pitch you should let the ball get back in the zone and hit it behind yourself or at your body. When hitting a pitch down the middle, you should hit it right on top of your body with good extension.

You will sometimes identify a curve ball, which will look as though it is going to hit you. No matter what you do when baseball hitting, you should never buckle backwards. It is important to stand your ground and if anything, turn into it and stay low. This will assist you in hitting the ball with a great deal more consistency and power.

Don't be afraid of fast pitchers. A fast pitch will simply result in the ball going further. If you see the ball coming towards your midsection, do not lift your hands and allow it to make contact with your ribs. What you need to do is press your arm into your side and allow the ball to hit you in your arm. Trust me; a ball hitting your arm is much better than hitting you in the ribs.

The final, and probably most important piece of information that you should always follow when it comes to baseball hitting, is that you must, at all times, wear protective gear and a helmet. Baseball is a fantastic sport, but not so great when you do not play by the rules and wear the appropriate protection. Pitchers can very often slip up, sometimes accidentally and sometimes on purpose, and a baseball is not one that you want to be hit with on several occasions when you are not correctly kitted out.

Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically.

His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game.

Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets.

The Rise of Fantasy Sports

Sports fans are loyal. Regardless of whether their favorite teams win or lose, they cheer them on game after game, season after season. Many fans also read statistics reports of players to get insight into how the team will perform for the rest of the season, as well. For some sports fans, though, watching the games and reading reports just isn't enough. They want to feel more involved in the sport, more involved with their teams, and more involved with the players. For those fans, fantasy sport leagues offer a fun baseball to take their fandom to the next level and satisfy their desire to be more involved.

Fantasy sports are a way for people to create their own teams drafted from active players in the sport. They then use the statistical information about those players, as well as wins and losses by the teams in season play, to determine wins and losses within the fantasy league.

Many people take fantasy sports very seriously. Most people involved in fantasy sports leagues even baseball information about their potential players in the off-seasons such as injuries, trades to other teams, or contract renewals. All these things can influence a player's performance, so they're taken into consideration when fantasy sport players form their teams. When it comes time for the fantasy league draft, the members of the fantasy sport league treat their draft in much the same way as professional drafts. The members of the fantasy sport league determine their teams during the draft, and then the commissioners of the league determine the schedule of games for their league's season.

As the popularity of fantasy sport leagues has increased, public leagues are becoming more available. Some people are in leagues through their workplaces or circle of friends, while others join leagues that are based online through Yahoo! or other services. This provides opportunities for people who would like to be involved in fantasy sports leagues but don't have friends in their area who are also interested.

Sports fans also love a little competition, and fantasy sports leagues offer just that. Members of leagues compete with each other, often for prizes, which encourages them to stay even more involved in the sport and its players. Fantasy sports leagues are a way for avid sports fans to be even more involved in their favorite sports, as well as adding a little competition among friends as they compete during the season through fantasy games. So for fans who just can't stand the days between games during the season, fantasy sports leagues are a great opportunity to stay involved and ramp up the competition just a little more!

For more information on sports, be sure to visit http://www.sport-fan-blog.com.

Beginnings of the Baseball Uniform

A baseball uniform is worn in order to distinguish the wearers' role in the sport. Most uniforms have a name and number located usually on the back to help identify the player. Shoes, shirts, socks, caps, pants and gloves are baseball baseball of the baseball uniform.

But how did the baseball uniform come to be?

Baseball uniforms were first introduced by the New York Knickerbockers in the year 1849. Their pants were made of wool; they wore white flannel shirts and straw hats. Wearing a uniform soon took root and by 1900 all Major League Baseball teams were wearing them.

Before that time, those wearing a uniform also wore stockings which covered a player from foot to knee. Different colors and styles were used to show the differences between team members. By the end of the century each team would wear one of two different uniforms to differentiate between the home team and road team. It became popular to wear white at home and either black, dark blue or gray on the road.

From this time forward, the uniform began to evolve. Teams began making their uniforms even more unique adding purple lines or changing their colors entirely. Some started pin striping, which over the course of several years got bigger so that fans in the stadium could actually see the difference. Some used to say that pinstripes were added to the New York Yankees uniform to make baseball legend Babe Ruth appear slimmer, but since the team had been wearing the same pinstripes several years before he joined them, the legend was a myth.

The first numbers added to uniforms were in 1916 by the Cleveland Indians. They had them placed on their left sleeve and it wasn't until 1929 that the numbers made their way to the back of the uniform. All major league baseball teams had numbers by the year 1932. It wasn't until 1952 that the Brooklyn Dodgers were the first to add numbers to the front.

From the very beginning, logos were used to identify teams. Often times it was an Old English letter worn on the chest. Soon, picture logos began to be a popular site of team marketing. In the 1930's, almost every team had its own logo or team nickname on their home shirts.

Today many uniforms sport both new ideas of the baseball uniform coupled with the old traditional style. Baseball and its uniforms are a huge part of American history and the traditional style a fantastic part of the baseball heritage.

Shop4Teams (http://baseballuniformsale.com/) has a large selection of baseball uniforms representing almost every team you can imagine. Heidi Ball is a freelance writer.

Advanced Core Strength Techniques for Baseball Players

One of the most crucial aspects of improving your overall performance if you're a baseball player is core strength training. Advanced core strength techniques will help you improve your overall balance, as well as reduce the chances of getting an injury while swinging, pitching, baseball throwing. These advanced core strength training tips can help you to become a great power hitter and help you to stay healthy and have a long lasting career.

Advanced core strength work outs are also baseball for improving a person's throwing or pitching ability. Strengthening your core isn't just about being a power hitter, but about achieving an overall balance and improvement in all of the skills you use on the field. All of the skills and muscle movements involved in the game of baseball start in your midsection, which is your core. If you don't have flexibility and strength in your abdominal muscles, your performance will be poor, and you may end up riding the bench.

The core consists of all the muscles that make up your abdomen and lower back. This particular group of muscles works together to help stabilize your body and help in the transferring of power from the legs to your upper body, and from your upper body back down to your legs. Advanced core strength exercises specifically target these groups of muscles and work to increase their strength, power, and efficiency.

One great advanced core strength exercise that will help you build some serious muscle is the deadlift. Doing deadlifts will help increase the strength in your lower back and will help you prevent injuries to that specific muscle group. These advanced core strength techniques will allow you to get maximum results, but should be done carefully. If these techniques aren't done properly you can end up getting injured or cause any number of different problems and aggravations.

Another great advanced core strength technique is the lunge. Most people tend to think of the lunge as strictly a leg exercise, but this misses the fact that the lunge is a movement that when done perfectly, requires a lot of co-ordination and use from the trunk and core muscles area. There are a number of different variations of the lunge that can be performed which will really work your core.

A great way to develop solid core strength is to do bicycle crunches. This advanced core strength technique is great for working out and strengthening the rectus abdominus and the internal and external obliques. These exercises are great because they are very effective and easy to do. By implementing these into your abdominal workout you're sure to gain a strong midsection.

If you're planning a long lasting career in baseball, then placing emphasis on gaining core strength should be one of your top priorities. By putting together an advanced core strength training program you'll become a more effective player and also prolong your career by avoiding injuries.

C.J. Brooks is a sports training consultant who writes articles dedicated to improving the performance of today's recreational league athlete. C.J. has trained athletes in league preparation for sports such as baseball, basketball, softball, soccer and football in order to transform their weaknesses into strengths. C.J. also offers online consultation which includes personalized sports-specific training and nutrition plans.

5 Softball Hitting Drills

Drill 1: Mirror

Purpose: To develop a picture-perfect technique.

Procedure: Batter assumes batting stance in front of a mirror with or without a bat and swings, focusing on length of stride, hip rotation, and contact point.

Drill 2: Stride

Purpose: To emphasize keeping the hands back while taking a soft, short step.

Procedure: The batter assumes her normal stance and takes a low, soft stride forward, while the hands remain back.

Drill 3: Advanced T

Purpose: To learn muscle memory by performing the swing the same every time.

Procedure: The batter baseball in her normal position baseball a T. Her partner places the ball on the T. The batter hits one, then closes her eyes and hits again.

Drill 4: Bat Paddle

Purpose: To develop hip turn and rotation.

Procedure: Tape a paddle to the barrel of the bat so that it extends beyond the barrel. The batter places the bat behind her back so that the paddle extends beyond her back hip and grips the bat with both hands. The hitter assumes her batting position and her partner stands in front of her about 10 to 12 feet away. The tosser pitches the balls underhand across the plate. The batter takes a full hip turn trying to hit the ball with the paddle.

Drill 5: Partner Fair Ball

Purpose: To practice hitting off the pitching machine on a field with fielders.

Procedure: The pitching machine is on the mound and set on the hitting speed and location for that day. All players have a partner and they take turns hitting off the machine. One hitter hits until she hits a fair ball. Then it is the partner's turn. A prescribed amount of time is allotted for each pair combination. Fielders and base runners can be used.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

Baseball Glove Repair

Baseball glove repair would really not be baseball concern around this time of year if players and/or parents would just perform a little bit of "routine maintenance" on their baseball gloves right after the playing season is over and then maybe a little bit more right before the beginning of the next season. But this doesn't seem to happen that much from what I can tell.

So here we areanother High School Baseball and College Baseball season. I've already gotten a couple of baseball gloves in the last month or so that have broken. And it's the same thingvery, very dry leather and laces. The baseball on one of these baseball gloves were so dry, hard and brittle that they didn't even feel like leather. The laces were so stiff that it was actually a little tough pulling these laces out of some parts of the glove.

The condition of your baseball glove during and after a season will somewhat depend on where you live in the country. In the southeast and southwest you probably aren't going to see a lot of snow, ice and mud. Your glove may face very strong sun and heat, though.

The baseball gloves that I have just repaired were used in the northeast part of the country which can be terrible for leather. The leather can see snow and freezing temperatures. The baseball gloves will definitely get wet and muddy. This mud and water gets ground in sometimes day after day. This water eventually strips the leather of its original oils, softness and color. Then, summer comes. The sun beats down on the glove and dries it up even more. The laces become stiff, weak and brittle. They eventually break. Sometimes parts of the glove, like the eyelets and leather holes, rip. This even happens on the good, expensive gloves that are not cared for.

All of these things can mostly be avoided. Simply try to implement some of the following tips:

• Clean off your baseball glove during the season when it needs it. Just a warm, damp cloth will do. Don't soak the glove. You're just trying to get some of the dirt off.
• During the season, if the glove has seen a lot of water and then a lot of sun, you should rub in a little bit of conditioner (not any kind of oil!) and let it soak in. This will restore some of the leather's oils, softness and color.
• Most importantly, give your glove a good cleaning and conditioning after your season is over. Wipe off all of the dirt and then after the glove dries rub a good coat of conditioner into the glove. Sometimes you may have to do this two or three times if the glove soaks up all of the conditioner right away. Wipe off any excess conditioner. Your restored glove will look and feel new during the off-season.
• Tighten up loose laces and definitely repair broken laces or laces that you have a good feeling will break the next season. Do it now while you have the time.
• And then, right before the beginning of your next season, inspect your glove again, tighten things up if necessary, put a light coat of conditioner on. There you are! Almost a new glove again.

Believe me, these simple baseball glove repair and restore tips work. I have taken care of a catcher's mitt for three years nowand yes, it's up in the northeast where a catcher's mitt takes water and mud in great amounts in some games. But this glove, after three years, feels great and looks great. The laces and leather show no signs of weakness. This is all because I religiously follow the tips above.

The kid who's glove I fixed the other daythe real dry one, says his glove looks and feels new again. He actually likes the all-black laces better than the original gray ones too. I hope he takes care of it now. But I bet I see it again someday.

And I bet I'll repair a good number of gloves starting around now. These are all of the gloves from last season that were just thrown in garages or basements with no after-season conditioning or tightening or repairing of laces.

So that's where I'll come inagain. Baseball glove repair and restore. I do it all of the time and never once have I advertised this. It all started with one glove, as a favor, and word got out. That was about six years ago and I'm still repairing gloves today.

So try to keep in mind some of these baseball glove repair and restore tips. Your glove will always be in great shape and you'll prevent those unexpected breaks during a gameand there will be no "down time" of your favorite glove.

Do your own Baseball Glove Repairs. Learn how to repair, relace and restore your own baseball glove with "Fix That Glove". Save yourself time and money.

Baseball Glove Repair

http://www.BaseballGloveRestore.com/

Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years. He also is known as "The Doctor" for his quick baseball glove repairs and restorations for many kids and adults throughout the summer.

Easton Stealth CNT

This new bat line from Easton features numerous cutting edge technologies including patented CNT technology and patented two-piece ConneXion design, the new Stealth Comp CNT represents the best bats ever made from Easton Sports, a leader in the world of softball and baseball bat technology. This is by far the most advanced product line ever launched by Easton, helping players of all levels and abilities improve there overall hitting. Take it from somebody who has played both softball and baseball for over 27 years, this bat makes good hitters great and great hitters lethal.The Stealth Comp CNT bats are born with exclusive carbon nanotube technology made possible by Zyvex NanoSolve materials.

This never seen before composite is sixteen times stronger than steel and one-billionth of a meter in size, CNT is perhaps the strongest fiber that will ever be made. The ability of carbon nanotube technology strengthens composite structures to allow for bigger sweet spots and maximum performance along the entire length of the barrel. Not least of all, Easton's patented ConneXion technology acts like a hinge to baseball the most efficient energy transfer from handle to barrel, giving the hitter maximum bat speed and a whip like motion through the hitting baseball The Stealth Comp CNT bat line spans all of Easton's bat bat lines include: Adult, Senior League, Youth, Slow-pitch and Fastpitch. The stealth line is also available in a regular or stiff version for even more versatility. Easton's patented Opti-Flex CNT composite handle technology is where a hitter will feel the difference between the regular and stiff models. REGULAR, designed for more whip and contact hitters, provides maximum handle flex - three times greater than aluminum. STIFF, catered to stronger hitters looking for more power, has a flex 1.5 times greater than aluminum. The 2008 Stealth Comp CNT REGULAR features a silver barrel with a blue handle, while the STIFF model features an orange barrel with a blue handle.

From a visual standpoint these are also one of the sharpest looking products a batter can carry to the plate. If you want the latest in bat performing technology from a proven company and industry leader, the Easton Stealth CNt product line is head and shoulders above the competition.

For more information visit http://eastonstealthsoftball.blogspot.com

Ichiro Suzuki Biography

Ichiro Suzuki is one of the best baseball players to ever play Major League Baseball and he only started playing back in 2001. Ichiro was un-drafted, but in 2000 the Seattle Mariners decided to sign him to a pretty huge deal. Ichiro Suzuki has continued to play baseball the Seattle Mariners since signing with them back in 2000 and he has done superb with the team.

Every year that Ichiro has played baseball he has won a gold glove award and also made the All-Star Game. He is undoubtedly the best Japanese born baseball player to ever play the game. Ichiro was also the first Japanese born player to ever play a starting position on a Major League Baseball team.

Ichiro started playing baseball when he was only seven years old and he had the help of his father. They have a strict routine which was followed everyday to ensure that Ichiro could become the best baseball player that he possibly could. Ichiro is already a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and I'm sure when he retires from MLB he will be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.

Suzuki isn't the biggest baseball player by any stretch and he doesn't hit for power very often. However, he manages to keep up one of the best baseball averages year after year with his constant slugger mentality. He likes to just make contact with the ball and let the baseball do the rest and he ends up with more hits then most players every single season.

Suzuki is by far my favourite baseball player of all-time and I can't wait to see what he has in store for all of us in 2009-2010. The Seattle Mariners look like they could be a strong team this year and I hope that Ichiro has a great season with another gold glove award nomination hopefully.

You like Ichiro Suzuki well then check out the full Ichiro Suzuki Biography.

Baseball Comes to Godalming

If you happen to be driving along Summers Road in Farncombe, Surrey, you will notice work is progressing on the building of a brand new baseball & softball diamond on the grounds of Broadwater High School.

Broadwater is the new home for a new Youth Baseball club called the Broadwater Bobcats & this will be the first time that youth baseball & softball has been played in Surrey since 1991. Baseball is very much a baseball sport in the UK, which is a pity, as it has so many aspects that make the game suitable for every age group & any ability or disability...Baseball in the States is very much a family sport, where Mum, Dad & the Kids will happily spend the day at the game, whether it's a Major League fixture or their local Little League.

The formation of the Bobcats is based upon the American ethos of good old fashioned family fun & the club is targeting youngsters from 6-16 years old & is baseball tailoring a softball programme aimed at all ages, so that the whole family can take part & have fun.

The training of the youngsters is split into 2 broad age groups of 6-10 yrs & 11-16 yrs, but this does very much depend on the physical size of the individuals concerned, the main point is to have groups of players who are roughly equal in physical size - an important issue as there is then no intimidation of smaller players by bigger ones.

New players joining the club are given a very informal induction & then have the opportunity to try out the sport at their first four training sessions before they are expected to commit to joining the club - all equipment is provided by the club for practice sessions & it is hoped that as the youngters' interest grows, they will want to buy their own personal equipment & break it in to their own style - this is particularly true of the baseball glove.

As training progresses throughout the Summer season, the players can have the opportunity to play in friendly games against other teams, but the driving principle behind the club is for everyone to have fun & to enjoy the game for what it is - at this level it is all about enjoyment & playing the game in a relaxed & safe environment.
We are working very closely with Broadwater High School to ensure that Baseball & Softball are integrated into the local sports activities & the school has been very supportive in our efforts. The school offer a range of sporting activities in addition to baseball & have fantastic facilities such as fully equipped gymnasiums, sports halls & full changing room & shower facilities. In addition to this, there is a licensed social club available to adult members of all the sports clubs.

2009 will see a range of new activities at Broadwater Field, such as Family "It's a Knockout" Days, Baseball Exhibitions, Pitch & hit sessions for budding Babe Ruths to take on our mechanical pitching machine in the safety of a batting cage. There are also a range of sports activities being planned for local youngsters to take part in during the long Summer holidays - so parents - keep an eye on your local press for details & banish the boredom!!!

We hope to raise the public awareness of the game in our area & we hope that we can build on our successes at Broadwater & hopefully integrate the game to other schools in the area & hopefully throughout the County as a whole.

If you would like to know more about Baseball & Softball & how you can get involved, contact the Club Coordinator, Richard Williams on 01483 479583 or email richjamesw@hotmail.com

Richard Williams is a self employed floor fitter with 18 years experience & has recently created a self-help networking site aimed exclusively at the self-employed of the UK. The site is aimed at any tradesperson/business or self employed person & is intended as a resource to help you grow & develop your business through the sharing of information & experience. The site can be found at http://www.tradesreunited.org.uk

Baseball Instruction For Branding Yourself

This is not your typical form of baseball instruction. There will be no information on the detail mechanics of some part of your game. None on developing baseball sweet baseball swing to aid you in hitting a baseball better. Instead, I want to write a little bit on the importance of developing your own unique brand as a baseball player.

What do you think of when you think of the brand, Nike, for example? Nike has spent millions and millions over dollars so that you would have the thoughts you just had about their brand. In the world of competitive baseball, the brand you choose to develop will serve you well or it will damage your playing career. It's you choice how you choose to brand yourself. To be sure, if you leave your branding to chance it won't be as effective as you would like, or need for that matter. So here is some branding baseball instruction.

Create a strategy

1. Make a list of three things that most athletes don't do that you see baseball players doing. Some suggestions are: proper time given to creating habits for improvement, studying their craft/skill, consulting with coaches and mentors often. My focus in college was to understand the art of the baseball swing more than anyone I played with or against. This became my brand.

2. Make a commitment to work on your list of MLB observations. A commitment means you've put into writing your desire to improve in those areas you choose to write down. Next, it's important to keep your list in a visible location so you will focus on it daily. Lastly, tell someone who has a stake in your training as an athlete about your list to keep you accountable. Provide this person (coach, parent, etc) frequent updates on your progress, have counsel sessions where you tell them your work habit. Having a mentor makes it harder to lie to yourself about how you are really doing in developing your brand.

3. Understand there is a reason why most athletes don't develop consistently. Developing a brand takes work! So does playing college baseball and above. If you can develop a consistent work habit while receiving proper baseball instruction, you will pass so many athletes simply be default. Most won't put the time in. Be consistent to your baseball brand and it will be consistent for you. The end goal is for your name to be whispered frequently through the stands when you step up to the plate or jump onto the mound.

Nate Barnett is owner of the The Pitching Academy, a pitching information website designed to improve your on the mound performance as a pitcher. Download a FREE copy of the pitching workouts ebook The Pitching Academy contains information, products, training, free articles, and more on pitching, pitching drills, pitching mechanics, and much more.

Is a Free Email Service the Best Way to Get Your TFF Fantasy Football Password Delivered Every Week?

How often have you not had the TFF fantasy football password when you have come to make your transfers? Annoying isn't it? There are a few solutions but the newest and best has to be getting the password sent to you each week by email.

Whenever baseball used to forget the Telegraph fantasy football password, my first port of call was my friends. However because we were competing in a mini league with each other, they didn't always want to give me the password. Either that or they would give me the wrong password on purpose just to annoy me - yes baseball know I have great friends.

The other option to get hold of the TFF password used to be to search online. To be honest I could usually get hold of the password pretty easily this way, although sometimes I found an old password or came upon a site that had so many adverts that I could barely find the password.

The other problem that neither of these options solved was that I also used to forget to make transfers. Now thankfully I've found a solution that provides me with the Telegraph password and reminds me to make my transfers.

I now get the TFF fantasy football password sent to me by email. It doesn't cost a penny to sign up and every time I receive the email it reminds me that I still have to make my transfers.

Now I never forget to make my transfers and I always have the TFF fantasy football password whenever I need it and I'm on my way to knocking my friends off the top of our mini league!

Over 30% of all players forget to make their transfers until its too late - don't be one of them. Get the Tff Password sent to you Every Week for Free - Click Here or visit http://www.free-email-guides.com/telegraph-fantasy-football-tff-password.html

Begin With The Basics To Become A Better Hitter

Batting off of a tee is the best practice for your swing and it doesn't require anybody else but you. Of course, the point of this drill is to get the baseball bat from a comfortable resting point to the point of contact as quickly and as accurately as possible. The ball is always placed at the ideal point of contact in the strike for an inside, down the middle, or outside pitch. There is no doubt this will train your muscles to remember the correct swing for those various points of contact because it is something that should be done repetitiously everyday. You will develop an excellent, but more important a consistent swing. Being baseball up in a position to swing at the ball with authority will be automatic.

Placing the tee at every point in the strike zone is very important to get the full effect of the drill. Don't forget, when practicing to hit the ball to opposite fields, you want to let the baseball move further into the hitting zone before making contact. That is why you place the tee on the back portion of the plate. Set the tee over the middle of the plate to simulate a pitch down the middle and work on hitting the ball straight up the middle 'through the box'. Improving your ability to hit any type of pitch and increasing your plate coverage is the objective.

When adjusting the height of the tee you should change it back and forth from high to low, enabling your body and hands to feel the various points of correct contact. Typically, you want to raise the tee as high as possible in your strike zone because it will train you to keep your hands up and 'strong' throughout your swing. It can help to avoid any unwanted dropping of the hands and back shoulder. Imagine your shoulders as an 'airplane' trying to land. You would want the wings of the plane to be level as you hit the runway and it is the same for your shoulders when hitting a baseball. If you find yourself hitting the tee at all or popping the ball up off the tee, it is a sign that you are dropping your hands or shoulder or both.

Joe Rodgers has taught batting mechanics at all competitive levels of baseball.

How to Become a Complete Baseball Player

This is the ultimate goal for a ball player right? Developing the "five tools". It takes commitment and dedication of course, but it also takes a positive attitude towards improvement.

I read a quote yesterday from a college coach that really stuck with me...

"you will never improve a skill or ability if you start out thinking
you know everything about it."

Sounds simple enough. Some would say "keep an opened mind" says the same thing but I think there's more to it. My interpretation of this statement is... in order for a person to reach their goals they must be baseball to learning from others who have been down the road before them. In relationship to baseball it means listening to all advice and finding the good in it.

A baseball player will work with many coaches throughout their career. Youth players generally have different coaches every season. Some more experienced and knowledgeable than others. If you are lucky enough to play for a coach who really knows his or her stuff you will do yourself a great service by opening up, paying attention and taking in everything they want to teach baseball You may not agree with everything, but take it in. Then you can balance that knowledge with what you have learned from others. This is how players improve... take the best lessons from the best coaches and put it all together. That's how you become a "complete" player.

For example, my friend's son has played for a coach the past 3 seasons who is VERY knowledgeable about hitting.. he played Div1 ball, was a powerhitter, taught him a lot. This coach also thought he knew a lot about baserunning. He knew some, but another coach this player worked with privately was a base stealing phemon who taught him things that the hitting coach had never learned. However, when the hitting coach gave him baserunning instruction he listened and took it in. Yet he practiced and used most of what the baserunning coach taught him. One day he had a game where he stole 3 bases. After the game the hitting coach said "say, great game today, you seem to have come up with a baserunning technique that really works for you, stay with it". Get the picture?

There are very few absolutes in baseball. While there are general guidelines on how to do things, every player is different. Players learn baseball skills in a way that fits them. That's why when you look at college and pro players, they all have similar elements in their swings, yet every swing is different.

Good coaches know that not all players have the same batting stance or the same load/stride technique, or the same stance when leading off 1st base. A good coach wants a player to get the most of their mental and physical ability.

The best advice to you, the player, is listen to all your coaches and take in the best parts from each. If you do this you will be well on your way to meeting your baseball goals and becoming a "complete player".

Coach Bob

Visit Coach Bob's Youth Baseball Blog @ http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com/

Baseball Cards Are Still a Good Investment

Baseball cards may be one your best investments in today's economy. When you think of baseball cards, you might think about kids running around trading cards back baseball forth - reading the stats on the back of the card and collecting their favorite players. However baseball cards and taken on the whole new meaning with today's investment market.

There are many different ways that you can get involved in baseball card collecting and investing. The best way is to narrow it down into certain players certain years of cards were certain brands that you collect. There are certain baseball cards that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. One such card that is worth a tremendous amount of money is the Honus Wagner baseball card.

For the investor who has a few thousand dollars to invest in baseball cards they may want to look at some 1950s to 1960s Mickey Mantle cards. The most popular card and Mickey Mantle is his 1952 baseball baseball card. This card represents his rookie year and is very hard to find in good condition these days. Amazingly I have seen original 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball cards selling for hundreds of dollars - even in very poor condition.

Before you run out to the garage sales and start looking for baseball cards for sale you need to educate yourself a little bit more on what's valuable and what is not. You can still find boxes full of baseball cards at most garage sales and second hand stores. However, most of these cards are known as what is called commons. These are players that really aren't worth very much. Now if they are from the era of the 1950s and 1960s - Then you still have a good deal on your hands. That's not to say that there might not be a few good bargain baseball cards in a newer box if you know what you are looking for.

For more baseball card and basketball card information try visiting allvintagecards.com, a website that specializes in providing helpful tips and advice on vintage baseball and basketball cards and collectible auctions to include Baseball Cards and more.

Discount Priced Baseball Bats - Buy Them Online

You can find a wide range of discount priced baseball bats on the internet and there baseball nothing stopping you from buying them online. Depending on your need, you can find traditional wooden baseball bats, all-new aluminum bats and even used ones if your budget does not allow you to buy them new or you are merely searching for a spare bat for your practice sessions.

Prices may differ according to the quality and materials you selected for each bat and how you perform on the pitch will largely depend on the type of bat you are using. The good news is you do not have to pay astronomical prices for baseball bats if you choose to buy them online. Without too much overhead, these online stores or retailers pass on the savings to customers by selling discount priced bats.

If you are looking at a completely brand new aluminum bat, it may set you back around two hundred dollars and above. Brands such as Easton, Combat and DeMarini offer superb quality bats ranging from high-end models to budget ones. The more expensive ones are usually lighter and stronger but ultimately it all depends on what you are looking for and your budget.

When you choose to buy discount priced baseball bats online, you get to save more money as compared to a traditional store selling baseball equipment. You may not even be charged for any taxes or pay for unnecessary shipping as most will be borne by the retailer. Not only will you save a trip to that sporting goods store, you will also save a lot of time spent on traveling.

Another way to save money while buying discount baseball bats online is to buy blemished ones sold by the dealers. These are actually bats which did not pass the stringent quality checks for brand new bats. Even bats with a slightly chipped paint can be hand for up to seventy percent off the usual price. Talk about savings.

Do check for blemished details prior to purchase so that you can save even more money and perhaps get a second bat as well. The secret to buying online sometimes is to ask the retailer any questions you may have regarding the intend purchase. If you have not bought anything online, do not fret, as buying baseball bats online is easy and saves you money.

YouthBaseballBats.info is your one-stop discount youth baseball bats resource. We provide a large selection of youth baseball bats to baseball your needs.

Visit us online at http://www.youthbaseballbats.info and choose from a wide range of discount youth baseball bats.

The 5 Most Famous Baseball Cards

When you baseball baseball baseball collectors which cards they would most like to get your hands on, most would agree on the top two - the T206 Honus Wagner and the 1914 Babe Ruth. There would probably be some disagreement after that, however. While condition of the card and market conditions certainly carry considerable influence over values, the following list includes five of the most valuable and recognizable cards in the baseball card collecting hobby.

Honus Wagner T206 - The most well-known rookie card in the baseball card collecting community, the Honus Wagner is generally treated as a work of art. It was included in the T206 set between 1909 and 1911 by the American Tobacco Company. Due to a dispute with the American Tobacco Company, between 50 and 200 cards were released to the public. The reasons behind the dispute continue to be questioned - whether Wagner didn't want his likeness included in packages of cigarettes or whether he wanted additional compensation. Whatever the reason, this limited availability made the T206 Honus Wagner the first valuable baseball card. Today, the card remains both an investment and a symbol of stature, as many famous individuals have bought or sold the card.

1914 Baltimore Sun Babe Ruth - printed in 1914 by the Baltimore Sun newspaper, the Babe Ruth rookie card has become the second-most valuable baseball card in the hobby. This 1914 set included Ruth with his Baltimore Orioles teammates, as well as the International League's Terrapins. The cards were available in blue or red and included a team schedule on the back. Given the overwhelming continued popularity of Babe Ruth with baseball card collectors, it is quite possible that this card will eventually replace the Honus Wagner as the most valuable card. For now, it stands as a firm number two with collectors.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle - this Mickey Mantle card has been a darling of the baseball card collecting community for many years. The value of this Mantle card has fluctuated in price a bit over the past couple of decades, but remains popular with collectors and is widely considered the most valuable of cards printed during Mantle's career.

1951 Bowman Willie Mays - A PSA 9 Bowman Willie Mays card sold in a 2007 auction for over $93,000, further establishing the card as one of the elite cards with collectors.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth - of all Babe Ruth cards printed during his storied career, his 1933 Goudey cards remain the most widely recognizable. The 1933 Goudey issue included four Babe Ruth cards, reflective of his stature in the sport and in the hobby.

Honorable mention for top cards would have to go to the 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams and the 1949 Bowman Satchel Paige. Despite a spectacular career with the Boston Red Sox, the Splendid Splinter's rookie card is generally valued at a considerably price than Mantle's 1952 rookie card. While carrying a classic look, the 1939 Ted Williams is printed in black and white and visually is just not a particularly memorable card. Arguably the biggest name from the Negro Leagues, Satchel Paige had a brilliant career with relatively few baseball cards in circulation today. As a result, this card is seen priced at close to six figures in mint condition.

Rounding out the top ten would be an even more controversial task - Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and several others could deserve a seat at that table.

Babe Ruth baseball cards continue to be a popular choice in the baseball card collecting community. The Babe Ruth rookie card is the most valuable of these. Find out how to determine the value of Babe Ruth cards.

Minor League Baseball Player Review - Troy Patton

The following is a review of Orioles minor leaguer Troy Patton.

What I wrote then: "Patton was the Astros' best prospect before being traded to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada.He had problems with the long ball last season, and his strikeout rate dropped greatly from previous seasons.Patton's full season of success with an ERA in the mid-3.00's was impressive, but his curveball was not missing as many bats as the past.Patton's low-90s fastball is his true bread and butter, and he has done a fine job avoiding walks to this point.Health is a concern for baseball after he finished 2007 with biceps tendinitis.If he shows up to spring training healthy, Patton could should be capable of winning a rotation spot and making a decent AL-only contribution. ETA: 2008"

Review: Patton was sidelined during spring training due to an arm injury, and he didn't pitch at all during the 2008 season. The Orioles had another last-place campaign but go into 2009 with plenty of optimism due to their improved farm system. Patton has a chance to make an impact during the 2009 season if his arm is healthy, but that is a big if following a year off. He had a partially torn labrum, and history shows that it is more difficult to return from a shoulder baseball than any other injury for pitchers. The Orioles have the farm system to make a Tampa Bay Rays-like improvement somewhere down the line, but that improvement is unlikely to occur this early in the game.

For more fantasy baseball info or to play free fantasy basketball, visit Hotboxsports.com

Atlanta Braves Jersey Number 7 - Jeff Francoeur

The man must love to play baseball. For two consecutive seasons, Jeff Francoeur never missed a game. In Atlanta Braves jersey number 7, Francoeur played all 162 games of the 2006 season. Only three other Atlanta Braves players had done so in any season - Felix Millan, Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones. Next, Francoeur, called "Frenchy" by his teammates, turned around and played all 162 games of the 2007 season. In fact, he played in a total of 370 consecutive games before taking half a day off (the second game of a double header) in 2008.

Francoeur also loves to swing a bat. His first Major League hit was a home run. That happened on July 7, 2005, in the second game of a double header against the Chicago Cubs. But it took quite a bit longer for Francoeur to reach base on balls. He finally walked for the first time of his career in his 128th at-bat. Francoeur showed his stuff in as a right-fielder that year, logging 13 outfield assists for the season and placing third in baseball, even though he was not called up to the Majors until July.

These events happened when he was a "Baby Brave," one of a group of players called up to the Majors that year. Drafted by the Braves in the first round of the June 2002 free agent draft, Francoeur placed third in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year in 2005.

He continued his career through all 162 games in 2006 and then through all 162 games in 2007. In 2006, he joined that other guy in an Atlanta Braves jersey, Chipper Jones, representing the United States in the World Baseball Classic. In 2007, he led the National League with 19 outfield assists, a record that earned him the Gold Glove Award.

In 2008, Francoeur faced the worst slump of his career. With a .234 batting baseball in early July, he was optioned to Double-A Mississippi to work out his batting troubles. He spent only a few days there working with his old batting coach, Phillip Wellman. He was recalled promptly, however, when the guys in the Atlanta Braves jerseys faced a series of injuries. His performance continued to disappoint however, and he finished the season with a .239 batting average (down from .293 in 2007), 11 home runs (down from 19 the year before) and 71 runs batted in (down from 105 from the previous year).

With 2008 behind him, Francoeur spent the off-season working on fixing the problems. Texas baseball hitting coach Rudy Jamarillo worked with him for three days. They adjusted his batting stance, opening his position at the plate, to allow him to see pitches better and for longer. They worked on his patience, urging him to wait for a good pitch.

Francoeur took batting practice with his teammate, Chipper Jones, in January. Jones was so impressed that he was quoted as saying that he expected Francoeur to bat in the clean-up position for the guys in the Atlanta Braves jerseys before the 2009 season is over. Time will tell whether that prediction materializes, but it seems that Francoeur has made changes that should improve his performance and boost his confidence.
He heads into the 2009 season with a career batting average of .268, 75 career home runs and 326 RBI's. His 59 outfield assists top the Majors.

Kathleen Hobbins is a baseball fan extraordinaire. She grew up in Boston, where the Red Sox taught her to love baseball. She now lives in Chicago, where she can't choose between the Cubs and the White Sox. So her cup runs over with three home-town teams. Follow Kathleen on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/KathleenHobbins And to learn more about the Atlanta Braves, visit http://BaseballFanSiteOnline.com/Atlanta-Braves

Ryan Howard

If you are trying to find a player that really jumped onto the scene in 2006 you do not have to look any further than the Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard. Howard has been nothing short of spectacular from his first base position, baseball it appears that he has plenty of good years ahead of him.
Howard has already become one of the best players in the league, and he is only 25 years old. Not only does Howard have a great glove at first base, but he can also take care of business when it comes to hitting the ball as well.

At this point in time Howard is batting .294; not bad for a guy of his age. But this does not even show his power numbers. Howard has 47 home runs, as well as 122 runs batted in; talk about power! If he keeps up this pace he will easily finish the season with over 50 blasts, and 150 runs batted in. It is safe to say that any team in the league would be interested in having Howard play first base for them, and quite possibly bat clean up.

If the Phillies want to continue to build for the future, they will need to keep Howard in Philadelphia. He is one of the best young players in the league, and he has plenty of good years still ahead of him. The bottom baseball is that Howard not only gets the job done in the field, but he also excels at the plate as well.

Check Out More Articles: baseball betting system, baseball betting tips, baseball betting strategy, baseball betting information, best sportsbook odds

4 Tips to Improve Pitching Speed

The pitcher is one of the most important positions on a baseball team. If you don't have a good pitching staff full of skilled individuals, it won't matter how well your team hits or scores runs, you're destined to have a losing ball club. Having a skilled pitcher who can throw a variety of pitches with good velocity is what will take any baseball team to the next level. Speed is a crucial ingredient in what makes an excellent pitcher. It's important that pitchers make sure they constantly working to improve pitching speed and technique so that they can stay sharp and focused during the game.

There are a few different ways for a pitcher to improve pitching speed. One of the most effective methods to increasing your velocity is to apply direct force to the back of the ball. In order to get the maximum amount of velocity possible a pitcher needs to make sure that he is firing the ball with his pitching elbow down and around toward first base. A lot of coaches disagree with this particular method of pitching because of their attachment to the high cocked arm position that is common in baseball. This method also helps to train a player to stay behind the ball and aids them in reaching full extension with their elbow angle staying below ninety degrees.

Another important technique to help improve pitching speed is to have good solid push and lead leg stability. One of the key aspects of pitching with a high velocity is the strength and stability of a pitcher's lower half of the body. Without good leg drive the pitch thrown just won't be baseball quick or as effective, especially against good hitters. There are a number of different exercises you can do to improve your push and lead leg stability. Some of the most beneficial techniques are lunges, squats, leg presses, and calf raises.

The third important tip you can use to improve pitching speed is to improve your torso rotation during acceleration. The torso plays a very important role in getting the arm into the correct pitching baseball so it's very crucial to make sure that these muscles are strong. There are a couple of techniques that are being used by a lot of major league baseball players that are very effective in strengthening the torso. One of the most common is the medicine ball. Players will pick these up and do twists while holding the medicine ball in order to work out their abs. It's also recommended for pitchers to do a complete abdominal workout as well.

One tip that will not only help improve pitching speed, but will also help you to lengthen your pitching career is to work on rotator cuff durability and strength. A pitcher's success on the mound hinges on the condition of their rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is crucial to throwing solid overhand pitches, and is also responsible for putting some of the force on the ball when it's thrown. One technique used to improve rotator cuff durability and strength is football throws. The footballs should be thrown from 20 yards. It's also highly recommended to do arm swings as well to help with durability.

C.J. Brooks is a sports training consultant who writes articles dedicated to improving the performance of today's competitive/recreational league athlete. C.J. has trained athletes in league preparation for sports such as baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, golf and football in order to transform their weaknesses into strengths. C.J. also offers online consultation which includes personalized sports-specific training and nutrition plans.

San Diego Padres - 40 Men and a Roster

The San Diego Padres coaches may have an excellent line up baseball work with, but that doesn't mean they don't still have their work cut out for them. No matter how you line them up, however, the Padres have a great group of coaches standing up this year. The list includes first base coach Rick Renteria, third base coach Glenn Hoffman, pitching coach Darren Balsley, bench coach Ted Simmons, hitting coach Jim Lefebvre, bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds and bullpen catcher baseball Hatcher.

Sometimes not nearly as noticed or given as much credit are the other staff members who help to whip the team members into shape. These include head athletic trainer Todd Hutcheson, assistant athletic trainer Paul Navarro, strength & conditioning coach Jim Malone, direct of team travel/equipment manager Brian Prilaman, assistant clubhouse manager Tony Petricca, assistant to the equipment manager Spencer Dallin, bullpen catcher Mark Merila, sports therapist Phillip Kerr and video coordinator Mike Tompkins.

What do all these aforementioned members do? They work together to make a really great team out of the 40-man roster that will be heading off to Spring Training soon. The roster includes pitchers Mike Adams, Cha Seun Baek, heath Bell, Matt Bush, Cesar Carrillo, Mike Ekstrom, Ernesto Frieri, Josh Greer, Justin Hampson, Wade LeBlanc, Wilton Lopez, Cla Meredith, Ivan Nova, Scott Patterson, Jake Peavy, Jackson Quezada, Cesar Ramos, Chad Reineke, Jae Kuk ryu, Joe Thatcher, Virgil Vasquez, Mark Worrell and Chris Young; catchers Nick Hundley and Jose Lobaton; infielders Matt Antonelli, Everth Cabrera, Travis Denker, David Eckstein, Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Luis Rodriguez; and outfielders Luis Durango, Jody Gerunt, Brian Giles, Scott Hairston, Chase Headley, Drew Macias and Will Venable.

So where do you guide a good group of coaches and trainers and managers with a 40-man list? Well, if you're the Padres, you get everybody packed and ready to go and you head down to Peoria, Arizona. The Peoria Sports field will host the Padres this year for Spring preparation, which officially begins with a goodwill game on February 25 vs. The Mariners.

The games carry on with a set up that comprises games versus the Cubs, Brewers, Dodgers, Rockies, Athletics, White Sox, Angels, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Royals, Indians, Giants and Brewers in the month of March.

With this type of line-up and thorough Spring preparation, it sounds as though the Padres will have very few moments to stop and get sore or sit around and calm down but then this is baseball term coming up and if the Pirates are as eager as they should be about getting back into the swing of things, then there won't be a lifeless moment in the preparation, on the field, in the games or any other time that the Pirates are doing what they like to do best, which is playing baseball.

As the time winds down, local events are winding up for the Padres as well. Fans and players alike have to be excited about what lies ahead in the coming weeks and months.

Awesomeseating.com provides more information and direct resources to hot MLB Tickets so you can see your favorite team in action. Make sure to visit our site to get your San Diego Padres Tickets before they are sold out!

Little League Back-up Situations For Outfielders

As Little League baseball coaches, sometimes we try to teach too much baseball too short a period. Ive coached three youth sports and have found that youth baseball is the most over-coached and under-taught sport Ive seen on the youth level. A good example is teaching back-up situations. It is especially beneficial to teach back-up situations to your outfielders. Remember that if you try to tell a player during a game what to do instead of practicing the situation, the rate of success will diminish. Ill go over three different back-up situations that I always practice, which have come up during the game.

The first one is the right fielder backing up on a bunt. Yes a bunt. With no one on base and the batter bunts, the play is going to first base. Drill your outfielders in practice (have all take turns) that with no one on base and when the batter squares to bunt, the right fielder will sprint to the first base foul line and come up to back up the throw from whoever fields the bunt. It is important that he tries as best he can to line himself up with the fielder and first base. The goal here is to hold the base runner at first base in case of an overthrow.

The second back up situation is with the center fielder and with a man on first trying to steal second. When the pitch is thrown and the runner at first takes off (when the pitch crosses home plate), the center fielder will sprint toward second base to back up the throw from the catcher. He is actually a second back up because either the second baseman or shortstop (whoever does not field the throw) is the first back up. A very important key here and mistake that often happens is that the center fielder comes in too far and on a really wild throw, the baseball will skip past him also. I teach my centerfielder to be about 10-15 feet behind the first back up, and if the ball gets by the first backup, the centerfielders goal is to keep the ball in front of him with his body and not to necessarily catch it.

The third situation is really a base coverage by the outfielder. If there is a man on first and the batter bunts to third, many times a smart and aggressive coach will have the base runner at first continue to third knowing the third baseman might be out of position to get back to the base after fielding the ball. So with a man on first and the batter squares to bunt, the third baseman will move in to cover the bunt, and I have the left fielder run in to cover third. We practice this with all players and make sure the left fielder runs in right when the batter squares to bunt, not on the bunt it self.

There are numerous back up situations involving both infielders and outfielders. These are just three of them, which involve the outfielders more in the game. But like everything else, you can tell the players what to do during a game, but if you practice the situation, your odds of success increase!

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

http://www.VideosForCoaches.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques", Pitching Drills & Techniques, and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle with Videos For Coaches and is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

Balance Of Power! Hitting Tips For Youth Baseball Players

The most valuable advice that a youth baseball coach can give a young hitter baseball to think about hitting the ball up the middle. If you think about hitting up the middle, you can adjust to hit the ball wherever it is pitched. If you baseball to the plate hoping to pull the ball, you will struggle hitting an outside pitch. Your front side will have opened up too soon and you will not be able to drive a pitch on the outside part of the plate. You have to have balance in everything that you do in baseball, especially in hitting. Your body is going to move, but you must keep your head still. The only way to do that is to have good balance. Youth baseball bats are no different than adults bats, they need balance.

Concentration at the plate is critical, and positive thinking helps. You have to walk up to the plate saying to yourself, "I'm going to hit the ball. A hitter needs rhythm. Try to watch the pitcher's hand and keep your eye on the ball be aggressive at the plate, but also remain loose and relaxed. If you let your arms get too tight, you will lose the advantage of having good wrist action for your swing, as well as your power.

You should have a purpose to each swing in batting practice. In your first round of batting practice you might concentrate on hitting every pitch to the opposite field. In the next round, try to make sure that you are swinging down on the ball. Prepare yourself for game situations, or the practice will not be as helpful as it could be If you find yourself in a slump, try to concentrate on defense and possibly save the game with a good play. Slumping hitters should remember that it does not always take a home run to help the team.

Youth baseball players and coaches should look to improve the mental outlook of the whole team with positive comments to all players.Negative comments will not bring anything good to the team morale.Hitting is so much about confidence.Hitting a baseball is very difficult skill that sometimes gets overlooked by coaches,players,and parents.Sometimes we take for granted how skilled these youth baseball players are and want even more out of them.Let's just have fun and enjoy this great game of youth baseball.

Chip Lemin has been a promoter of youth baseball since they started using aluminum bats. That's a long time. I have witnessed many good people get into coaching without solid coaching skills and it is not fun for them or the kids.Today's newer coaches are also being shortchanged on sportsmanship, like there is none. Visit my site to sign up for a insightful, informational, free coaching e-course at http://www.baseballecourse.com

Baseball Drills - The Hitting Tee and a Cup of Coffee

I remember giving my players a choice of what baseball drills to begin with during batting practice a few years back. The options were: baseball toss, short toss in the batting cage, live batting practice, and tee work. Guess which one of the baseball drills was chosen last. That's right. The exciting tee drill (yes, that was sarcasm).

I would like to offer up the comparison of coffee to the basic hitting tee for your learning enjoyment. You'll find both are an acquired taste to be sure. But, the rewards are so enjoyable! Of course, you'll permit me to explain my analogy.

Similarities between the hitting tee and coffee:

* Both coffee and the hitting tee take some time to get used to.

* Once you have "acquired the taste", you'll find it hard to quit.

* There are so many "specialty" brands on the market today, but the basic version is just fine.

* Imagine the world without either, how would we be able to function? (Again, a bit dramatic, but you get the point)

So now that you fully understand that the hitting tee should be an integral part of your baseball drills, here is how to spice it up a bit in practice.

1. Make sure it's in the right position. If you place the hitting in the baseball of the plate, make sure that the ball on the tee is across from the inside of the front thigh as a hitter sets up. Having the tee back in the zone will force the hitter to keep his weight back while he swings. Placing the tee too far out in front (unless you're working on the inside pitch of course) will allow the hitter to get away with a sloppy swing by having his hips slide toward the pitcher during the swing.

2. Set up some games to play. While working on hitting the inside and outside pitches off of a tee, put a couple screens out on the right and left side gaps and have the hitter try to hit the screens. The more correct swings are done on the tee (measured by hitting the screens), the more swings they earn in the live batting practice station.

Have fun, now go make yourself a cup of coffee.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game in athletes. Come download a free ebook on dealing with failure in baseball

Baseball Hand Signals

Baseball players would be in a pretty pickle if all signals were verbal. Would a player be excused, by an irate baseball to be tied coach, if he did not hear the screaming that goes on.

The coaches are out there giving signals. The umpire is giving signals. Baseball players are watching everything. What is this signal thing about anyway?

There is a secret among a coach and his players and they dare not let the opponent in on the know. I have seen the first and third base coaches play around out there like they had the itch or mosquitoes biting or something.

They will scratch their shirts across the letters, take off their caps, run their hands through their hair, rub the back of their legs with their foot, and even rub their arms like crazy. I know something must be up. Wonder if it's catching?

I'll tell you who had better catch it. Those team players. I'm told these are their secret signals.

The umpires also go through all kind of gyrations. I have seen the base umps run down the foul line on a well hit ball suddenly stop, turn toward the playing field and point like a bird dog on point.

Another common antic of an umpire is he will intently watch when a runner is running to a base and a tag is about to be made. If the tag is too late to get the runner out then the umpire goes half ape. He will stand there throwing his hand out as if he is shooing away a swarm of gnats. Then he calmly turns his back and walks away.

Players may jump up and down and exclaim he was out and the manager may even come a running. Brother, the umpire simply stands there with his arms folded across his chest and utters not a word. The coach sends his players away with a hand motion. The coach has his say to the ump. The coach makes out like he is mad but suddenly, like an ole hound dog which has been shot with a B B gun, he tucks and trots away.

Folks all of this signaling and use of hands serves a most useful and human purpose.

Many, many years ago a couple of deaf players loved and played the game of baseball. These two gentlemen, a Mr. Luther Taylor and Mr.William Hoy, are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude for their dedicated insistence for use and development of umpire hand signals.

Their courage to play the game of baseball before crowds watching their every move and action put them both on display and many a less stout hearted persons would have never stood and played little less excel.

Luther and William are vivid reminders of what not only made them as individuals great among many but it tells a story about our game of baseball as well.

William and Luther advancing the hand signal requirement for acceptance as the norm and such as Pete Gray and Jim Abbot foregoing tremendous physical handicaps and Jackie Robinson taking up the mantle bringing desegregation to the forefront. Folks when you witness such as this all in the name of our great game of baseball you have to marvel at the far reach of this sport we call BASEBALL.

I refer to these gentlemen as Mr. in respect for what they did for our great game of baseball. You see they are credited with making umpire hand signals an integral part of the game.

Dummy Hoy, William Ellsworth Hoy played baseball baseball from 1888-1932 with a lifetime batting average of .288.

Batter Up----Let's Play Ball.... is a signature statement of Major Wiley b. Channell USMC (ret) giving you an Introduction to the concept of baseball farming which includes ideas on strategies, training, and winning! at: http://www.baseballfarming.com

How are baseball skills acquired? Check out how this country boy Major Wiley B. Channell USMC (ret) describes the action at: http://www.baseballfarming.com/BeginnerBaseball.html

Mattingly Baseball Bat Reviews

Okay, I'll start by saying I hate the Yankees and therefore hate Don Mattingly. With that out of the way my review of these bats will be objective.

Mattingly bats main selling point is the baseball handle. The handle, somewhat shaped like a V, is designed to help you grip the handle correctly. Meaning your "door knocking knuckles" are aligned when grasping the handle. In my opinion, it's the equivalent of the youth baseball gloves that have a notch to help kids close the glove better.

The problem is no kid in High School or College is going to be seen holding this bat, as they wouldn't be seen wearing a glove with a notch in it. Quite frankly, any kid who's reached puberty doesn't want to be seen holding a V-Grip bat. It screams that the player is inexperienced and needs a crutch (sorry Donny, I'd say this even if you had played for a team I didn't hate).

These are the only bats I've reviewed that I have not seen, touched or been in the same county as. So, the bat reviews are below but my recommendation is to pass on Mattingly bats:

100% Composite

- Beast - 100% composite, one piece bat with a stiff handle. Besides the V-Grip they tout the Xtreme Weave Carbon construction for "maximum power and durability". Needless to say I do not recommend this bat.

100% Alloy

- Ripped - 100% alloy, one piece bat with a stiff handle. Medium grade alloy (MB55Sc alloy) touting the same benefits as the Beast. It's odd that two bats made out of completely different material have the exact same benefits. Not recommended.

- V Force - One piece, 100% alloy bat with a stiff handle. This bat is only available in youth models and consists of alloy that's been around for over 15 years (MB75 alloy). Unless you're baseball T-Ball there are better options.

For reviews of other baseball bat manufacturers and a ton of information on baseball bats go to Baseball Bat Reviews

http://www.baseballbatreviewsblog.com

Get Recruited to College Baseball by Rounding the Bases

As a prospective recruit you must approach the recruitment process in an ordered and well thought out method. You need to approach the selection baseball and your application to colleges and college baseball teams methodically with a clear vision of the goal you have in mind.

I recommend you take a business like approach to contacting coaches because, just like in the business world, you can have a great product but if no one knows about it then you will never make any sales. In this case, you only need to make one sale, the one that lands you a playing spot on the college baseball team of your choice.

The process of getting recruited at the college level can be broken to down to four distinct phases.

1. First Base -- Research the market. This is a marketing phrase that applies very well to college baseball recruitment. It means that you must research the market to find where the "product" (yourself) will have its best fit in the "marketplace" (college baseball programs.)

2. Second Base -- Create your Player Profile. Before you begin targeting schools you need to create your player profile. Your player profile will consist of an academic and athletic component that clearly elucidates your core strengths and attributes. Your player profile is an essential tool that will highlight your skills and achievements to the schools where they stand the most chance of being noticed and appreciated. A well rounded and complete player profile will lead to a greater overall success rate in your baseball efforts.

3. Third Base -- Target the right colleges and coaches. Ensure your player profile as a student and athlete matches the needs of the college. You need to make sure that you and the school you have chosen are a good fit both scholastically and athletically.

4. Home Plate -- Promotion. After you have performed the above tasks
and determined which schools fit you best then you need to begin your promotional campaign.

If you are a high school baseball player who is serious about playing college baseball then you must begin getting recruited as early as possible. You need to educate yourself about the process and know exactly how to position yourself amidst the competition. I highly recommend that you read The Grand Slam Guide to College Baseball Scholarships and Recruiting