Discipline

The Beginning | Win Within … or Go Without

You still need discipline. That means you still need to do some things you don’t feel like doing in the moment you need to do them.

That’s why we as a nation are fat, poor and relationship starved: we lack the discipline needed to achieve what we want.

Eleven Rules Not from Bill Gates but still very good.

Bill Gates' high school speech on The Eleven Rules of Life-Fiction!

RULE 1
Life is not fair - get used to it.

RULE 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world
will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel
good about yourself.

RULE 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out
of high school. You won't be a vice president with
car phone, until you earn both.

RULE 4
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a
boss. He doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger flipping
they
called it Opportunity.

RULE 6
If you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't
whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as
they are now. They got that way from paying your bills,
cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about
how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest
from the parasites of your parent's generation, try
delousing the closet in your own room.


RULE 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers,
but life has not. In some schools they have abolished
failing grades and they'll give you as many times as
you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the
slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get
summers off and very few employers are interested in
helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people
actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for
one.

Rounding Third

Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Staying Closer To Home

As the economy continue to falter, more and more of the top College Development Programs are posting on their web sites and sending out e-mails to players and their families that their 2010-11 fall/summer strategy is to stay a bit closer to home and battle it out with other local CDP's or play up in older age group tournaments to challenge their players.

Don't Play Rec Ball
In an economy like this, many families may forego the decision to play on a CDP team altogether and opt for their local Legion team. If your son is a player that has the aspirations of playing college ball, then he needs to be challenged at a higher level than the watered down recreational style of play that Legion offers.

Follow The Scouts
College recruiters are aware of the changes in travel plans by many of the top CDP's...and those scouts will follow them, not you and your son's decision to play lower level competition. The top CDP's talk, text or e-mail on a weekly basis with all of the college recruiters nationwide. It's their job and their reputation on the line. They care about their players and where they get placed. It's important to the CDP program that their games and local tournaments are teaming with college recruiters and pro scouts. It's also a scouts responsibility to get as much bang for their travel dollar as possible from each trip they take. These scouts know that programs like East Cobb, Norcal, Dallas Tigers, NE Ruffnecks and more are stacked with players that all have D-I potential and will play at that level. They are the the type of teams they will follow. They also know that these are the dedicated kids and parents that have stuck with these programs even in tough times. These are the players that want it the most and the type of players colleges desire. Part Time Legion Dad doesn't have the time, resources, relationship or the knowledge to do that for his players.

Fundraise, Payment Plans and Saving
Most clubs are now in the middle of major fundraising campaigns. This is important for the integrity of the the CDP. Get involved...raise money...and get a benefactor to donate soda, water, seeds, dogs and candy and set up concessions to continue to raise money throughout the season. Ask for a monthly payment plan. A 12 month plan of $150 a month will pay for 90% of all CDP fees in America this year. But don't give up. CDP's are important for the development of your son.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

The Bryce Harper Legend Grows

The Bryce Harper Legend Grows

His team facing elimination in the Junior College West Regionals, Bryce Harper went 6 for 6 with four homeruns, a triple and a double and ten RBIs in a game this weekend. His team won by a final score of 25-11 (there was a stiff wind blowing out in Lamar, Colorado where the game was played) to propel his team, College of Southern Nevada, to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. He had hit for the cycle in a game a day or two before.

This performance pretty much has to cement Harper as the first pick of the 2010 Draft. Key game, lights out performance against what should be the very best junior college competition. It’s hard to imagine a player doing much more than that.

With Scott Boras as his agent, I really can’t see Harper not breaking Stephen Strasburg’s bonus record. At age 17 and playing junior college ball, Harper is two years ahead of the next best high school position player in the country. Harper won’t be the last player to get his G.E.D. in order to go play junior college, but he’s the first, and the Nationals are going to have to pay big money (my guess is around $16.1 million, roughly a million more than Strasburg got) for the privilege of signing him.

I think it’s going to get done, however. After the money the small market Reds gave Aroldis Chapman, there’s really no doubt that the Nationals can afford to cough up a record-setting price for a talent as great as Harper’s. Also, while Harper has the leverage of being able to go back to junior college for another year, I just can’t see him doing it, because he obviously has nothing left to prove at that level.

In a year, he’ll be a year older, and there’s a good chance he won’t be significantly better there next year than he was this year. Or he could get hurt, particularly since he plays catcher.

I’ve commented many times (and so have others) on Scott Boras’ fundamental conflict of interest in representing so many players. Boras has his own interest in waiting until the August deadline to get absolutely every penny to be gotten, because he’s going to represent so many top draft picks in the future. The more he gets for Strasburg and now Harper, the higher the bar going forward.

It would be nice to see Harper sign soon enough that he can start in the short-season rookie league and see if he can hit his way up to the short season A league, where most of the 21 and 22 year olds drafted out of four year colleges start their professional careers, before the end of the 2010 season.

I expect that the Nationals would bring Harper along relatively slowly, because you would want to be really ready when his six year clock for free agency starts.

A fan’s guide to identifying pitches.

Baseball Pitches Illustrated Sep 20, 2007
A fan’s guide to identifying pitches.

bloop curve pitch diagramI‘m a baseball fan. I’ve watched my share of televised games and attended a few handful. After all this, I was still in the dark about the difference between pitches. I knew a curveball broke downwards, but what exactly was a circle changeup?

The diagrams below are the results of skimming through baseball books and doing online research. This is not a complete guide. I’ve picked twelve of the more common pitches:

* Fastballs: Four-seam, Two-seam, Cutter, Splitter, and Forkball
* Breaking Balls: Curveball, Slider, Slurve, and Screwball
* Changeups: Changeup, Palmball, Circle Changeup

Learning to Identify Pitches

The list of pitches might seem like a lot to keep track of, but remember that each pitcher utilizes only a selection of these pitches. For example, Pedro Martinez throws a curveball, circle-changeup, an occasional slider, and a fastball. Do a little research on the pitcher before the game.

Things to watch for that will help you identify a pitch:

* Speed
* Movement – the general direction the ball is moving
* Break – a sudden shift in direction

There are a few other things that can help you identify a pitch: ball rotation, point of release, and grip. For a casual fan though, it might be a bit much and I don’t illustrate or discuss any of the latter three items.
Reading the Diagrams

Take note of the speed, movement, and break of the ball. Don’t worry about where the baseball is shown in the the strike zone. You can throw a fastball in the middle of the strike-zone like the one illustrated, or you can throw one high and away from the batter. It’s still a fastball. Location doesn’t determine the pitch.

I’ve collected all twelve of the pitch diagrams below, minus the text notes, into a single PDF:
Baseball Pitches
149 kb – PDF
four seam fastball pitch diagram
Four-seam Fastball
85-100 mph

* Fastest, straightest pitch. Little to no movement.

two seam fastball pitch diagram
Two-seam Fastball
80-90 mph

* Also known as a Sinker.
* Moves downward, and depending on the release, will sometimes run in on a right handed hitter (RHH).

cutter pitch diagram
Cutter
85-95 mph

* Breaks away from a right handed hitter (RHH) as it reaches the plate.
* Mix of a slider and a fastball. Faster than a slider but with more movement than a fastball.

splitter pitch diagram
Splitter
80-90 mph

* Breaks down suddenly before reaching plate.

forkball pitch diagram
Forkball
75-85 mph

* Like a splitter, but with a less dramatic, more gradual downward movement.

curveball pitch diagram
Curveball
70-80 mph

* Commonly called a 12-6 curveball. The 12-6 refers to the top to bottom movement (picture a clock with hands at 12 and 6).

slider pitch diagram
Slider
80-90 mph

* Breaks down and away from a RHH.
* Between a fastball and a curve.

slurve pitch diagram
Slurve
70-80 mph

* 11-5 movement. Similar to a curve but with more lateral movement.

screwball pitch diagram
Screwball
65-75 mph

1-7 movement. Opposite of the slurve.
changeup pitch diagram
Changeup
70-85 mph

* Slower than a fastball, but thrown with the same arm motion.

palmball pitch diagram
Palmball
65-75 mph

* Ball is gripped tightly in palm.
* Just like a changeup, this pitch is slower than a fastball, but thrown with the same arm motion.

circle changeup pitch diagram
Circle Changeup
70-80 mph

* A changeup wi

The Top 5 Exercises for Bat Speed!

by Dana Cavalea

Many studies have been done that say training must correlate directly to the movements that take place in sport. This is a wordy definition for the phrase: sport-specific training.

If we want greater bat speed we must replicate our swing dynamics using resistance to build strength, and speed training to build power. Strength and Power are directly related. Power in definition is really just fast strength.

With these two points being made, we now need to understand the mechanics of a swing.

When we swing a bat, the swing starts from the ground, up. Think of this ground up theory as a rubber band that is fully stretched and twisted as well. When a rubber band is fully stretched, it is filled with what we refer to as potential energy, meaning if we let go, that band will move. So if our rubber band is now fully stretched and twisted as well, if we let go, the band will move in a rotational manner. In essence this is what happens to your body, your body is this rubber band. As a hitter, prior to the pitch we load up and put our rubber band on stretch. Then just prior to our swing, we put force into the ground, the ground then pushes force up through our legs, hips, and abdominals. At that moment our rubber band (body) begins to un-stretch in a rotational manner pushing the force and energy we created towards to ball. The amount of force and energy that is put into the ball will determine the distance and speed in which this ball will travel.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the swing, we are able to tailor exercises to enhance our force and energy output. I recommend in terms of equipment all baseball players purchase a medicine ball of 4-10 pounds depending on your age and body size. I usually recommend starting with a 6lb ball for athletes over 100 lbs. I would also strongly encourage purchasing some resistance tubing with handles. With these two recommended pieces of equipment you can complete a comprehensive baseball development workout.

These exercises should be done 2-3 days per week. I recommend 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

Core Bridges- This is one of the best core stability exercises. This exercise will help with the transfer of force and energy from your lower body to your upper

How? While laying on the ground face down, bend your arms and place them directly under your shoulders. From this position, you should be able to lift your body up as if you were doing a pushup while resting your weight on your forearms. Hold this posture for 15 seconds to start and as you get better, increase the time of your hold.

Seated Bent Knee Med Ball Rotations- This exercise will begin to develop rotational speed and strength

How? While sitting on the floor, bend both knees so just your heels are on the floor. From this position grab your medicine ball. With the ball close to your body, begin to rotate by turning your shoulders side to side and tap the ball on each side of your body each repetition. When using the medicine ball you will have more of a strength focus. To enhance the speed of muscle contraction, let go of the ball and rotate side to side as rapidly as possible.

High to Low Standing Band Chops- This exercise will also be used to build strength and speed depending on the resistance of your band.

How? Prior to beginning this exercise, it is important that your band is fixed to an object that is a few feet taller than you are. This object could be a pullup bar, doorway, or a partner standing on a table or bench. While standing in your batter stance, weight should be equally distributed on both feet. Grab the handle of the band with your front hand, or the hand that would be closest to the pitcher, then place your other hand on top of the other. From this position you are going to chop down on the same plane you would if you were going to hit the ball off a tee. The movement should be slow and controlled if strength is your goal, if speed is your goal, use a lighter resistance band and speed up the movement to a rapid pace while still maintaining good mechancics.

Low to High Standing Band Chops- This exercise will also be used to build strength and speed depending on the resistance of your band. In addition this will enhance upper body trunk flexibility

How? Prior to beginning this exercise, it is important that your band is fixed to an object that is even with your back foot. This object could be a chair, leg of a table, or even the trunk of a tree. While standing in your batter stance, weight should be equally distributed on both feet. Grab the handle of the band with your front hand, or the hand that would be closest to the pitcher, then place your other hand on top of the other. At this point you will pivot your front foot and rotate your torso towards the object that is holding the band in place. From here, you will immediately begin to chop in an upward direction with your arms extended outward. While this is going on, your front foot will pivot to open up, while your back foot will pivot as if you were hitting and squashing the bug. Upon finish, your arms will finish high and you will look very similar to a golfer when they finish their swing.

Rotational Pushup- This upper body exercise will help develop upper body strength, stability, and flexibility all at the same time.

How? From the top of a pushup position, you will start a slow descent bringing your chest to the floor. Directly following you will push up from the floor while at the same lifting one of your hands and arms up towards the sky.

Utilize these 5 exercises three times each week and you will slowly but surely see improvements.