Thursday, June 13, 2013

Stolen Bases in opening Game in Cape League

The Cotuit Kettleers had a wonderful crowd on opening day at beautiful Lowell Park and won vs. Orleans 4-2. The Orleans team are always so well coached by Kelly Nicholson so very enjoyable to play the Firebirds.

We were able to pull a “pre-set” double steal that helped us go ahead. With men on 1st and 3rd, left handed pitcher on the mound, the runner on 1st base took off on 1st movement by the pitcher, the runner on 3rd base casually takes steps down the line to see if the LH pitcher will pick behind the runner leaving 1st base. The pitcher did throw behind the runner at 1st base and the runner at 3rd read the ball (what I call “white out”) out of the 1st baseman’s hand throwing to the SS at 2B and began his run toward home.  The runner at 1st continued a straight steal into 2nd base, did not stop half way, which is the best way to draw a throw from the 1st baseman. As the runner slid into 2nd base safely the runner from third was 2/3 of the way home and did not even draw a throw from the SS as he crossed home plate.

It is always fun to work on base stealing each day in practice and figure out different ways to move runners up a base and possibly score a run. I encourage coaches to practice base stealing as often as they give their team batting practice.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Opening Dayin the Cape Cod Collegiate Summer League

It is June 12, 2013 and Opening Day in the Cape Cod Collegiate Summer League. The sun is shining bright on Cotuit Bay this morning and the grass smells of the Best Amateur Baseball in the world getting ready to start. Our coaching staff is busy getting beautiful Elizabeth Lowell Park ready. The greens mower is on the infield placing those crisscrossed stripes of green, like a putting surface in golf, that players and fans like to see. The college players, who have come from all over the country to the cape for the summer, will enjoy a "Norman Rockwellish" baseball atmosphere here in Cotuit. Fans kind of come out of the woods from every angle to this lovely setting to watch the Kettleers take on the Orleans Firebirds at 5pm. The games are streamed at www.kettleers.org and home games begin at 5pm until August 1st then 4:30pm in August. Offensive players will be at the park at 10am for an extra round of Batting Practice so gotta head to the park on my bike this morning. Most everyone can walk or ride, don't have to drive to the park in this quaint community. See you at a Ball game soon on the cape.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Baserunning

Coming in the fall of 2013, I will have a new book coming that will cover base running, base stealing, and strength and conditioning exercises that help baseball players improve in those areas. Saturday June 1st, my publisher Human Kinetics, sent a photographer to Cotuit, MA. And over 100 pictures were taken with six different athletes helping show different leads and techniques. I always learn more about teaching these areas in a more concise and hopefully improved way each time I step on the field. I hope this new book "Baserunning" will be beneficial to many coaches and athletes as my 1st book "You Can't Steal 2nd Base and Keep Your Foot on First" has been for the past three years. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout will be on the cover and Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona will write the Foreword. I hope many of you who have purchased my teaching videos and book will have tremendous interest in this new and expanded version of my teaching techniques about the almost lost art of running and stealing bases.