Jan-Feb 2012 Issue

July-August 2011

May-June 2011

BALKS: Jeff Moree By definition, "to balk" means to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified. In baseball, if a pitcher fails to complete his delivery once started, he is charged with a balk. The penalty for a balk is the base runner is awarded one base. Read More

March-April  2011 Issue

Base Running Base running is another overlooked part of coaching youth baseball.Most of it is from not having fun instructive drills that will teach kids proper base running techniques.All Youth baseball players can become good base runners regardless of speed or size.   Read More

Jan-Feb 2011 Issue

How Much Do you Bench?: Javair Gillett

Before deciding on what exercises to prescribe, you must first understand Power. In physics, Power is equal to work divided by time (P=w/t).  This isn’t a physics class so don’t worry about the equation! Read More

Trying Hard V. Playing Hard: Geoff Zahn

In 1996 our team was going through a period when they were not playing well. The effort was certainly there but the players were getting frustrated because we were struggling to beat teams we knew we should beat. I finally remembered an article written by Pat Harrison who at that time was the head coach at Ole Miss. Read More

November-December Issues

Attributes of great Hitters: Don Slaught

What sets great hitters apart is their ability to adjust to speeds and locations better than anyone else.Simply put, world class players like Lisa Fernandez, Jessica Mendoza, Dot Richardson, Chrystl Bustos, Caitlin Lowe and Natasha Watley can cover a wider variety pitches from a wider variety of pitchers. They accomplish this with both mental and physical adjustments. They possess not only great mechanics but a deep database and a solid approach for any given situation.  Read  More   

Essential Exercises, Javair Gillett

 Baseball is such a dynamic sport that involves complex communication within the body making it difficult to pinpoint a few exercises that all baseball players should be doing. An exercise that might be essential for one athlete may not be good for another. Individualization is important and you need to pick the 5 exercises that work best for you.  Read More

Sept-Oct Champions Issues

WHAT A RIDE : Ken Guthrie

Well summer is finally over and it’s almost time to watch the legends of the fall on TV. Soon the leaves will change and that’s my sign to head for the woods. Although, there still is some hardball to be found throughout fall leagues and such. I’m certain I’ll catch a few innings here and there but only as an observer. It’s a confusing time for all coaches after a season. You don’t know whether to be glad it’s over or to be excited about what is around the corner. Read More

July-August World Series Issue

Success Engine: Geoff Zahn

    The cornerstone to successful pitching strategy is the ‘Will to Win’. Every time a pitcher thinks about pitching, picks up a ball to throw, or walks out between the lines, he must have an attitude of preparing to win and of doing all he can to win. Next comes the foundation to successful pitching strategy which is illustrated by the ‘Hedgehog Concept’. A pitcher’s hedgehog concept is made up of the intersecting of three circleS Read More

   Are You Loose?: Javair Gillett 

   How do the world’s best athletes achieve such a high level of performance? Well, as I once heard one of our great pioneers in Strength and Conditioning for baseball, Houston Astros Strength and Conditioning Coach, Gene Coleman say, "If you are one of the lucky ones, thank your parents!" Whether or not you inherit the natural talent and athleticism to play baseball at the highest levels, the first step toward achieving world class performance is to practice consistently and practice hard. The second step is to develop a progressive, athletic conditioning routine using movements specific to the sport. Read More

May-June Issue Of AABC Baseball

Tiger Workout: Javier Gillett: Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Detroit Tigers

   Building a strong base is the most essential aspect of athletic performance enhancement. Motor development begins the moment we are born and continues throughout our lives. Our body is constantly sending messages to our brain to control and coordinate fine motor skills we have come to take for granted. From small movements like writing your name on a piece of paper to larger ones like walking, our body has trained itself to perform familiar, daily tasks. As an athlete, movement is much more complicated. Balance, body control, and coordination become more difficult and the body must become accustomed to quick, unanticipated changes in its center of gravity. Improving balance, coordination, and body control is the first and most important step in developing a better athlete. Read More

The Road to the Show (Part 2):Former MLB Pitcher and Lemoyne College Pitching Coach Scott Cassidy:

    I had accepted a scholarship to play ball at the University of South Carolina at Aiken. It was a strong division II school that was nationally ranked and had gone to the division II World Series the previous year. I was excited and ready to pitch. After going through the fall season I was feeling pretty good about the spring. After a great Christmas break I was ready to get out of the snow and start our season down in sunny South Carolina. Read More

Baseball in the Raw:   Edward Daniel with Carl Jensen

   Cuba is a land of extremes - beauty and decay, happiness and unvented frustration, baseball and all else. Cuba has a rich history of Major League Baseball players. Cuban born players began appearing in the National League as early as 1911, with 2nd baseman Rafael Almeida and outfielder Armando Marsans (both with the Cincinnati Reds). Each made their 1st appearance on the 4th of July that summer. Read More

March-April Issue of AABC Baseball

The Road to the Show (part 1): Former MLB Pitcher and Lemoyne College Pitching Coach Scott Cassidy:

   Baseball has been a part of my life since I was a child. It has been my passion and I have been fortunate enough to have made a career out of it. That does not mean it has been an easy journey, and there have been many bumps in the road that I needed to overcome but in the end it was well worth the struggle. My baseball path has gone from t-ball to high school to college to the minors to the big leagues and now to coaching. Along the way I have learned a lot, not only about the ins and outs of the game but also about hard work and commitment. Read More

The 3 Most Important rules of Coaching: Oregon State Head Coach Kirk Walker:

   I am often asked to give young coaches my best coaching advice and it always causes me to pause. First of all, I think… who am I to give advice. Then I spend several minutes ponder the most important teaching technique that I have learned or the drill that I have used in my coaching time, or the strategy that resulted in more wins. And in the end I always come back to the most simple clear advice that I ever received when I was a young coach. Read More