I would be interested in seeing the thoughts of all of you on how the game should be played the Right Way. Post a tip, pet peeve, or other comment that may be helpful to the many HS players who log on BGP to catch up on the scores. Maybe they and the rest of us will learn something.

 

First one: In an RBI situation look for the first good pitch you can drive, and attack it. You are unlikely to see another good one, especially from a decent pitcher who recognizes he just served up a mistake.

I would be interested in seeing the thoughts of all of you on how the game should be played the Right Way. Post a tip, pet peeve, or other comment that may be helpful to the many HS players who log on BGP to catch up on the scores. Maybe they and the rest of us will learn something.

 

First one: In an RBI situation look for the first good pitch you can drive, and attack it. You are unlikely to see another good one, especially from a decent pitcher who recognizes he just served up a mistake.

 

IMHO the best advice I can give any High School player is to have fun... It is the one thing that I don't see a lot from the players today. Now understand I not talking about not working or practicing hard, nor am I talking about screwing arourd, or not paying attention. What I am talking about is not, letting it ruin your life, or make you think less of yourself as a person. Playing sports is fun, so have some when you are on that Diamond......

Well I agree with the above statement, have fun and enjoy the experience of playing a great team sport.

 

As for a tip? Having watched enough baseball over the years, I think a lot of players might get caught up getting the big RBI hit or home run. Those are very nice, but I would say learn how to do the little things. Bunting, hitting the ball to the right side to get that runner to third or making contact to get runners over and in.

 

Watching baseball at any level, it's amazing how many times the little things, fundamentals, are what end up deciding a game more often than not.

We need to stop using the phrase "just have fun". It is not a very accurate and becomes a misleading statement. Now before this goes further and people get all redfaced over what I just put let me explain I agree that sports should be fun. We need to take another path to getting to that and explain it better.

 

By saying "just have fun" the players start thinking that joking around is what fun is. High school age kids are much more immature overall in today's society and they have a poorer work ethic.

 

We need to stress to players knowing the difference between mature fun and immature fun. Both are good but they have their place and we need to teach when each one is appropriate.

 

Immature fun is when you just joke around and tell jokes and not take things serious. There is nothing wrong with having this type of fun. It is wrong when you are in practice and displaying this type of behavior.

 

Mature fun is working hard in practice to make yourself better. You take your skills both mentally and physically and improve them. It is fun to see yourself and your teammates get better and achieve a goal. Your work your butt off in the preseason, grind it out during the regular season and then you win the district title, regional title and whatever else you can win.

Playing the game the right way? Well in my opinion there is only one way to play the game, and that's play hard all the time. Yes, there is certainly players who have far more talent than others, but the one thing that I have always stressed, it doesn't take talent to HUSTLE. Nothing bothers me more than to see kids walking on and off the field.

Excellent questions WG37.....You know we've had many discussions, on Baseball and approach.

 

1) Come to the field Mentally Prepared. Understand your role, position and start during warm-ups, continuing through infield.

 

2) Maintain Positive Approach....Both when batting and fielding. Far too often, I see players taking a negative with them to the field, after not getting a hit.

 

3) Work Hard....one of my favorite phrases, "practice like you play and play like you practice"....Don't assume, you can give 110% in a game, if you haven't in a practice.

 

4) Two Strike Approach....Spread out, choke up, shorten swing and put the ball in play, rather than long swing.

 

5) Tip....Ball in middle half and outside of plate, think "middle and opposite" field. Don't try to pull a ball, which should be hit up middle or away.

This is the first year I've covered baseball, but the thing I see most are kids not paying attention to the game and what is going on around them. I have heard of kids on their cell phones in the dugout:madman:

 

Pay attention to what is going on in the field. You may be able to learn something to help out with your game!!

Understand first and foremost that baseball is a more cerebral game than most are taught as children. Every pitch, every movement, every action requires thought and reaction from every position. I'm with S3, prepare, prepare, prepare, AND , play the game with passion.

One of the best threads you could have in High School baseball. Playing baseball at a High level( this includes High School Ball) takes a dedicated athlete. The right way:

1. Play for the name on front of Jersey not the back

2. Fun is playing competively and competing

3. Losing is not fun

4. Working is a term in baseball but it takes working on baseball skills 12 months out of the year to be good player. Not many kids will pay the price to really be as good as they can be.

5.Love of the game is paramount in becoming as good as you can be.

6.Between the lines you are competing with the other team ONLY, not

your team mates.

7.Goal should be to be the dirtiest player leaving the field.

8.Lead by example not mouth. Always know younger players are watching and respect what game has given you. Great players are self made by working on game by themselves when no one is watching.

9.You EARN everything yourself by the way you play and carry yourself nothing is free.

10. If you want respect from other players and coaches Earn it.

11. Winning is not LUCK it is all the hours of practice combined with confidence that seperates the Baseball Players from the kids that play Baseball.

12. Quitting is not an option to the Player, game is never over and Champions know this and will never Quit. Good players want to be in the situation when the game is on the line.

13. fairness is not a word in sports, if you work and get the job done opportunities will arise to succeed. it is not anyones fault if you don't play or can't get it done. Sometimes game passes up skill level of players but remember players can never pass up the game.

 

I see all the time players and parents that expect opportunities to be given for this reason or that but in High School sports its not Little League where everybody plays. There is a difference in the kids that play the game how it should be played and the kids that just want to play.

Excellent questions WG37.....You know we've had many discussions, on Baseball and approach.

 

1) Come to the field Mentally Prepared. Understand your role, position and start during warm-ups, continuing through infield.

 

2) Maintain Positive Approach....Both when batting and fielding. Far too often, I see players taking a negative with them to the field, after not getting a hit.

:thumb:

 

This stuff bothers me the most.

Im bothered when a coach forces his team to take the first pitch every at bat. Why ? The first pitch is often the best you will see. Why let a fastball go by for a strike just for the sake of not swinging ?

It's a game...teach these kids the fundamentals..base running,hitting the cut-of man,who covers 2nd depending on whether a right or lefty is up,how to hit to the right side with a runner on 2nd or 2nd and 3rd,etc,etc...

But MOST IMPORTANTLY...HAVE FUN...the teams who have the mot succes are sound in fundamentals,are close friends and understand how to have fun!!

Again..IT'S A GAME..not life or death!

It's a game...teach these kids the fundamentals..base running,hitting the cut-of man,who covers 2nd depending on whether a right or lefty is up,how to hit to the right side with a runner on 2nd or 2nd and 3rd,etc,etc...

But MOST IMPORTANTLY...HAVE FUN...the teams who have the mot succes are sound in fundamentals,are close friends and understand how to have fun!!

Again..IT'S A GAME..not life or death!

 

 

I will ask a question. Are they successful because they are having fun? Or are they having fun because they are successful?

I will ask a question. Are they successful because they are having fun? Or are they having fun because they are successful?

 

I'll answer those questions...yes.

Im bothered when a coach forces his team to take the first pitch every at bat. Why ? The first pitch is often the best you will see. Why let a fastball go by for a strike just for the sake of not swinging ?

 

Depends on how disciplined and mature your hitters are and the situation in the game. I find most hitters are not disciplined. I love to coach against a team eager to hit the first pitch because more often than not we know that and will make them reach. Different strokes for different folks but the best hitters I see at a higher level are very selective when it comes to hitting the first pitch.