Posts Tagged ‘Baseball’

by The Library of Congress

[Pete Shields, catcher in spring training with Cleveland AL (baseball)] (LOC)


Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

[Pete Shields, catcher in spring training with Cleveland AL (baseball)]

1913 Mar. 31.

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Original data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards: Shields, Cleve, 3/31/13.
Corrected title based on research by the Pictorial History Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 2006.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.12643

Call Number: LC-B2- 2650-6

As a coach committed to continuous improvement, I share my baseball drills, tips, and techniques here so that you will, in turn, inspire and motivate young players to improve their game.

So let’s get started.

The Problem:  “Rolling the wrist at contact”

Have you ever wondered what happens to the bat when the wrists roll? The bat head rolls. I’ve seen this happen hundreds of times during my 30 years in baseball coaching.  Hitters who make beautiful contact with the ball and then turn the hit into a grounder because they rolled the bat head too early.  Yet the remedy is so simple!

The Super 8 Hitting System Solution: Coach Joe’s “Under-Under Rule.”

First, take a quick inventory of your baseball hitting mechanics. On contact, the top hand should be under the bat. Open up the hand on the bat when it is at the point of contact. It should be under the bat with palm up.
Following contact, the bat head should travel to its forward extension, and the top hand should still be under the bat. Check it out. Open up the hand. It should still be under the bat with palm up.
The only time the wrists should roll is when the bat is brought back to the opposite shoulder following the forward extension of the bat after contact. Keep the bat head in line with the stroke and don’t allow it to roll.
When making contact, keep the barrel of the bat constant before, during, and after contact. Otherwise, the ball will escape.

Coach’s Corner Extra Tip: Here is another way to keep the hands in check. The knocking knuckles of the top hand always face the pitch on contact and never face down as the bat goes into extension.

Related Baseball Articles

[Bugs Raymond, New York, NL (baseball)] (LOC)


Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

[Bugs Raymond, New York, NL (baseball)]

[1911]

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Original data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards: Bugs Raymond, Baseball.
Corrected title and date based on research by the Pictorial History Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 2006.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09151

Call Number: LC-B2- 2191-13

College baseball reconsiders murky rule on agents
Albert Minnis didn’t expect to be labeled an NCAA rulebreaker when he shared the name of his legal adviser with the Atlanta Braves and other Major League Baseball clubs.
Read more on WTOL 11 Toledo

College baseball reconsiders murky rule on agents
Albert Minnis didn’t expect to be labeled an NCAA rulebreaker when he shared the name of his legal adviser with the Atlanta Braves and other Major League Baseball clubs.
Read more on KMPH – KFRE Central San Joaquin Valley

College baseball reconsiders murky rule on agents
Albert Minnis didn’t expect to be labeled an NCAA rulebreaker when he shared the name of his legal adviser with the Atlanta Braves and other Major League Baseball clubs.
Read more on WBOC Salisbury

Baseball standings
Major League Baseball standings on Friday AMERICAN LEAGUE EASTERN DIVISION
Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Sport

Baseball fails to sustain momentum against Missouri State
The Jayhawks lost 5-1 to the Bears Tuesday.
Read more on University Daily Kansan

Moses leads Tracy baseball to blowout win
Kyle Moses was 3 for 4 with a triple and three RBIs as the Tracy High baseball team beat Franklin 11-0 in the San Joaquin Athletic Association.The game was called because of the mercy rule after Tracy scored four in the sixth inning.
Read more on Tri-Valley Herald

Baseball: Falcons try to stay positive amidst losses
Liberty goes 0-10 in non-league games ahead of its NWOC opener Tuesday at Sherwood.
Read more on The Hillsboro Argus

DN baseball squad wins at Brookings
The Del Norte High varsity baseball team earned a 5-3 victory at Brookings-Harbor on Thursday to improve to 2-0 for the season. Del Norte received a strong performance by senior Layton O’Reilley. He pitched five innings and had 11 strikeouts with two walks and gave up three runs. At the plate he went 2-for-2 with two doubles, two walks and two runs. Del Norte took a 3-0 lead after the top of the …
Read more on The Daily Triplicate

by The Library of Congress

[Danny Moeller, Washington AL (baseball)] (LOC)


Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

[Danny Moeller, Washington AL (baseball)]

[1913]

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Original data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards: Moeller – Wash.
Corrected title and date based on research by the Pictorial History Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 2006.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.12168

Call Number: LC-B2- 2591-1

Baseball’s best hitters are considered “tough to strike out.”  These are players with a strikeout ratio of 10 percent or less. They, and their coaches, know that a strike out gives us NO chance to help our team.  By not putting the ball in play, we give the defense their easiest out.

No Fear. While no one has to be convinced that a strike out hurts the team’s chances of winning, we cannot fear the strike out.  We must not let it affect our boldness when we come up to bat.  We should hate it, despise it, avoid it like the plague, but NEVER fear it.  Know that every time we come to bat, we will make SUPER CONTACT.

The Importance of Confidence. No matter what batting drills we put in place, if a hitter doesn’t have confidence, his or her chances of making powerful contact are slim. So, above all, coaches must develop techniques that build a player’s confidence.  Confidence can completely eliminate a strike out. And no other technique for instilling confidence works better than by offering consistent and genuine words of encouragement, and, by instilling a competitive spirit into practices.  By making practices competitive, coaches can simulate the pressures players face during games. This helps players adjust to dealing with pressure and can be helpful in many of life’s daily interactions, including intense baseball games.

Biggest Secret to Eliminating a Strike Out.  Once confidence is instilled, try my proven technique for eliminating the strike out.  In fact, by consistently practicing this method, your baseball player will improve his/her ability to put the ball in play over 90 percent of the time!  It is called the “drive action” and is featured in many of my free instructional videos, as well as my Super 8 Baseball Hitting System.  The drive action is short, direct, and will immediately improve contact.  Here’s how:

Position player into a “45º drive position.”
Before initiating stroke, rotate hips half way to pitcher.
For right-handed batter, point knob of bat and belly button where the second baseman position.

Then all the hitter needs to do is to snap the bat on the ball.

Three advantages happen immediately:

Batter sees the ball better: better read for ball movement.
Movement of the hips is minimized because batter is already in one-half a pivot.  This makes the stroke extremely short and quick.  The body has completed its role.  From here, the hands just snap the bat.
Hands now go directly to the pitch in a straight line, linear to the pitch.

Seeing the ball should be twice as easy for the hitter, eliminating “swing and miss” of the pitch, outside and inside the strike zone.

For a visual demonstration of the “drive action” hitting drill, visit our Web site at http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com.

The 2011 Southeastern Louisiana University Baseball Pre-Season Video
Video Rating: 5 / 5

by The Library of Congress

[Danny Moeller, Washington AL (baseball)] (LOC)


Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

[Danny Moeller, Washington AL (baseball)]

[1913]

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Original data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards: Moeller – Wash.
Corrected title and date based on research by the Pictorial History Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 2006.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.12168

Call Number: LC-B2- 2591-1

Baseball’s best hitters are considered “tough to strike out.”  These are players with a strikeout ratio of 10 percent or less. They, and their coaches, know that a strike out gives us NO chance to help our team.  By not putting the ball in play, we give the defense their easiest out.

No Fear. While no one has to be convinced that a strike out hurts the team’s chances of winning, we cannot fear the strike out.  We must not let it affect our boldness when we come up to bat.  We should hate it, despise it, avoid it like the plague, but NEVER fear it.  Know that every time we come to bat, we will make SUPER CONTACT.

The Importance of Confidence. No matter what batting drills we put in place, if a hitter doesn’t have confidence, his or her chances of making powerful contact are slim. So, above all, coaches must develop techniques that build a player’s confidence.  Confidence can completely eliminate a strike out. And no other technique for instilling confidence works better than by offering consistent and genuine words of encouragement, and, by instilling a competitive spirit into practices.  By making practices competitive, coaches can simulate the pressures players face during games. This helps players adjust to dealing with pressure and can be helpful in many of life’s daily interactions, including intense baseball games.

Biggest Secret to Eliminating a Strike Out.  Once confidence is instilled, try my proven technique for eliminating the strike out.  In fact, by consistently practicing this method, your baseball player will improve his/her ability to put the ball in play over 90 percent of the time!  It is called the “drive action” and is featured in many of my free instructional videos, as well as my Super 8 Baseball Hitting System.  The drive action is short, direct, and will immediately improve contact.  Here’s how:

Position player into a “45º drive position.”
Before initiating stroke, rotate hips half way to pitcher.
For right-handed batter, point knob of bat and belly button where the second baseman position.

Then all the hitter needs to do is to snap the bat on the ball.

Three advantages happen immediately:

Batter sees the ball better: better read for ball movement.
Movement of the hips is minimized because batter is already in one-half a pivot.  This makes the stroke extremely short and quick.  The body has completed its role.  From here, the hands just snap the bat.
Hands now go directly to the pitch in a straight line, linear to the pitch.

Seeing the ball should be twice as easy for the hitter, eliminating “swing and miss” of the pitch, outside and inside the strike zone.

For a visual demonstration of the “drive action” hitting drill, visit our Web site at http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com.

by State Library and Archives of Florida

[Art Fletcher (New York NL) prior to the World Series at the Polo Grounds, NY, 1911 (baseball)] (LOC)


Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

[Art Fletcher (New York NL) prior to the World Series at the Polo Grounds, NY, 1911 (baseball)]

[1911]

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Original data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards: Fletcher, Giants, 1912.
Corrected title and date based on research by the Pictorial History Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 2006.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Subjects:
Baseball

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.10329

Call Number: LC-B2- 2389-10

Betting on baseball games is fun and simple. Many people like watching the game for the excitement and also enjoy playing the sports. However, the good news is that you need not have to be an expert player in baseball in order for you to be successful in baseball betting.

As a new baseball bettor, you just need to take note of certain things and stay with the easy type of bets such as money line bet before advancing into higher profits bets. Your aim should be to win at least 60% of the time and win constantly.

Read on to discover some of the must know tips for a new baseball bettor.

Tip #1 – Avoid placing bets on your supported/favorite teams

I believe that you are into baseball betting is also primarily because you are a baseball fan and had been watching the game for a long time and it is time to gain more benefits from it. Yet, do not bet on your favorite team to prevent your emotions from overcoming your logical mind.

Tip #2 – Have a fixed budget for betting

Besides being able to choose the right type of betting system for yourself, you need to also take care of your own finances. Set aside a sum of money for your betting needs. Preferably, not more than 10% of your monthly paycheck.

Tip #3 – Place bets on the lower leagues

Instead of concentrating betting on MLB games, you might want to consider to bet on the semi-pro baseball leagues where their playing trends are more consistent.

So, good luck in achieving success in betting on baseball games!

by The Library of Congress

As a young, impressionable, and very eager baseball player, I listened to every word my coaches had to say.  As years passed and my game improved, however, I began to develop smarter ways of hitting a baseball—using techniques that would increase my hitting power and speed.  Ultimately, my newfound knowledge led me to a successful career in the minors and a fantastic career as the head baseball coach at Division I Tulane University. 

Now I share my proven baseball hitting tips with others in the Super 8 Hitting System.  Super 8 shatters misconceptions about keeping the back elbow up, stride, hand position, stance, and more; and offers easy, memorable batting techniques that will significantly improve your batting average.  In fact, the Super 8 has sent 45 players to the major leagues!

As a bonus, I’ve developed a series of free instructional training videos and articles to get you started.  Just visit out our Web site to learn more at http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com.

Before you go, check out these tips below on how to use hands correctly when hitting a baseball.

I heard one former professional player explain that a baseball player’s bottom hand is the dominant hand on the bat. His explanation for this was that if we hit the ball with only one hand on the bat, we would use the bottom hand. Therefore, it is the dominant hand. That sounds logical. But there is only one problem. We do not hit with only one hand. We use both hands to hit.

The bottom hand’s job is to carry the bat to the ball. The top hand fires the bat head in a snapping action to make contact.

When hammering, a right-hander uses his right hand to hold the hammer. This is his dominant hand. We don’t need both hands on the hammer. It is a short lever.

By comparison, what about the ax? It is a long lever. We need both hands. We need both hands on the bat because it is a long lever.

Here are the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of instruction.  Is there…

Club head accuracy (Is there good contact?)
Club head velocity (Does the bat-head move with good speed through the
Complete stroke? Does it compete with good pitch velocity?)
Timing (Does the club head arrive in the contact zone at the exact moment of contact?) Timing will be difficult if the stroke is too long.

In addition, check to determine if the hands are correctly in front of the plate at contact as opposed to over the plate.

During batting practice, a good hitter should achieve at least 70-80% hard hits. No pops, no chops. He feels strong, quick, and is not over powered by hard pitching.

Final Word

The objective in hitting is to be quick with a compact stroke, making full use of body action to support the stroke. Because hitting is a reaction skill, it is important that a batter is quick so that he does not have to hurry. If he has to hurry to hit the fastball, he cannot adjust to hit the slower speed (curve balls, change-ups, etc.).

A great principle for hitting therefore is the following:

“Short to the ball—get long”

This means that we do not swing the bat to hit the ball. We drive the bat to contact, and then the bat swings.

More Baseball Articles

Yankees, Mets, Phillies … Superbas? How Major League Baseball teams got their nickname
Did you ever wonder where Major League Baseball teams got their nicknames from? So did we, so after checking out various sources, from Wikipedia to MLB.com, we’ve come up with something resembling an unofficial guide to team names.
Read more on The Troy Record

5A Continental baseball: Highlands Ranch persona strong coming into league
Highlands Ranch is drooling for another chance to get back to the state baseball playoffs.
Read more on Lone Tree Voice

Yankees, Mets, Tigers … Superbas? How Major League Baseball teams got their nicknames
Did you ever wonder where Major League Baseball teams got their nicknames from? So did we, so after checking out various sources, from Wikipedia to MLB.com, we’ve come up with something resembling an unofficial guide to team names.
Read more on Macomb Daily

by The Library of Congress

Baseball training aids can be costly and not assist the player being taught the game. This can be because a lot of individuals attempt to make money off America’s game because it is so popular. Everyone involved in the game should remember that a lot coaches and training aids are there to make money and do not have enough experience to teach the game of baseball.

The most important part of coaching is to know the basics of throwing, pitching, catching and hitting. When these basics are overlooked, the performance of the player suffers and lots of money is wasted on inappropriate instruction. Each position on the field has different techniques that have to be considered and taught.

Beginning players need to know the basic techniques and master those techniques before moving on to advanced skills. Spending many money on personal coaching or training aids that does not improve the performance of the player on the field will only frustrate the player.

Even and if the coach has played on the highest levels of baseball, it does not mean that they have mastered the art of teaching the game to others. When a person spends lots of money on something, then they expect to see the results. This includes personnel coaching.

It is crucial for the coach or training equipment to be qualified to teach baseball. This can be easily done with research or inquiring from others who have used the coach or equipment before. When it comes to money for lessons, then individuals should pay attention to the value they will get from the expense.

Quite a lot of non-experienced coaches are out there to just make a few bucks and aren’t passionate about the performance of their students. No one performs better when being taught by an individual or something that does not have the experience, knowledge and proven results.

Each league that decides on who will coach each team will need to consider the experience of the coach. This isn’t a trouble-free task and could be taken seriously by the board of the league. If the wrong coach is found for a team the players will be disheartened or become frustrated.

The baseball training aids involved in teaching young players should always be the most experienced and qualified individuals found and not just people who are willing to volunteer. The league should teach the coaches as much as instruct the players to make the game of baseball enjoyable for everyone involved.