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Straight From the "Big Leagues"
"Straight From the Big Leagues" by Josh Tyler, Director - Big Leagues Academy
Josh Tyler spent the better part of the '90s and early '00's playing professional baseball, a nine-year pro player. Josh was also 1994 Big East Player of the Year from the University of Pittsburgh, a GTE Academic All-American, 1997 All-East Player, and Bux-Mont Player of the Year. Josh has seen it all.
He brings his unique expertise and many baseball perspectives to the exclusive insights he provides Upper Makefield Youth Baseball and Softball. Josh will periodically provide his views and learnings for the benefit of our league.
In each issue, Josh shares his views for the league's coaches and parents.
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Summer Issue - Baseball's Not Just for Summer Anymore
With most sports these days, the opportunity to play year round is becoming easier and more readily available. A common question asked of me is, “When should “Johnny” concentrate on only one sport?” Or “How much is too much?” Both are great questions.
My philosophy on playing multiple sports is simple. Play as many sports as possible for as long as you can and as long as you still find enjoyment in it. Unfortunately at the High School level gone are the days of the 3 or sometimes even the 2 sport athlete. I believe kids should be introduced to and try as many sports as they want, commit to it, and at the end of the season you realize you don’t like it, then cross it off the bucket list. The benefits kids can get from different sports are more than just the athletic and health benefits, they are introduced to new kids, coaches, disciplines and more. This leads me right into the next question, how much is too much?
Here at Big Leagues we do offer fall and winter programming for the community, the main focus of our fall program is instruction and repetition. This allows us to hone in on the players skill set and refine and improve them. It may sound then hypocritical after I recommended kids play as many sports possible. Let me explain, we treat the fall as a time for a few different groups of athletes:
1. 1.) The child new to the sport of baseball or softball looking for a non-intimidating, relaxed atmosphere to learn the game and skills
2. 2.) The child who has the passion for baseball or softball and enjoys it so much they are looking for that extra edge and training to hopefully move up next year.
3. 3.) The child who enjoys being around the game and their friends, and baseball or softball is a great outlet for them.
This is consistent with our philosophy and mission. In no way do want kids to give up other sports to play only baseball or softball. In fact we want the opposite but we know there are those cases where having a good positive experience in sport and staying active is key.
So as we approach the fall season remember to keep having fun and give those arms a rest. If your arm is tired, don’t throw, work on your hitting or fielding or catching. If you pitched in the spring and summer, take some down time from the mound in the fall or pitch less and drill more. If you didn’t pitch in the spring and summer and you have always thought about it, then the fall is a perfect time to try it. Baseball is a game of consistent quality repetitions, use this time in the fall to get those repetitions and have FUN! Try new positions and experiment with your swing. Because of the relaxed atmosphere of the fall, the biggest gains can be made.
June Issue - Choosing the Right Bat
Finding the proper weapon.
At first glance you may think you are on the wrong website, but fear not, you are home at Upper Makefield. When our instructors and I speak about the players bats, we always refer to them as weapons considering we want the kids to inflict damage, and by damage we mean runs.
I just finished up giving a lesson to a 15 year old boy. Now he is 15 but stands 6’1” and weighs about 180 pounds and is strong as an ox. After working with him for a few swings I noticed how the bat looked “small” in his hands. I asked him what size bat are you using? He replied 32. (referring to the length of the bat). I said excellent! Why? Here is a boy who is physically as strong as most seniors in high school if not kids in college and is swinging what some people refer to as a “small” bat. Here is the kicker, it’s the perfect size, and his hand speed and control of the bat were phenomenal.
Too many times over the last few years I constantly see kids trying to use the bigger bat. We here at Big Leagues constantly preach it’s not the size of the bat, but how you handle it and it’s true. I see kids struggle with 33 or 34 inch bats yet they are too proud to drop down to a 32 or even 31 inch bat. Well let me tell you something about 32 inch bats.
Barry Bonds, currently the all-time home run hitter (regardless of accusations) used anywhere from a 32.5 inch bat to a 33.5 inch bat. Watch closely and you will notice though that Barry Bonds always choked up, taking a good inch off the bat. This gave him superior bat control and speed. Tony Gywnn arguably one of the greatest hitters of all time used a 32.5 inch bat and was also known to choke up a majority of the time. These were two grown men swinging bats smaller than I see some high school and college kids swinging today. Ok, I am sure someone will mention Babe Ruth and the size and weight of the bats he used. Let’s also remember he was a FREAK OF NATURE! The man lived on hot dogs and other various meats and loved his beverages and could still hit and pitch with the best; in fact he was the best. But abnormalities aside, many of today’s successful hitters are realizing the importance of bat size and weight.
Studies actually show that the optimal weight for a bat could be between 18-25 ounces, now wood bats cannot be made that light but it shows the faster you can get the bat through the zone, the more damage you can inflict.
We are asked a lot what size bat to buy. It’s a tough question to answer. My best advice is to try a couple out, whether it is your friends or teammates and also feel the bat in your hands at the store. Also the younger you are try not to be tempted by the 300 or 400 dollar bats, the kids grow out of them so fast you can get a bat just as good and not spend a car payment on it.
So let’s review. Make sure when you pick your bat it is one you can get through the hitting zone quickly. Don’t worry if it is not big enough, make sure it is right for you. We would rather see excellent bat speed than a slow “log” being dragged through the zone! See you this summer.
“Your success is limited only by your desire”- Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum Wrapper I opened on my first day in professional baseball. Powerful words that have stuck with me ever since.
May Issue - The Game Within...DEFENSE
The Game within…..
Over the past few weeks I have been seeing a lot of baseball and softball. To me it is obvious the one skill that stands out among the teams and players that succeed and the ones who don’t, DEFENSE.
You have heard it before, “Don’t give the other team extra outs, know where you are going with the ball before it is hit, hit your teammate in the chest”. Good advice with good intentions, but sometimes what does that exactly mean or how do I do that?
During my career I played every position possible, in fact one game I played all nine and somehow by an act of God recorded the victory on the mound. Some days I would catch, some days play the outfield, another day shortstop and then yet another day… the bench. To this day I know that versatility is what kept me in the game so long and it also helped me keep my “head in the game” too. I would constantly play a game with myself prior to the pitch being thrown imagining what I would do with the ball if:
- It was hit to me on the ground
- If I caught a line drive
- If it was hit to my left or right
- If the batter bunted
- If the batter hit the ball in another part of the field, where did I have to be
All of these scenarios would constantly being going through my head. I encourage kids of all levels to do the same, and know your limits.
For example a young player just starting out would think about:
- If the ball is hit to me on the ground I want to keep my head up, butt down, glove out in front, so when the ground ball is actually hit, the young player will perform naturally without even thinking
An older player may say:
- If the ball is hit to my left I am going to throw the ball to 2nd if it is hit to my right I am going to step on the bag at third and throw to first.
All of this “game play” will help you stay in the game. That is very important, as I have said before baseball is a game of waiting. You stand around waiting for the pitch, waiting for the ball to be hit, waiting for your time up at the plate, waiting for the ice cream treat after the game….. oops sorry I digress” Anyway, this can help every player at every age stay in the game.
Now sometimes the player will be, and should be, helped by the Coach, especially at the younger levels. But we can also use those situations as great learning experiences. For example, a player may execute a defensive play during a game and it will be the wrong play, ok, it happens, but what happens in between innings or at the end of the game can be a big turning point in the development of the player. I encourage coaches to pull the player aside when you can have their full attention and ask “Josh, last inning you threw the ball to second base, you were thinking that was the correct play why?” and then let them speak, after they answer I love coaches who say “Great I love that you were thinking and had a plan, next time lets try this _____ “ and then explain why. This shows the athlete you were proud of them for thinking ahead and gives you an opportunity to teach them the right play in a positive environment.
You will hear me say that almost every time I post an article. Positive Re-Enforcement! Over the years I have seen a lot more accomplished with praise, than with punishment. It may not have been the way most of the coaches these days were coached, we all know the stories of the coaches “back in the day” that would scream, restrict water breaks, throw equipment and more. I believe times have changed and changed for the better, be positive and positive things will happen
So remember everyone, play the game within the game (wow that sounded deep), because when you know what you are going to do with the ball before it is even hit to you it makes it easier to make a good throw, hit your teammate in the chest and get the out (which stops your opponent from getting an “extra” out). This is a skill set we constantly drill the kids on at our summer camps and clinics.
Finally with Mother’s Day this month make sure to thank your biggest fan, Mom. From the car rides, to the band aids, to the pep talks and yes, the ice cream, your Mom always knows how to make you feel better, let her know you appreciate that.
Happy Mother’s Day and don’t forget the sunscreen (especially those with the lack of hair on their head like myself!)
April Issue - "I'm Too Old for the Tee..."
Ok, by this time I am sure many of you have heard about the benefits of using the tee. But many of our kids and some coaches do not see the benefit. To me a good quality tee, somewhere between 50-80 dollars is the best investment one can make in their baseball skills development.
I see aluminum bats going for $400 or more and fielding gloves going for $250 or more, cleats over $100, batting gloves, sunglasses and the list goes on and on. Now I am as big as a believer in looking good to play good as the next guy. My shoes were always clean, shined, my uniform to the best Clorox bleach could deliver, spotless, but at the end of the day the piece of equipment or uniform I found to be most beneficial?? My tee. Even after I retired my tee had a nice clean spot in my garage until I passed it down to one of my nephews. So josh, what are you trying to say? Let me put it this way.
Everyone loves to hit, many believe it to be the best part of the game. The irony however is games are won by pitching, defense, throwing the ball and catching the ball. Seems simple, but as we all know it can be very difficult. I believe not enough time these days are spent on the fielding and team defense part of the game, but that is for another column.
Getting back to hitting, since we all want to do it all of the time, lets make the most of it and use the tee. I can get an athlete 100 or more quality swings from a tee and be able to get that athlete closer to his/her ultimate goal, and that is a consistent, sound swing, time after time.
Hitting off a tee is great. It would be safe to say 70% of my swings I took during practice and extra work was off a tee. I would get to the ballpark early everyday (and my wife can attest to that because she would say your game is not till 7pm, why are you going at 12:30??) to take at least a bucket full of swings off the tee.
Why?
- I never had to worry if it was a ball or a strike.
- I never had to worry if it was a fastball, curveball, slider or change-up.
- I never had to worry about the situation at-bat.
All I had to worry about was laying a good consistent swing on the ball, keeping my head down and looking at the top of the tee after I struck the ball and finishing my swing. Again sounds simple, but it is not as we all know. Like the game of baseball, hitting off a tee can get boring, repetitious, mundane, but, again that is baseball. It is the game of “hurry up and wait”. We wait for our turn at bat, we pray a ball is hit to us in the field, we wait and wait some more and in the end we hope to develop patience ( a life long lesson).
I see a lot of kids using a tee, but using it incorrectly. To them it is a race, how fast can I hit the ball, reach down replace it and swing again. Let me give you three simple steps to make this tool the most effective piece of your training regime.
1. Always look out and visualize a pitcher standing there before you change your focus on the ball and take a swing.
2. Keep your eyes looking at the top of the tee when you are finished hitting the ball, do not look up. Statistics show if you keep your head down you can raise your average 30-100 points.
3. Do not stand too far away from the tee. As a rule of thumb when you work off the tee a majority of your swings will be trying to hit the ball up the middle. To do this you would like your lead foot to finish (after your stride) in line with the “stalk” of the tee. I always encourage kids to use the tee to drive the ball up the middle and the otherway.
BONUS: to drive the ball the other way. Set up the tee in the middle of your body. Meaning the “stalk” of the tee should divide your stance in half. Take your normal stride, straight out towards the pitcher and work on hitting the ball “deeper” in the hitting zone, hence driving it the other direction (to right field for a right handed batter, and to left field for a left handed batter)
Following these simple steps can help accelerate your game faster than hitting off a machine or taking live pitching. Jimmy Rollins and Alex Rodriguez both attribute their “slump busting” techniques to hitting off of a tee for hours. So before you discount that tee as something only little kids use, think again, it’s your best friend and can make help you become the best hitter possible.
In closing I wanted to make you aware we are holding a summer camp at the SOL Feinstone fields this year, June 28th-July2nd. A portion of the proceeds from camp this year is being donated to the Miracle League and if you register by April 15th you can save $40 off our registration fee. As always to find out more you can visit our website at www.bigleaguesacademy.com
Have a great kick off to your season and we will see you soon.
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“Your success is limited only by your desire”- Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum Wrapper I opened on my first day in professional baseball. Powerful words that have stuck with me ever since.
March Issue - Parents and Coaches Ask: “What can I do at practice, how should I run the practice, what can I do at home, how can I help?”
This is my first official post here at UMYBL & UMYSL. A writer I am not, but I enjoy communicating the things I have learned or witnessed at our Academy or on the fields and thank you for the opportunity to share.
I repeatedly get asked at Big Leagues, “What can I do at practice, how should I run the practice, what can I do at home, how can I help?” I have some general guidelines that all of our coaches at the Academy follow and I think will help every coach and parent.
The fact that the parents and coaches continually volunteer their time for the best interest of the kids is great. One key thing to remember is not all players have the same mental, physical or fundamental skill or ability level. Therefore, what may work for one child may not work for another, but in the end it is all about being positive.
I love to create a fun atmosphere at practice. I also encourage as much parent/coach participation as available, especially at the younger ages. But more importantly, I want it to be organized with both a practice schedule and outline. We preach positive re-enforcement at the Academy, because even though some kids will respond to negative re-enforcement, ALL kids respond to positive re-enforcement.
Be organized… with both the practice outline and the time schedule.
Be positive (with both your words and body language).
Be enthusiastic.
Encourage players to hustle whenever they are on the field. Discipline is not punishment. Explain to your players and their parents (if the parents are in attendance) exactly what your practice schedule for that particular day will consist of. This information is important to both the players and the parents and brings a degree of credibility to the coach, as well as some structure and control over the practice session.
Now some of you reading this may say, “I am not a coach this does not apply to me”. I disagree, we are all “coaches” as parents, friends, family, mentors, board members and the list goes on and on.
To this day after 30 years of being involved in baseball, the best coaches I ever had were my parents, (and my mom never even stepped on a field). So as we get ready to embark upon another season we here at the Academy wish you all the best of luck and encourage everyone to take advantage of this time with their kids or their kids teammates because we all know life is too short and before you know it your kids are all grown. As the weeks pass by we here at the Academy will send along some tips and drills to help you all during the season.
“Your success is limited only by your desire”- Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum Wrapper I opened on my first day in professional baseball. Powerful words that have stuck with me ever since.
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Baseball and Softball Blogs!
All are invited to submit blogs on all things baseball and softball! News, views, interesting findings, musings...you name it! This is your, everyone's, section on the site!
Please email all blog submissions to Jim D'Arcangelo at jdarcy_1999@yahoo.com.
Please note: all approved submissions will be posted. Blogs containing content not consistent with the tone of the web site are subject to non-approval.
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U-10 and U-12 Mavs Watch Canada Take Olympic Hockey Gold From USA
On February 28th, U-10 and U-12 Mavs Travel teams stopped their practices at Big Leagues Academy to watch the US and Canadian men's hockey teams battle into overtime to determine who would take home the Gold Medal.
Lots of head-holding and groans in the instant Sydney Crosby scored Canada...
Mavs Crew Cuts Competition at Districts
The Magic of John the Barber!
The U11 team journeyed to John's Barber Shop in Newtown to get psyched (and a little more aerodynamic) - and John's magic worked! The Mavs earned big wins against the best in Bucks County and advanced to the State Championships.
A Phresh Perspective
In a Series Where an Inch Meant a Ton, Yankees “Win One for the Shipper”
By James D’Arcangelo, 11/10/09
Every once in a while, much as you hate it, there’s some universal balance and poetic justice when the bad guys win and your team goes home without the trophy. And so it was when the Yankees beat the Phillies this week.
Magnate George Steinbrenner made a lot of money as a Cleveland-then-Tampa-based ship builder. But he earned his fame, and a lot more money, as a dynasty builder in the Bronx, as owner of the New York Yankees. He revolutionized professional sports with the first push to big free agent signings, the push to stadium luxury boxes, the push for his team’s own TV network - and the first pushy owner to be suspended twice by his league commissioner (once, in 1990, he was banned for life for hiring a bookie to dig up dirt on one of his players).
But George is in very poor health and his 80s now, and very immobile (he had to be carted around new Yankee Stadium on Opening Day, an inauspicious-but-poor foreshadowing loss I witnessed), skipping all but a small handful of Yankees games this year. Given all of that, there was a sense of finality and a yearning for celebratory closure at the commencement of the World Series for George and Yankees fans.
George did his part, summoning the strength to be there in Yankee Stadium for the Series start. And, though Steinbrenner could not be present at the end, the Yankees did their part, assuring a championship would be there for him when the Series finished. Surely, whether you love or hate the Yankees and George Steinbrenner, like Derek Jeter, you have to respect him. In the early ‘70s, Steinbrenner bought a moribund Yankees franchise that hadn’t made the play-offs in nearly ten years and a beat up old Yankee Stadium that hadn’t been filled in just about as long. He has added eleven pennants, seven championships, a new stadium, a billion dollars of franchise value and whole lot of swagger to the Yankee franchise. Quite an accomplishment for a shipping guy from Cleveland.
The Series? Well, like all of baseball, the truly deciding games (3 and 4) were decided by a few small inches. And the Phillies fell a few inches short of the foot they wanted to get in the door of the dynasty establishment that a second championship would have brought.
To sum it up:
Game 1 – Cliff Lee nonchalantly shut down the Yankees, and Chase Utley opened up on the Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia with two home runs. Inches? In this one, the Phillies beat the Yankees by a mile.
Game 2 – well, this one was just lost by the Phillies – or, rather, won by the Yankees. A. J. Burnett was Cliff Lee, Part Deux. Pedro Martinez was almost the “old Pedro” of the 90s and early 00’s – but he turned out to be merely old Pedro, good but not good enough. The Phillies met an immovable object and, well, we all know what happens when one hits an immoveable object.
Game 3 – if Cole Hamels had gotten the call on what appeared to be (per the FOX “strike box” graphics) strike three against Mark Texeira and had he thrown a fast ball to pitcher Andy Pettitte (instead of a curve ball), the Phillies probably would have won the game. But he didn’t and they didn’t. Yankees up two games to one and in control.
Game 4 – if Lidge could’ve gotten strike three past Johnny Damon - or if Carlos Ruiz could have held onto that third-strike foul tip by Damon - and ended the Yankees ninth inning, with Phil “I got his autograph when he was a Trenton Thunder player 13 months ago” Coke in Yankees bullpen, it’s safe to say the Phillies might well have won.
An inch here, a different pitch there, the Phillies could have been up 3-1, but were down 3-1. Though the Phillies came back to win Game 5 on the back, or, really, the swing of Chase Utley and his World Series-record-tying fourth and fifth home runs, the Series was effectively over. Back in New York, Game 6 was a formality as the Yankees romped, making the Phillies’ pitcher Pedro Martinez look like their grand-daddy. The Phillies’ reign of champions was over. The Yankees’ rain of champagne for George Steinbrenner and their fans had begun.
Begrudgingly, I say “Good for the Yankees.” And good for the old Yankee Shipper. George, this one’s for you. You earned it.
Are you Planning to Play Fall Baseball?
