Archive for October, 2011
Top Ten Fantasy Baseball Second Basemen for the 2012 Season
Image from Zimbio via Google Images Although most fantasy baseball owners look to first base and the outfield when drafting players to provide offensive punch to their rosters, there are some very viable options in the middle of the infield as well. A common strategy in regard to second base is for owners to forgo the position until the [...]
An Interview with Dr. Raymond J. Petras, B.E., M.A., Ph.D.and His Take on Pain Management
1. What differentiates what you do as compared to a traditional Physical Therapist? PT management commonly includes prescription of or assistance with specific exercises, manual therapy, education, manipulation and other interventions (internet definition). My expertise and present concentration is in the areas of sports performance and non-invasive injury/pain management. There is [...]
Top Ten Fantasy Baseball First Basemen for the 2012 Season
It is often said that you cannot win your fantasy baseball league without a premier player manning first base on your roster. While this may not be entirely true, you may want to consider utilizing a top pick (or keeper slot) on an elite first baseman to solidify your roster. Whether you are in a dynasty league and trying [...]
Valuable Tips so Your Batting Tee is not a Waste of Money
One thing I always ask my baseball and softball students is “How many of you have a batting tee?” and the answer is usually encouraging with a number of hands being raised. I follow that up with “How many of you use your batting tee regularly? To which very few hands shoot up. I admire [...]
Baseball Pitching Tips: How You Hide Your Grip Is Critical!
For something that’s very important, I’m quite surprised hiding your grip isn’t talked about or taught more. How many things can be more detrimental for a pitcher than tipping off his pitches to opposing players and their coaches? Trust me. Players, coaches and managers will look for opposing pitchers that tip off their pitches! For [...]
A Fresh Look Into the Final Four of Baseball (2011)
Written by Rob Bertrand Who would have thought that an ALCS and NLCS without any of baseball’s major market teams would be so exciting? Lots of people actually. As much as the Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox bring to the table in terms of fan following and TV ratings, there is a whole other audience [...]
Baltimore Oriole Reflections – October 2011
The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up another disappointing season a few weeks ago. The team did end the season on a high note as they posted a winning record (15-13) in September. The most memorable moment of the year occurred on the season’s last play as Robert Andino‘s sinking liner to left evaded Carl Crawford‘s glove and knocked the Red Sox [...]
An Update From Buddy Biancalana of PMPM Sports (Zone Training)
Greetings, It’s been another year of wonderful success for many of our clients. We have now worked with athletes in seven professional and 13 amateur sports. We’ve also worked with a few musicians. Following are a few of the success stories from baseball. I am not at liberty to use some client’s names. Philip Humber–Pitcher-Chicago White [...]
A Padres Fan’s Reflection on Baseball and the 2011 Season
Let me make this clear. I love baseball. As a kid growing up the other sports seasons started when baseball ended. If there was no game seven of the World Series, whatever the date the last game of the series was to be played was the end of the baseball season. Yes, I watched the [...]
Catching Up: Top Ten Fantasy Baseball Catchers for the 2012 Season
With the end of the 2011 baseball season comes the preparations for the 2012 fantasy baseball season. It is never too early to get a jump on your competition and start considering your strategy for next year. If you are involved in a dynasty league (or keeper league), all the more reason to review each position and decide on who your [...]
The Hit And Run Play: How To Execute It Perfectly!
Starting at square one, it is the responsibility of the batter to swing at anything, no matter where the pitch is located. If possible, hit the ball to the opposite side, whether it’s toward the second baseman if you are a right-handed hitter or toward the shortstop if you are a left-handed hitter. At the [...]
Interview with Strikeout Apparel
Baseball Reflections (BR): What is Strikeout Apparel? Strikeout Apparel (SA): Strikeout Apparel is a high-quality casual clothing line that unites baseball players and their fans, from Little League to the MLB. We specialize in producing high quality, baseball themed casual garments. We launched our preliminary t-shirt line not too long ago; the first design is [...]
Reflections on the Dodgers: LA Blues Continue
After a horrendous finish to the 2010 season, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti attempted to make the moves that appeared to address some of the Dodgers biggest needs heading into the 2011 season. Joe Torre and his cadre of “old school” coaches were shown the door, Juan Uribe was signed away from the rival World Series [...]
My Interview with Felt Tip Pen Illustrator Extraordinaire Neal Portnoy
I met Neal at Boston Sports Blogapalooza II at the Baseball Tavern in November of 2010 and was fascinated by his work. I have since, with his permission, used one of his illustrations in an article written on the late, great Jackie Robinson. It can be found at the bottom of the article if you [...]
A Video Look Back into the Baseball Career of Michael Jordan
This post made possible by Pro Dunk Hoops basketball goal systems Michael Jordan – 1994-04-07 – White Sox vs. Cubs An interview with Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray (even though Jordan was a member of the White Sox, the other Chicago MLB team). Michael Jordan’s Minor-League-Baseball Career This video includes his first HR, conversation with his AA [...]
The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood, A Book Review
A mention of Mickey Mantle seems to start more arguments about where his rightful place is on the all-time list of greatest baseball players. The Mick has a following unlike almost any player, which is evidenced by fans’ willingness not only to pay top dollar for his baseball memorabilia, but for aspects of his life [...]
GM Theo Epstein Would be a Smart Hire for the Cubs
Multiple sources, including ESPN and The Sporting News, are reporting that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has agreed to a five year deal worth more than $15 million with the Chicago Cubs. While the Sox and Cubs are still discussing compensation for Epstein, since he is still under contract with Boston, sources are saying that [...]
Make the Players the Coaches: Team Fielding Drill for Guaranteed Fun
Let me warn you that this drill is only for kids under the age of thirteen. As all coaches know, once kids hit the age of thirteen, their personalities change and this drill will not work very well. In fact, try this and coaches will get the “Are you serious” look from players. However, for [...]
How To Overcome Two Very Common Baseball Hitting Problems
I would venture that on any given team, at least one third of the hitters have one of these two very common hitting problems. Here are several baseball tips on hitting that should help to overcome them. Tension Is A Hitter’s Worst Enemy! I’ve heard this expression dozens of times and could not agree more. [...]
Infographic: The Cost of Beer and Hot Dogs at Ballparks Across the Country
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JapanBall: The 2011 Trip And BBQ Hosted by Marty Kuehnert, Sr Advisor to the Rakuten Golden Eagles
Last month, as they have for the past twenty years, Bob Bavasi and Mayumi Smith guided a group of tourists across Japan to discover the joys of the culture through baseball. Bavasi, the son of Buzzie Bavasi of Brooklyn/LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and California Angels fame, and Smith, the director of the Nippon Business [...]
The Science behind the Collapses
So what really happened to the Braves and Red Sox that caused their hard to imagine collapses? On the surface level, we could just very simply say that neither club performed well in September. For the Braves, one could focus on the fact that they did not hit well with runners in scoring position [...]
Acquisitions Propel Rangers to ALCS…Again!
For the second straight season, the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays to advance to the ALCS. For the second straight season, their success was largely based on recent player acquisitions. In 2010, Rangers GM Jon Daniels made several key moves in both the offseason and prior to the trade deadline, including the additions of [...]
ALCS Preview: The Texas Rangers vs The Detroit Tigers
While both National League Divisional Series will be going to a decisive Game 5 tonight, the Tigers and Rangers have each earned a berth to their league’s Championship Series. We’ll take a look at how these two teams match up to try to determine which club will represent the AL in the World Series. [...]
Season-ending Reflections on the Cleveland Indians
If Indians fans were asked prior to the start of the season how they would feel if their team finished just two games below .500, they would have probably said “ecstatic.”However, the trip the Tribe took to get to their final record of 80-82 was anything but expected. In a season in which they lead [...]
Hamels Pitched A Remarkable Game, In Case Anyone Noticed
With Cole Hamels on the mound Tuesday night, I bet you couldn’t keep your eyes off the little blue batter’s box on TBS with a teeny pitch count above it. We watched Hamels’ pitch count climb higher and higher, while Garcia finished his innings quicker than a trip to the bathroom. By the third [...]
The Big Show: Charles M Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs, A Book Review
While there are strong debates raging today as to what sport should not be considered America’s pastime with football, basketball and baseball all making their sound arguments, there was a time when this was not in doubt. During the first half of the 20th Century, there was really only one choice for the sport that [...]
Remember Michael Stutes?
When did Michael Stutes all of a sudden become Adam Eaton? Michael Stutes had one bad month in August and all of a sudden everyone is ready to toss him aside like yesterday’s sports page. This weekend I heard two reporters (David Murphy and some other guy) agree that essentially Stutes is no [...]
Coaching Tips: Mind Games Between The Pitcher And The Hitter!
As you advance to older levels of play, you will find that many baseball hitters will play certain mind games with the pitcher and pitchers will do the same with hitters. Personally, I would not recommend getting involved in any mind games until the high school level of play or higher whether you are the [...]
A Moment in Time, A Book Review
It’s amazing how fast one’s life can change. In one split second on October 3,1951 aveteran pitcher with multiple All Star appearances went from being one of the most respected players in baseball to forever being known as a goat. When Brooklyn Dodger right hander Ralph Branca gave up the homerun to New York [...]
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