Posted by: swb (batspeed@integritycorp.com) on Mon Apr 29 09:57:17 2002

>You can (1) try and improve your throwing so you can nail 3 out of 3 >or (2) hit line drives instead of ground balls (ground balls will >get you nowhere (3) don't strike out, make contact (even a ground >ball is better than a k) (4) brush up on the rules so you know not >to step out of the box (5) give up and take up badmiton (6) seek >advice from Joe A

Hi Jake,

I think we've talked via Email before. This post above is signed "swb", but I didn't the post. It was probably some young kid playing a joke on you, i.e. someone who couldn't hit a ball if his life depended on it. Ignore him. He's not a ball player. You are.

My comments:

1) Hang in there. The San Diego Padre's catcher (Tom Lampkin) went something 0-30 before his bat got warm.

2) Catching skills: Sounds great. If you're playing ball in a league that allows lead offs (Little League does not), don't blame every steal on yourself. If the pitcher doesn't hold the runner, even a guy with a cannon isn't going to throw a fast runner out. You can help your pitcher improve by working on pick drill with him (and the 1st baseman). He needs to develop confidence to make the pick. You, he, and the 1B need to communicate. If you see the guy off to far, have a pick sign (something not to obvious, like putting your hand across the knee with a hand signal). If the guy leaves early, 1B should yell "step off", to tell the pitcher to step off the plate, to throw to second (as an "infielder"). Holding runners is not all about your arm.

3) "K"s, grounders. No one here can tell you what to improve on. You'll have to work with "dad", your coach, or your buddies. If you can get mom to video tape you, do it and check your form against the information on this site. Most of all, no matter what method you use to hit, swing that bat 75 times 4=5 times a week, off a tee with whiffle balls. (A good Tee costs $20, and you can get a dozen whiffle balls at Walmart for $7.).

And also, get your buddies to pitch you 50 balls every practice, and bunt, bunt, bunt. Get that bat in front of the plate, bunt, and get out of the box and down the line fast. Until your bat warms up, get on base anyway you can, to help your team.

Good luck,

Scott (a.k.a. "swb")