Baseball Coaching Digest - Baseball Coaches Survey - the Strangest Player Excuses Ever Heard

By Nick Dixon

If you coach any sport, you are going to hear your share of excuses from players, parents and other coaches. An excuse as defined by the dictionary is an explanation offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or for release from an obligation, or promise.

Excuses are mostly false and sometimes irrelevant reasons given to justify less than desirable behavior, inappropriate conduct, or performance failures. Coaches hate excuses. In other words the word excuse has no place in coaching or playing baseball.

As coaches we do not like to hear players attempt to justify inferior performance with an excuse. But as long as there are sports being played there are going to be coaches hearing excuses.

The Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal surveyed baseball coaches. One of the questions was "What is the worst excuse you ever heard from a player? Here are some of the worst, funniest, and strangest player excuses that the surveyed coaches responded with on that survey.

• "Coach, I did not bring my glove because I did not think I would need it."

• "I was in the batters box but I was not ready."

• "I could not catch the ball because it was hit up in the sky."

• My leg was hurting...Then we asked if we needed to skip him in the batting order...Oh no it's fine now!

• "My mom forgot to bring my glove."

• Asked why he over slept, an high school player responds" The pain killers I took knocked me out. Why did you have to take the pain killers? Because my new tattoo really hurt."

• "I thought is was going to be a strike" when the ball bounced three feet in front of the plate and he took a swing at it."

• Struggling Pitcher said "I can not throw strike because the fielders are messing up!

• It is just too hot to play today!

• I'm hungry (as he was eating) and that's why I can't bat right now

As you can see, players can come up with some strange and weird excuses. Baseball coaches do not like the word excuse because it represents a reason for failing. Excuses are a player's justification for inferior behavior or performance.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the BATTING CAGE DOOR.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Baseball Coaching Digest - Why Baseball Players Are the Most Accountable Athletes in Sports

By Nick Dixon

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Baseball players are held to a higher level of accountability than any other athletes in the world. If you compare baseball, football and basketball to see which sport holds the player athlete more responsible for mistakes and errors, you will find that baseball holds players to a higher level of accountability. This article explains my perspective on why baseball players are the most accountable athletes in sports.

I am absolutely sure that baseball players are held at a higher level of accountability than other sports athletes. Why do I feel this way? Have you ever been to a football game and seen a player miss a tackle or block that cost his team dearly? Did the official score "flash" error on the football scoreboard? The answer is no. Have you ever watched a basketball player miss a wild open layup that hurt his team? Did the score keeper or score operator flash "error" on the scoreboard? The answer is no.

On the other hand, as baseball player can bobble a hard hit ground ball and the whole world will soon be notified and an official documentation of the mistake will be made in the scorebook. The scorekeeper will write a big "E" in the scorebook that makes the error officially known. Then the scoreboard operator will also turn on the "error" light on the scoreboard to let every player and spectator in the park know that an error was made.
That is the reason I feel that baseball players are the most accountable athletes in sports.

Maybe other sports consider adding an "Error" light on their scoreboard or writing a big "E" in their scorebook when a player makes a mistake. Then maybe the next time a player fails to execute on a football field or basketball court, they will know what it's like to be held publicly accountable and responsible like a baseball player.

I hope that you enjoyed this article. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Visit the Baseball coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, Little League Digest and Baseball Parent Guide for more baseball articles. Good luck to you and your team, Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

Baseball Batting Machines - The Backyard Basketball Goal For Baseball Players

One of my pet peeves in life is that there are many hundred thousands of future high school baseball players that will spend millions of hours of their spare time shooting basketball today. They will go out into their own backyard and spend hours and hours shooting games of “Horse” or playing “Pick-up” basketball.

Why does this bother me? The reason is that I know that these players could be having just as much fun and entertainment swinging a baseball bat if they had the right batting machine at home. They could be building skills in the game of baseball that will benefit them greatly when they compete for a spot on their high school team later.

Backyard batting machines such as the BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are the “Backyard Basketball Goal” for the Future Baseball Prospect. The future baseball prospect “lives” to swing the bat like the future basketball prospect “lives” to shoot the hoop.

Here are my 5 reasons the Batting Machine is like a Backyard Basketball Goal:

1. It is pure fun to hit. It offers a variety of fun and entertaining games and batting drills that kids love to play. The batting machine makes your backyard the most popular backyard in the neighborhood.

2. It is always ready for action. When the player gets bored at home, the machine is readily available.

3. There is not set-up required. To shoot basketball, all you need is a basketball. To hit the batting machine, all you need is a bat.

4. There is no energy required. The batting machine is fully self-contained. It operates off its on energy source. It uses the energy of the bat’s contact to propel the ball for the next swing.

5. A player can shoot basketball solo. The player can hit the batting machine without having to have a second person also. The “Streak” hitting game is comparable to shooting “Horse”. Players can play the “Streak” game alone.

So you can see why I call the batting machine, the backyard basketball goal for hitters. The two batting machine that are most poplar today are the BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine by SKLZ.

You can see the batting machines described in theis article at BatAction.com and HurricaneMachine.com

Nick Dixon is the host for BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com, and BaseballParentGuide.com.

Baseball IQ - The Least Considered Skill

By Chuck R Stewart

Every professional baseball player I have seen has talent. They have the ability to consistently reproduce their skills on the playing field, no matter if it is their ability to run fast, throw hard, hit with power, pitch like a pitching machine or to throw a certain pitch at any point in the count. These skills are the skills that most players strive to excel with every single day at practice. They are the most sought after skills in the game and what scouts typically evaluate when looking at a player. While these skills are important, there are a certain group of players who possess these skills and also have and develop one additional skill - the ability to think during the baseball game and increase your baseball IQ.

Most baseball players have the chance to work on their physical skills every day during the baseball season. They get to take batting practice with a pitching machine until their arms are tired and throw bullpen sessions, most of them work out even harder in the off season at very specific skills. They also have all day to do it because of the salaries that they are paid to play the game. There is an abundance of game repetition and skill coaching for all players and it should make you wonder why some players excel and why others just barely get to be in the league for any length of time. The answer is that the players who get to actually make it far in the game of baseball play with their baseball minds as much as their baseball talent. That is the difference between just playing the game and playing the game at a super high level - your mind.

You can list many players who do have exceptional can't miss talent. I think of players like A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr, Josh Beckett and Josh Hamilton. They are players who were born to play in the major leagues and they have worked hard to hone their skills to continue to play there - they deserve it. The vast majority of players do not possess skills such as the players listed above. They do not throw 95 or have the ability to hit .325. Instead, they constantly have to get a feel for pitching in order to be able to do things other pitchers cannot do - like throwing multiple pitches for strikes and not being afraid to throw a 3-2 change-up. Hitters need to learn how to take an extra base or to be able to play great defense at multiple positions. These are some of the things that players do to make themselves invaluable on a team. They are things that every player can do to improve their game.

Much like being aggressive, having great physical tools, being intelligent, having great character and being versatile are important for players to become truly great. Having a great baseball IQ can be the difference between being a great player and being a good one who. Physical skills can be improved through hard work. Learning the game takes time, patience and a little bit of studying to be able to advance your baseball IQ. Work hard, play hard and learn the game. It will pay you great rewards in the long run.

Coach Chuck Stewart operates a baseball web site called http://www.PitchingMachines.net offering pitching machines, training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free coaching content. Coach Chuck has a pitching machine for every skill level and budget. He has coached baseball teams for 8 years and enjoys sharing the love of the game of baseball with his players.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_R_Stewart


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The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Major League Hitting Drills

The Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal

By Jack Perconte

Major league hitters have very advanced swing fundamentals, which explain how they made it to the major leagues. However, it is important to note that fundamentals are fundamentals. The drills that are designed for little league players are the same drills that major league players perform. There are numerous baseball hitting drills with the best drills being the ones that address the particular hitter's needs. Every hitter, from the major league player to the little league player, has a weak part of their swing. When this weakness is known, hitting drills can be geared towards addressing those areas. Working on correct fundamentals is a continual process for major league players as it is for youth ballplayers.

When I played major league baseball, the off season was the time where I was more concerned with getting in great shape by gaining quickness and strength. I was not as concerned with timing the ball as much as in season. With this in mind, preseason was spent performing drills on the batting tee and with soft toss drills. The important body parts that major league baseball players want to get in shape are their hands and core muscles, including the stomach and hips. With this in mind here are a few major league hitting drills that ballplayers practice to get their hands and hips in shape.

1. One arm drill - hitters will take swings using only one arm with a lighter bat or by choking up on their regular bat. This drill will force them to use the muscles in their fingers, hands, wrists and forearms so that they develop the strength and quickness necessary to hit major league pitching. It will also help them develop the correct swing fundamentals of each hand separately. It is recommended that players take more swings in this manner with their weaker arm.

2. Another popular major league hitting drill is the self-flip drill. With this drill, players will begin by holding the bat with their lead arm only and flip a ball up in the air with their rear hand. The ball should be flipped no higher than eye level and in the hitting zone, at which time the hitter grabs the bat with both hands and hits the ball. This drill develops quick, strong hands and requires a good fundamental swing to hit line drives.

3. Fast hips can be developed with the quick swing drill. Players will swing five times in a row forward and backward as fast as they can. Players should be sure to finish their swing to the middle of their back before they reverse the bat as fast as they can. This drill can also be done with a partner who flips five balls in a row to the hitter, releasing each ball when hitter returns to hitting position. This drill will also help overall balance, which is another key ingredient to a good baseball swing. (See following drill)

4. Balance beam drill - players stand on a balance beam and take swings at game speed, with the goal of completing the swing while staying on the beam. An example of this drill and of making a usable balance beam can be found in my book, "The Making of a Hitter."

As the season begins, major league baseball players tend to work on timing and vision drills. This is mostly done with correct batting practice habits with flip drills from the coach or regular pitched balls from a batting practice coach. Good hitters will always try to hit the ball where it is pitched in the strike zone and try to watch the ball hit the bat at contact. They will not swing at pitches outside the strike zone. Following are a few more major league hitting drills that also help hitters:

5. Back knee pickup drill - hitters swing and pick up their back knee, allowing it to rotate towards the pitcher with the swing. This drill develops hitters' front side and weight transfer as they will have to keep their front shoulder going towards the ball as their weight transfers. Both of these are necessary for good contact and power.

6. No stride drill - hitters take their regular swing without the initial stride. Many hitters get in trouble when they jump at the ball. This major league hitting drill will allow them to stay back and rotate instead of lunging at the ball. Doing this drill after the previous drill is a good idea.

It is important to note that using a batting tee for taking productive swings is a must for all serious ballplayers. The batting tee is an important device for major league hitting drills as well as for young baseball players. Coaches and hitters should consult instructional manuals or a good hitting coach so they know how to use a batting tee for the best results. All hitting drills can be done on a batting tee and will help groove a perfect baseball swing. Hitting balls solidly and on the line is always the hitter's goal, whether hitting in a game or with hitting drills.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball hitting lessons advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his parenting blog can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte

Recommended Links:
American Baseball Directory
Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal



The BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are two of the absolute best batting trainers available today. These compact and self-contained hitting machines allow players to take full speed batting practice swings in indoors or outdoors with little space required. The high speed ball movement drills that these machines feature is known for developing incredible batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence.