The Tremendous Achievements of Albert Pujols

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Article Title:
The Tremendous Achievements of Albert Pujols
By Scott Maloney

Sports are always a topic of debate, and baseball is no exception. If you are a fan, you will undoubtedly have been asked at sometime if you think that the best hitter you've ever seen is Albert Pujols.

To keep the debate modern and up to date, we shall only compare Pujols with players we are familiar with from the past thirty years. This puts a modern spin on things since it's so hard to compare modern day players to ones who we were never alive to see.

Today's baseball bears little resemblance to the game that was played in past eras, so a comparison between Albert Pujols and Willie Mays for example just doesn't stand up. The game has simply changed too much in order to make a reasonable determination in that regard. Only players from the modern game could be compared.

Would Albert Pujols have been so formidable in a different era? How would Ted Williams have played in today's game? These questions are unanswerable, so let's just look at what Pujols has going for him in the modern game.

His standard of play now is awesome, and the prospect that Pujols could improve even more is mouth watering. Just shy of his 30th birthday, there are seasons ahead for Pujols to keep up his consistent form and establish himself as one of the modern day greats. This should very well happen if history is any sort of an indicator. No one, simply no one, has been as consistently great as Pujols has during the course of his entire career - spanning all the way back to his rookie season in 2002.

Albert Pujols has a career average that is capable of winning a league. His overall average is an amazing.334. His second season brought about the lowest average of.312 and his worst since has been .327. Pujols is an MLB player and has now played 9 seasons in this league. During 5 of those he has hit 40 home runs. The lowest amount he has ever hit in a season is 32; this is an outstanding stat by anyone's standards.

There are many for's in the debate about Pujols being a terrific hitter, and, so far, no against's. Each year his consistency is awesome and it's hard to believe now that anyone can take his place as the best batsman we will have ever seen.

Scott additionally writes about truck tires for sale at http://trucktiresforsale.org.

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Baseball Coaching Digest - Three Things That I Feel Should Never Be Said on a Baseball Field

Baseball Coaching Digest - Three Things That I Feel Should Never Be Said on a Baseball Field
By Nick Dixon

There are many things said by coaches and players during a game. Many things said provide useful information and guidance to players. There are other things that I feel are best not said during a game.

Here are three things that I feel should never be said by coaches or players during a game:

1. "We are going to lose." - Expecting to win is vital. The old saying, "Whether you expect to win or expect to lose, you are probably right!" is never truer than in coaching youth baseball. Having a positive attitude is the first step toward having a good game. I do not even use the word "lose" in any conversation during practices or game. I do not want to plant a "seed" that might grow into a team mindset.

Coaching Point: Your players are going to emulate your attitude and your frame of mind. Your words and body language are closely observed and noticed by your players. Never show negative emotion or lose control of your emotions. Players learn to handle pressure as well as their coach does. If the coach expresses too much concern or alarm when something goes wrong, the players may lose faith or panic.

2. "It is too cold...it is too hot! - Playing baseball in extreme weather temperature conditions is difficult to deal with. Playing in such conditions requires a lot of stretching and constant warm-up. I have coached in extreme cold and hot conditions. I have coached with snow falling and frost on the infield grass. I have coached when it was so hot and humid that your lineup sheet would be soaking wet with sweat before you could finish making it out. The best approach when playing in extremely weather conditions related to temperature is to not mention or discuss it. The more you speak or talk about it, the colder you will get.

Coaching Point: The wearing of high quality cold weather and hot weather under wear gear is a must for staying warm in extreme conditions. Hot hands packets in the back pocket are a common tactic for keep a players hands and fingers from going numb. A heater in the dugout may be required in extreme conditions. And most of all, remember, that cold weather is brutal on high dollar thin walled bats. It is wise to invest in a portable bat warmer. The popular models feature microwavable inserts that hold the heat and keep the bats warm for several hours.

3. "Watch out for that curve ball!" - It is best not to tell a batter what pitch to look for or to expect. Mental concentration is a part of batting success. Sometimes telling a player to what pitch you think is coming, makes the player to start guessing on pitches. The player will be more successful he is thinking or concentrating for himself.

Coaching Point: The batter should always know the count and the situation. The batter should have a good mental and physical approach at the plate. The batter should always expect the fast ball away and adjust to the fast ball in. The batter should always expect the fastball and adjust to the off-speed pitch.

I hope that you found this article informative and useful. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Good luck to you and your team in the coming season. Have a great day, 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

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Four Little-Known Baseball/Softball Training Secrets, PART 1

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Four Little-Known Baseball/Softball Training Secrets, PART 1
By Steve Zawrotny Steve Zawrotny
Level: Basic

I do private & group baseball pitching and hitting power instruction in the Oklahoma City, OK area, along with writing and developing cutting-edge training programs ...

*************

Train for POWER

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Baseball and softball are not games of strength, but of EXPLOSIVE POWER. Just how strong do you have to be to pick up a 5 oz baseball, or a 30 oz bat? On the other hand, propelling that 5 oz ball 90+ mph, or hitting a ball 400+ feet with that 30 oz bat requires tremendous power - the ability to perform work. In this case, the work of playing baseball and softball at a high level.

In both games, while they can be slow in duration, the various activities that comprise a game are short and quick. Rarely does a play take longer than 6 or 7 seconds. There are exceptions, of course - an inside the park homer, or an extended rundown or "pickle." But, for the most part, things happen very quickly on the diamond.

Why does this matter to you?

Well, let me ask you this: how often have you heard coaches tell pitchers to condition themselves by running laps - Long, Slow Distance (LSD) training, or to spend a lot of time pedaling a bike?

If you've been around as long as I have, you've seen this a lot. Here's the problems: these coaches (and many players) incorrectly think that LSD (or aerobic) conditioning improves player performance. In fact, studies show the aerobic demands (the amount of oxygen needed by the body) of baseball and softball to be very low.

In fact, the oxygen uptake of a baseball pitcher (the most active position) is a low 45% of the maximum needed. Apparently the rest pitchers get between each pitch and in-between innings is sufficient to replenish the main energy system used.

Baseball and softball are considered to be "alactic anaerobic" sports in terms of the energy system utilized, with pitchers in both sports the busiest players on the field. What this means is that there is little to no lactic acid buildup as a result of this activity. That burning feeling you get when you lift weights really hard is a result of a buildup of lactic acid, a by-product of that (and other) short-term, intense types of exercise.

Have you ever heard of a ball player complaining of this problem?

Consider the baseball pitcher: it takes about 0.15 seconds from the time the front foot contacts the ground until the ball is released. Very little lactic acid can be built up in this short burst of activity. The primary source of fatigue in pitching is not metabolic, but neural. [1]

Again, why does this matter to you?

Because studies show that LSD training significantly detracts from power, strength, and speed development.

Reduce these characteristics, and you educe your ability to throw with high velocity, hit with power, and run at high speed. Look at the bodies of sprinters vs. marathoners. You don't have to be built like a sprinter to be successful as a ball player, but this illustrates how training affects one's body, conditioning, and hence, ability to perform.

Put another way: Train Slow, Perform Slow.

As mentioned earlier, aside from the game itself (which can be be long and slow) things happen quickly on the ball field. Playing softball and baseball requires high velocity, ballistic movements like throwing a fast, well located pitch, taking a hard swing at this high velocity pitch, and exploding out of the batter's box to sprint down the first base line.

So how should you train?

To augment the aforementioned activities, concentrate on developing power, flexibility, and speed. Weight lifting, plyometrics, flexibility, and short burst sprint interval training should form the basis of conditioning for baseball and softball players.

[1] Gambetta, V. A Big Windup. Training & Conditioning, p. 43 March 2003

Steve Zawrotny, MS, CSCS 405.373.3253 steve@baseballfit.com FREE REPORT: "Harmful Resistance Exercises Baseball/Softball Players Should Avoid" VISIT: http://www.BaseballFit.com

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

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Increase Bat Speed Using Your Body's Natural Energy

Increase Bat Speed Using Your Body's Natural Energy
By Rob Bucher

Looking for a way to increase your bat speed and hit for more power and catch up with the missiles pitchers are firing at you?

In a few short moments I will share with you the proven ways to have a quick bat.

Once you learn them and understand the physics of the swing you will be able to maximize the kinetic chain.

Most hitters except for the best in the game have poor hitting mechanics.

They don't use their entire body's force to whip the bat through hitting zone with lightening speed and the reason is they have been taught to throw their hands at the ball.

Not only is the movement fundamental wrong, but it zaps power and speed from the swing.

You should be turning into the ball with your hands closer to your body. It produces centrifugal force and speeds up the bat and allows the hitter longer time to react to the pitch.

In order to use the kinetic chain to improve bat speed you need to have a proper load and proper release.

Start out with your weight evenly distributed on your feet. As the pitch is delivered, stride forward and push your hands and weight back while turning your front shoulder in about an inch.

This loading techniques allows you to stretch your body out like a rubber band.

As you begin your swing...allow your lower body to pull the upper body into the pitch while transferring your weight to your front leg.

Accomplish this movement and you will get to the hitting zone faster and with more power.

Ready to have a quicker bat and more power? Click here - Rotational Hitting Mechanics. Because your current mechanics make your swing look like molasses in December.

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

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Baseball Tips on Hitting - Baseball Hitting Tips Highly Recommended For Your Success!

Article Tips: Baseball Tips on Hitting - Baseball Hitting Tips Highly Recommended For Your Success!
By Larry Cicchiello

Not all baseball tips on hitting are etched in stone but here are several very good guidelines to follow:

A Balanced and Workable Stance

All good athletes are balanced almost all the time. It gives you a solid, comfortable foundation, which is where hitting begins. Some very good hitters find it useful to have a little body movement while in their batting stance. They may rock a little back and forth which they find relaxing. It's almost impossible to have your muscles tighten and tense up when your muscles are moving. You can then be quicker and shift your weight much better than someone who is just standing there like a statue. It's identical to a goalie in hockey. If he stands up straight like a statue, what chance will he have to move freely to make a save on a slap shot that's traveling close to 100 mile per hour? What chance will a tennis player have waiting for a serve in excess of 100 miles per hour? None of them will have a good chance and neither will a baseball hitter.

Striding With the Front Toes Slightly Closed

If your toes are slightly closed, it encourages you to keep your front hip and front shoulder closed as well. In other words, instead of having the toes pointing straight out away from your body when you take your stride, turn them an inch or two inward, back toward the catcher. If you point the front toes out toward the pitcher, it will encourage you to open your front side too early which will create many baseball hitting problems.

Have the Bat Fully Loaded When the Stride Foot Touches the Ground

All good hitters have the bat in the "launching position" when their front foot completes the stride. You stride and then you swing. They are two separate movements that should happen very quickly and smoothly but they are separate movements.

Making an Aggressive Motion Toward The Pitcher

A lot of hitters do not do this but all the great hitters do. That is where the ball is coming from and that's where you should be going. Real good hitters go into the ball to hit it. It's a common baseball hitting problem to not go toward the pitcher when swinging. The reason it's such a common baseball hitting problem is because it is simply not natural to move your body toward a baseball that someone is throwing in your direction.

Having a Tension Free Swing

"Tension is a hitter's worst enemy," is a quote that's been around for decades and is still one of the best baseball tips on hitting. Tension destroys a fluid, graceful swing that's necessary for hitting the ball properly. Don't squeeze the bat too tightly and don't tighten up your muscles. Like mentioned above, many very good hitters have a slight waggle to help them relax.

Head Behind the Swing

The real good hitters actually see the ball a little longer than the weaker hitters. They literally lower and turn their heads when making contact. You simply can not keep your head facing the pitcher and look at the baseball out of the corners of your eyes when trying to make contact.

Hitting to All Fields

Rarely will you find a hitter with a high batting average who limits himself to hitting the ball to only one part of the field. Pay attention to the old expression, "hit it where it's pitched." In the long run, you will be much better off.

Hitting Through the Ball

Hitting through the ball is necessary to successful hitting. You should pretend that you are trying to hit three or four baseballs that are tied closely together with a piece of string, instead of hitting only one baseball. This will help you keep the bat in the hitting zone longer.

All of the above mentioned are definitely good rules of thumb to be followed.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY players, coaches or parents who want to help their child improve will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips are available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com/product/all

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

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Little League Baseball Coaching

BatAction Baseball Trainer - As Seen in Junior Baseball Magazine


Article Title: Little League Baseball Coaching
By Joe Brockhoff

If we hold our hands up and pop our wrists, we can do that over and over again very quickly. If someone were to throw a punch at us, our hands would quickly and automatically pop up in defense.

As an infielder, we don't have to think about a ball thrown to us. Our hands will react to the direction of the ball and make the catch without having to think about it.

Think of the catcher after he gives the sign. He is taught to frame the pitch. His hands automatically go to the pitch without any thought or direction.

So the hands are auto reactors. Is this good for the hitter? The answer is: No! The hitter who allows his hands to react automatically as his first movement towards the pitch will never have full body support.

When the hands go too early, this is when we hear the coach yell out, "Wait on the pitch!"
Now, let's apply this to our baseball hitting mechanics.

These are the steps:

1. Coil (Load): The hitter collects his weight on the backside
2. Stride: a linear step towards the pitched ball (30-40% of weight transfer)
3. Body Rotation: Hips rotate toward the ball
4. Hands will then, and only then, execute the stroke

Here is one of our best little league baseball coaching tips: "HIPS TAKE US TO THE BALL. HANDS TAKE US THROUGH THE BALL."

So, when we are leaning how to hit a baseball, do we trust the hands? The answer is:

Don't trust the hands. Then, trust the hands. In other words, discipline the hands to wait until we get into the launch position, which is with the hands inside the ball and the hips rotated.

Our hands do not initiate the stroke until we rotate to the pitch. They travel in rotation with the pivot, but they do not commit to the pitch until the rotation is complete. This rotated position with the hands still back is what we call the DRIVE position. It is at this time that the hands will launch.

NOW we can trust them. Let them explode the bat to the ball.

One final note. Remember that when we hit, the hands are in a double lever system. That is, they don't personally go to the ball. They are holding the bat, which goes to the ball. The hands always end up in front of the body. They are responsible for directing the bat to the proper cut line on the pitch.

Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average. http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafMM8J.html.

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

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