Tustin Baseball

The price of becoming a great player and having a great season is LOVE. The truly great ones LOVE all aspects of baseball (practice, conditioning, cage work, blocking drills for catchers, and flatland/ bull pens for pitchers). The LOVE keeps you going even though you may be playing in hard luck or whether you are stuck in a slump. When the going gets tough, say to yourself, “I love this game. There is no better place to be than on the field. I love this moment!” Players that don’t love this game and everything that goes with it don’t last. This is a game that is filled with failure to constantly test your love. Great hitters fail 7 out of 10 times. The LOVE of the game keeps them coming back for more. BASEBALL: EVERY YOUNG BOY’S DREAM, EVERY OLD MAN’S FONDEST MEMORY.

We are focused in the moment and we execute our system in the moment. We are strong minded players that don’t get distracted by “Opening Day”, bad calls, or noise from the other dugout or from the stands. When things get crazy, STAY IN THE MOMENT. Belly breathe and relax yourself. Do what you do best, not more than your best, just your best. THINK TEAM PRIDE, ONE PITCH, ONE MOMENT and LOVE THE SITUATION. Fear of failure is your enemy. Get focused on your job. Pitchers, THINK TEAM PRIDE, LOW and OUTSIDE; Hitters, THINK TEAM PRIDE, SOMETHING TO DRIVE; Fielders, THINK TEAM PRIDE, HIT IT TO MY SIDE; CATCHERS, THINK TEAM  PRIDE, KEEP THE TEAM IN STRIDE. Trust your eyes: See the ball hit the bat; See the ball hit the mitt; See the ball, catch or pick up the ball; See the ball, catch the ball to finish the play. THINK TEAM PRIDE: ONE PITCH, ONE MOMENT! NOTHING ELSE MATTERS on the field.

The more games you play, the more you will understand the importance of mental toughness. Pitching will place you in the spotlight at the most pressure packed moments of a ballgame. A strong mental make up may be the difference between coming through in the clutch or caving under the weight of late inning rally. Self-confidence is best learned through experience – playing. The only way to learn how to handle pressure is to experience it.

Knowing the batter is not going to hit this VS. “I hope he doesn’t hit this” Self-confidence plays a huge role in the success of an individual pitcher. As a pitcher, you will have to deal with loud crowds, tough oppositions, and less than great umpires. Being mentally strong and having a good sense of self-confidence will allow you to perform under pressure, and maintain your aggressive approach. In times when you feel doubt creeping into your mind, take a deep breath and push those doubts out of your head with an aggressive attitude. Say to the batter, “Here it comes!” Let it go, and throw it hard. Trust yourself.

Taking the field expecting to win VS. Playing not to lose (hoping to win) Self-confidence plays a vital role in the success of a team. Teams, and more specifically their pitchers, with an attitude of playing not to lose will roll over the moment they fall behind in a ballgame. One bad call will break their backs, or a late inning deficit will be impossible to come back from. A team’s selfconfidence should push them to play aggressively, and put their opponents back on their heels.

“Don’t worry, we’ll come back” VS. “Oh, here we go again” Self-confidence plays a vital role in the makings of a leader. You can help your team build positive selfconfidence as a unit, by making others feel comfortable when the pressure is on. Lead with your actions, and take the field expecting to win. If the opposing team goes up 4-0 early, you can tell your teammates: “Don’t worry, we’ve got 5 innings to go. We’ll get ’em back.” As a pitcher, your actions, self-confidence and body language are very influencing over your teammates. If it’s late in a game, the bases are loaded and there are two outs, your teammates will look to you on the mound for guidance. When you show them, through poise and mental toughness, that you can handle the situation and that you have the confidence to get this next batter out, they will feed off of your self-confidence and be ready to perform if the ball is hit to them.

Baserunning begins in the dugout:
Before the game you should be observing the opponent in their pregame drills are they left or right handed? speed? quickness? accuracy? footwork?
Watch the catcher for quickness of release, arm strength, accuracy, footwork.
Watch the pitcher warming up for any flaws such as a high leg kick or slow break of the hands.
Smart baserunning wins many games and bad running loses many
Run out EVERY hit no matter where it goes; NOTHING can be taken for granted in baseball!

1. Arm’s Across Chest- Lots of reps,slow travel time

2. Arm’s Over the Top- Lots of reps, slow travel time

3. High Knees- Knees even with hips, stay on toes

4. Heel Tucks- Tuck heel to butt, stay on toes

5. Carioca- Full twists, slow travel time, quick rotation

6. Back Peddle- Quick and choppy steps, low hips

7. Backwards Run- Lean Forward, extend heels back

8. Instep Lunges- Front foot vertical, back leg straight.

9. Lateral Lunges- Chest up, sink hips, switch half-ways

10. Straight Leg Marching- Keep bottom leg heel flat, posture up

11. HipOpenersForward/Backward- Rotate hip with a twist switch half ways

12. Power Skips (height)

13. Power Skips (distance)

14. Fielding Shuffles- Power crossover step into 3 fielding shuffles

15. Sprints- 3 secondary shuffles to a sprint. Work on full extension and stop on a dime.