tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91578839707490385502024-03-19T11:52:32.096-07:00Baseball With RandyHandy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-42146305694159299942011-12-28T00:35:00.000-08:002011-12-29T10:06:24.878-08:00What it Takes to Play Like a Pro in BaseballToday's topic will be on the 13 to 17 years-of-age range. This <i>could</i> also go over into your 18th year, too, though. <br />
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First things first (and this I can <b>not</b> say it enough): good school habits and study habits are a must! Do not miss too much school time, whether it be for practice or not, as it can affect grades adversely. Students cannot play baseball at their school if grades slip below around a 2.5 GPA (usually).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FEhnWYEsnZs/TvrUvWSndhI/AAAAAAAAAGI/4_4Y73fglq8/s1600/teenagebaseball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FEhnWYEsnZs/TvrUvWSndhI/AAAAAAAAAGI/4_4Y73fglq8/s320/teenagebaseball.jpg" width="320" /></a>The player also needs to eat right (getting the salads at McDonalds is <i>not</i> healthy, either) and get a long, quality sleep every night. This is for both school and baseball, as the body and the mind work together to produce results. Without one, the other is doomed!<br />
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Now is the time that the players in the teen age group will begin to notice the pitch-out play, and if the player is a pitcher than he or she will need to work on the pitch-out to the bases. The players will learn the dos and don'ts of base stealing around this age. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>If the player started when he or she was around twelve or younger, then much of (if not all) of this will come easily. However, if you did not work on it at twelve or below, it will be harder for that player to play at that level.<br />
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Probably the hardest thing to do as a coach in this age range is to get all of the teens to practice. So with that, I would like to say, "Go to <b>all</b> of your practices, and if you cannot do that, then do not sign up and take a spot away from another teen who can." <br />
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I see a lot of kids out there that like to, and want to, play this great sport, yet they might not be as good as you. You may feel that you are secure in your position because of how good you play, but keep in mind that as a coach, I preferred a player who was out there every day to one who was good but did not always show up. It hurts the team as a whole, and ends up showing in the games as E's: errors. The last thing a team needs are E's.<br />
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As a good rule of thumb, I would say that two to three misses in a season is understandable (though there are quite a few coaches who would disagree). It helps to have a good reason for it, too.<br />
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Remember, like I said in the last post, be sure to check all of your equipment before practices and games.<br />
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WINNER of the QUIZ "Playing at the next level" was Sloppybroom. The answer was, The year 1935 .Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-29556186338752492362011-12-15T04:32:00.000-08:002011-12-15T04:32:36.242-08:00To The Next Level (8 to 12 Years)OK we talked about the 5, 6 and 7 year old Baseball players.<br />
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Let’s now talk about the 8 through 12 year old baseball players and what they need to be doing to make it on a team and the next level in that area and to make it onto the ALL-STAR team at the end of the season.<br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_Hc61z_P9GaphlH6RyLiU_5OxKp_B1PHYdj41tvx61CmHwTprsKpJz6iOA6Hnnj_rZzqfQyMWLcJnv3JjUOUIjq-uDUpKaFXT5iivGhwFZCOa1OsbE3s8qsTce4JUpXEuMR_i4pg4pHU/s1600/110723SP-MC-GREATERNAPLES0009_t300.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_Hc61z_P9GaphlH6RyLiU_5OxKp_B1PHYdj41tvx61CmHwTprsKpJz6iOA6Hnnj_rZzqfQyMWLcJnv3JjUOUIjq-uDUpKaFXT5iivGhwFZCOa1OsbE3s8qsTce4JUpXEuMR_i4pg4pHU/s200/110723SP-MC-GREATERNAPLES0009_t300.jpg" width="187" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_Hc61z_P9GaphlH6RyLiU_5OxKp_B1PHYdj41tvx61CmHwTprsKpJz6iOA6Hnnj_rZzqfQyMWLcJnv3JjUOUIjq-uDUpKaFXT5iivGhwFZCOa1OsbE3s8qsTce4JUpXEuMR_i4pg4pHU/s1600/110723SP-MC-GREATERNAPLES0009_t300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li>Get the right amount of sleep.</li>
<li> Eat right.</li>
<li>Get a daily work out (this is for the off season <i>only</i>), so you are in top shape when regular season practices start. When you do your work out in the off season, you will be in the top of the group when it comes to being ready, and that could mean a starting spot on a team.</li>
<li>Study how baseball is played and played right, like watch videos on "The Right Way to Play Baseball" and read on it as well. When you go to your next practice, and when I say “practice” I mean practice, because that is the <i>only</i> time you should try your new moves you <i>think</i> you learned from the internet or by reading, and when you feel like you mastered it is <i>when</i> you take what you learned to your next game and see if it works there too, now you <i>just</i> made yourself a better ball player, and that's why they/we call it practice. </li>
<li>And lastly, <b>but mostly</b>, important is your school work. Start now so you have good study habits for high school, because in high school you have to have a 2.00 GPA (grade point average) or better to play baseball and/or any other sport (read up on CIF rules) for high school sports. Also, this would be a good time for the 11 and 12 year old to start practicing on the "lead off" (on the bases) and the "steal".</li>
</ol><b>PITCHERS</b>: You need to start learning the "pitch-out" to the bases. I know... I know. You don't start doing it until you are 13 years old, but you need to start now to be ready for that next level. Stand out to the coaches in try-outs, too.<br />
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Note: ALWAYS take something to drink, preferably water or some kind of water replacement. No, I don't mean sodas or energy drink.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>TODAY'S QUIZ</b></u> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Where was the first Major League Baseball night game played?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-66353176948658011302011-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:002011-12-10T14:22:49.392-08:00Pujols is an AngelI am going to turn to the MLB for this post, and the only reason why is because a momentous event happened on December 8th, 2011, at about 4 AM: Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $254 million deal today, signing him on to with the halos and officially nabbing him from the World Series winners, St. Louis Cardinals.<br />
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With that agreement, Pujols becomes the second most-paid player in baseball, and only the second to break the $200 million line in Major League Baseball history. That is a lot of cash, and nothing to joke about, especially when it comes to a player like Albert Pujols.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB8TEV3WDXDRjcp89QTuFnXnydiAENmLGEcw6lqmJFyrrhV8VldAPSYGC0IsQO1C_1b3XFzUxhtYHZG0Bs2KwWk0NwNk-Q6HiYpWulrmKZxdR46uw8A0Ehm0j17wzi8ZpK9SL_pNHXiKP/s1600/albertpujolscardinals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB8TEV3WDXDRjcp89QTuFnXnydiAENmLGEcw6lqmJFyrrhV8VldAPSYGC0IsQO1C_1b3XFzUxhtYHZG0Bs2KwWk0NwNk-Q6HiYpWulrmKZxdR46uw8A0Ehm0j17wzi8ZpK9SL_pNHXiKP/s320/albertpujolscardinals.jpg" width="187" /></a>This is where I have to say that the Angels did well signing on Pujols. The decision is one that definitely would have hurt the Angels to turn down, even if he is getting a lot more than I think he should. However, we do not control that part of baseball and, hey, if the players can get that much, then go for it. Back to Pujols, though.<br />
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He is the one that I said in the last World Series needed to be walked (readers of my blog may remember that post), and the manager did just that the next game, <i>three </i>times that night. As a coach and a pitcher, I learned that when you can't strike 'em out, you gotta walk 'em! In the end, that was a great game.<br />
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So I was rooting for the Texas Rangers during the Series, but my favorite team of all is the Angels. If I had to put my favorite teams in a line-up, I would say that the AL West Los Angeles Angels top it off for sure, followed also by the AL West Texas Rangers. Next is the NL Central Chicago Cubs, and finally the AL East Baltimore Orioles.<br />
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So this is one of (if not <i>the</i>) best players in the sport right now is going to <b>my</b> favorite team in baseball. Well, I do not think there is any better way to get my pumped up for the 2012 season, and who knows, maybe this will be the year the Angels take their second world series. If that is the case, I will try my hardest to make it the first World Series game I go to.<br />
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I cannot wait to see this year's start at spring training, and to see how the Angels and Pujols work out together on the field. I <i>really</i> hope it is like a match made in heaven, and the Angels pitchers can hold up as well while the rest of the team gets energized by Pujols' presence in the club house as their teammate. If all goes well, he may just get them to play on the next level, if you know what I mean.Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-46460512949523165132011-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:002011-11-08T21:49:45.295-08:00A Great End to the Season, Thanks to Rangers and Cardinals!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq6B3irYbDIkIXbafCszb7kabc9i95xYV71OIMhu5384BBnYmVP8xEXKMhlyJM5lMWbapgN7G-9FFqLBXhZrjoABHJlhZsliy2FbTLARC4uvj-PoDF8UmWkfdAcADKA-8E_Oo7ZZejmzy/s1600/baseball1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq6B3irYbDIkIXbafCszb7kabc9i95xYV71OIMhu5384BBnYmVP8xEXKMhlyJM5lMWbapgN7G-9FFqLBXhZrjoABHJlhZsliy2FbTLARC4uvj-PoDF8UmWkfdAcADKA-8E_Oo7ZZejmzy/s200/baseball1.jpg" width="186" /></a>Hello, baseball fans! Handy Randy's back. I know, I know; you are asking, "Where have you been?" Well, I was in a state of shock at the Texas Rangers defeat at the hands of the <span class="adsTextSpan1">St. Louis </span><span class="adsTextSpan1">Cardinals</span><span class="adsTextSpan1"> </span>in the 2011 World Series.<br />
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I am <i>just</i> starting to get over the shock of the Rangers being <b>that </b>close, but no; they let it ALL slip away at what should have been the end of the season and the 2011 World Series, as well as a first Series win and trophy for the Rangers franchise.<br />
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...but no! They let it all slip away. Yes, yes, yes... and yes. I know I keep repeating it over and over but can you believe it? Also, yes I <i>am</i> a big fan of the Rangers, and if you read my blog you will know that, so I won't get into that part any more.<br />
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Well, it is all history now, and at least I do have to give credit to those <span class="adsTextSpan1">St. Louis Cardinals for a totally epic win; from what I see, all </span>they saw was a weak link and they went straight for it, and it paid off with a World Series (AGAIN for the 11th time; like they needed it, haha).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUDRKKm5YqEFbTyZWDnGLml55xcpiaid_IdPNXv-O6rFJ8PTkQfKVGeENfAfozOGMLVrIDmJwVn78zpEeuq5RqWu-TD6DUg3-mbqgZwTMcBvgme6CuMsmkCESRmJ4-lC5As9lGPFdix7M/s1600/baseball2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUDRKKm5YqEFbTyZWDnGLml55xcpiaid_IdPNXv-O6rFJ8PTkQfKVGeENfAfozOGMLVrIDmJwVn78zpEeuq5RqWu-TD6DUg3-mbqgZwTMcBvgme6CuMsmkCESRmJ4-lC5As9lGPFdix7M/s200/baseball2.jpg" width="156" /></a>So, hey, who noticed what I said in that last blog for game 6? I said if the Rangers had a chance to win, they would walk that <span class="adsTextSpan1">ever-popular St. Louis Cardinals player</span> Albert Pujols. Well, that manager must have heard me or just thinks like a coach should think, and like I said, from a coach's perspective, the Texas Rangers manager did just that. Walked him three times that night in game 6 alone.<br />
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Yes they still lost, but, hey, it was a close one. Well, that is why I like, or I should say I love, baseball. "It can throw you for a curve ball!"<br />
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To keep us until next time, I want to sing a song for you guys... here we go... <i>baseball, baseball, I wanna play baseball, baseball, baseball, I wanna play baseball, baseball, baseball, I wanna play baseball, baseball, baseball</i>... I use to sing that song to my son when he was just a little boy, and he loved it. I would sing that to him every night before bedtime. So, with that, I leave you fellow fans, until next time!Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-18110939224207587462011-10-26T13:47:00.000-07:002011-10-26T13:48:00.593-07:00Rangers vs. Cardinals: World Series!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx_TABS1NlB3EsPXPYN_ytITf_0rKro180Q8gMKin9nqEJKPK52Qfgv00_bLnv-74V5TmKaJ08lWJKFApzG4CWBsN6FMi-izjskiBYMR6VG2eIMtt_37URbfwFW5mhnbx7r-DH8ZGLYP0/s1600/rangers.jpg.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx_TABS1NlB3EsPXPYN_ytITf_0rKro180Q8gMKin9nqEJKPK52Qfgv00_bLnv-74V5TmKaJ08lWJKFApzG4CWBsN6FMi-izjskiBYMR6VG2eIMtt_37URbfwFW5mhnbx7r-DH8ZGLYP0/s200/rangers.jpg.gif" width="200" /></a>Hi, readers. I apologize for not blogging when I was supposed to over the past week, but hey, cut my some slack: I have been following the world series, as you all should be! It looks like this year, it will be quite the close series indeed.<br />
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Texas and the Cardinals have been going tic for tac, one blow to the next, in this contention for this season's baseball champion. It's great to watch these two teams play against each other in this World Series. Personally, though, I'm rooting for the Texas Rangers.<br />
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For one, they need a series win, and two, I used to work for them as a boy. Naturally, I have a soft spot for the team. Finally, the Cards' have already been there and done that with the World Series, so I say let a team like the Rangers get one!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I do gotta say, though, that Albert Pujols and the rest of his team (yes, <i>his </i>team) can and <b>will</b> be a threat to the Rangers. If I could chat with the Rangers' manager one-on-one, mano-y-mano, I would say to him, "<b>WALK PUJOLS!</b>" Just do that every time and you <i>just might</i> win this series. Or, of course, you can let him (try to) hit and wish for the best? It's not my choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkkp6AzL7YWyYxRwNyJS6yY4YTrjmENxofgTeF0ckqTf1scW52D6zqX_R40pH2flb1Ta6PNBc8TBp4xebtAJP5LcXzz2IeUi31P-0yTd2khK7OgI-AUFbOmaEhApSyFZipc0KYzDJiKXv/s1600/St_Louis_Cardinals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkkp6AzL7YWyYxRwNyJS6yY4YTrjmENxofgTeF0ckqTf1scW52D6zqX_R40pH2flb1Ta6PNBc8TBp4xebtAJP5LcXzz2IeUi31P-0yTd2khK7OgI-AUFbOmaEhApSyFZipc0KYzDJiKXv/s200/St_Louis_Cardinals.jpg" width="200" /></a>I know, I know. You're probably sitting there, saying, "Let the coaches that know baseball do their job." Well, I agree, but I was a manager of a single-A and a double-A (A and AA) adult team for a couple of years, as well as managing and coaching at almost all youth levels. I even played youth ball growing up, in college, and then in the Mexican League for a couple of years, myself!<br />
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So with that, I really think I could help the Rangers manager, haha! However, I will never get the chance, so I will just have to hope and pray that the manager makes the right decision and wins this series for himself and his team, as well as <b>all</b> of us fans that have been waiting <i>so loooong </i>for a Rangers championship!Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-39290745063559258842011-10-16T19:51:00.000-07:002011-10-16T19:52:51.418-07:00Ending Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIHkYoNaKnZ0QgmlbeppO1AghlBipqwpYO3vGgrNvW17kFvsGxROrVuwOj4T6s5gMJULDrrhGdJ4XP8R5eY7EPeor45hFqV6G1lPFiH10JcUw4xolmlRBvQKNaVAn3Fl_PPzYfiFzrdb8/s1600/baseball-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIHkYoNaKnZ0QgmlbeppO1AghlBipqwpYO3vGgrNvW17kFvsGxROrVuwOj4T6s5gMJULDrrhGdJ4XP8R5eY7EPeor45hFqV6G1lPFiH10JcUw4xolmlRBvQKNaVAn3Fl_PPzYfiFzrdb8/s200/baseball-28.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After you look over your personal charts of what worked (and what didn't) from the current, ending season, we need to check out equipment to see if anything needs replacing before the start of the next season. It's important that you know where you stand with your equipment so that you aren't, as many say, caught with your pants down when the new season begins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCviMRXooiX8tciTgBB2FDjYjVvFODPXAdwgb7T0UnvG1FUMSGMBFp8-_Sa96SqbSgTRwl_lHDifq1ruj5s7YLCbGXVGJEhIFfwK2b4c57y7rYmd7_9hZ7mPM4giA68_4kZ2F6oluDnvMR/s1600/300px-Nutrition_label.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCviMRXooiX8tciTgBB2FDjYjVvFODPXAdwgb7T0UnvG1FUMSGMBFp8-_Sa96SqbSgTRwl_lHDifq1ruj5s7YLCbGXVGJEhIFfwK2b4c57y7rYmd7_9hZ7mPM4giA68_4kZ2F6oluDnvMR/s200/300px-Nutrition_label.gif" width="194" /></a>We also need to take a look at a few things like diet and work-out programs. Food-wise, I advise that you make a list for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all other meals so that you can keep a record of your nutrition intake. Most important of the nutrition info to be recorded are calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, all of which impact your weight, among other things.<br />
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What I really want to talk about is training. It's a major part of baseball, so try <i>really </i>hard to to make it to <b>all </b>of your practices, especially if you're a starter (one that starts most games on the field). I cannot stress enough the importance of making it to practice, because even if you don't learn something new, you can still solidify the skills you already know.<br />
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Once you are done with all of this, we can go more in-depth on checking equipment, such as what needs repairing and (especially) what needs replacing.Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157883970749038550.post-80160635009155146942011-10-08T17:57:00.000-07:002011-10-09T00:17:39.165-07:00The Finish to the StartWell, baseball is coming to an end for the 2011 season, but it's really just starting. We still need to keep it going in so many ways, like working out in the gym and or on a field. For us older people that still think we can play the game (<em>guys</em>), we need to start teaching the next generation this great game called baseball.<br />
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First, let's start with the end of the season. I know, I know; you are saying, "Hey, I thought we were going to start at the beginning of the season...?" You're right, but I have to say this one thing first about the end of the season: even when you play your last game and lose or win, you need to start the other "new" season. You need to start by forgetting about the last season.<br />
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Second, conditioning. Really, this should be year round, but we need to look at what worked and what did not. Then, make a new chart for the new year and live by it.Handy Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174040618891973386noreply@blogger.com1