One Dirt Dog’s Reward #2

The 2009 All-Star Edition of The Best Players in Babe Ruth League is now published and available for distribution from Chancellor Publications. Just the thing to warm up the middle of winter!

Each season the Babe Ruth League selects its most outstanding baseball and softball players who represented their local leagues in District, State and Regional tournament competition leading up to the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth World Series. These players are profiled with their statistics, teams and league affiliations which becomes a permanent part of the library collections at the Babe Ruth League and National Baseball Halls of Fame.

I’m very proud to say that my son Matt’s name is again among those honored this year. What a thrill to see him represented among the best Babe Ruth baseball players in the country.

Pudge Calls Out Sludge

Carleton Fisk, 1984 (Chicago Tribune Photo)

Hall of Fame catcher Carlton “Pudge” Fisk who is well known to Red Sox and White Sox fans alike has weighed in on the Steriods Matter and is sounding refreshingly like someone who should be the next Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Here are a few chestnuts that “Pudge” recently roasted on the open fire in the Chicago Tribune this past week (1/19/10):

“But when you have some of these obscene numbers being put up by people who shouldn’t even be there. … I mean, you know what’s going on. … The people it should have been most obvious to are the people who covered it up by not addressing it.”

You don’t blame people for not ratting them out; you blame the people who abused the pharmaceutical world. It’s not like you are taking a couple of aspirin and you don’t know what’s going on. (Non-prescription steroid use has been) a federal offense for a long time, regardless of whether baseball was recognizing it and putting rules into place. The people who did it … they were breaking the law to start with. It doesn’t have to be a baseball law. They knew what they were doing and the reason they were doing it. Now they are sorry because they are getting called out.”

“(McGwire) says, ‘Well, it doesn’t help eye-and-hand coordination.’ That’s a crock. Well, of course it does. It allows you more acuity physically and mentally and optically. You are going to be stronger and you are going to be better.”

“Try having your knees operated on and catching for 30 years. Do you think you feel good when you go out there? (McGwire) had to stand around and play first base. So excuuuuuse me.”

“The reason (Roger Clemens) got let go from the Red Sox was because he was starting to break down. His last couple of years in Boston just weren’t very productive, a la ‘The Rocket.’ Then all of a sudden he goes to Toronto and he wants to show somebody something. Then he gets two consecutive Cy Young Awards (in ‘97 and ‘98). Come on, give me a bucket.”

“It’s obvious to players. You notice that stuff. You know how hard it is to play the game. You know how hard it is to be productive at any age, but especially at an older age. You see guys who are as productive later on as they were early (in their careers). It offends guys that stayed clean…”

Now those are true words from a man who loves and respects The Greatest Game. Nuf Ced.

Too Late To Apologize

Well isn’t it special that Mark McGwire finally found the stones (at least what was left of them) to apologize to the world about his past steriod use. Maybe it’s just the skeptical cop in me, but I find it amazingly coincidental that this “confession” happens during the off-season just before he begins a new position with Major League Baseball as a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. Gee, do you think he’s really finally getting this “off his chest” after so many agonizing years, or is he actually just performing a cynical public Act of Contrition in order to work again in Major League Baseball after having “redeemed” himself from the obvious black cloud over his head?

The smart money says this PR nonsense is not about true repentance but rather about image rehabilitation, especially since McGwire’s last public appearance before Congress in 2005 was all about non-testifying to the obvious truth regarding steriod use in Baseball:  “I’m not here to discuss the past…”

Guess both Selig and La Russa figured that by doing this apology tour he would fool the gullible unwashed. Certainly you can’t have the fans with the money to keep the Enterprise afloat becoming disillusioned with the appointment of an original Steriod Master to “develop” the hitting ability of the Cardinals in 2010.

Well, if nothing else, we now know that there IS crying in baseball after all, even if only crocodile tears. At this point Mark, the time has long passed to talk about the past. You can forget about the Hall of Fame and enjoy your asterisk just like Barry Bonds. Thanks for finally admitting to what the rest of us already knew, but as said by the band Timbaland, now it’s too late to apologize:

You tell me that you’re sorry
Didn’t think I’d turn around and say

That it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

© MIDNITE MIRACLE MUSIC; VELVET HAMMER MUSIC; SONY/ATV TUNES LLC

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

A very Merry Christmas and healthy, Happy New Year to all DirtDogs and their families everywhere!

Great Gear #3: Bedtime Stories for Young Athletes

Since it is the Holiday Season (all traditions are included here), here is Great Gear Recommendation #3:  Bedtime Stories for Young Athletes by Dr. Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. This is an age-appropriate sports psychology resource which is fun for kids to use and should absolutely be on the giving list for any DirtDog Baseball parents this year!

One of the greater challenges in preparing youth athletes for participation in high-level competition involves “head games” which can contribute as much to success or failure on the field of play as do physical skills. Adults know that success depends as much on a confident state of mind as anything else (hence the booming industry of self-help and motivational materials available today), and kids also need to discover this as they grow. The emotional development and temperament of youth athletes along with their ability to constructively handle stress are unique concerns requiring active mental and spiritual conditioning.

Bedtime Stories for Young Athletes is a unique program developed by world-reknowned sports psychologist Dr. Jay P. Granat (psychotherapist and founder of www.StayInTheZone.com) which is designed to help young athletes perform to their fullest potential. Using this program which consists of 23 short, inspirational bedtime stories on 2 CDs, kids can learn to develop their mental “Zone” and stay calm, confident, focused and optimistic. Each engaging segment is just 6 minutes long, and is meant to reach kids at bedtime when they are relaxed and their imaginations are open to new ideas and ways of thinking, performing and competing. Your youth athlete can simply listen to one installment a night and learn how to get into their “Zone” and stay there. The short segments can also be re-played as pre-game mental preparation.

I can speak from experience that my own 12 year-old DirtDog son Matt has found these stories very enjoyable, and carries them with him on his IPod. A complimentary copy of Dr. Granat’s book Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute is also included.

“Every day, I get calls from athletes, parents and coaches who want to improve performance. The callers tend to be frustrated, lacking in confidence, choking, stuck in a slump or losing to players they should beat. I teach them how to be calm, focused, confident and optimistic. I show them what they need to do get into the zone…” –Dr. Jay P. Granat.

About the Author:

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com. He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, work and school. Dr. Granat is a former university professor and has appeared in the New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com. His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology and Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology and Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bedtime Stories for Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America’s Top Ten Mental Gurus. He has been featured in a documentary film on long-distance running and writes a weekly column for three newspapers.

To Order:

Follow this link to learn more and order a copy of Bedtime Stories for Young Athletes: http://www.stayinthezone.com/shop-stay-in-the-zone.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=66.

As always, DirtDog Baseball receives no promotional renumeration or consideration for making Great Gear Recommendations. All products recommended here are strictly based on first-hand experience.

Developing Speed #3 by Roger White

Things Learned from an NFL speed coach…

I became a speed coach almost by accident. I had an interest in exercise as a young kid and loved playing sports. I became addicted to speed and began to get books and videos on the subject. From the early beginnings, I increased my knowledge and then put it into practice. In college, I began training a college basketball player. I learned a lot of lessons then. I heard the quote to be successful, find someone who has the results you want and find out what they do. That is exactly what I did. I found one early on. He is the off-season speed coach for an NFL team. From him I learned a lot of interesting theories and concepts involving speed and sport performance.

Things Learned from an Olympic sprint coach…

 This coach had a group of 30 teenage kids from one city and 8 become world class sprinters, reaching the Olympics. How many coaches do you know have done this? This coach has had a large influence on my training programs. In fact, Part #1 of this article series was a result of his influence. One of his teachings is to put athletes into the correct position without coaching them to do so.

Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #5: Medicine Ball Throws

One way to do this is medicine ball throws. Medicine ball throws provide athletes with the ability to improve explosiveness and first step quickness. I recommend younger kids perform 10-30 throws a workout using a 4-6 lb. ball, while older kids will perform as many as 30-50 throws using an 8-12 lb. ball.

Simply by knowing and applying these little-known Powerful Exercises you’ll be 99% ahead of any competitor. Here’s to your success!

Author Links
This series is reproduced with permission by Roger White M. Ed., C.S.C.S.  For more information on developing athletic speed please visit http://developingyouthspeed.com.

Developing Speed #2 by Roger White

Here is some advice on how to improve foot quickness.

Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #3: Power Speed Drills

Power speed drills simply take skips and high knees and incorporate a light weighted object, such as a medicine ball.

• Hold the ball (between 6 and 12 lbs) while performing skips and high knees. Focus on the foot landing quickly from the ground. Perform 3-5 reps for 20 yards and rest about 1-2 minutes between each rep.

Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #4: Power Agility Ladder

Power agility ladders take the “power” concept above and incorporate them into ladder drills.

• You can choose any drills and keep the focus on the foot moving quickly off the ground.

Author Links
This series is reproduced with permission by Roger White M. Ed., C.S.C.S.  For more information on developing athletic speed please visit http://developingyouthspeed.com.

Mo’ Moneyball…

Boston Red Sox Tickets Now Cost More Than Ever…

The Boston Herald today announced that the Boston Red Sox organization has once again raised prices on the some of the most expensive tickets in Major League Baseball for the 2010 Season.

 Overall the increase in prices amounts to 3.8%, which according to Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino is the “second lowest average percentage price increase over the past 15 seasons with the exception of last season when we implemented a price freeze across the board for all categories.” Another laugher is the quote “We are fortunate that Red Sox Nation invests in this team year after year…”

Well, call me underwhelmed at the news. I certainly didn’t get a 3.8% cost-of-living raise this year, did you? Remember, the Red Sox already had the second-highest ticket price in MLB in 2009: $50.24 compared to the New York Yankees’ $72.97, and at least the Yankees played their way through the ALCS and earned the World Series this year.

To me, paying for a ticket to an entertainment venue is nothing like an “investment,” although apparently it is more like one now since taking out a second mortgage is obviously  necessary if you are a member of the Nation’s unwashed multitudes. To put this in perspective, the $130 field box seat cost just $30 back in 1999, and the seats on the left-field wall now cost $165 for one ticket/one game.

Guess 3 three things are still certain to always defy both the laws of gravity and economics:

• Taxes
• Insurance Costs
• Boston Red Sox Ticket Prices

The minor league PawSox and Spinners are still the best take for the buck any day.

Developing Speed #1 by Roger White

Now that it is the off-season and time to focus on building core strength, agility and conditioning, here is the first in a series of brief guest articles by Roger White on developing speed and acceleration for youth athletes.

Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #1: Resisted Sprints

One of my favorite exercises for improving speed in athletes of any age is resisted sprints. Resisted sprints can come from using a tire, weighted sled, or running up an inclined hill or flight of stairs. This is crucial for improving leg strenth specific to sprinting faster. In fact, that is one of the keys to improving speed: Getting stronger.

• Sprint 5 times for a distance of 10-20 yards as fast as possible. Rest about 2 minutes between sprints. This is absolutely critical! In fact, I cannot stress this enough, but let’s continue with the next powerful exercise.

Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #2: Push-Up Sprints

To continue getting stronger specifically for speed, the next exercise is push-up sprints.

• Lie in a push-up position and sprint out of it. 5 sprints of 10-20 yards. Rest 1-2 minutes after each.

Just by using these first two powerful exercises you will be way ahead of any of the competitors.

Author Links
This series is reproduced with permission by Roger White M. Ed., C.S.C.S.  For more information on developing athletic speed please visit http://developingyouthspeed.com.

Have You (Still) Got A Little Cap’n In Ya?

Jason Varitek, Red Sox Catcher & Team Captain

Jason Varitek has a big decision to make… Stay with the Old Towne Team as a back-up catcher and soul man or see if there are greener pastures out there somewhere. Good luck to Scott Boras on this one!