Spring Weather Has Finally Arrived

The weather is finally warming up! I had an opportunity to capture a few images of some tulips the other day. Click on the photo to view a larger version.

Rule Interpretation: Awarding of Bases

Baseball seems like such a simple game, yet the rules are incredibly complex. If you don't enjoy studying baseball rules, feel free to ignore this post. But, for those of you who are interested, let's look at a play that happened during the middle innings of the game against Hickory Hills:

Runner on 2B (R2) with one out. The batter (BR) hits a pop fly to shallow right field. The second baseman (F4) drifts back to the ball...and then drops it. As R2 attempts to advance to 3B, F4 fires the ball past the third baseman (F5) out of play! Now, where do we position the runners?

It's important to understand a few concepts before making the ruling: When a pitcher (F1) throws a ball out of play while in contact with the rubber, the runners are awarded ONE base from where they were at the time of the wind-up. When an infielder (or a pitcher while off the rubber) throws a ball out of play, the runners are awarded TWO bases from where they were at the time of the wind-up. So, in the scenario above, R2 should be awarded home plate and the batter should be awarded 2B. Easy...right? Well, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule!

EXCEPTION 1: If all runners (including the batter) have advanced at least one base before the first play by an infielder, then the base awards are determined by the position of the baserunners at the time of the release of the throw by the infielder. This did not apply in the above scenario as R2 did not make it 3B when the second baseman released his throw.

EXCEPTION 2: This one is a little trickier (and confused our umpire this afternoon). If the throw is the SECOND play by an infielder or any throw by an outfielder, then the base awards are TWO bases from the time of the release of the throw for all runners. The umpire considered the dropped pop up to be the first play on the ball and the throw out of play to be the second play. Therefore, he awarded each runner two bases from where they were positioned at the time of the release of the throw--scoring the runner on second and moving the batter to third base (since the batter had already passed first base).

The problem with this is once again a little tricky. Fielding a batted ball is not considered to be a "play" when applying this rule. A "play" is an attempt by a fielder to retire a runner. The first play was the throw to third--therefore, the batter should have only been awarded 2B on the play as no exception applied and we revert back to the original concepts presented in the third paragraph of this posting (the runners should have been awarded TWO bases from where they were at the time of the wind-up).

Is this confusing enough? Please do not hesitate to call me at 708-349-1467 if you wish to discuss further.

Glenn Nagel

Warriors & Hickory Hills Play to a Tie

In a Sunday Metro League game that featured several lead changes, the Orland Park Warriors and Hickory Hills tied at 10 runs a piece after seven inning of play.

Robbie Maxfield and Ryan Novak fueled the offense. Both players came through with base hits to drive home two runs with two outs--accounting for four of the Warriors' ten runs. Matthias Dietz lined a triple to right-centerfield in the first inning and Jack Lebert lined his second double of the season to deep left-centerfield. The Hickory Hills' pitching staff is the best the Warriors have seen so far in this young season--and the team left runners stranded in scoring position several times through the middle innings as hitters were having trouble making contact.

Since Hickory Hills' batters were hitting the ball fairly hard against the Warriors' pitching, the team threw all three of its returning 12 year old pitchers (Grant Lewis, Mike Rafferty and Matthias Dietz) through all seven innings. Other pitchers on the staff are expected to get more innings this upcoming weekend as it remains important to develop more pitching as this team moves towards tournament play.

Mike Hinde was recognized with a game ball for his defensive efforts in this one. Mike did an exceptional job in the outfield throughout the game--hustling on every play to be in position to back-up the infield. In the top of the seventh inning, Mike fielded a ball in rightfield and then gunned the runner out at the plate to end the inning and to keep the game tied at 10. The catcher, Mike Rafferty, made a nice tag on that play as well.

The Warriors remain undefeated in Chicagoland Metro League play and will play again on May 3rd against the A.F.C.A. Mets.

Three "Stories"--Baseball Fundamentals

During the course of the season, we use three "stories" to teach some critical baseball fundamentals. Although a number of players could be selected to represent these concepts, I've chosen the following three players for this purpose: Fergie Jenkins, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson.

So far we've covered two of these stories with the team--Fergie Jenkins (recapped below) and Ted Williams. The final one for this season is Jackie Robinson, which will be covered in the next week or so.

Fergie Jenkins

Over the past few practices, we talked about the importance of having our pitchers throw strikes. With younger pitchers, just being able to throw a strike (any kind of a strike) is usually the goal. At the Bronco level, it becomes important for pitchers to continue to throw strikes. However, pitchers must now start hitting more specific locations within the strike zone.

I usually think of it like this. For Pinto and Mustang, the target is a big rectangle (the strike zone). For Bronco and Pony, the target is now a quadrant within the rectangle--in other words, take the strike zone and place a plus sign within it. A pitcher should be able to hit within at least one of four spots within the strike zone to be effective. At the highest level of play, the strike zone becomes divided into a tic-tac-toe type board. Pitchers with outstanding control (e.g., Greg Maddux) can target a pitch within one of the tic-tac-toe squares inside the strike zone--and he can do it at various speeds!

To be truly effective, a pitcher must be able to mix speeds as well as location. Practicing change-up grips will enable a pitcher to change speeds without making it obvious to the hitter.

Finally, we talked about Ferguson Jenkins--a Hall of Fame pitcher who was one of the best control pitchers in the history of baseball. In 1971, Fergie pitched over 300 innings, striking out 263 hitters while walking only 37. Nearly all of his 37 walks were either intentional or semi-intentional. In large part, he attributes constantly throwing to a specific target as a reason for this great control. During his off days, he insisted on throwing batting practice to hitters (this is unheard of today!)--so that he could continue to toss baseballs to a very specific target. This is one of the reasons it can be helpful to have our pitchers throw batting practice--rather than the coaches.

Photos from Midlothian Game

The following photos are courtesy of Kim Lewis:

Mike Rafferty gave the Warriors three strong innings as the starting pitcher against Midlothian...
Ryan Novak then kept the Warriors in the ballgame through the middle innings...
And, Matthias Dietz closed the game out with two impressive innings...
Matt Taylor scored the team's first run of the game after hammering a triple to deep right-centerfield...
Jack Lebert pounded a double to deep centerfield to help stage the Warriors' comeback over Midlothian...

Three of the five players pictured above are returning players from last year's 12U July Travel team. Mike Rafferty, Matthias Dietz and Jack Lebert (along with Grant Lewis --not pictured) each made significant contributions to the team as 11 year old players last season. Robbie Maxfield contributed to the 12U last season as a 10 year old! All five of these players are now team leaders and are off to great starts in 2008.

Warriors Defeat Midlothian 8-6

The Warriors came back to beat Midlothian with a late inning rally on Wednesday night at Humphrey #2. Mike Rafferty gave the Warriors three strong innings as a starting pitcher. Ryan Novak kept the game close with two good innings in relief. And, Matthias Dietz closed the game out with two impressive innings.

The Warriors made several baserunning blunders and failed to work the count against pitchers without command--making this game much closer than it should have been.

By implementing the lessons from the "Ted Williams Story", this team will win games such as this by much larger margins.

The Warriors remain undefeated (3-0) in Chicagoland Sunday Metro League play!

Warriors Make the News!

The Warriors received some positive press earlier today in the local addition of the Chicago Tribune! Here's the link:

http://www.triblocal.com/Orland_Park/Detail_View/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=16484

Warriors to Face Midlothian on Wednesday

The Warriors will face Midlothian on Wednesday, April 23rd at Humphrey #2. The first pitch will be thrown at 5:45 pm. As always, players should arrive at the park 45 minutes prior to game time (i.e., 5:00 pm) for the team's pregame routine. This routine includes stretching, jogging, hitting whiffle golf balls, throwing, fielding ground balls, fly balls and a pregame team meeting.

Mike Rafferty will be the starting pitcher for the Warriors. Mike will be the 8th player to pitch for the team already as we enter the third game of the season.

The following players will be inactive for Wednesday's ballgame: Grant Lewis, Dennis Bresingham and Robbie Maxfield. All three of these players will see action this weekend, however. Please note that all players on our roster will be deactivated for at least one or two Sunday Metro games during the course of the season.

A player might be deactivated for a number of reasons. Some players registered for part-time roster spots and will be deactivated more often as a result. Others are alternates, and will be deactivated even more frequently. Some players volunteer to be deactivated due to a personal scheduling conflict. And, players will be deactivated if they do not give their best efforts (hustle) on the field, or fail to attend a game or practice without notifying a coach--fortunately, this has not yet occurred. Deactivated players are welcome (but not required) to attend the games.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Thanks,
Glenn Nagel

What's Wrong Here?

Based upon what we've learned about fielding ground balls so far this season, can you identify what things this infielder is doing wrong here?

We'll review your answers on Wednesday before the game...

Update: Our players did a good job identifying the problems:

1- This player has played the ball to one side of his body rather than centering his glove between his legs;

2- This player has his right hand facing the sky rather than above the glove with the palm faced down in a position to catch the ball with two hands;

3- This player is bending at the waist rather than the knees and is not low enough to properly field the baseball.

Glenn Nagel

Photos from Frankfort

Thanks to Kim Lewis for submitting the following photos that she captured during this morning's game:

11 year old pitcher, Dan Victoria, contributed two strong innings of work against Frankfort on Sunday... Dan Victoria resembled a young Ryne Sandberg as he assumed a good "athletic position" at second base...
Grant Lewis helped ignite the offense with five hits over the weekend, including one that hit high off the outfield fence--just two feet from leaving the park for a home run...
Matthias Dietz was throwing heat on Sunday morning and completed three innings without allowing a run or a hit... Ronnie Drabeck is off to a hot start with the bat. He assumes a powerful stance in the batter's box during this plate appearance in Frankfort...
Sam Marc takes advantage of his great speed while scoring one of the Warriors' 21 runs on Sunday morning...
Matt Taylor hit some shots and contributed to the offensive explosion Sunday morning...
The team meets to review its progress after the second game of the Sunday Metro League...
And, Ann Bresingham submitted the following two photos from the game. Dennis Bresingham pitches the sixth inning for the Warriors...
Mike Rafferty slides into second base for a double after just missing a home run with a drive off the top of the fence in left-centerfield...
Note: If anyone for any reason objects to having their photo published on the team's website, please contact me by email or phone. I'll remove any photos and make sure not to post any others in later posts. Thanks.

Warriors Get Off to Impressive Start

The Warriors started the opening weekend of the 2008 season strong--winning on Saturday night at Homer and again on Sunday morning at Frankfort. The offense exploded with 30 runs over the weekend!

With games on consecutive days, the Warriors were able to look at quite a few pitchers. Seven different players pitched over the weekend--and most were impressive. Both Grant Lewis (Saturday night) and Matthias Dietz (Sunday morning) had command of their fastballs which were nearing 70 mph. Matthias threw three innings of shutout, no-hit baseball against Frankfort. Matt Taylor closed Saturday night's game by holding Homer scoreless in the last inning of a tight game. And, Matt Dahlgren threw strikes during the first two innings of the season to give our defense a chance to retire the Homer batters.

The team displayed some strengths in the opening games: Clearly, our hitting has been outstanding. All baserunners are reading pitchers better and getting much better jumps. Hitters and baserunners are picking up their signs. Outfielders are making the routine plays with ease and are doing a good job backing up the infield. Danny Poulos made a sensational catch on a line drive into leftfield in the first inning of Saturday night's game to help the team get off to a good start. The team also successfully executed two rundowns--making all those preseason drills pay off!

There are also some opportunities (as would be expected this early in the season): We need to learn how to contain the opponent's running game much better. Our baserunners must get better primary and secondary leads. The lack of good secondary leads caused at least two unnecessary force outs. Our hitters must learn to be aware of the pitch count before committing to questionable pitches. Our outfielders need to take charge on flyballs rather than expect an infielder to make an over-the-shoulder grab.

As coaches, the Sunday Metro games give us an opportunity to accelerate the learning curve for this team. Players are more focused as their actions are highlighted on the field. During these games, coaches are constantly talking with players about baseball--what we are doing well and what we need to do better. The intensity level of these games is greater than a regular practice--and that contributes to quicker development of our players.

Everyone enjoys winning. However, as we discussed with our players, our emphasis remains on our 3 Team Goals. Much of a team's record is dependent upon scheduling. As a result, there will be times when our team plays one of its best games against a higher level team--and loses. There will be other times when we play poorly against a weaker opponent--and win. So, rather than focus on winning--we instead focus on ourselves...doing the best we possibly can, working to improve, and always striving to win. That will continue to be the philosophy of this team as the season progresses.

Warriors Play at Frankfort on Sunday

The Warriors will play again on Sunday morning in Frankfort. Players should arrive at the park by 9:20 am. The game will start at 10:00 am. The Frankfort coach provided the following directions:

"We will be playing at Main Park field B. From Orland you would come South on LaGrange past 30. You will hit Nebraska (Creamery Ice Cream on the corner of LaGrange an Nebraska. Go East on Nebraska. Take the first street, Locust Street, South. Take the street all the way back to the field that faces Locust. You will see field letters on the back of the back stops."

Inactive players for Sunday's game include Jack Lebert, Matt Dahlgren and Ryan Novak. Note that inactive players are welcome to attend the games if they wish.

Under OYA pitching limitation rules, the following pitchers are ineligible to throw on Sunday: Matt Dahlgren, Sam Marc, Grant Lewis and Matt Taylor. Please contact me with any questions or comments.

Glenn Nagel

Uniforms

We have a couple of players who still need to pick up their uniforms. If you haven't received your uniform yet, please contact me (708-846-1466 cell) to make arrangements. Players should wear their uniforms to this weekend's games.

Thanks to Cheryl Hinde and Ann Bresingham for helping with the organization and distribution of the uniforms during Friday night's practice!

Sunday's Practice is Cancelled

The practice scheduled for Sunday, April 13th is cancelled. This weather this Spring has not been good for baseball. It's been many years since we've had so many practice cancellations in a season.

I had the chance to watch the Cubs play at Wrigley Field earlier this month. Even long-time Cub fan Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers exchanged his Cubs' baseball cap for a winter hat. I was fortunate to capture this image of Ronnie just outside the stadium that day:

Team Sponsors

The Warriors would thank to thank the Regional Mortgage Corporation (courtesy of Ron Drabeck) and the Small Business Benefits Group (courtesy of Rich Tannebaum) for sponsoring the team this season. Their generous support has enabled the team to participate in an additional tournament this summer (the Hickory Hills tournament beginning in late June).

Defensive Signals

For the early part of this season, the Warriors have put a basic defensive signalling system into place for dealing with a situation where the opposing team has runners on first and third base.

The system is as easy as 1-2-3.

If the opposing team has runners on first and third base, our team will be given a two digit signal. The key is to ignore the second number in the sequence. So, if "10" is the signal, we are calling for play #1 (ignore the zero). Likewise, if "18" is the signal, we are also calling for play #1 (ignore the eight). If "28" is the signal, we are calling for play #2 (ignore the eight). Finally, if "35" is the signal, we are calling for play #3 (ignore the five).

For now, there are only three plays to defend this situation:

Play #1 - Catcher throws to 2B in an attempt to retire the runner (if stealing)

Play #2 - Catcher fakes the throw to second (and watches to see if the runner from 3B takes the bait)

Play #3 - Catcher fakes the throw to second by throwing reasonably hard back to the pitcher--so that the runner on 3B can't tell if the catcher is throwing to second or not. This freezes the runner on third.

We might also decide to pitch out--but that's a story for another day.

Please be sure to ask any questions at an upcoming practice if you don't understand how these signals work.

Glenn Nagel

Active Rosters

There are 15 players on our team's roster. Depending upon the game or tournament, only 12 or 13 players will be activated (i.e., eligible to play) in a particular event. Some of our players hold part-time roster spots--which by definition means that they will not play in all of the events. Full-time roster players will also be deactivated for certain events.

The active rosters will be published on this site at least two days prior to a game or tournament. Our first two "games" will be played on the 19th and 20th of April. Since those two games are back-to-back (a night game followed by a morning game)--three players will probably be deactivated for Saturday night with another three players deactivated for Sunday morning. An inactive player is welcome to attend the games (in uniform) and sit in the dugout is he wishes--however, this is completely optional.

If you are unable to participate in one of these games, please let me know as early as possible. This just makes the task of setting the active rosters that much easier.

A number of factors enter into the decison to deactivate a player. First, all players can be subject to a normal rotation (that is, taking a game off in turn to allow other players the opportunity to play on a Sunday). Second, players who are having trouble grasping the concepts covered in practice will sit more until their understanding grows. Third, players who hustle increase their chances of being activated for an event. Finally, an unexcused absence from a team practice will generally result in limited playing time.

Please do not hesitate to call me at 708-349-1467 with any questions or comments.

Glenn Nagel

Hustling

One of the most important things we ask of our players is that they give it their very best effort when playing the game. We expect all of our players to hustle when they are out on the field. Examples of hustling include the following:

• Running on and off the field
• Always running hard on batted balls (or dropped third strikes)
• Backing up plays defensively
• Being in an athletic position

Not every player is blessed with the talent to be the top hitter or pitcher in the league. But, every player can give his best effort.

Pete Rose ("Charlie Hustle")