Warriors Announce Game Schedule

The 12U Warriors team coordinated a Chicagoland Metro League schedule with other local teams for the upcoming season. Unless otherwise notified, players should report to the field 45 minutes prior to game time for pregame warm-ups.

• Saturday, April 19th @ Homer
• Sunday, April 20th @ Frankfort
• Wednesday, April 23rd vs. Midlothian
• Sunday, April 27th vs. Hickory Hills
• Sunday, May 4th @ Park Forest
• Saturday, May 10th vs. AFCA Mets
• Saturday, May 17th vs. Oak Forest
• Saturday, May 31st @ Midlothian
• Sunday, June 1st @ Wilmington
• Sunday, June 22nd vs. Flossmoor
• Thursday, June 26th vs. Crest Hill (5:45 pm)
• Monday, July 7th vs. Southside Express (5:45 pm)
• Tuesday, July 8th vs. OYA 11U Warriors (8:00 pm)

Additionally, we've entered five tournaments:

1. Palos (May 24th - May 26th)
2. Hickory Hills (June 27th - July 5th)
3. Oak Lawn (July 9th - July 14th)
4. Lockport (July 17th - July 21st)
5. Orland Park (July 22nd - July 27th)

Most of these tournaments guarantee a minimum of three games as part of "pool play." The teams with the best records (usually a record of at least 2-1) then play additional games as they advance to the playoff rounds of the tournament.

Active rosters will be published on this website prior to each game/tournament. Please contact me with any questions or comments.

Glenn Nagel

Covering First Base

Just like the 12U Warriors, the Tampa Bay Rays' pitchers practice covering first base:

On any ball hit to the right side of the infield, the pitcher must immediately move to cover first base. The path that the pitcher takes is to hit a spot near the baseline about ten feet in front of the bag--and then proceed up the line and through the base without crossing the baseline.

There are two reasons for taking this path. First, it avoids the possibility of a collision with the batter-runner. Second, it improves the angle at which the pitcher receives the toss from the first baseman--as the pitcher is moving more towards the first baseman rather than cutting away from him.

Next Practice is Wednesday

Our next practice is Wednesday, March 26th from 5:15 until 6:30 pm at Humphrey #3. The weather forecast is favorable, so hopefully the infield will dry out enough for our players to have the opportunity to do some hitting!

Status Update (as of 1:00 pm):

Humphrey #3 is soft, but it is playable. And, the temperatures are warm enough. So, our practice is ON for tonight.

Other Updates:

All of our players are now cleared to play in the Sunday League as we have collected the registration fees and the birth certificates from each player. Thanks for making this a very easy process this season!

We placed our team's uniform order last Friday. The uniform consists of the following items:

• Red hat with black trim (fitted)
• Grey vest (with red and black trim) with the Orland Park Warriors logo stitched onto the front, along with the player's number stitched on both the front and back of the vest.
• Red shirt to be worn under the vest
• Grey pants
• Red belt
• Red socks

Please call me with any questions or comments.

Thanks,
Glenn Nagel

Thursday Night's Practice

UPDATE: Our players did a nice job at Thursday night's practice under challenging conditions. It's difficult enough holding a practice in a small gym. But, it was very loud in the gym--which made it hard for the players to hear some of the instruction.

We revised the intial agenda and completed the following drills:

• Warm-ups (stretching, jogging and throwing)
• Throwing drill--around the bases
• Relays
• Ground balls
• Pitcher covering first base
• Primary and secondary leads from first base

I thought our players grasped the concepts of the relay drill and did a nice job executing those mechanics. Some players are still reverting back to bad habits when fielding ground balls---and we'll run through this drill many, many times in the upcoming weeks. Pitchers learned how to cover first base properly, but the timing of the toss from the first baseman still needs quite a bit of work. Some players are having trouble grasping when to take the primary and secondary leads--while others are very slow to react. We will work through these baserunning drills many more times as well. It's important that our team learns to excel at baserunning.

The team's next practice is Thursday, March 20th from 6:00 until 7:15 pm at the Sportsplex Gym #3.

Conducting an effective team practice on a basketball court is not easy. But, we'll try to make the best of it. The agenda for tonight's practice includes:

• Stretching (as usual)
• Throwing warm-ups (as usual)
• Jogging (as usual)
• A throwing drill
• Covering first base
• Charting pitches
• Primary and secondary lead offs

Pitching Grips

CLICK HERE to review the basic four-seam and two-seam fastball grips. Pitchers at this age should also practice throwing a three-finger and circle change-up. To protect the arms of our pitchers, we will not encourage them to throw any type of breaking ball (e.g., curve) that places stress on the elbow.

Charting Pitches

To be effective, a pitcher must learn to master his available weapons. There are three main weapons that a pitcher can use to retire hitters (two of which apply to 12 year old pitchers):

Location- the ability to throw the baseball accurately to a target; mixing locations and throwing to locations where the hitter is weakest.

Speed- the ability to throw the baseball at a variey of speeds--causing the hitter to guess what's coming next; and/or the ability to throw with enough speed to overpower certain hitters.

Movement- the ability to spin the baseball so that it changes direction as it approaches the hitter (e.g., curves, sliders).

Young pitchers (even through the high school level) are generally encouraged to work on mastering the first two areas (location and speed) before concerning themselves with the third area (movement). I've found that pitchers who devote more of their time practicing gaining command over speed and accuracy have much better results than those pitchers who devote their time to learning trick pitches.

Many times, pitchers think that their control is better than it actually is. An effective way to improve performance is to measure results. The following measurement tool can be helpful for monitoring a pitcher's progress.

Pitching Accuracy Chart

The idea behind the chart is to measure a pitcher's ability to hit a target. At the Mustang level, the chart is simply a rectangular strike zone (centered on a piece of paper). The pitcher throws a number of pitches (e.g. 30) while someone stands behind him and places an "x" where the pitch was thrown. Hopefully, a good Mustang pitcher will throw at least 75% strikes when tossing medium speed fastballs without a hitter.

At the Bronco and Pony level, good pitchers should be able to throw to a target somewhat more precise than just the entire strike zone. Therefore, the pitching chart now breaks the strike zone into four segments (high & outside, high & inside, low & outside, low & inside). To use the chart, someone stands behind the pitcher and announces a desired location ("high & outside"). With a desired location of "high & outside", the tracker would place an "x" where the pitch was thrown in the upper left portion of the tracking page. Ideally, after 30 pitches are tossed, the distribution of "x's" would be along the outside corners of the "Pitching Accuracy Chart".

Older pitchers would throw to a more precise target. For a professional pitcher, dividing the strike zone in to only four boxes would not be challenging enough. Rather, the chart would contain nine boxes (and resemble a tic-tac-toe board. The "Pitching Accuracy Chart" would then have nine of these boxes positioned on the page with descriptions such as "middle & inside, low & inside, etc."

For starters, I recommend that a pitcher measure his accuracy while throwing medium speed fastballs (about 35 to 40 mph). As his accuracy improves, the pitcher should then be challenged with mixing his pitches. Rather than simply asking the pitcher to throw "High & Outside"--the tracker would now say "High & Outside Change-Up" or "Low & Inside Fastball." Any Bronco pitcher who can hit the target on a high percentage of pitches using this approach will most likely be of All-Star caliber!

Here's a copy of the chart...click on it to enlarge:

The Athletic Position

One of the fundamentals we stressed during the first practice is the importance of getting into an "athletic position"--or the "baseball ready position". To accomplish this, a player will have his weight over the balls of his feet, knees slightly bent, back bent slightly at the waist, hands in front of the body, head up and eyes looking forward.


This "athletic position" is practiced in nearly every sport (with very slight modifications). It's the position that Brian Urlacher assumes while playing middle linebacker. It's the position that a basketball player uses while playing defense. It's even used in golf--just watch Tiger Woods as he prepares to drive a golf ball.

The athletic position is also used in nearly every aspect of baseball. Most commonly, our team goes into this position on defense as the pitcher releases the baseball. But, this is the same position (with slight modifications) that we use while leading off of a base, during our batting stance while preparing to hit and while getting ready to delivery a pitch. Note how this batting stance is nearly identical to the fielding position with the exception of having the arms raised slightly:

It's a focus on the basic fundamentals that will allow us to build the foundation for improvement during the season. One of our goals is to be sure that all of our players are in a proper athletic position so that they give themselves the greatest chance for success.

12U Team Schedules Outdoor Practices

Since there are so many weather-related field cancellations this time of the year, the team has reserved practice times for nearly every day through March 30th. Hopefully, we will be able to practice on at least a few of these dates. CLICK HERE to view the current practice schedule.

We will try to schedule as many practices as possible until the Bronco teams start practicing. At that time, we'll have to cut back our practice schedule so as not to interfere much with the recreational Bronco experience.

I will be attending the Sunday Metro League scheduling meeting on March 29th. By the end of that meeting, our team should have its Sunday League schedule finalized--and I'll post it on this website. Our five tournaments have already been scheduled. CLICK HERE to view the tournament schedule.

Please be sure to check this website for the most current scheduling information. And, please let me know if you are unable to attend a practice or game.

Glenn Nagel

12U Announces Team Roster

The 12U team has been selected. Following is a roster of the players in alphabetical order (including part-time and alternate spots):

PLAYERS: Dennis Bresingham, Matt Dahlgren, Matthias Dietz, Ronny Drabeck, Mike Hinde, Jack Lebert, Grant Lewis, Sam Marc, Robbie Maxfield, Ryan Novak, Danny Poulos, Mike Rafferty, Ryan Tannebaum, Matt Taylor and Dan Victoria

Once again, I want to thank all of the players who participated in the OYA open workouts and in Sunday's tryout.

Glenn Nagel

Tryout Process

Thanks to all of the players who participated in Sunday's tryout. We hope that all players (whether they make the team or not) will benefit from attending the indoor open workouts that were held over the past several weeks.

The team roster will be finalized and published on this site no later than 8:00 pm on Monday, March 17th.

Our first team practice will be held on Tuesday, March 18th from 9:00 until 10:00 pm at the Sportsplex Soccer Field. This is NOT an open workout, so only those players who make the team should participate that night.

We then plan to have a uniform fitting session on Wednesday night (between 7:00 and 9:00 pm) at the OYA Office. The office is located at 10649C W. 163rd Place. It's located on the east side of the American Financial Funding building. We will be collecting the registration fee and birth certificates that night.

Finally, there is also a team practice scheduled for Thursday from 6:00 until 7:15 pm at the Sportsplex Gym #3.

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

Thanks,
Glenn Nagel

12U Team to Play in 5 Tournaments!

The 12U Sunday League/July Travel team plans to play in five tournaments this year. The tournaments are as follows:

1. Palos (May 23rd - May 26th)
2. Hickory Hills (June 27th - July 5th)
3. Oak Lawn (July 9th - July 14th)
4. Lockport (July 17th - July 21st)
5. Orland Park (July 22nd - July 27th)

Most of these tournaments guarantee a minimum of three games as part of "pool play." The teams with the best records (usually a record of at least 2-1) then play additional games as they advance to the playoff rounds of the tournament.

Please contact me with any questions or comments.

Glenn Nagel

Team Tryout Information

The 12U Sunday League team tryout will be held on Sunday, March 16th from 2:00 pm until 4:30 pm at the Ho-Chunk Sports & Expo Center in Lynwood (Chicago Heights). Players should plan on arriving at the facility no later than 1:45 pm to register for the tryout. Please be sure to allow enough time to get to the facility as traffic on I-80 can be unpredictable. The following map might be helpful:

Map of Ho-Chunk Sports & Expo Cntr:708-418-1400 10 Southland Dr Chicago Heights, IL 60411, US

These tryouts will be run by an independent party. The Sparks organization has volunteered to coordinate the tryout, evaluate the talent and provide specific recommendations regarding which players should be placed on the team's roster. All evaluators have played baseball at least through the college level.

Hopefully, the players who have participated in OYA's open workout sessions have benefited from the experience. However, as we've mentioned all along, attendance at the workouts is optional and is not a factor in the selection process. Rather, the selection process is based upon how a player performs at the March 16th tryout.

Soon after the tryout, the team's roster will be determined and then published on this website. We will not be placing any individual phone calls--so players/parents are responsible for checking this website to learn whether they have made the team or not.

We've enjoyed working with the players who have participated in the open workouts. Unlike with OYA's recreational teams, this team must implement a tryout to contain the roster size at a reasonable level. Although this process is necessary, it's unfortunate that some players who are really excited about playing won't make the team. We wish everyone the best of luck in the tryout on March 16th!

Please contact me (708)349-1467 with any questions or comments.

Glenn Nagel

This Morning's Lesson from the Reds

I visited the Cincinnati Reds' Spring Training camp in Sarasota, Florida this morning. As I watched three young pitchers who are hoping to make the team, there was one thing that they had in common. These pitchers really FOLLOW THROUGH!

Here are a few photos that I captured of these pitchers:

The first photo is Homer Bailey--another unfortunate name for a promising young pitcher hoping to make it in the "Bigs." This is Sergio Valenzuela. Edinson Volquez isn't afraid to throw hard when trying to get a hitter out.
Just for fun, I'm including a shot of the sunset (sun fade) over the Gulf of Mexico. I photographed this sunset about two hours ago!
Glenn Nagel

Don "Pepeye" Zimmer

I had the pleasure of capturing a few photos of Don Zimmer. Zimmer is currently coaching (Sr. Advisor) the Tampa Bay Rays. Here are a couple of fun facts about Zimmer:

• He currently wears uniform #60. He chose this number because it represents the number of years he has worked in professional baseball!
• He brags that he never earned a cent outside of baseball!

Spring Training Fundamentals

I revisited the Tampa Rays Spring Training camp now that the team's full roster of players have reported. Once again, it was interesting to watch how a professional team conducts its workouts. Following are a few images which I captured while I was there this morning. You may click on an image to view a larger version of the photo:

The professional teams don't lack for resources. It seems that there are baskets of new baseballs at each field for every workout!

Players get loose by tossing the ball at increasing distances in rightfield. This is very similar to how our team generally opens its practices in the Spring.

One thing that I've noticed is how all of the players in all of the camps I've visited field ground balls. Notice the position of the throwing (right) hand. Rather than keep that hand low to the ground with the palm facing the sky, all of the infielders position this hand on top of the glove with the palm facing towards the baseball. Also note the position of the fielder's body as he bends at the knees and collapses low in front of the baseball.
Today was the first day of live pitching, and James Shields (6' 4") was throwing some heat this morning!

Here's another infielder (shortstop) in that familiar position as he fields a grounder.
The Rays ran an infield drill very similar to one that our team runs in the Spring. This segment included playing the infield in for a play at the plate--followed by a rundown between home and third.
Look at the position of the baseball (facinng centerfield) as pitcher Mitch Talbot prepares to delivery this pitch.

Just as our team does every Spring, pitchers worked on covering first base on balls hit to the right side of the infield. We'll be covering this later, but please note how the pitcher runs parallel to the baseline for the last ten feet before first base to avoid colliding with the batter-runner and to face the baseball as it is tossed to him by the first baseman.

Matt Garza was throwing so hard that the chain around his neck practically flew into his face.

The second baseman charged this infield hit and was then forced to make a quick throw to retire the batter. Both of his feet were off the ground during this exposure!

A Day with the NY Yankees

I visited the Yankees' Spring Training Camp at Legends Field in Tampa, Florida on February 20th. This was the team's first workout of the year.

Before the players arrived, I killed time photographing the empty stadium seats--drawing confused looks from the New York fans.

The Yankees took a few minutes to stretch out in rightfield. Is that Coach Gary Dietz in the middle of the circle?

The New York fans look down the rightfield line as the Yankees enter Legends Field for the first time in 2008.
Much of the workout session was dedicated to good old-fashioned batting practice. It was nice to hear the crack of the bat again!
Future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter practices turning the double play at second base. Was this another phantom tag?

Coach Bobby Meacham tosses batting practice for the Yanks.

This workout was far different from the ones I attended earlier in the week for the Phillies and Rays. There were more media people at the New York workout than fans at the other teams' workouts! Future Hall of Famer Hideki Matsui is mobbed by the Japanese media after his first practice of 2008.

Look at the perfect position that this second baseman is in to field this ground ball. He is bending at the knees, stays low, keep his glove low to the ground and uses two hands! If the pros can do it, so can we.

I'll be in the Tampa Bay area until March 1st. It's great being down here in the sun, but I am looking forward to returning in March to manage our Sunday League baseball team.

Glenn Nagel

A Visit to the Philadelphia Phillies' Camp

I had the opportunity to watch the Philadelphia Phillies work out in Clearwater, Florida yesterday. Nearly all of the players on the roster have now made it into camp.

The players did a lot of running and stretching. Outfielders lined up and took turns fielding fly balls and then ground balls. Players took batting practice. And, Davey Lopes worked with the players on baserunning as the batters were hitting.

Here are a few photos that I captured from the session. You may click on a photo to view an enlarged version:

Phillies gather in centerfield

A Willie Mays impersonation

Coach Davey Lopes (a great baserunner in his day) teaches the players how to get a proper lead off third base. Earlier, he reviewed how to read pitchers to get a good jump from first base on a hit and run. Players also practiced rounding the bags (just as we always do with our team).

I found it interesting how much instruction is conducted at these professional camps. Many of the areas in the camp are restricted, so I was only able to get close enough to hear some of what Lopes was saying. I mentioned to one of the Phillies' administrative staff members that it would be nice if the coaches would speak through microphones so that the fans could also benefit from the instruction!

Coaches ALWAYS throw batting practice from about 2/3rds of the plate to rubber distance. This improves the effectiveness of the session as more strikes are thrown and the ball comes ijnto the hitter a little faster. Our team is looking to purchase an L-Screen to ensure that it will be safe to throw from this closer distance.

Our team's tryouts will be administered by the Sparks' organization. I wouldn't be surprised if the hitting portion of the tryout is conducted in a similar manner--with the coach throwing pitches from only 35 feet away from the plate.

This coach looked like he was really enjoying throwing batting practice in the Florida sunshine. One of our coaches (Matt Rafferty) also enjoys throwing batting practice. Actually, I like throwing batting practice as well.

Before I leave Florida, I am hoping to visit two more camps--the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees.

A Morning with the Tampa Bay Rays

I had an opportunity to visit the Tampa Bay Rays' Spring Training Camp this morning. The full roster of players will not report until Wednesday, so only the pitchers and catchers were working out today. It was interesting to watch a professional team work through its drills. Many of the drills are similar to the ones that we incorporate into our team's practices, but the professional players have a lot more time to practice various versions of the drills.

Following are a few photos that I captured this morning at the workout. You may click on a photo to view a larger version:

Pitchers and catchers loosen up in several lines in a manner very similar to some of the OYA workouts at Sportsplex Gym #3. Players warmed up their arms properly before throwing from the mound. Players also avoid throwing very hard this early in their training.

Grant Balfour practices keeping his hand on top of the ball during his delivery. The spelling of his last name is close to "Ball Four"--an unfortunate name for a pitcher!

Pitchers practiced fielding their position and then making a good throw to the appropriate base. Pitchers were rotating through drills on four diamonds. One one of the other fields, pitchers worked on the proper method for covering first base (which we always cover as well). On another field, pitchers worked on holding runners close to first base. The younger pitchers were struggling with maintaining a proper head position to see both the catcher and the runner---and I wish I could have heard more of what the coach was teaching them during that drill.

Even at the professional level, the players practice catching the ball with two hands. All the players (at least those who want to make the team) emphasized this technique in which the bare hand clamps down on the glove hand in a crocodile-like fashion.

All pitchers experimented with basic grips and sound throwing fundamentals. There wasn't a single pitcher who doesn't have the baseball facing centerfield at this stage of his delivery!

I plan to visit some of the other camps over the next few days. Watching these workouts should give me some good ideas for new drills to introduce in our team practices in March.

Glenn Nagel

Sunday League Season Update

The Chicagoland Sunday Baseball League held a general informational meeting for its coaches on Saturday, February 2nd. During the meeting, the following information was provided:

• The bulk of our team's schedule will be developed on March 29th. On the 29th, our coaches will be meeting with the coaches of other teams in the area to create an initial schedule of 10 games. Approximately 5 of these games will be played in Orland Park and 5 will be played on the road in nearby communities. We will probably schedule some additional games prior to April 20th and/or after June 22nd.
• The regular Sunday League begins April 20th and concludes on June 22nd.
• The team will also participate in a Memorial Weekend tournament. This tournament will be held on May 23rd, 24th, 25th & 26th. The tournament will begin with "pool play"--in which teams compete for the right to continue to the next round of the playoffs. All teams are guaranteed to play a minimum of three games in this tournament.
• The Sunday League uses most of the same rules and regulations as our Bronco League. The pitching mound is 48 feet from the plate and the bases are 70 feet. The games are 7 innings, but pitchers are limited to 3 innings per game. A balk warning will be issued (one per pitcher). Steel spikes are not allowed. No bat larger than 2 5/8th inches will be allowed. A continuous batting order will be used as well.

I'll keep you updated through this website as I continue to get more information.

Glenn Nagel

OYA Open Workout Sessions

OYA has reserved indoor space for a series of open workout sessions for players. Any player who will play Bronco baseball this season and who might have any interest in playing on the 12U Sunday League team is invited to attend. These workout sessions are optional.

The first workout session is scheduled for Monday, January 20th from 8:00am until 10:00am at the Sportsplex (Soccer Field).

A preliminary workout schedule is available through the following link:

http://leag1.com/Schedule.asp?snid=47478031&org=oyaboys.org

Note that these workout sessions are not considered to be team practices. Attendance at workout sessions is not a factor in the selection process for developing the roster of the Sunday League Team--a separate tryout (preliminarily scheduled for March 16th) will be used to evaluate the players.