A Reader's Response

By Michael Barry & Chris Maurice

Several weeks ago, I posed the question on our Facebook fan page, "Why aren't there more Little Leugue World Series players playing Major League Baseball?"  I recieved several responsesranging from physical development issues to players burning out.  Then, I recieved the following message from Chris Maurice, a recent graduate of Haverford College and former East Cobb (Georgia) baseball player.  This is what he wrote...Continue

By Michael Barry

It was a great weekend for Major League Baseball.  Click here to checkout the video highlights.

By Matt Kirsch

In case you missed it, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was called for a balk in consecutive innings by first base umpire Joe West Wednesday versus the Indians. The first balk resulted in manager Ozzie Guillen being ejected, the second sent Buehrle to the showers in the third inning.

If you watch the video it’s pretty clear that Buehrle didn’t balk, either time. Buehrle made a simple pickoff move where he lifted his right leg like he was going to throw to the plate and went to first. Neither time did it look like he came close to crossing the 45-degree line.

Most baseball fans know that West is known more for being in the middle of arguments with players and managers than being a good umpire...Continue

By Michael Barry

Controling the running game is an easier concept than many pitchers believe.  The primary reason for this is because, when throwing their bullpen sessions, most pitchers work primarily from the wind-up.  This is a big mistake.  As Greg Maddux once said, the most important pitches a pitcher will throw in a game are from the stretch.  Therefore, it is very important for the majority of a pitcher’s bullpen session to be thrown from the stretch so that, when a runner does reach base during a game, the pitcher is already extremely, if not more, comfortable in this situation...Continue

Selecting a Private Instructor for Your Ballplayer

By Michael Barry

I was at a high school showcase over the weekend.  At one point during the two-day event, a high school coach, who was at the camp, turned to me and said, “These kids have no idea.  You can tell from their fundamentals they are getting private lessons.  They’re here, so they think they can play at the next level.  Yet, they have no chance.  Those coaches giving them private lessons are just stealing their money.”

Now, I have to admit, I was considered one of those kids in high school.  I had no idea how good I was and thought I could play at the top collegiate programs in the country.  I think most high school players are like that.  However, I do agree with this coach that the private lesson industry can, at times, be completely corrupt...Continue

By Asaf Rothem; writer for the website Israel National Baseball Team

On the positive end, Israelis are known to be creative, individual and competitive. Yet, on the negative end, they are also perceived as rude, loud, and straight forward. And oh yeah – they are not the best athletes in the world. Sports? Now that’s just not for them, is it.

In general, Israel has failed to produce quality teams – both national teams and professional sports teams – that succeed on the international level. Some claim to the old stereotype of Jews as non-athletic and lacking the competitors spirit...Continue

By Michael Barry

Yesterday the airwaves were bombarded with talking heads laying their opinion on the “morality” of stealing opponents’ signs in baseball.  This discussion stems from an article by Fox Sports’ Tracy Ringolsby that alleges Philadelphia Phillies bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was using binoculars to stare into the catcher’s signs during Philly at bats from the Rockies’ visitor’s bullpen during Monday’s game...Continue

By Michael Barry

Milton Bradley, the self proclaimed “Bad Boy of Baseball” went to Seattle Mariners management yesterday morning and admitted to needing help.  While many talking heads will say that Bradley finally “gets it,” thereby putting the onus entirely on the player, I look at this situation and ask, Why now?  Why, after all these years of attacking fans, umpires, and entire cities is Milton Bradley finally able to turn the mirror on himself and admit to needing help?  I would argue that Bradley’s ability to accept responsibility for himself and his actions are as much a product of his own personal growth as it is the fact that he is finally in a nurturing environment where he can trust the people around him...Continue

By Michael Barry

For decades, playoff beards have been mandatory in hockey.  However, like the snakehead fish invading your local waterway, the playoff beard has spread to the baseball diamond.  However, I am amazed at how participants in this ritual (of which, I admit, I am one) fail to follow correct protocol.  And with many college conference tournaments commencing this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to explore “Proper Playoff Beard Etiquette.”…Continue



By Michael Barry

Over the past few years, the topic concerning the decrease in the number of African-American baseball players in major league baseball has become one that peppers sports talk radio airwaves every couple of months.  While the topic is both important and sensitive in nature, I often feel it has become the new “Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame” for the 2000’s, relegated to discussion on days when sports-talk personalities have “nothing better” to talk about.  This is not, however, due to a lack of sensitivity about the subject on the talking heads’ part.  Rather, I believe that it is for three reasons: a.) How or why did this happen; b.) Is it, as it appears, race related; and, c.) How, and is it even possible, for us to “fix” the “problem?”

I’m no historian, but, quite frankly, the issue of African-American participation in baseball can be tackled quite easily from a common sense point of view.  Everyone is looking for some magic pill that can “fix” the “problem” with one easy stroke of the brush.  However, things just aren’t that easy because, what we are dealing with is an issue that took decades to create...Continue

By Frank Martino

Well, I had the best of intentions to review “Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings” as an homage to Negro League baseball during black history month. But, alas, amidst the feet of snow and my need to get back to normalcy after said snow, my notes got buried under an avalanche of other things. But, today, I redeem myself and finally review that eye opening movie, just in time for Jackie Robinson Day...Continue

By Michael Barry

I was talking to one of our pitchers the other day about my recent pitching article, When Things Get Tough; Go Softer, and he mentioned that he thought I was contradicting myself.  You see, I am the pitching coach at Haverford College (located on the Philadelphia Main Line) and our pitchers are smart…very smart.  In many cases, the pitchers I’m working with are much smarter than I am or ever will be.  However, their ginormous cerebral cortexes can often get in the way of them reaching their full potential as pitchers and, for this reason, I am often trying to dumb them down.   One of my favorite sayings is telling them, “Don’t think.”  The pitcher in question felt that, in the article, I mentioned that, when a pitcher gets in trouble, he starts “thinking like a meathead instead of the cerebral, well-oiled machine” he is...Continue

By Matt Cox

For the past few weeks it’s been a pretty crazy time, as I’m currently working on playing for a professional baseball team, somewhere, somehow. I have scheduled 3 tryouts for independent baseball leagues, traveling to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Ohio...Continue

By Michael Barry

I see it all the time; from Little League to the majors.  A pitcher is cruising along and suddenly gets in a little trouble.  Suddenly he starts working faster and faster.  The game plan he had for setting-up his off speed pitches goes out the window and he’s throwing nothing but fastballs.  Every pitch is up in the zone for either a ball or is turned around by the hitter faster than a telephone call to the bullpen.  Suddenly, the offense has put up a crooked number and the pitcher is sitting in the dugout with a glazed looked over his eyes wondering what the heck happened...Continue