Ontario Opening Phase One Passes By Baseball 
Thursday May 14th, 2020

Today with the release of the Ontario governments announcement of moving to the "stage one" of the reopening teams in the OBA listen closely hoping for some good news.  It didn't come to the level they were hoping.  When people first heard that "outdoor sports fields" would be opening players and coaches ran to their garages to dig out their gloves to get ready for a sooner than expected opening to the season.  However, that excitment was short lived.  What was clarified later was that "individiual sports" would be allowed to open in phase one - leaving baseball out in the cold.

Interestingly, "cold" has been the word of the day for what would have been the start of the season seeing just recently snow on the ground.  So essentially while players feel left out of the game they love to play, they probably wouldn't have played that much already.  Still for now, it remains a waiting game.

The OBA upon hearing the announcement from the Ontario government sent out its own press release in it they made it clear that "safety of the baseball community" is its main concern "while they monitor the situation."  For now due to the "guidelines of the provincial government and public health authorities, the suspension of all in‐person baseball programs remains in effect through May 31, 2020."  Again it should be mentioned that many of the fields in the province are closed until the first week of July as well.  

The OBA also recognized the near miss for its organization for getting the approval of the province to get approval to start in the current stage one mentioning that "under stage 1 of its reopening plan certain outdoor sports fields and individual sports, such as cycling and golf can resume." Yet for those who want to be turning double plays in a team sport like baseball - they remain under suspension.  Thus the OBA maintains its suspension of all in person training or activity regardless of the number of participants.   

Encouragingly, it remains clear that Baseball Ontario remains committed to seeing a return to play in 2020.  They have been working on a plan for the eventual lifting of restrictions and when the time comes will have "protocols to ensure the safety of all members."  Apparently the OBA will be releasing further information in the month of May to share their plans and hopefully continue to give promise to baseball being played in 2020.   

The Best Single Person Baseball Drills as the Season Pauses
Saturday May 9th, 2020

Did You Know How Scarborough's Neilson Diamond 2 Got A Major Face-Lift
Wednesday May 6th, 2020

Around the League wants to take you back say nearly 10 years when gravel fields with nothing too them was standard for baseball fields in the city of Toronto.  Such was the case at Neilson Park in Scarborough at the smaller Diamond 2 when the Blue Jays stepped in.  At the time the Blue Jays were developing an initative to support local minor baseball in the city.  They started at East York with  Stan Wadlow Field and then moved onto Neilson in Scarborough.    

It changed field and created a whole new ball game beginning through the Jays Care Foundation.  It provided a  much-needed re-construction of an all-new grass and clay infield as well as a pitching mound for the Peewee age group. The outfield grass will be brought in 15-feet to better accommodate Mosquito players and everyone will benefit from new bullpens on both sides of the diamond.
 
This Field of Dreams grant will also provide funding for construction of a batting cage for all Stingers teams and other Scarborough players.
 
The City of Toronto will began work on the infield re-construction and field enhancement in September 2013 and the new field opened as of May 2014.  All those in the city of Toronto at the time connected to baseball gave a tip of the hat to the Jays, the Jays Care Foundation, Toronto's Parks and Rec Department and the Scarborough Baseball Association for supporting youth baseball programs in the community.

Today, the field remains in use (when fields are allowed to be used) with the Scarborough Stingers organization continually rolling out teams.  Often times it is the visiting teams that are most interested to get a chance to play on the field that was brought about by the Blue Jays.

In other news and notes no further information has come out of the OBA over the current status of the season or the eliminations tournament at this time ... One would have to expect shortly the announcement of the CNE tournament if the CNE itself is cancelled - but who knows ... OBA 2020 game simulator saw the Vaughan Vikings beat the Barrie Baycats 5-2 in the season opener at Concord ... 

2020 Season Interlock Schedule To Be Fragmented
Monday April 27th, 2020

In an ATL exclusive, ATL has learned that the structure of a 2020 season within the Interlock league will be dramatically different upon the time that the league is able to get started with league games.  ATL has learned that the league in 2020 will not see teams from each Association playing against each other and will only play against their local association teams.  Meaning, no team from the YSBA will have games scheduled against teams in the TBA or EOBA.  The TBA will play only TBA teams and it is "unclear" what the EOBA will be doing either at this time.

 It is unclear as to the motivation for this decision but a variety of factors can be assumed.  It is not clear that any season that transpires will be a shortened season and thus scheduling is clearly affected.  That seems to be the underlining reasoning for the decision.  However, one has to also believe that travel and movement amongst teams during the Covid situation might also be a factor.  Yet still, reports indicate that the TBA wanted to ensure that local teams would have enough games within the TBA to make sure enough were played to going into the playoffs.

Therefore, how will this all look in practice for teams.  The first thing one has to consider is how many teams are there in your level of play in your Association.  For example, the YSBA we believe will have three teams involved leading to a lot of games against the same teams in the league.  Still, some games are better than none.

When will games get started under this plan.  Its really unclear at this time.  We know that no games will be played prior to May 31st, 2020 and sources have told ATL that if the quarantine lasts until August it would probably lead to the end of the 2020 season.  So, that leaves the hope to get started either in June or July in order to play a shortened season.  So, is July 1st, 2020 the date that should be circled on our calanders?  It just might be.  But as they say, "things change everyday."

In other news and notes you might have heard that those in Spain are giving their younger players the opportunity to play sports outdoors in the next week, hopefully that is the same for us as well in the near future ... Currently even with the loss of the Canadian Championships the Eliminations have NOT been cancelled at this time ... Reports indicate that there might be thought for a way to maintain the eliminations for teams to have a significant tournament on their calander, but a higher number of guaranteed games would be needed ... It has been suggested that the OBA Championship be turned into a open tournament that any team can complete to allow the extension of everyone's season ... What will these developments do to the CNE tournament with the likelihood that the CNE will be cancelled in Toronto this year ...

Baseball Canada Cancels All National Championships For 2020
Friday April 24th, 2020

Baseball Canada’s Board of Directors along with the Executive Committee have made the difficult decision to cancel all 2020 Baseball Canada National Championships due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  This involves the 13U Peewee National Championships for Central Canada.

The 11 scheduled national tournaments were set to take place primarily during the month of August beginning with the Baseball Canada Cup in Fort McMurray, Alberta from August 5-9 and concluding with the 13U National Atlantic Championships from September 17-20 in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

A complete list of the National Championships can be found here.

The health and safety of the numerous individuals involved in a national championship events, including athletes, coaches, officials, tournament organizers, volunteers and fans was the main priority in arriving at this difficult decision.

The impact of the decision does have a trickle down effect into the local provincial associations where they have tournaments (eliminations) set to narrow the teams that would have competed in the Canadian Championships.  Perhaps the provincial associations will allow for these tournament to continue to allow for a much anticipated tournament to still proceed even if the eventual winner does not get to move forward to a National Championship.   There has been no word from the province as to the status of the elimination tournament at this time.

Baseball Canada however has made its decision.  “After extensive discussions and careful consideration among our executive committee and board of directors, we arrived at the decision to cancel all of our 2020 national championships,” said Baseball Canada President Jason Dickson. “Although this decision will be disappointing to many across the Canadian baseball community, we felt it was the best decision to make given that the health and welfare of our members is paramount in these uncertain times.”

Baseball Canada would like to clearly state that this decision is not a cancellation of the baseball season in Canada. Individual provincial members will decide the course of their seasons and associated provincial tournaments on their own timelines.

Baseball Canada would like to thank the 11 communities and organizations that were set to host a 2020 national championship for their cooperation and support throughout this process. We know how much time, effort and care goes into hosting one of these events and we are thankful and appreciative to have such amazing baseball communities across the country. We will be connecting with all of you shortly to discuss future hosting opportunities.

Hitting Tips and Talking Points
Sunday April 19th, 2020

Yep folks, the age old problem of hitting lessons not paying off has been around since coaching was invented. Better yet, are you Reggie Jackson at 6:05 (during BP), only to turn around and become Michael Jackson when the game starts at 7:05?

Welcome to the world of mechanical training, slumps, and the inevitable. The issue is not to avoid the "unavoidable" (as a hitter), but to limit the "loss" by understanding what it takes to hit, getting back to the basics, and catching "fire" again at the plate.

If you understand what it takes to HIT, you will understand what it takes to SWING YOUR BAT...two big time differences. 

When training offense, inexperienced coaching teaches mechanics and focuses upon the SWING, rather than the root of the problem - the pitcher and his pitch. Furthermore, such coaching communicates that mechanics are what produces top hitters, but in reality, mechanics only improve the swing (and not the ability to hit the baseball).

So let's talk shop........

First off, to hit the baseball there are two aspects to master - TIMING and BALANCE. Both are important, completely different, but timing builds balance (and not opposite). The timing of the hitter is the first to go because it deals with the "change in velocity" of pitchers or front to back of the strike zone. Balance is location (outside and inside).

Since pitchers inevitably miss and all hitters get themselves out, balance is easy to overcome - just takes zone knowledge and better pitch VECTOR recognition (not pitch type recognition). However, since pitchers never miss on velocity change (pitch type thrown), timing is of utmost concern for hitters. Additionally, timing heavily depends upon pre-swing load and stride, producing such in rhythm with the pitcher, and pitch recognition.....all things that fall out of sync quickly and require a ton of practice.

In a nutshell, if you are slumping, want to become a better hitter, or need to learn how to HIT the baseball, timing is everything. Until timing is mastered, balance will always be the backseat driver. Additionally, if your training is putting the backseat into the front seat, you will never realize your potential at the plate.

SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS

It is not hard to take a bat and just meet the pitch (not hit the pitch). But to swing the bat with power and drive the baseball, completely different story. Hand/eye coordination is built into the human motor skills. For example, draw two dots on a piece of paper and draw a line between the two by looking at the dot you are trying to finish at (while drawing the line). Now do it by looking at the line you are going to draw and try to connect the dots. The result in scenario #1 is a straight line that is drawn with conviction. The second line (while watching the line being drawn) is usually wavy. You see, the human brain and motor skills work by sight. Where one looks is where the human brain directs. 

Putting it in offensive terms, hand/eye coordination is based heavily upon sight. This is why it is easy to see a pitch and just put your bat where the pitch will end up, but to swing the bat hard and drive the baseball, completely different story because one has to track the pitch....the same as "watching the line". This is why struggling hitters oftentimes are not completely missing pitches, but are fouling them off, just missing, and/or letting good pitches go by because their minds are not in sync with their eye sight....leaving them behind the timing of hitting.

So how does this pertain to timing, limiting slumps, increasing offensive prowess....or most importantly - hitting?

PRE LOAD AND STRIDE

First off, one must understand that everything a hitter does BEFORE the pitch is the MOST important thing to HITTING THE BASEBALL. All words that are capitalized in the previous sentence ("BEFORE", "MOST", and "HITTING THE BASEBALL") are the key words here. 

"BEFORE" the pitch is thrown, the hitter must produce his load to his back hip and attack the baseball (stride) - all in sync with the pitcher's wind up. Great MLB hitting coaches are often yelling at their hitters (from the dugout) to "get the front foot down". What they are stating is simple - you are not giving yourself enough time to create a proper swing, recognize the pitch, and/or drive the ball. The hitter is too late with their front foot, which leads to a game of "catch up" with the pitch. By meeting the pitcher's front foot strike with the hitter's front foot strike (of his stride), the timing gets synced up to allow for the hitter's front HEEL to drive into the ground and then for the hands and hips to follow. Anything less will result in pulling off the baseball, lack of power, dragging hips, long swings, and early casting of hands.....just to name a few. Basically, one's swing cannot be reproduced IN SYNC (or in time) with the pitch and his pitch. 

This is evident in how many MLB hitters hit....usually the best ones. They do a two step load and stride. Meaning, they get into their stance, take a half step back towards the catcher when the pitcher starts his leg kick down, and then stride to the baseball and meet the pitcher's foot strike with their primary stride (second step). This technique keeps timing at peak performance because the brain is given more time to sync due to pre-established movement. The issue is that this technique is unknown to most youth baseball coaches, is highly technical to teach, and requires an athlete - all things that are lacking in youth sports these days.

PITCH RECOGNITION (NOT ZONE RECOGNITION)

Pitch recognition is the key to becoming a great hitter. All of them talk about picking the pitch up early, but they do not talk about what they do BEFORE the pitch is thrown and how such gives them the ability to do something with their superior pitch recognition. Will explain soon, but first........

Pitch recognition is the skill of picking up the pitch plane, vector, type, and spin early....usually no more than 10 feet out of the hand. Zone recognition is knowing the strike zone and deciding whether it is a ball or strike. However, any good hitter will tell you that they can still drive pitches out of the strike zone. How is this? (more on this later).

Ever have a coach tell you that you must hit the pitch where it is thrown? Outside goes oppo and inside is pulled? Okay, that is everyone. But this does not make sense. Let's explain:

1. Over 70% of all MLB pitches are thrown outside to hitters with one strike or less. Yet 64% of all batted baseballs in the big leagues are pulled with one strike or less. 

2. Most home runs and extra base hits are pulled by these hitters, and most of these extra base hits are driven with one strike or less.

Basically, these statistics go COMPLETELY opposite of what most coaches are stating. It totally blows up their training. Statistics do not lie.....

Here is why:

1. MLB hitters are trying to pull the baseball and get the best "bang for their buck" early in the count. They can be aggressive. Therefore, they attack the pitch with TIMING (pre load and stride). 

2. If one is attacking stronger and faster, they are looking for one pitch (fastball) in one zone - up. They do not particularly care if it is outside or inside because they know that they are in TIME with the pitcher's delivery through aggression and will move their hip quicker to inside or outside, using balance as a reactionary skill, rather than a slower (or mechanical) skill.

3. To hit an inside pitch, all the hitter has to do is stand up a little more and keep the hands inside longer. Additionally, if one has superior hand speed, pitch recognition, and more...this is a reactionary skill, especially since the baseball is closer and it is human nature to react quicker to things closer to us.

4. To hit an outside pitch, one just has to move to it and take the upper body and hands to the pitch longer....staying through the zone with the bat head longer. This is illustrated with the line being drawn between the two dots. Motor functions automatically take over.

If you combine 1-4, you can see why MLB hitters can pull outside pitches and more. It is NOT about the zone, mechanics, or balance, it is about TIMING....PERIOD! A good hitter moves to the baseball through superior pitch recognition, but his timing is in sync with the pitcher's delivery - giving him the ability to get set earlier and be ready to attack the pitch where ever it is thrown. What gets the hitter is the pitch velocity or speed change.

However, if the pitch is thrown low or high, combined with inside or outside....now there is going to be an issue, especially, if pitch speed changes are mixed in during the at bat.

LOW VERSUS HIGH

If you look at any top pitcher, he has depth and uses the LOW and HIGH zones to create success just as much as outside and inside. Most inexperienced pitching coaches ignore the low and high and just focus upon low. Granted, this is the number one thing - keeping the baseball low, but depth and plane are equally important. Here is why.

1. A belt high pitch (inside or outside) is perfect for any swing and eye sight. It is flat out of the hand and can be recognized quicker. Breaking pitches flatten out as well.

2. A low pitch (inside or outside) takes more time to get the bat head to because one has to reach to hit it. Combine this with outside, and the hitter must reach further.

3. A high pitch inside requires the longest swing because the hitter has to get the baseball out front and reach. Outside and high meets the bat head quickest because there is little to no reach required. 

Now if you mix speeds with control to zones, you got a top arm. He uses high, low, pitch speed, and more to off set timing. Balance is a reactionary skill, but timing must be calculated and produced BEFORE the pitch to allow the hitter to more time to attack.

The more time one has to see the pitch, the more time one has to attack.

In summary,

Timing is everything. You must have it before you have balance. Mechanics provide balance throughout the swing, but timing (or athleticism) is rhythm. Understand it and you will become that offensive force every pitcher fears.

OBA Keeps Positive Outlook for An Ad-Hoc Season in 2020
Wednesday April 15th, 2020

In a recent release the OBA announced that they are not giving up on the 2020 season.  At the current stage however it does look like it will have to be different from the traditional season one would be accustomed. At present the OBA is "officially" shut down until May 1st however enough is known publically to know that the season will not be starting in May.  After May it remains unclear as to when a date might be set for the season to begin.   Many municipalities are pushing back the availability of the fields from between the beginning of June and the beginning of July - so when should they start?  Its hard to tell but we do know that as we stand today all the fields should be made availiable between July 1st and July 3rd.

Still, the OBA executive remains positive and what they call "agile" in the face of this unprecedented time.  Talk within the OBA is that they wish to maintain an 8 week season as a minimum while also allowing for a 2-3 week initial period for players to get back in baseball shape.  So how do you do that if you start as late as July 1st?  Simple, you extend the season.  Thus, here is where the agility comes in.

Reports indicate that the OBA is not closing any doors as to how to save the season with a willingness from the OBA for extending the season to the end of September.  As they believe, "its easy for us" but it isn't quite as easy for the local associations when it comes permits and other activities that will impeded on teams.  The OBA understands this, but its better than the alternative in the hopes of getting teams on the fields.

For now we wait and try to stay busy in the hopes of enjoying time outside and playing the game we all love.  It might have been easier for the OBA to simply put an end to the season and not allow for the hope of ad-hoc season in some capacity.  Thus with strong leadership and dedication being shown at the head of the OBA we can follow the lead and be satisfied that those that bring us the games are just as invested in bringing us a season in the months ahead.

So How Many Hours Are You At?
Wednesday April 1st, 2020

So Where Do We Stand Now?
Thursday March 26th, 2020

In what is unprecedented times ATL has started to learn from sources inside the OBA as to the status of the upcoming 2020 season.  With the near turn of the calander to the month of April decisions are coming as to the status of the season in what is being called a "very fluid" situation as to how the baseball season might get up and running.  Traditionally, seasons start as of May 1st, 2020 leaving still over 35 days before the season is expected to start.   Yet with the current status of Covid-19 contingency plans are being considered.

Reports indicate that discussions are going on between leagues, governing bodies and city permit holders.  In some locations it is always a challenge to get started as of May 1st as cities look to take care of their fields.  Here, there is the added challenge of social distancing that is complicating matters, potentially pushing back the OBA season from weeks to months.  Nobody is able to say.

ATL would suggest perhaps that the best alternative is a June 1st start date allowing for an additional month of social distancing.  If you consider that OBA elite teams who play a "fall ball" schedule in September along with the fact that tryouts have taken place over the course of the month of September as well.  So, we extend the schedule into September.  The impact would be felt.  Still,l it would allow for teams to ease into the season, to have a full season, to allow for the fields to be ready and finally to give a greater chance to push the pandemic further behind us. 

Right now, nothing has been confirmed and teams are still planning for the start of the season as of May 1st, 2020.  The realistic expectation of that date is getting less and less with every day that passes with little change in the status of the outbreak - but there is always hope.  Players and teams are preparing to find ways to continue to prepare for the season as it becomes clear that indoor workouts are going to be further paused.  In the end, we remain in a state where baseball has to take a backseat to public health - but anyone who loves the game can't help but ask - when will we have opening day?

If You’re a Pitcher Take on the “Three Second Rule"
Saturday March 21st, 2020

When it comes to pitchers one thing they have to quickly realize is that a pitcher can have the best "stuff" in the world but if he isn't able to stay cool when the heat is on, any chance for success will disappear. If needed, a baseball pitcher should work on that part of his game also. There are some excellent approaches you should take when things are not going your way.

To constantly improve, baseball pitchers quite often work on their control and improving the quality and consistency of their pitches. Let me be very bold and tell you that one of the better baseball pitching tips is that if you are not able to maintain your composure on the mound, you had better start working on that also.

You work on your control, you work on the fastball, you work on breaking balls, hopefully you spend some time on fielding practice and you better work on your composure just as seriously. Don't think for a second it's not just as important as getting your throwing in. Just like the pitches you may throw, having good composure is a very important part of a baseball pitcher's arsenal of weapons. You can have "great stuff" but if you lose your composure, isn't the benefit of having "great stuff" severely diminished?

Never let a bad pitch get the better of you! Sure, this is easier said than done. What can be helpful is to allow yourself three seconds to be upset and then totally let it go. Have this understanding with yourself ahead of time and stick to it. Three seconds, that's it. Many very important baseball pitching tips are from the neck up!

One pitcher two years ago really impressed a college scout. He gave up a tremendous home run over the left field fence and the scout who came to watch him, told him after the game that the bomb is a part of the game and is no big deal at all. What the baseball scout was impressed with was that after the bomb, he calmly struck out the next batter on three pitches and maintained his composure! Think about it. College scouts have a tendency to be extremely sharp baseball people. They look for composure in a baseball player and realize the importance of it. Hopefully you will realize it also and work on it if you have to.

Please don't ever let a bad pitch get the better of you. You are not going to strike out every batter on three pitches. You are not going to pitch a shutout every time out. You are not going to pitch a no hitter every time out. The only certainties in life are death and taxes. Well, the only certainties when pitching are that you are going to make some mistakes and sometimes things just aren't going to go your way.

Allow yourself three seconds to be upset, stop sulking and get back to work. If someone hit a bomb off you ten seconds ago, it's the same as if it was hit twenty years ago. It is in the history books. The same with an error by one of your teammates. The same with a bloop hit. If you truly want to excel at baseball pitching, your only thought should be on making your next pitch a quality pitch. You cannot rewrite the history books so always remember that the only pitch that matters is the next one you throw. Baseball pitching tips require clever use of the mind and not just the body. Please "let it go" and get back to work!

In other news and notes the baseball world continues to stand still as time ticks past, there has been no update to any delays in the start of the season, but things are changing quickly ... One might hope that because baseball is played outdoors that it is in the best position to return to action than most other sports ... There has been no further updates towards a league schedule ... Reports indicate that both the Vaughan Vikings and Scarborough Stingers could have matching tournament schedules ...  

OBA Governing Body Gives Latest Update On Status of 2020 Season
Tuesday March 17th, 2020

In a recent statement from the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) the league has confirmed the suspension of "all in person baseball activities as of March 15th, 2020."  In a notice that came without any surprise the league felt that they too had to follow the precautionary measures of preventing any further activity at this time.  

The OBA also indicated that this suspension would be in place until April 3rd, 2020 with the cavet that they would "advise when the suspension will be lifted."   Currently ATL would suggest that this deadline will probably be extended, however no further information has come from the OBA at this time.  In conjunction to this suspension, all umpire and coaches clinics have also been cancelled.

On a more positive note.  The OBA is still hoping to launch the "regular baseball outdoor activities" when they are scheduled to begin as of May 2020.  Thus, for teams in the league players and coaches can stay excited at the prospect of baseball being played when the season was supposed to start.  Will it happen?  It's hard to tell.  However, even if it leads to a week or two delay the overall consensus of being able to play the game we all love at some point in May would be a great respite from a most difficult time.  Lets stay positive!

In other news and notes one needs to wonder if players are taking it upon themselves to practice on their own? ... Chances are that the end of the game handshake is probably gone from now on ...  One has to think that being an outside sport that works in our favour going into the hot summer months for getting games played ... 

So You Get 8 Pitches - Not So Fast
Sunday March 15th, 2020

Usually at the  beginning of every inning the upcoming pitcher gets 8 pitches to get warmed up and ready to go for start of the inning.  Often times its done without even knowing it.  You almost assume.  Well you know what they say about Assuming, especially in the upcoming 2020 season.  The OBA announced the release of  a new rule that is going to provide the flexibility of the umpire to reduce the amount of pitches for the pitcher based on their discretion.  So, if you take too long?  If your catcher drags his feet?  If the team doesn't have someone to cover the "dish" look for your pitcher to loose out.  Instead of their 8 pitches they may only get 4 or 5 pitches.  It will be up to the umpire.

Its always a good thing to put into place a way to keep ball games moving and when you have a 2 hour time limit every chance to save time is worthwhile.  Here, we find an obscure rule that perhaps Managers  during games may not be aware off.  In fact, this change is something perhaps even the umpires will not be aware off.  We'll have to see  how things progress.  In fact, ATL suspects that many times the start of the next inning is delayed by umpires standing around themselves and just talking waiting for the catcher to throw the ball down to the second-baseman.  So, we'll have to wait and see what the implications of this new rule will have.  Ultimately, it will be up to the umpires themselves.

In other news and notes the OBA is still planning on having the season start at the same time as expected on May 1st ... Most teams were shut down at this time anyway for the March Break ... Coaches meeting for the interlock league ha been cancelled for April and schedules are going to be arranged remotely for the 2020 season ... 

Barrie Baycats Were Once The Red Sox
Thursday March 5th, 2020

When the 2018 season started one organization embarked in a new direction.  The Barrie Red Sox announced they had decided to "re-brand" their team's identity.  No longer with teams be facing the Red Sox but rather now the Barrie Baycats.  It was to signal the beginning of a new era of partnership between the Barrie Minor Baseball Association and the city's semi-pro Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) team, The Barrie Baycats Baseball Club.   Reports indicate that this change has been given "overwhelming" support by the majority of their members based on recent survey results.

The premise of this decision is based on the idea that the Baycats organization was interested in working more closely with the former Red Sox group taking a more active role in promoting youth baseball in the City of Barrie.  Together both organizations believed this would give them a more unique and meaningful identity with a solid connection to Barrie and the community, so taking on the Baycats name seemed like a logical choice.  Both organizations have mutual goals to support each other, get more baseball fans involved in the community and provide increased development opportunities.   Added to that the city worked toward the construction project of a new four thousand seat stadium to support the Baycats Intercounty team near the waterfront.  

In other news and notes reports coming out of the league indicate that the first steps have been taken in getting a schedule developed for the 2020 season ... Nobody will confirm reports that the Vikings will have home nights on Tuesdays ... "Looks that way" that the season will be a 20 game schedule ... 

Both Life and Baseball Will Throw Your Curveballs
Tuesday February 25th, 2020

As baseball players, we all have heard those stories from guys who said that they "would have been better if they just could hit the curveball."To be frank, there are many reasons why ball players may not have had the opportunity to further their careers ranging from attitude to talent. But as baseball players, hitters are primarily evaluated on their ability to hit the fastball. The curveball (and any other off speed pitch) is designed to disrupt a batter's timing, line of sight and approach in order to get him out. Without the ability to throw these pitches, the fastball becomes very easy to hit.

But what ATL has learned from baseball experience is that many ball players do not make it not because of their inability to hit the curveball, but due to the fact that they cannot hit the fastball.  In saying this, ATL believes that successes in life follow the same pattern. When unsuspecting things happen, many of us would say that life threw us a curveball meaning that it disrupted the flow of our daily lives. It messed up our timing of events and/or approach. One of the greatest offensive catchers, Mike Piazza once said, "The best way to hit a curveball is to hit the fastball."

Have you ever thought that maybe the reason the curveball stings so much in your life is because you missed out on so many opportunities to hit the fastball? Maybe it is because we focus so much on what could happen instead of dealing with what is happening. Sometimes, we have our eyes so fixated on the mountain that we forget that we still have to take the simple steps to get to the top.

Too many times players will have in the back of their mind, "Be ready for the curveball," but they let so many juicy fastballs slip by uncontested. Those were wasted opportunities.  ATL looks at it this way, if you are struggling with hitting the curveball in life. Make sure that you are taking advantage of the fastballs that are being thrown before the curveballs come. And even if a curveball does happen to get you out, you will still see many more fastballs in your personal life, baseball, sport, spiritual wellness and business to take advantage of.

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors
Wednesday January 29th, 2020

It happens every season and does everyone really know what to do when the thunder rolls?  There is a policy and interestingly just a several years ago Baseball Ontario adopted the 30/30 Rule for lightning safety.

Based on Environment Canada, In recent years Baseball Ontario has updated the 30/30 rule to accurately read as follows,: “If you can count 30 seconds or less between the lightning flash and hearing the thunder, immediately take shelter and stay there until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.”

Players, coaches, umpires, spectators, etc. should immediately seek shelter if the 30/30 rule is in place, preferably an all-metal automobile (not convertible top) or a building with running water and electricity. If caught outside far from a safe shelter, stay away from tall objects, such as trees, poles, wires and fences. Take shelter in a low lying area.

Environment Canada states “it’s not necessarily the direct lightning strike that will injure or kill a player.  During a lightning storm the atmosphere becomes electrified. Lightning streamers from the ground are trying to connect up with the lightning strike making its way from the cloud to the ground. If these streamers form on a fence/lamp post or even a player, damage can occur to a player’s nervous system and brain making them unfit to play.  People can recover from this close encounter with lightning but some damage can last a lifetime.”

While the 30/30 rules provides a timeline to protect oneself during a thunderstorm while participating in an outdoor activity, in 2011, Environment Canada adopted a much clearer statement. When thunder roars, GO INDOORS” or in French “Quand le tonnerre gronde, RENTREZ VITE!” 

Nobody Is Perfect When It Comes To Baseball

Monday January 28th 2020

Psychologists often hear from baseball parents who worry about young baseball players who are too hard on themselves. You're likely familiar with these types of athletes. They're perfectionists. Perfectionist athletes criticize themselves for making mistakes, often hold very high expectations for themselves, and get frustrated easily after making mistakes.
 
On the positive side, these athletes typically have a strong work ethic, are committed to their goals, and want to learn and improve. In fact, most athletes display at least some 'perfectionist' traits from time to time.
 
It's not always easy for perfectionist athletes to perform up to their abilities. In fact, it is usually fruitless. When kids try to be perfect, they can undermine their own talents quickly. They hold strict expectations about their performance, are afraid of failing, and worry too much about results--statistics, goals scored or wins.
 
If your young athlete is a perfectionist, begin by identifying the traits that may be sabotaging his or her confidence in competition.
 
Does your child want to win so badly that he feels anxious? Is your athlete afraid of failing or losing? Does he or she play tentatively during games? Does your athlete try too hard and then over-control his or her performance?
 
Sport Psychology research has found that kids with high expectations—whether these expectations come from parents or from the kids themselves—are more likely to get angry. If they can’t achieve their own high standards, they get frustrated and angry.  One way to help these young athletes with high expectations is to tell them it’s okay to make mistakes. If they keep making the mistake, coaches and parents can try to find a different way to help the athlete such as watching a video, or having some more one-on-one time with the coach.

High expectations undermine players’ performance in many ways. If they become frustrated or angry, they don’t perform well. Their confidence suffers. To help kids with high expectations, start with your own expectations. Are they too high? Are you pushing on your children some of your own dreams?

One important task for you as a parent...
 
Parents with perfectionist athletes should help kids identify their high (often unrealistic) expectations about how they should perform. Then help your child replace these expectations with simple process goals.
 
For example, say your athlete believes he or she should throw every pitch perfectly. Suggest that your child replace his or her "I must throw every pitch perfectly" mindset with these simple process goals or objectives:

1. Pick the right target for each pitch

2. Be decisive

3. Be confident

4. Be committed

5. Let it go

Also, be careful what you tell them just before they perform.  Even if you’re kidding when you say, “Go out there and score nine goals,” they might take you seriously and take this goal on as their own! It’s best to say, “Go out there and have fun."

The Long Toss:  Have You Ever Asked Why?
Tuesday January 22nd, 2020

Many excellent baseball authorities believe that "long tossing" is simply the best way for a pitcher to increase his arm strength and increase velocity. Some go as far as saying it's the only way. It's a very simple baseball drill but it is critical that pitchers, coaches and baseball parents know how to do it properly!

The "long toss" is simply a throwing session where you start out fairly close to your throwing partner, then gradually increase the distance between the two of you. You finish the drill by then gradually decreasing the distance until you are back to the distance you originally started from.

Many very good authorities believe that the best way for a pitcher to build arm strength and increase the speed on the fastball is by making very good use of this fabulous drill. It is totally acceptable to take a couple of steps when long tossing.

You can approach it basically the same way as if you are trying to throw a runner out from the outfield. You don't want to be throwing fly balls when long tossing. A trajectory that goes a little bit up and down is okay but try to keep it as low as possible. There are many variations and many variations as to how the long toss drill should be done. The following is strictly my way.

How To Properly Long Toss:

First, be advised that you may have to work yourself up to the distances listed below and be patient until you can comfortably work up to these distances. Adjust distances downward for younger pitchers. Be extremely cautious with both the distances and the number of throws. This is not a competition of any type between you and your throwing partner and do not overexert yourself! You and your throwing partner should be sure to loosen up your arms before doing the drill.

Possible Distances When Long Tossing:

60 feet apart--6 throws

90 feet apart--8 throws

120 feet apart-10 throws

90 feet apart--8 throws

60 feet apart--6 throws

Remember not to overexert yourself and find distances and number of throws that are comfortable for you! I would not recommend long tossing on two consecutive days and if you should have a somewhat serious long toss session, I would take two days off before long tossing again.

During the season, I would recommend long tossing only occasionally. Some pitchers don't like to long toss at all during the season and love it in the off season. It's going to come down to your personal preference as to how often you "long toss" and don't overdo it.

Long Toss In "OFF" Season:

In the off season, many pitchers use this drill every other day and gradually increase the repetitions to develop arm strength. Several outstanding professional pitchers have changed their off season throwing strategy and incorporated more "long toss" and less throwing from the mound. One M.L.B. pitcher actually gained 5 m.p.h. on his fast ball after increasing the amount of time spent on the drill and decreasing his throwing sessions from the mound. The drill has definitely grown in popularity the last several years.

Please remember this is not a competition between you and your throwing partner. Be very careful with the distances and the number of throws. We do the long toss to improve arm strength and not to get injured. If you are not long tossing, do yourself a huge favor and start immediately. Like we mentioned, some excellent baseball authorities believe it is simply the best was to build arm strength and gain velocity on the fast ball and some even go as far as saying it is the only way!

In other news and notes its been amazing how often bad weather has occurred on Saturdays, hopefully that doesn't continue into tournament season ...  Rumour has it that the VSC facility might be currently in its final year of operation ... 

Hitting All Starts With A Good Routine

Monday December 23rd, 2019

ATL recently was in contact with those in the game of baseball and the art of hitting was discussed.  One individual was Kevin Bender the Director of Retail at Citizens Bank Park Home of the Philadelphia Phillies.  His thought was that hitting has a real importance for a good routine for any baseball player.   In fact, baseball as usual can mirror ones life.  Kevin describes it in his own unique way.

The morning starts with the alarm singing the praise of 6am. I fill my cup with high-test and turn on the TV. My too kids rise around 6:30 and are as grumpy as their grandfather. Kids are off to school at 7:05 and I am on the bike at 7:10. In the shower at 8 and on the road at 9.

Every morning, this is my routine. Day in and day out. It is a ritual, a ritual that must not be broken. Any deviation and the day is shot, completely off-center.

Routine, ritual or habit, you can call it whatever you like, it is your comfort zone. The place that makes you feel at one with yourself. The place that prepares you for work play or an at-bat.

That’s right an at-bat. Your time at the plate. Your time to hit that little round ball with that big heavy bat.

It all starts with a good routine. Just like my early morning ritual, your son/daughter needs to have a ritual or routine if you will, at the plate. Something that makes them comfortable, something repeatable, something they can rely on to put them in the zone. Every great hitter has that routine, that often very noticeable practice that they have made their own.

Howard holding the bat in front of him lining up the pitcher, Utley taking practice swings almost until the pitch has been thrown. You see the routines time and time again, over and over. Too often we discount these routines as just habits. But these routines are more than just habits. These routines prepare your body to fire off its muscle memory. Kind of a fuse that burns toward a great explosion. It’s kind of primer for the swing.

It is important for young players to experiment with their routine. Try different things, different swings and stances. Coaches need to make sure the player does not put themselves in a bad hitting position, but other than that, I would let them find their own zone.

The more comfortable at the plate, the better the swing. The more repeatable the routine, the more confidence and more success. We need to teach proper mechanics of the swing, but let the routine be all theirs. It’s all about having your own style

Mississauga North Tigers Awarded Host of OBA Championships
Sunday December 15th, 2019

ATL recently learned that the 2020 OBA Championships will be held in Mississauga by the Mississauga North Tigers organization on September 4th - 7th.  Up until the announcement the championship sat vacant leaving the door open for organizations to still try to step in and take control of the coveted playoff but that door is now closed.  Of course therefore the Mississauga North Tigers will get a bye into the championship for taking the responsibility of hosting.  It is unclear if any other organizations had placed a bid.

This of course is not to be confused with the Eliminations tournament to determaine who will be the Ontario representative for the National or Regional Canadian Championship.  that tournament is set to be held in St Thomas Ontario during the August long weekend.

Reports did indicate that there was consideration coming out of Vaughan organization that they were going to place a bid for the championship.  When asked for comment those within Vaughan had "no comment."  The Mississauga Tigers organization is well known for their very well run tournaments and facilities and those that do qualify for the OBA Championship will be treated to a great experience.

In other news and notes it is often considered that the Peewee age bracket is the most exciting year of amateur baseball ... CNE tournament information is slowing coming out for the 32 team tournament hosted at the end of August ... 

To Believe Is To Achieve
Wednesday November 20th, 2019

To begin, an athlete needs to believe in himself and exhibit confidence in his own abilities. The problem is that most people do not understand that confidence does not come from within. It stems from hard work and preparation. One can never believe in anything unless they understand it, experience it, and have success and failure at it. Until then, confidence will only be a far off ideal that the athlete wants, but never attains. 

Ever hear a champion state the following? "Failure was not an option."

To most anyone, this is interpreted as the athlete had a mindset to win at all costs and was going to do whatever it took to succeed. Actually, this is far from the truth. In reality, "failure" was never an option because it never factored into the equation and does not exist. It truly was not an option in choices "a", b", "c", or "none of the above."

To better understand the mindset of a champion, one must look at what makes up the champion. "Fear" does not exist in reality. It is a conjured up ideal of the mind that exists only in the imagination, being created through negative thinking. Such thinking stems from the (1) unknown, (2) an unwillingness to fail, and (3) not willing to face the consequences.

For a champion, fear does not exist because if you define "confidence" as the ability to believe in oneself through experience (and not wisdom), you will understand that execution is a byproduct of development. "Wisdom" is learning through communication and "experience" is learning through failure. Basically, failure is the root to all evil, creates fear, and causes potential to be stopped short. However, it is the root to all successes. To fail is to succeed......really?

Any great player concentrates upon one thing - practice and more practice. Relentless and endless workouts (in all types of weather) are the tools that build the athlete within. The military utilizes drilling as a form of practice, battle hardening their warriors for battle. Baseball is no different and great players realize the value in such. Anyone whom has ever gone through a college or pro baseball practice failed just by showing up. They are flat our BRUTAL!!

The actual practice is not the tool towards creating a champion. It is just a platform. It breaks the athlete down, creates dedication and thirst for work, and develops baseball skills. However, the athlete has no understanding that the true reason great coaches drill, drill, and drill........is because they are working towards creating a PREPARED athlete.

Take, for example, school tests. One test is studied for, labored over, and the result is an indifference at the result because one prepared to the best of one's abilities. No matter the outcome, "no stones were left unturned". Emancipation is the result...not the grade.

Another test is studied for in three hours before exam time, classes may have been missed, and the dog ate the text book. In this scenario, no matter what, the student is going to focus more upon failing the test than on actually taking the test, and there is no difference in getting a shot.

For the normal human getting pricked by a needle haunts our dreams. We anticipate the pain, wince at the thought of our blood pouring out of our skin, and feel we will bleed out before they can amputate and hobble us for life. In actuality, the shot was not nearly as bad as the weeks of angst before.

Practice to PREPARE is what makes the heart of a champion. He turns winning into a byproduct of development. Furthermore, he turns execution (statistics) into a byproduct of his preparation. To be prepared is to be emancipated from the result because one is competing against one's best self.

Champions do not COMPETE in the game. They PLAY the game. There is a big difference in the fact that competition is where the unknown and failure creates fear- pushing the athlete to do better. Play is where the athlete enjoys himself. Let's break it down on what MLB players do to prepare for a game:

1. 12:00 arrival at the ballpark for a 7:05PM start. 

2. Get to the clubhouse and watch video, go over scouting reports, and get a rub down by the trainer. During the rubdown, the athlete most likely will relax and fall into a mental imaging session of pure relaxation - watching himself have success in every detail of the ballgame. This builds the game plan for the main event.

3. 2:00PM sees the major leaguers working out and getting his mind strong through lifting, looking at his bulging muscles, and creating a mindset of anger and aggression. Weights play a big part in such.

4. 3:00PM - athlete grabs a bite to eat, easing the mind and getting away from the last 3 hours of mental preparation.

5. 4:10PM - BP and stretch. The big leaguer goes through the process as if it were the game. Watch a big leaguer take BP, compared to a minor leaguer and you will see the difference. The minor leaguer is pulling every pitch, driving the ball into orbit, and feeling great about only home runs. The big leaguer is hitting the ball the other way, taking pitches, working on situational hitting, and the last round.....well, that is for the fans.

6. 6:00PM sees media and more food.

7. 6:30PM has the athlete putting on his uniform. Most big leaguers go through a ritual in doing so. They slowly put on their uniform as if to strap on armor and get ready for war.

8. 7:00PM is game time and the big leaguer is ready.

We have not mentioned the 10-20 years of practice and more here. Now, do you think "failure" is an option? Do you think that fear comes into play? Does this athlete really care if he succeeds or fails?

Obviously not, as the mindset is so PREPARED for battle, that the "battle" could not come sooner and only becomes a relief from the mental work.

There is a reason why the game is 90% mental and 10% physical. There is a coralation between mental work and physical work. Mental work is very tough. The mindset can only handle so much and tires quickly, while the physical work is entertaining, keeps the mind focused, and gives instant gratification when the ball is crushed or thrown hard. Mental training is about the individual competing against himself and preparing for battle - two things that are hard to focus upon alone and are flat our boring (at times). 

If you do not think so, then why are commercials spread out over 7 minute periods on TV? Why is it hard to focus upon one object for more than 60 seconds? And why do young athletes practice for an hour swinging their bats or throwing the baseball and spend two minutes lifting weights or thinking about their game?

The reason is that mental preparation sucks. It is not fun, is boring, and flat out sucks....enough said. But to train the 90% of the game is to be prepared. Open up a video game and start playing it and you will not get past Level 1. Read the manual, watch others play, Google all the cheat codes and advantages before you play.....well, Level 1 was just the warm up. The secret here is that the "anticipation" to play the game becomes so addicting that when one actually turns on the Xbox....the game is just that....a game. The preparation before is what is sought after because one knows that to get past Level "whatever", they have to put in the behind the scenes work. 

Great coaches utilize practice to develop the mind. They create relentless workouts to ensure that their athletes' minds stay focused for longer periods of time. They require their athletes to lift constantly - the single best way to churn and burn the mind into submission. And lastly, great coaches want their athletes to bleed because it creates a pissed off individual whom competes with aggression.

Think about it. Why are diamonds so valuable? If you know the diamond industry, there are more diamonds locked up in vaults and being held off the market than are being sold. This creates a thirst for the diamond, raising prices, etc. The heart of a champion is no different. He works for it, thirsts after it, competes for it....and when he actually gets to it- he is so "over" it that he 

Being prepared is about altering the mindset to seek execution in practice, to compete only against one's best self, and to wake up the next day wanting to beat yourself. The game becomes a sanctuary from the relentless struggles of work and is a platform to showcase....not exist.

Too many athletes feel that the game is where they grow. You hear about it all the time, "He is just a gamer." Wrong.....he just doesn’t like working and this athlete's career will end before the potential is realized.

It is true that "failure was not an option", but it was not an option because it does not exist in the mind of a champion. He is just at the game to get to his next practice where he will further his mental and physical skills and compete against himself. To fear is to be unprepared and to worry about failing is being unrealistic, as fear only exists in the mind of the one whom is unprepared for battle.

Work hard, train harder, and compete against yourself and the game becomes just that.....a game.

Five Things That Infielders Should Know 
Sunday November 3rd, 2019

The headline may seem simple enough. At the same time it may appear as these are the only areas of defense one should focus on. Well, I really wish it was this simple. Unfortunately playing the infield is more than just five areas. However, the these five areas are the five main problem areas that Minor Peewee age infielders struggle with the most. Thus infielders that make the following five areas an absolute priority in their overall development will find the transition to the next level of defense that much easier.

1. Playing too deep...most infielders will find themselves playing too deep when they move up to higher more demanding levels. The speed of the game is that much quicker as each infielder moves up the baseball ladder. Given how the speed of the game increases, infielders must find a way to better position themselves prior to the pitch to improve their chances of making a play on the ground ball. Just watch what happens in Fall Ball when a freshman shortstop is playing too deep and the first routine ground ball that is hit to them - as soon as they field it and look up, they will see the runner getting down the line faster than what he has been used to. When the ball reaches the first baseman’s glove the runner will be already past the base or it will be a bang, bang play. So, what is the bottom line?...the game is faster (and yes balls do get hit harder) but finding the ideal position where range is not ill-affected will help each infielder make more routine plays...and that usually means figuring out how to play a little less deep.

2. Sitting back on ground balls...yes, minor peewee infielders can probably get away with sitting back a little and letting the ball come to them. Sure players are en masse not as athletic and fast as collegiate ones, and thus it becomes very easy to sit back or lay back on a ground ball and then come up throwing (no matter the arm strength) and in most cases easily throw out a runner at first base.  However, most infielders that sit back could easily find themselves sitting on the bench until they learn the importance of moving toward a ground ball and cutting down on distance to shorten the throw to first base. Start to take accountability for your own actions and make it easier on yourself and spend less time worrying about if the play will be close by moving toward the ground ball rather than having it play you. Don't make a close out a good play anymore...try and beat the runner by at least a couple of steps now...because tomorrow that two step gap will disappear in college.

3. Reading the speed of a ground ball... The speed of the ground ball will dictate the speed at which an infielder moves toward the ball. Most ground balls an infielder will encounter will require a move toward the ball after the read. Of course balls that are hit much harder will dictate that less movement toward the ball is needed. But the question (and important element for infielders) is, just how fast are you reading the ground ball and subsequently how fast are you moving toward it? All Minor Peewee infielders will have to get better as they grow through the different stages of play. If you just for a moment consider the routine ground ball as a ball that may be fielded just after the third hop or possibly just before the third hop, it is safe to say that an infielder will move toward the ball at a controlled speed, cut down the distance and make the play. Balls that are hit with less speed require the infielder to read and move at a higher rate of speed to make the play. Batted balls that carry further toward an infielder in the air, like a low, knee high line drive, naturally are hit harder and will not require as much speed (if any at all) to make the play. So, infielders, you must work on getting your visual reads on grounds balls to determine your own speed to the ball.

4. Reading hops...without question the most difficult for any infielder. So many Minor Peewee infielders just get caught on in between hops and spend very little time trying to really understand different hops. Simply put, an improper hop read will cause a fatal mistake for an infielder when trying to field ground balls. The only way to overcome this is to take boat loads of ground balls and take them on different surfaces. Hey, it is pretty easy to pick up a ground ball and make a play on carpet, but what about a field that will not give a true hop? That’s right;  there are fields like that that we all will play on. Infielders can look great on carpet, but the game changes when it is played on grass. Get used to it and get used to the different hops you'll encounter on all of them.

5. Underestimating the speed of your opposition... Don't underestimate the overall speed and just worry about the fastest few guys on a team. Be ready to see that players are getting bigger and faster and can surprise you if taking it for granted. 

So in conclusion, learn to play a depth that allows you to get most out of your ability; do not sit back on ground balls; do a better job of reading the speed of the ball by taking more ground balls; and do a better job of reading hops, especially the first hop to determine what the next movements will be. If these four areas can be attacked on an ongoing basis combined with never underestimating your opposition, the transition from being a HS infielder to a AAA infielder will be much more easily fashioned...and make it more likely that someone will think you can play at that level. It takes hard work, awareness and buckets full of ground balls to master the art of fielding. Good luck in your efforts as you step onto the AAA field this upcoming season.

In over news and notes the Vaughan Vikings are apparently introducing a new type of uniform that teams could consider ... It would seem the YSBA is not the only organization that has gotten Snapped, the TBA has now adopted the program aswell for the 2020 season ... Congratulations to the Scarborough Maroons for winning the over 50 year old vintage league championships ... Howie Bernie a staple in Youth Ontario Baseball has been named to the Toronto Baseball Hall of Fame ...  

So You Want To Be A Catcher - Four Tips For The Position
Monday October 22nd, 2019

So you made the decision to become a catcher. The catcher position in baseball is a physically and mentally demanding position. A great way to try and deal with the different demands as a catcher is to learn some different aspects of the game and try and learn from other catchers' experiences. A lot of times there are no right or wrong answers but here are some tips that may be able to help you in the future as a catcher. Here are 4 simple yet essential tips for young catchers as they start out in the game.

1 - Heels on the Ground 

One common misconception for catchers is they’re supposed to be on their toes while in their catcher’s stance (doing so while giving your signs is ok). If this is something that you do, try catching with your heels on the ground. It may be uncomfortable at first, but once your body is used to this technique, it can make being in your stance a whole lot easier and keep you more stable, balanced and athletic to react to the outcome of the pitch.

2 - Relaxing your Glove Hand 

When holding up your target, you may leave your glove up throughout the duration of the pitch. There is nothing wrong with this technique but it may be to your benefit if you try relaxing your glove hand while the pitch is coming in. Giving your hand a split second of rest can be a huge help with your receiving ability. Like any other athletic endeavour, the more relaxed we are the better we can react to the situation.

3 - Pitch Selection 

When dealing with a starting pitcher, the first time through the lineup can be very different than the second or third. As a hitter it can be much easier to hit a pitcher later in the game because you get a chance to see different pitches and get used to them. It can benefit your pitcher if you limit your secondary pitches the first time through the lineup. The reason for this is so the hitters get less opportunity to adjust to other pitches throughout the game. 

4 - Off-speed Pitch Location 

When selecting where to throw pitches, it’s a general rule to throw off-speed pitches away. This is usually a good concept to follow, but there can be exceptions to this. If you decide to throw an off-speed pitch inside, make sure you call for the ball to be down. It’s a lot more difficult for a hitter to take advantage of a pitch down rather than up.

So if you are making the move to go behind the plate, keep these 4 simple tips in mind that you may not have otherwise known. You'll be off to a great start in your new career behind the plate and donning the tools of ignorance.

In other news and notes there is reports that the Vaughan Vikings might be adding a new coach to the coaching staff ... Reports indicate that there has already been discussion amongst coaches in the league regarding a new tournament for the 2020 season ... Eliminations is to be played for a second year in St Thomas Ontario ... North York won the CNE Tournament in 2019 ...