BASEBALL
**Today's open gym is cancelled. Players should work out on their own. Lift weights (or 50 push-ups and 100 crunches), pitchers should do mechanical drills (and throw if they can), all players should go through mechanical hitting progressions 10 times and complete 30 dry swings. If one has a tee a net at home they should do some tee work and soft toss.
Weightlifting/Conditioning
Tue 1/6 - Lifting/Conditioning 3:00-4:00 AAC
Thu 1/8 - Lifting/Conditioning 3:00-4:00 AAC (bring glove)
Tue 1/13 - Open Gym 2:45-4:30 AAC
Thu 1/15 - Open Gym 2:45-4:30 AAC
Tue 1/20 - Open Gym CANCELLED
Thu 1/22 - Open Gym 2:45-4:30 AAC
Tue 1/27 - Open Gym 2:45-4:30 AAC
Thu 1/29 - Open Gym 2:45-4:30 AAC
Open gyms will begin the week of 1/12. Schedule will be posted in the near future. The goal will be to have two open gyms per week in January, three in February. Players coming out for the team in the spring are expected to attend. Attire for open gyms is baseball pants (or shorts), hat, shirt tucked in with belt. Players may not attend AAU team workouts/personal trainers in place of open gyms. I encourage those activities in addition to open gyms, but the expectation is Charger Baseball takes priority from now until June. The "Charger Frame Mindset" begins in January. Of course for those that are playing OLSH winter sports, those team activities should take priority.
If you have further questions please email Coach McCarren at [email protected]
**Good book on the mental game of baseball: Heads-Up Baseball 2.0; 5 Skills for Competing One Pitch at a Time. By Ken Ravizza and Tom Hansen.
https://headsupbaseball2.com/2
**Good article on hitting...players must read....
https://www.beabetterhitter.com/lost-secrets-of-hitting/
OLSH Baseball apparel and gear:
Catchers chest protectors: NFHS/PIAA regulations on chest protectors state that all chest protectors must be NOCSAE certified with proper heart protection. The other option is a special undershirt with padding that is NOCSAE certified is permitted. https://www. .org/articles/high-school-baseball-rules-changes-focus-on-player-safety/
A PLAYER WHO WANTS TO BE GREAT CANNOT ONLY PRACTICE AND PLAY THE GAME ITSELF, BUT HAS TO BE A TRUE STUDENT OF THE GAME!
(Otherwise it's just a hobby, and the player will never achieve greatness.)
**Video by Alex Rodriguez on hitting. [Very good except I would explain that the hands do go to the ball, but they need to level off and get on the plane of the ball and go through the ball for square contact. He is correct in saying that a "launch angle" approach is not correct for the high school player. But chopping down to "get backspin" I don't agree with either (at least as far as the high school game is concerned - the pitcher's velocity and bat speed are not high enough to generate the desired effect). The truth lies more in the middle.]
**Excellent article on a great hitting book (The Mike Schmidt Study), pointing out some of the key takeaways:
The book is out of print but can be bought used if interested:
Other great timeless hitting books:
The Science of Hitting (by Ted Williams):
Rod Carew's Art and Science of Hitting
Great book on the mental approach to baseball
The Mental Game of Baseball
Pitching:
Nolan Ryan's Pitchers Bible
https://www.amazon.com/Nolan-Ryans-Pitchers-Bible-Performance/dp/0671705814/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19VEFBWWD224Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Uz-Sbr8tF_A-GqzCz8zIgG9QbPVFOuc3bt9vkJGLHM3NUX4iUE5W0ZxPjNMkLm06hzB-J0Dq57Wi5BUwFx6abWgcEIa8i2sj9tijYKPWDFIdQ-sR0qT0hDa4QTxlsbkX94pvghRgbRHAnrxo7glozuUYThxEl-c5hOMmbaQ7lKwnHxcvCDFev7BWsRfkk7su94jcGl2OqXuJKiHrwJm-aBauMkINtlQ5Z2s9_hAuUq4.8is9g-0uMcsmoJmDmOyx7BxL31xSSjmy8bc5jj7LZsU&dib_tag=se&keywords=nolan+ryan+pitchers+bible&qid=1710263280&sprefix=nolan+ryans+pi%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1
