Baseball Glove Reebok

« Home

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Legend of Bagger Vance

A disillusioned war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah (Matt Damon), reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. He finds the game futile until his caddy, Bagger Vance (Will Smith), teaches him the secret of the authentic golf stroke which turns out also to be the secret to mastering any challenge and finding meaning in life.
Customer Review: Mysterious Saviour
This is a movie ostensibly about golf, but in actuality it is about life. A once superb golfer sinks to a life of drink and gambling. Challenged to participate as local color, he begins to practice his swing with a view of playing in a tournament with legendary Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. From nowhere Bagger Vance appears, guides him to the mentality and courage to really take part. He rises to the occasion and when able to carry on alone, Bagger Vance disappears, Beyond the obvious lesson about life and inner strength, the golf tournament itself is lovely, with the actor playing Bobby Jones particularly displaying a beautiful swing. Matt Damon does well as always.
Customer Review: An Uplifting Story
If you like golf, romance, a wonderful musical score, a good story, a great cast, and a little fantasy, you'll love The Legend of Bagger Vance. The scenery is breathtaking. The story is uplifting and fun. I enthusiastically recommend Bagger Vance.


Super quick reflexes are almost self explanatory, have you ever seen the little second sacker lay out grab, that hot grounder heading into right field, come to his feet, quicker than a scalded cat can jump, twist his body while in the air, zing the throw to first and nip that speedy runner by an eyelash?

Body control is to throw with power from any position and make the throw with authority and nip advancing runners. A second baseman has no throw anytime whereby he has the luxury of taking his time, setting his feet, straightening his body and throw out a runner. If he goes to his left, fielding a hard hit grounder in the hole between the second baseman and the first baseman, is it not an awkward body position throwing to first?

New scenario this time. The ball is hit to the shortstop. The second baseman is now the relay man to make that rifle shot to first to finish the double play. There are two separate lines of schooling as to how a second baseman should execute the tag of the base and the relay throw to first base. The first way is to take the throw from the shortstop tagging the bag and stepping on through toward third base and whipping the throw side arm or submarine style over to the first baseman. The second method is to take the throw from shortstop tagging the bag with one foot and stepping back away from the bag and letting fly with the ball to first base, again completing the double play.

Another clear signal all second basemen should broadcast to the league is simply this. If they want their hair parted right down the middle then keep on coming high and hard.

Here is one very insightful little tidbit of information brought to my attention only recently. We all know the color barrier breakthrough for black players to play in the National and American Major Leagues was a major item every time each black player was added to a Major League team roster. The last holdout in Major League baseball for adding a black player to their team was the Boston Red Sox and the player filling the last vestige of major league denial was a Second Baseman his name Pumpsie Green.

Coaches, scouts and fans should choose your All-Star second base players with a keen eye for much needed ability more than that which meets the eye by a casual observance.

Here we go with some explanation providing wisdom to those attributes needed by a good second baseman or second sacker or if you like the little fireball who plays the keystone of the infield.

Instead of coming in high and hard they will all soon get the message to start their slide early and low; otherwise, the little baseball being turned loose by the second sacker will greet them right between their running lights. This is how you play the game tough but often is necessary defence for the second baseman to protect himself and his play at the keystone.

Playing second base and performing at an all-star or championship caliber requires certain defined attributes. An assessment of the needed profile and athletic ability to play second base will be uncovered for you in this article.

A tough and ready second baseman can build a reputation around the league if he has the mettle and stamina to back his play with one word tough, hard nosed, tit for tat , give and take. Some of the tactics a second baseman should use to send a loud and clear signal throughout the league of play. No 1- When a base runner by design is going to blast through the bag sending the second baseman sprawling like a sack of shucks then the second baseman should leap high into the air and come down, spikes first, onto the legs of the barrelling base runner.

Let me just list some for starters:

  • Great balance and quick footwork
  • Stout and good upper body strength
  • Super quick reflexes
  • Not intimidated by physical colliding contact
  • Capable of playing tough
  • Superb body control with throwing power

    • Batter Up----Let's Play Ball....

    How To Play Second Base

    Do you know what the base runner coming from first to second, when a double play is in progress, has on his mind? Interrupt or delay that relay throw from second base to first base; therefore, stopping the double play. Think for a moment what protection does the second baseman have when taking a throw tagging a bag and getting ready to release his throw to first. He is a very vulnerable easy target for some hard sliding hero athlete to take him down in a heap thus breaking up the chance for that twin killing.

    Now you see intimidation of collision and body contact has to be part of the second base playing mental and physical make-up. A timid second baseman is useless in executing double play handling of the second base job. This is not to say that the second baseman should have no retort toward these sliding dynamos coming to take him out of the play.

    The play making abilities which all coaches look for in placement of the player to handle the demanding action at second base are numerous but here are the most prevalent things to be sure about.

    How To Play Second Base

    A man is on first and third and the hitter is a right hand hitter: the runner on first takes off to steal. The catcher makes the throw to second base being covered by the second baseman and the runner at third heads home. The second baseman is in no ideal position to make that throw home with any real authority on the peg, unless he has very strong body control and throwing power.

    How To Play Second Base



    Posted by cf-high-school-baseball76842 | 4:38 PM |

    Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Finding the Champion Within

    Customer Review: Thank You
    I have read many books about various topics, baseball being one of my favorite. "Deep Drive" is an inspirational story about an inspirational player whose core values are to be admired. From the struggles with cancer to the joy of the World Championship and Series MVP, it is truly a special story.The book is worth reading for all baseball fans not just Red Sox Nation.
    Customer Review: A refreshing look at a true class act.
    In the fall of 2005 when the Red Sox announced that they would be acquiring Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in a trade with the Marlins, I like most in Red Sox Nation, was skeptical about the abilities of the 3rd Basemen nobody seemed to want. After the 2006 season, I became a fan of Mike Lowell the player. I truly admired the way he played the game. After reading this book, I am now an even bigger fan of Mike Lowell the man. The book provides an intimate look into the rise of Mike Lowell to 2007 World Series MVP. His candor about his battles trying to achieve his goal of playing baseball in the majors, with cancer, and with the everyday life of being a professional athlete are not only inspiring, but truly illustrate what makes Mike Lowell so great on and off the field. His determination to succeed is evident through out the book, he remains positive and optimistic even through the nightmare of testicular cancer. A true role model and inspiration. Even if you are not a Red Sox fan you'll find this book entertaining, as it doesn't dwell on his time in Boston.


    I've watched catchers with good size and cannon arms. If someone steals and the pitch is a good one, that catcher nails the runner by two steps. Unfortunately I've watched these same catchers and find that they can't block a beach ball. They'll let the easiest ball in the dirt get by them. I'd see seven to ten balls back to the screen, runners advancing and runs scoring. This just tells me the coach found a guy with a cannon arm and basically did nothing else with him. Happens a lot.

    Now, here's the part that's even more funny. During games, now, the coaches have the same expectations of the catchers and their skills as they do their shortstop, second and third basemen. If there is a bunt down the first base line and the catcher throws it away, it's possible he'll get hammered by a coach. But it's also possible that he hasn't practiced that throw since the beginning of the season. I think this is one reason why I see so many balls thrown away at third and first by catchers. There just isn't enough repetition there. No "Muscle Memory."

    Seasons start out with good intentions...with a lot of promises. The catchers will do this and the catchers will do that. But guess what? It usually ends up the same way in a relatively short time. The catchers will do a little bit of infield and then go right to the mounds to catch pitchers. All of the pitchers. At the same time, when it's getting dark, everyone's tired, parents are waiting and the coach who is pitching to what he thinks is the last batter turns around and yells, "Who hasn't hit yet?"

    What I mostly see is common...throws to second and a few to third and first during infield practice. That means a catcher might throw down to third three or four times. Big deal. During a practice, a shortstop will field fifteen to twenty ground balls and make the throw to first.

    There's this certain "thing" about baseball coaching and baseball practices that I've noticed over the years. It isn't just High School teams or just teams in summer leaguesit's a common problem the way I see it. Some teams/coaches can be worse than others when it comes to this, but many times it appears to be much the same story.

    But I've seen some great coaches who have coached their catchers well and boy these guys are great to watch. You can immediately recognize a well coached catcher. They are just fun to watch. Umpires love them.

    How much footwork did you see the catchers doing at practice? Did you see coaches working the feet? I mean with no baseball or throwing...just footwork...fast, correct footwork. You probably didn't see that or remember just a little bit in the season.

    So coaches, don't forget your catchers. They'll win you for you games if you help them...they'll lose games for you if you don't. They have more skills to master than the other players. That's just the nature of the position. They need time too. Not at the end of practice when everyone's tired and wants to go home, either.

    Guess who raises their hands? You got it. The two catchers. So they'll bat last. Coach is tired. He'll throw some to one catcher and then some to the other. They'll get half of the pitches that the first five guys got, if they are lucky, and these are sometimes crappy pitches anyway. Sometimes they will get the promise that they'll hit first the next practice...right. Yet, they are expected to hit like the other guys.

    Now, think back to these same practices. How many times did you see one of the coaches take two or three catchers and go off somewhere and block balls in the dirt? Correctly, I mean. And not three, four or five balls at the very end of practice. I mean a bucket or two each. In the dirt, center, left and right...correctly. Probably not often, maybe never.

    Did you see the catchers fielding bunts down third and first and making the play? Again, not one or two. I mean ten times, like the reps all of the other infielders got when practicing their required skills.

    If you are a baseball coach, player, or have watched a lot of team practices, you've gotten the idea that repetition is a BIG thing. Repetition is what develops the "Muscle Memory" that allows the brain and body to perceive a complicated task as just an ordinary routine task. Many coaches know this and if you watch a number of different teams practicing you'll see the following things being practiced over and over and over:

    Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

    Oh, one more thing...Don't Forget Your Catchers.

    For excellent Catching instruction, drills, training and other valuable baseball tips, consider the following sources:



    Posted by cf-high-school-baseball76842 | 6:16 AM |



    May 22, 2008 May 23, 2008 May 27, 2008 May 28, 2008 May 31, 2008 Jun 2, 2008 Jun 23, 2008 Jul 16, 2008


    Powered by Blogger Templates