Author: Rusty

As Lefty gets older, I see the need for him to start thinking more about the mental side of the game. Last weekend we were playing in a tournament and I witnessed a few plays that caused some confusion. In baseball you have to be one pitch and one play ahead in your mind. What if the ball is hit to me? What if the runner steals? Questions like these need to be asked before…

What do you do with your player’s old jerseys?  Hang them in the back of the closet?  Put them away in a drawer or box?  Or…make a baseball jersey quilt. A friend of mine did this quilt for her son.  What a great keepsake. Not sure if she does this for others, but if she does, you will have to get in line behind me.

It was 1989 and I was attending a tryout at a local college. I was up on the hill of the main field. There were four coaches sitting on buckets outside the dugout watching my every move while looking at their clipboards trying to find my name and pertinent information. Fellow players were sitting in the dugout sizing me up as their competition to make the team. And in the stands were a dozen parents…

Well, it is that time of year again.  Tryouts for the rec season are just around the corner.  I can honestly say I did not think I would be saying these words for at least a year or two, but here they are.  This year Lefty did not sign up for the local rec league and he will be playing travel ball instead.  This was a big decision for Lefty and TheRustyArm family.  The previous…

Lefty has been using these Total Control weighted balls in pre-game hitting and practice drills for the last month or so.  Already I have seen an improvement in how he drives through the ball and finishes his swing.  He is driving balls to the outfield regularly now which he was not doing before.  These training balls are a really good design that allows you to use a small area.  As your young player swings through…

No batter at any level likes getting hit by a pitch.  But, the truth is it is not if your young player will get hit, it is when.  It is a part of baseball and hitting.  Young players need to learn the proper way to take a hit by pitch and overcome the fear.  I have seen it happen when a player gets to kid pitch, can’t stand in the batter’s box, and soon his…

I witnessed a 10 year old throw 80+ pitches in one game this weekend.  Not just fastballs and changeups, curveballs too! What is your opinion? [poll id=”4″]

Ever hear a coach say something to your player and wonder what the heck that means?  Take this baseball jargon quiz and impress your young player. [WpProQuiz 1]

Every young pitcher (and parents of a young pitcher) should watch this. Ted Berg and Bobby Ojeda take a look at throwing the changeup in The Baseball Show presented by Pepsi MAX.  

At this time of year, the Little League World Series brings youth baseball to the limelight. Lefty plays Pony baseball, not Little League.  Lefty started in Pony baseball for no other reason than there is no Little League in our city.  I would guess that is why most parents have their child in either Little League or Pony.  These are two separate organizations but both provide a great youth baseball experience.  We get asked a…