Guest Blogger from Tampa, Florida

Joradn Ramus was my student who flew in for a one day workout from Florida. Here are his thoughts on the day:

Thanks again for a great training day in Chicago! Glad you had the confidence in me to compress it all in one full day. My dad told me it would be difficult to do but coming from Florida and in town for just the day it was our only option. Thanks for making it all happen.

I told my dad your attention to detail and your temperament with instruction was outstanding and an absolute perfect fit for me. I look forward to growing in the future with you as my mentor over the years Justin.

Here is what I thought about going into my day. I have had a lot of training in the past but I know that I am getting older, bigger wiser & stronger and I need to take it to the next level. I will be in 8th grade next year and high school is not that far off.

I knew from my dad that you are the best in the country hands down so I was looking forward to learning and refining my craft of hitting. Many kids just want to show off and pretend to learn…I want to learn and get better and be the best but I also want to look good doing it. My dad says staying in the envelope is important (I hear it in my sleep) and I looked at my special day as that being part of my goal….to stay in the envelope on a more consistent basis. I have always made my own adjustments in hitting but your regiment/drills will make it even easier for me to do so. I wasn’t nervous at all as I am not that type of guy… I just wondered what would come out of it all meaning what would I need to take home and work on and I achieved that with you. I wondered what kind of facility it would be like and I was blown away by it. I was counting on meeting Alex Rios though but my dad said you had it covered next time!!!

At the end of the day, I learned about my (2) weaknesses that I need to work on and I believe that both of them are simple fixes with repetition. I learned a whole lot more about the swing plane too and getting on plane and being quick with my hands staying short inside the ball. I have had previous training with Epstein on proper rotation but they do not address hand path, they only address getting on plane with the barrel of the bat for a very long time. However, hand path is a huge part of getting on plane too and they both go hand in hand…no pun intended. Hands do come down and the bat barrel does go rearward with you swinging “naturally” to that point in motion and not artificially fading off to get there. I get it Epstein….lol…I am working on my front foot side as well and keeping it closed off as much as possible.

My dad and I when we work together are doing all the tee drills and I am working hard at this. What I am most excited about though is that I found my guy to mentor me well into the future. I just want to work as hard as I can Justin and see how far it can take me.

Thanks again Justin for a great training day!

Jordan Ramus
#16
Bullets Black Baseball Elite
Tampa, Florida

Feel Good Moment - Welles Wins First Game

There is nothing more satisfying to a coach then seeing someone, or a group you work with, get better and have success. This story, however, is rather unique. I live on the corner of one of Chicago's biggest biggest youth baseball organizations (Welles Park). Its my neighborhood, I know the community, and I know a lot of the kids. Over the years, I've worked with kids and teams at this park whenever I can fit it in my schedule. One particular team, the Welles Park 12U part time travel team needed some help. You see, they haven't won a game going on 3 years. They are great kids, most of which I've known for 3 or 4 years, and they have somehow managed to keep a great positive attitude and outlook on the game through this experience.

This year, friends of mine who ran the team, reached out for help. I said to them, that to compete with suburban teams, you have to start training before March, which is what all of the suburban teams do. I started training them in January, doing team practices at the White Sox Academy on Sunday nights. Over time, the boys started to look and think like competitive baseball players. I placed them with a very tough pre-season schedule, playing some of the best full time travel teams in the Chicago area, such as the Homer Heat and Lisle Wolves. Although they were beaten handily, they competed, and never backed down.

Last night was their first regular season league game against the Skokie Indians. The confidence of the boys on the field, looked like a group of veterans. They looked and played the game the right way. Listen to these numbers. . . 0 errors and only 3 walks given up in a full game! If you pitch it and pick it up in this game - you win - at any level. And that's exactly what the boys did! With a 9-5 victory, they learned that hard work certainly pays off. To see 15 smiling boys running off the field for their first victory in years, in their first game was a true feel good moment. The parents, coaches and mostly the players, were and should be proud of themselves. I really believe that the best is yet to come for this group!

One of the biggest influences in my playing career.

Looking back on life of baseball, a few major influences stand out. First and foremost, my mother, who spent her time as a "stay at home" mom, working with me daily on baseball fundamentals. But second, was a simple video of my childhood role-model, Ozzie Smith. Through my playing career, starting at the age of 6, I wanted to be Ozzie. I wore my uniform like him, I wore his number from when I was 6 until my career ended in my twenties, and I "tried" to play like him.

When I was 6 years old, my father would get up at 5:30 or 6am on Saturdays to record a program called "The Baseball Bunch" on our VHS recorder. The Baseball Bunch was a baseball fundamentals program hosted by Johnny Bench. On Saturday afternoons my friends would come over and we would watch the tape. I'll never forget though the episode which featured my favorite player, Ozzie. The episode changed my life. . . literally.

Two things stand out on this episode with me. The one minute highlight real at the beginning, and the drill segment on "wall ball". I watched this so many times, the tape was about worn out. (I still have the tape today, just no VHS player. I even thought of transferring it to DVD and put on YouTube, but someone else did already!)
I would imitate all the plays Ozzie made in my basement, my yard or out on the sandlot. Watching the highlight real today, I saw how many times Ozzie would slide down on his left knee, with his right leg extended to backhand and throw quickly, and thought, "That was the exact same way I did it." I copied that technique from Ozzie so long ago. Next, the wall ball segment was a drill that I believe led me to everything I do today.

Watching Ozzie play wall ball inspired me to do the same. I had a brick wall on one side of my drive way, and I used a tennis ball to work the routine play, forehand and backhand. By the time I was 7, I had mastered the backhand, years before other people my age could do so. Therefore, because of that drill, I played shortstop on every team I ever played on and I was still doing the drill when I was 21 years old. Quick fast forward - that drill was the reason for my college scholarship, which led me to my coaching job in Division I college baseball, which led me to what I do with a professional organization today. I can trace it all back to a over-energized 6 year old with a bowl haircut banging the tennis ball off the wall for hours upon end.

I still use the drill today in some of my lessons and I love in part 2 of the video how Ozzie describes how his hands play "through" the ball instead of funnelling. Nobody taught that at the time, but now most infield coaches teach this technique. Ozzie was way ahead of the game, and became the best shortstop of all time. Take a minute to watch the video that changed my life!

Ozzie Smith - Part 2 Video - Wall Ball - Enjoy!

Austin Murphy - Cherry Creek High, Colorado

Nice note below from a former student of mine who is doing well at his new school in Colorado. I know I take for granted how we impact our players beyond just teaching them baseball. I teach so many kids, that sometimes I forget that our reach goes beyond the 30 minutes or hour you spend with them. Its a powerful position to be put in, anytime you have a chance to impact a player for a lifetime.

Justin,

David Murphy here.... you were a hitting instructor for my son Austin Murphy when he was in 6th and 7th grade when we lived in Chicago.

Austin now attends Cherry Creek High in Denver, CO and is 6'4 205 - he plays 1st base for the #2 ranked team in the state and #67 in US.

He has very fond memories of taking lessons with you and you were one of his first Baseball Coaches who really had an impact on him and instilled a
passion and work ethic for the game.

Attached is a picture of Austin and a HR he hit Vs Arapahoe High. His 3rd of the year...

Hope all is well with you and the White Sox!

Best regards,
-David Murphy

Major League Baseball - Chicago RBI Clinic

Recently, I lead a panel of speakers at Chicago's RBI Coaches Clinic. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is a Major League Baseball Program that the Chicago White Sox oversee in Chicago. Led by Dan Puente, the Sox do an outstanding job at baseball related community outreach. The Coaches Clinic panel featured, myself, former big leaguers, Michael Huff, Lou Collier, Darin Jackson and Sox 3rd base coach Jeff Cox. I spoke on 3 of the 6 topics presented - practice organization, hitting and infield play. The coaches presenting and in the crowd all did a great job, with a lot of energy! Here are a few portions of my hitting presentation.

Major League Baseball - Chicago RBI Clinic Part 2

Great Experience at Jackie Robinson West

The other night I lead a free infield clinic for Jackie Robinson West Little League on the south side of Chicago. Jackie Robinson West is the most heralded Little League organization in Illinois, with numerous championships to their credit. Furthermore, they are the blueprint for the way inner city baseball should be run around the country. They have great leadership, facilities and a support group that helps grow the game in their community. Case in point, they reached out to me to work with their kids.

I was excited to go the field, as I hadn't been there in 21 years. My last appearance was in the 1989 Little League State Championships where I played with my hometown team (Robinson) from 5 hours south in Southern Illinois. At that time, it was the biggest thrill of my life. We were the first Robinson team to advance that far in 30 years. A bunch of farm boys, few of us had traveled anywhere before, and certainly hadn't been to Chicago. We happened to play and get beat by Jackie Robinson West 4-2. You can see how important it was to me then, as I still remember the score!

Even though I hadn't been there in that many years, as soon as I entered the neighborhood, familiarity took over and I knew exactly where I was. It was a surreal feeling on how vivid your subconscious can be. The GPS was no longer needed, and sure enough I turned the corner and the field was just about as I had seen it years ago!

The kids were excited to have me out, had tons of energy and were doing everything they could to soak up what I was trying to teach them about infield play. They were so appreciative of the opportunity, and nobody (including myself) wanted to leave the field that night. My best compliment...30 smiling kids when I left that were all asking me when I was coming back.

Jackie Robinson West has been just a game or two from advancing to the Little League World Series in Willamsport, PA the last few years. Hopefully I helped them take another step in furthering their baseball experience.

What do you do when you are in a slump?

I enjoy the emails I get from all over the country with regards to questions about hitting. A recent email though stands out. Chuck R., residant of Florida, saw some of my work and thought I could be a help to his 14 year old son Jordan. Chuck had a few questions about Jordan's swing, and after we talked on the phone, decided to book a flight for he and his son to Chicago to work with me for the day.

Jordan is a powerful kid, with pretty darn good hands. He and his father both have a good understanding of swing mechanics, so when got to work, we really got after it! Jordan had a few set up issues that we saw right away in his video analysis. We went back and forth all morning, working drills, filming his swing over and over again. During our lunch break, I took him out to the field to film him on my high speed camera at 1000 frames per second.

We had a blast! Jordan got some valuable information that will get him going on his way and I really enjoyed the effort and energy Jordan and Chuck gave throughout the day. After 4 hours, Jordan's hands were bleeding (literally) and it was time for him to fly back to Florida. They were great people, and its good to know I have some new friends in the Southeast.

It's amazing how connected the world is today because of the web. Now my client base has exploded from coast to coast as I am doing a lot of Skype lessons and DVD analysis with players from Los Angeles to Boston!

Perks of the Job

One of the valued perks of my is the off-day BP sessions I throw at the stadium. Coroporate groups or special workouts are some of the workouts I run. I took a couple of my instructors to the Stadium friday and we ran one of those workouts. The good part is we will take a few swings of BP and field ground balls ourselves, and I'm not going to lie, we have a blast! Instructor Billy Malone, joked that he wanted Ozzie to see how far he could hit a ball, and Billy hit one about 25 rows up, almost to the concourse in left field (too bad Ozzie wasn't present).

The only part of the game I miss playing still is taking groundballs. Not even groundballs in a game, just the routine I use to be in of taking 100 ground balls a day before practice or games. Being at the quiet stadium reminds me of those times, for the exception my range may be a step less than when I was 21. . .maybe. haha!

New commercial on Comcast

The White Sox Academy put out some new commercials that are airing in the Chicagoland area. This one features me. . . check it out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j1PwTNKQ8c

Double Duty Classic Tryout in St. Louis in April

The Double Duty classic is a all star game comprised of some of the best high school minority players accross the country in celebration of the old Negro League All Star Game. The Negro League All Star Game was always held in Chicago at Comiskey Park. The Double Duty Classic, named after Negro League legend, Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, was created in 2008 by White Sox National Crosschecker Nathan Durst. In 2008 I helped administrate the game, last year I coached and ran the workout day for the college coaches the day before the game, and this year too, I will coach the game.

The game truly replicates the feel of the old Negro League All Star game. At U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox staff (Led by Dan Puente and Christine O'Reilly) goes all out to integrate the Negro Leagues with modern day baseball. The players wear the old flannel Negro League uniforms, minority leaders like Jesse Jackson are on hand, former Negro League all stars are in attendance, Major League Hall of Famer Frank Robinson has been in attendance. Major League Baseball personell, ESPN, and scouts from colleges and pro teams all are at the game. Entertainment is provided by local city high school bands and most inner city little leagues and schools come to the game.

On April 8 and 9 I will run the Double Duty Tryout for Missouri in St. Louis. It will be my third year doing so and some of our best talent has come out of this area. I'm looking forward to finding the next era of "stars" to play at U.S. Cel!

See below for a great video piece on the game:

http://www.312media.com/doubledutyclassic

First lesson in youth lessons

March 1 rolls around and the face of my lessons changes significantly. As high school tryouts begin, the youth players begin rolling in. Although lesson progressions change little due to age (because its the same swing) my emphasis does change a bit. You see, most youth players (and many high schoolers even) lack proprioception and kinesthetic sense. What this means in terms of a lesson, is that I can see his swing is out of synch, he's laying the bat off, or his front side is blocking off back side. But this means little to a player who has never been taught how to separate body parts. Beginning players often lack coordination, balance and the body awareness to put together a complex move like the swing or the pitching delivery. This is because they have only thought of the swing as one "move" when in reality its a series of moves, flowing into each other in a kinetic chain that makes up a larger, continuous movement.

So, I often tell these players, in their first few lessons, that I'm going to teach them less about their swing and more about how they are going to use their bodies. The reason behind this is that I can't teach them the complex motor skills without them having enough kinesthetic sense to "feel" how the movement works. If you can't feel the difference between "right" and "wrong" then the players will always struggle to "get" the movement or ever be consistent in his mechanics. You have to train the brain and the body before you teach the task. This I learned over time, (about 1,500 hours in a cage a year certainly helps) and my lessons have been so much more effective in a shorter time, than they were when I first started doing this many years ago.

We're not getting any younger...

One of my instructors, Mark Tomse, was one of my college teammates as well. Mark said he had a video he wanted to show me. We are always talking about hitters, so I assumed it to be some hitting clips. We always joke how we still think we're young enough to play, that was until he showed me a video of our conference championship team from 1998. It's not until you look at pictures or videos of yourself from years back until you've realized how much you've aged. This video brought back some memories of good times. EIU honored our team at halftime of a football game. I'm easy to pick out, as the guy in the football uniform as I was finishing my athletic career as a senior on the Panther gridiron team. That was a fun season in itself. I worked my way into the starting free safety spot and had the opportunity to play against a gangly, young freshman quarterback everyday in practice. Tony Romo would end up doing OK for himself, but it is fun looking back now that he was our scout team quarterback during his freshman year (my senior year).

Compliment from Cal Ripken Jr.

It doesn't get much better than having Cal Ripken Jr. compliment you and one of your players. Cal was recently doing a coaches clinic in the Chicago area. He was working with one of my students Michael Claendening, a 12 yr. old travel player from Naperville. Cal did drills with Michael and raved about his swing and asked his travel coach, "Where did you find this kid?" As I grew up as a shortstop and watching Cal, I think I got more excited than Michael did!

New Baseball Think Tank

I'm honored to be asked to be a part of a new baseball "Think Tank" in the Chicagoland area. Made up of a small group of some of the most respected baseball teachers and Academy owners in Chicago, this group of like-minded instructors was put together by Chris Andel, general manager of Playball USA in DesPlaines. Chris' idea was to get some of the top progressive instructors in Chicago to share teaching ideas with one another as we all strive to get better at teaching the game. A great idea, put by Chris best when he said, "When you stop striving to learn, the game has passed you by." Our group assembled all have the same aspirations of wanting to better ourselves everyday. I was asked to be one of the hitting and infield experts on the panel. I'm very humbled to be asked, and to be a part of it.

At our first meeting, I was impressed by the knowledge and passion off all the people in the room. I'm excited to be able to share some of what I do on a daily basis, and learn new ideas from others. I commend Chris for his idea, as it has the potential turn into something big (if he wants to) but also improve the level of baseball in our city. I hope to have some exciting news of our meetings in the future.

Eye on Barmes in the Playoffs

My favorite time of year is upon us! The chill in the air and the leaves on the ground mean one thing to me - Playoff Baseball! Growing up a St. Louis Cardinal fan, it's been fun to see the Cardinals in the playoffs almost every year this decade. Still this year, my eyes will also be fixed to the Colorado Rockies playoff run, as former player of mine, Clint Barmes will be starting at second base. Clint was a player at Indiana State University while I coached at ISU. Although he was not the most talented player I've coached, I can't think of any that every worked harder every single day! It's not a coincidance that he is now finishing his 7th year in the big leagues. Barmes set a personal best this year with 22 home runs. The Rockies starting second baseman, Barmes has also started at shortstop and center field.

I use Clint as a reference a lot when I teach. Not on what he did when I coached him, but HOW he did it. By far the hardest working practice player I've ever seen, I recall many times how Clint would have to wrap is forearms in gauze before indoor winter practice because he had so many sores from floor burns received through constant diving. At a 6am indoor January practice, he played just as hard as he will this October on a national stage. Barmes also shows how versatility can make you so valuable. Barmes has the ability to play any position in the infield or outfield. I point out to all of my middle infielders, that you need to learn both positions because at some point the game may force you to switch positions. The more positions you can play, the longer you hang around the game. This is why Clint, who has marginal big league talent, will end up being a 10 year big league veteren. He plays harder than almost all players in the league, and he's worked hard at learning many positions. A good lesson for all those dreaming to play in October!

Andrew Owen selected to Team USA preliminary roster!

Two weeks ago I had six of my students participate at various age groups for the NTIS USA Baseball Identification Series. This prestigous event is used to identify prospects for Team USA 14U, 16U and 18U teams. Players are identified through regional tryouts, selected to regional teams, then play in competition at the USA Baseball Headquarters in Cary, NC. Last year, my student, Nick Solak, made it to the final cut in Jupiter, FL. This year, Andrew Owen (Chicago, IL) has been selected to the 24 man roster at the 14U level. Andrew was 1 of only 3 Midwestern players to have been selected (15 of the 24 were from Texas or California). I have been teaching Andrew for 4 years, starting when he was 10 years old. Andrew is a very gifted athlete, who has a very good grasp of mechanics for a player of his age. Those two things combined, and you get a player that has been identified as one of the best in the country. I have a very close relationship with the Owen family. Andrew's dad Steve, recently brokered the purchase of my new house! Good things happen to good people, and it can no more true than for Andrew and his family. I will update you, and maybe talk Andrew into doing a few "guest blogs" to narrate his experiences in his he takes his final step into being a "Team USA" player.

Coaching on MLB Network Sun 8/9 at 11:30 Central

Two weeks ago I spent the week in Los Angeles at Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy for the MLB/USA Baseball Breakthrough Series. The second annual Series gathers some of the top minority high school players across the United States, giving them instruction and exposure in front of top scouts and coaches. I represented the Chicago White Sox as a lead instructor. There were some heavy hitters at this camp: Frank Marcos, Scouting Director for the Major League Scouting Bureau, Jimmy Lee Soloman, Director of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball, Darryl Miller, Urban Youth Academy Director. Also on hand coaching were Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and Former Dodger Reggie Smith.

It was a great week of instruction and games. It was a chance of a lifetime for the players. Most had never been on a plane before and the first day we were there the kids were treated to a game at Dodger Stadium and got to meet with Dusty Baker, Juan Pierre and Orlando Hudson. After evaluating the players in a pro style tryout, four lead instructors drafted their teams for the week. My staff of Cliff Brown and Dan Puente worked hard at evaluating and I wanted to draft an offensive heavy team (what would you expect from a hitting coach). There were strict pitch count limits so I knew runs would have to be scored as several pitchers would have to throw each game. This worked out for us. We battled through pool play and faced the MLB Urban Youth Academy Coaches in the Championship Game. I started Josh Burris (Recently committed to LSU) on the mound and we made a switch from batting our best player (DK Carey, recently committed to Univeristy of Miami) from the three hole to lead off, to try to be an offensive catalyst. The game came down to the last inning. Watch the MLB Network Sunday August 9th at 11:30AM to see Major League Baseball's Broadcast of the Breakthrough Championship and see some of the future big leaguers before they become stars!

Ultimate White Sox Day

First, I'm guilty as charged for not posting in awhile. But between selling and buying a new house last month, getting ready to move and doing my most lessons ever despite the worst economy in recent history, I've been swamped! For those of you who are White Sox fans, I think my day yesterday will make you very envious! I took the afternoon off of lessons yesterday to conduct several items of business at the Stadium. It ended up being Ultimate White Sox Experience!

2:45pm - I walk into the front offices to talk to White Sox Inner City Baseball Director Dan Puente, and I end up running into White Sox Legend and current Comcast announcer Bill Melton. Bill and I live in the same neighborhood, so we caught up and talked about this weekend's White Sox Experience Camp at U.S. Cellular Field, in which he and I will both be a part of.

3:00 Get my work done for a few hours.

5:45 See Owner Jerry Reinsdorf in hallway and said "Hello."

5:50 I slip back to wish my friend, National Crosschecking Scout, Nathan Durst, good luck on the first day of the draft. On my way to the back offices I see White Sox Scouting Director Doug Laumann and we chat about his son Jackson who I've coached a few times over the years. After wishing Doug, "Good Luck," he invites me back to the "war room" to talk to General Manager Kenny Williams. Now this is a big deal. The "war room" is off limits to everybody on draft day. I say hi to Larry Monroe, Special Assistant to Jerry Reinsdorf, and discuss with Kenny the progress of his son Tyler, who is coming off surgery. Doug has recommended to Kenny that I do some training with Tyler as he comes off his injury. 5 minutes before the draft starts, I let them get to work. Kenny told me to go back into the clubhouse and see if Tyler was still hitting, so off I went. I was suprised to see how relaxed all of those guys were at the time. I expected the "war room" to be like a high tension cold war bunker!

6:00 Go into the clubhouse to look for Tyler Williams. Nobody there except Scott Podsednik, so I head out to the field. Detroit Tigers are in the batting cages hitting behind the dugout. On the field the Sox are taking BP, so I watched awhile from the Sox dugout. I ran into friend, Chris Rongey, White Sox announcer for 670 the Score. Both Southern Illinois natives, we caught up and I did a quick two minute spot on the radio discussing some of my summer activities. He invited me to a remote broadcast to be on the air with him after the Cubs-Sox game June 16 as he is broadcasting a few blocks from my house. Rongey has to leave me to do pre game interview with Pitching Coach Don Cooper. I say Hi to Coop and head back to the clubhouse. On my way back through the clubhouse, I stop and talk to TV announcer and former Cy Young Award Winner, Steve Stone. I inform Steve that I am about to bring a group of 13 year olds up to the TV booth to say Hi.

6:15 I go to Gate 4 to get our 13 year old Academy Travel team and take them up to the TV/Radio Booth Level. I ran into Jeff Szynel, Scoreboard Operator, and he said since he saw me, he was going to run my Skills Tip Commercial during pre-game.

6:20 I take a few of the 13 year olds into PA announcer Gene Honda's booth while he does the pre game announcements.

6:22 White Sox Announcers, Ken "Hawk" Harrleson and Steve Stone talk to our group before going on the air.

6:25 See Grounds Crew DIrector Roger Bossard on the way down to the field. The "Sod Father" says hi to the boys, and says that he hopes he cutting the grass at the stadium for them in 15 years.

6:27 Head to the suites for the game.

6:30 While eating a hotdog, I see myself on the Jumbotron in my skills tip commercial. (Must admit, kinda weird seeing yourself blown up on a screen 100 feet in height)

7:00 Join White Sox Vice President Tim Buzard in the suite and watch the first 5 innings of the game. Vice President Tim proceeds to try to identify every flavor of jelly bean he eats from the Jelly Belly bag of the desert cart.

7:20 Tim still identifying Jelly Belly flavors.

8:00 Head down to field level to my seats two rows behind the Sox dugout just in time to see Brian Anderson hit a home run.

9:30 Head home after a full White Sox day! Who wants to go to the next game with me?