Mustang Offense ... Misconceptions and Conceptions

So, why put this up here? What if people are reading? Well, I hope they are. No, really I do. I'll explain later.

But here's the bottom line: If we execute our offensive plan as a team as we continue to grow and improve, it won't matter so much what our opponents are doing.

At the plate, remember, it starts with the three "E's" ... Expect your pitch and hit it where it wants to go ... Every one has a two-strike adjustment ... and, Eyes ... broad to fine focus.

Focusing on these three elements of hitting will keep a hitter on track and out of prolonged slumps. When a team buys in ... that is, each player is executing the three "E's" consistently ... then special things start to happen. We have made progress and seen bits and pieces of this during the season. We've got a ways to go still.

So, let's talk about a few key concepts.

First, our approach is not ... I repeat, is not ... passive. Rather, it's controlled aggression. Remember, we expect our pitch. We are not surprised to get it. Go back and read the Hitting Chapter from "The Mental Game." As Al Oliver expected his pitch, he thus saw it more.

I liken what we are doing to turning down sparrows while we are on a big game hunt. We are aggressive, but we know what we are hunting for. We decide, not the opposing pitcher.

Regarding the two-strike adjustment, keep the following in mind ... every one has one (meaning we make a mechanical adjustment to give us more plate coverage and a quicker bat while expanding our hitting zone to cover the whole plate). Also, we are not trying to "just put it in play." While making our adjustment, we are still trying to hit the ball hard.

But doesn't the two-strike adjustment run counter to "Moneyball" theory? That is, aren't we now hitting more on the pitcher's terms and adjusting our general approach of looking to hit our pitch? Yes, indeed. But we are doing so to neutralize the pitcher's advantage with two strikes. Furthermore, the value of putting the ball play is much higher at the high school level than MLB.

As we continue to work our approach at the plate, some times our offense will appear methodical as the innings roll along. But ... the excitement is usually on the way.

Here is what we are seeing, over and over. Our offense continues to improve and get stronger as the game goes on, as we continue to put pressure on the opposing pitching staff and defense. When it's late in the game and things are getting interesting, we are often ready to play our best offense of the game.

This happens for a number of reasons. For one thing, when our hitters are seeing pitches, so is the rest of our team in the dugout. Also, we tend to get into bullpens sooner. When we get to tournament time, the benefits of what we are doing is amplified even more.

So ... buy in.

Our stock is rising.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut

So, you want to play in college?

Some of our players want to get to the next level and play. If this is not for you, that is perfectly fine. My encouragement to all of our players is to commit their best in our program to become the best Mustang they can be. And do it for the Lord and your teammates.

Through the years, though, we've also had a number of players who have expressed interest in playing baseball at the college level. This post addresses what it takes to get there.

First of all, we have compiled some great information regarding the nuts and bolts of what it takes to get to the next level. I'd encourage you to check out the "College Bound Athletes" tab on our website.

Beyond the great info contained on our website, I'd like to offer some advice based on my research, experience as a high school coach, and myriad conversations with other coaches, scouts, and other people in the know regarding what it takes to play college ball.

To play in college, the following is strongly encouraged/recommended:

1) Work on your game year-round. If you lack the passion to work on your game in the off-season on a regular basis 4-5 days/week, you likely like the passion needed to succeed at the college level. This doesn't mean you're a bad guy. It just means that you are probably not cut out to be a a college player;

2) Related to 1), make sure that you play in the off-season, as well (at least in the summer or fall, if not both). By this, I mean that you play more than the very short summer season at the Cooper League;

3) Earn respect and cultivate relationships in the game, but especially with coaches. Guess who are the first people contacted by a college coach;

4) And guess what a college coach wants to know ... What is the player's work ethic like? How does the player handle adversity? What kind of student is he? What is is GPA? (You know, these coaches want players who will succeed academically and not become academic casualties.) Is he respectful and a good teammate? Does he have a presence on the field? What kind of young man is he? These considerations are not secondary ... they are primary. Wow. Think about this for a minute. Once a college coach realizes that a player has the ability to play college ball (there are lots of players such as this), he wants to make sure that the player is the kind of young man who can succeed in college and in a game/environment with many pitfalls; and

5) Most fundamentally, cultivate your character. To succeed at anything worthwhile, a person needs relentlessness and a commitment to his chosen mission. If God has called you to play baseball, then get to it ... and with no apologies. I don't apologize for being a coach; I do apologize for being a lawyer, but that's another story. But really, I jest. I realize that my calling from God is just as sacred as if I were on the mission field. It's what He made me to do. Be relentless. Be positive. Be the kind of young man who refuses to be discouraged. You will get opportunities, as a result. In fact, I believe you will be a magnet for them.

Finally, I am reminded of a passage from "The Mental Game": "A winner knows that the verb 'to be' must precede the verb 'to have'."

All of us would do well to work harder and more deliberately at what we are called to do.

Respect for the Game

A lot of what really is simply "baseball etiquette" comes under the rubric of what baseball people like to call "respect for the game".

We ran headlong into some of this on Saturday.

Baseball is a funny game, on so many levels. There are many written rules, some of which are followed more rigorously than others. There are many unwritten rules, as well. Most of these unwritten rules stem from a sense of honor or a realization of the humbling nature of the sport ... where the difference between a game-ending double-play and a base hit can be an inch ... or less.

But know this: The unwritten rules of the game are followed, or generally there are severe consequences.

Many of the rules from baseball's unwritten code stem from one of the foundational commandments of the game -- Thou Shalt not Show up Thy Opponent.

On Saturday, one player was loudly proclaiming that he thought he knew our signs (he didn't).

In baseball at the college level and up, that player would likely be beaned for such conduct. This seems harsh, I know. But the player showed disrespect for the game by proclaiming publicly that the opposing team's signs were discovered. This is not done in baseball, because it's disrespectful to the opponent.

We can slide into the bag hard, but respect for the game means that a player does not try to injure another. The game presents enough trials and tribulations of its own.

People who have watched, played, or coached the game for any period of time know that umpires make mistakes, but these tend to even out over time. It shows a lack of respect for the game and the opponent to blame a loss or bad performance on the umpires.

We wear our uniforms correctly, with our caps straight forward and our jerseys tucked in ... always. It is not cool to cock your cap to the side. Rather, it merely looks like you have been out on a windy day. Wearing our uniform correctly not only shows respect for our team, but also to those who have worn our uniform before. Furthermore, wearing our uniform correctly is not only required by the written rules of the game, but it also shows respect for our opponents. We are dressed for the occasion, so to speak.

In our dugout, we show respect for the game by pulling positively for our team. Some teams yell for pops from the dugout while the ball is in the air. That is bush league and shows a lack of respect for the game. I mean, do they really need such an advantage? Think about it.

Also, we realize the situation of the game and make sure that we don't appear to be making merry at our opponents' expense, especially when a game turns into a blowout.

We don't run up the score. For my part, I neglected to hold up a couple of runners when we had a big lead on Saturday. I thought that could have been interpreted by our opponents as showing them up. That's why we talked about it after the game.

Again, this is a humbling game, and we treat those who play it with us with the respect that they deserve and the grace that we all need.

Respect the game. Respect your teammates, coaches, opponents and the umpires.

Do all of this because you respect yourself and, most fundamentally, the Lord Himself.

Like life, baseball doesn't fit into a neat little package

One of the keys to growth in baseball ... and in life ... is to keep reevaluating and changing. You have to, because just when you think you have it wired, you see one of those things that just sends you back to the drawing board and scratching your head.

Ron Wolforth and I were discussing recently the whole process v. results debate. Ron says he is a results guy; that is, he is a practical guy who is after results in working with players. I want results, too, but I think that the best way to get there is to focus on a solid process.

Ron's point was, though, that your results will ultimately tell you whether your process is working. That is, if your process is messed up, it doesn't do much good to focus on it. For instance, you can focus all you want on hitting with your eyes shut, but that's a questionable process that will be borne out in the results you'll get.

I agree with Ron.

So, the challenge for each of us as players and coaches is to evaluate how we are going about our business. How are we going after the results we seek? Are we doing enough of what we know is required? Are we doing those things that we know will lead us where we want to go?

Always strive for excellence. Ask yourself and others questions about what you're doing and why.

If you are continuing to have bad at-bats, then that's a cue, isn't it, to ask why? If a particular skill or play remains difficult after much practice, then maybe it's time to examine how we are practicing that particular skill.

For that matter ... are we practicing it at all? How much are you doing on your own to get better each day? A little progress each day makes a huge difference over time.

For me, I strive to keep all things on the table always. Remember players what we committed to at our retreat. We told each other that we'd give our best and do whatever was in our power to help this team get to its maximum potential.

So, when we seem to run up against obstacles we find ways to go around them, to grow, to adapt, and overcome.

If the game weren't mysterious and fraught with difficulties and inexplicable challenges, you know, it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut