The Differences between Softball and Baseball
Baseball and softball are nearly identical in many respects, but you'll notice a few major differences between the two sports when you begin to compare. You need to know the differences if you're planning [more…]
Bunting in Baseball
Bunting occurs when a batter holds the bat in the hitting zone and, without swinging, lets the ball make contact with it. The idea is to deaden the ball so that the baserunners can advance [more…]
Understanding Baseball's Balk Call — and How to Avoid It
With runners on base, after the pitcher goes into his wind-up or makes any movement associated with delivering the ball to home plate, the pitcher must not interrupt his motion or the umpire can call a [more…]
Stealing Second Base in Baseball
All great base stealers have a love of larceny. They derive joy from picking the opposing team's pockets, especially in pressure situations. To excel as a base thief, you have to be cocky. When you get [more…]
Stealing Third Base, Stealing Home, and Other Baseball Thievery
Stealing third base is generally easier than stealing second. You can take a bigger lead at second than at first without drawing many throws. If your timing is good, you can also take off from second before [more…]
Presenting Your Coaching Philosophy to Parents
Presenting your coaching philosophy to parents makes you an approachable and likeable coach. Let the parents know before the first practice how you're approaching the season and what you want your focus [more…]
Getting Equipped to Play Baseball
When you take the baseball field, you should take along the best equipment available. You don't need to spend vast sums to purchase top-quality accessories as long as you know what to look for and where [more…]
The First Practice: Kicking Off Your Season
Encountering a shark in the ocean, a rattlesnake in the grass, and an IRS agent at your front door are all terrifying experiences. However, you don't need to add [more…]
Assisting Your Young, Befuddled Baseball Players
As your season moves along, most of your players will learn new skills, make improvements, and have a lot of fun. However, some of your kids may not develop a comfort level with certain basics of the game [more…]
Major League Baseball “Mosts”
Baseball, like any sport, is full of records — most meant to be broken. The following list shows some baseball “mosts” since 1900. Some records have stood for more than a century, some were reached more [more…]
How Baseball Players Get Out at Bat
Baseball is a game of outs — three strikes and you’re out; three outs, and your team is done for the inning. Baseball batters can be ruled out any number of ways, and the following list shows how you can [more…]
How to Get on Base in Baseball
In baseball, getting on base is your main goal whenever you stand in the batter’s box at home plate. After all, if you don’t get on base, you can’t score. The following list shows you the nine ways you [more…]
Positions on a Baseball Team
Traditionally, each baseball team fields nine players, although a Major League Baseball team has many more than that on its payroll. One pitcher can’t pitch every game, and even the outfielders may need [more…]
How Baseball Baserunners Get Out
You’re playing baseball and you're on base. Your goals are to not get out and to score for your team. Here are the ways baseball players can get called out when they're baserunners: [more…]
Baseball For Dummies Cheat Sheet
The basics of baseball are simple — nine players play various defensive positions with the goal of getting three "outs" on the other baseball team. On offense, everybody bats [more…]
Responsibilities of Base Coaches in Baseball
Baseball coaches are responsible not only for the play of the team as a whole, but for coaching players when they reach first and third base during a baseball game. The responsibilities of coaching each [more…]
How to Deliver the Pre-Game Talk as a Baseball Coach
As a baseball coach, you talk to your players at every practice, but your pre-game talk is your last chance to get your players ready for their upcoming game. The pre-game talk is your chance to remind [more…]
How to Deliver the Post-Game Talk as a Baseball Coach
As a baseball coach, you enjoy when your team wins and suffer when they lose. Win or lose, though, you need to talk to your players after the game. After the baseball game is over, your post-game talk [more…]
How to Build Players Up as a Baseball Coach
As a baseball coach, you’re an important person in your players’ lives. You teach them the rules of baseball and you have a hand in developing them as players and as people. Use the tips in the following [more…]
What to Bring to Practice as a Baseball Coach
As a baseball coach, you not only have to lead your team, you have to bring the supplies for practice. You may want to augment the following list, but it contains the basics to bring to every baseball [more…]
What to Bring to Games as a Baseball Coach
It’s game day! As the coach of your baseball team, you’ve done your best to get your players ready to play, but you have additional responsibilities. You have to bring equipment for your players and information [more…]
How to Make Baseball Practice Fun
As a baseball coach, you not only have to teach your team the fundamentals of the game, you have to make learning those fundamentals fun so that your players stay interested and engaged. Use the tips in [more…]
Sample One-Hour Baseball Practice
Most of a baseball coach's time is spent in practice, so structuring that practice to make the most of it is important. The following list offers suggestions for how much time to spend on which activities [more…]
Coaching Baseball For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Coaching baseball is hard but rewarding work that requires a variety of skills. You have to be organized enough to bring what your players need to practices and games, knowledgeable enough to make practice [more…]
