Fundamentals Of Baseball Essay, Research Paper

As I open my door and put my Ray Ban sunglasses on, I see a group of young boys standing on the field. The boys are dressed in white pants with blue stripes and orange shirts saying “Southern Bank of Commerce Mets.” I stood in front of those young ballplayers and said, “Do y’all know why I am here?” One of the kids said, “No, why?” Your Coach Cook has asked me to come and speak to you about the importance of practicing the fundamentals of baseball.

There are three fundamental skills of baseball: hitting, catching, and throwing. Coach Cook asked me to talk to all of you, because he thinks you all do not want to practice. To succeed in baseball, you must practice because repetition is the key. Whenever one repeats an action it becomes customary and easy for one to perform a task.

When I was a ballplayer, my teams were very successful because my coaches told us the importance of practicing. One year my coach could not coach us because he did not have the time to do it. That same year the teams were shuffled and everybody had different teammates. My best friend, Wes Cook, made it on my team. Wes was the best player anybody had ever seen. However, He did not enjoy practicing. He thought he could succeed without practicing. Our new coach was laidback at practice. This made Wes especially happy. Coach did not make the team practice hard; we just had to catch fly balls, ground balls, and practice hitting. I batted third after We. My team, the Price Drug Braves, started the season hot; we won our first five games.

Wes and I were a great duo. I had the highest batting average for our age group, and he had the second highest. Wes had five homeruns to my two. As the season progressed, we cooled down. Everyday, when I had a chance my dad and I would practice in the batting cages. I would call Wes and ask him if he wanted to come with us and he would tell me that he was busy playing Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. I would try to tell him that he needed to work on his swing and that I could help him with it. He never wanted to come and put extra time into refining his skills. One day I told him that not practicing his swing would hurt him later on in his baseball career.

As the season starting winding down, my team was tied for first place with the Winn-Dixie Giants. Our final game was against them. The game started, and soon we fell behind in the game by three runs. When we came to bat, we scored two runs to making the score 3-2. The Giants eventually scored another run. The game was a stale mate until the final inning, inning number 6. I came in to pitch. The first batter I faced was the most powerful hitter in the league. He had already hit eight homeruns. He whacked my first pitch deep to left field; as the leftfielder went back I stood hoping it would not go over the fence. It barely went foul. The next pitch was a groundball right at Wes. Wes bobbled it at first, but then he picked it up and fired it to first to get him out. The next two batters I struck out easily. The bottom of inning came, and before we entered the dugout; my coach gathered us around him and said, “Ok, guys this is our chance to win the first place trophy. Let’s get out there and concentrate on winning this game. Everyone put your hands in and yell Braves on three.” Everybody said, “One, Two, Three, Braves!”

Our first two batters got on base. The next batter struck out. Right before Wes went up to bat, I told him to concentrate, and keep his eye on the ball. As he steps in the batter’s box, the opposing coach decides to make a pitching change. He brings in the best pitcher in the league. While the pitcher is warming up, our coach tells Wes to be careful and not go for the homerun and just try to make contact. He tells him, “Yes, sir. I know what to do.”

As he stepped into the batter’s box and gets ready to hit the ball. The first pitch he receives he swings as hard as he can and he missed badly. The next pitch he swings wildly again and pops the ball up in the air. The catcher flips his mask and yells, “I got it.” Wes slams the bat angrily into the ground. Right before I step in the box, I look into the dugout and see Wes sitting on the bench with his hands over his face crying. I knew I had to try to win the game. The first pitch that the pitcher threw almost hit me, which that made me really mad. The next pitch I hit a foul ball in the bleachers. On the third pitch, I hit a line drive down the third base line. The two runners on base in front of me score. As I am rounding second base, I see my coach telling me not to go to third, but it was too late. I was in full stride and I knew I could make it. When the cloud of dust disappeared, I saw the umpire waving that I had made it safely. I stood and up and thrust my hand into the air. The next batter loops a fly ball between the centerfielder and second baseman. When I scored, I knew we had won, because the team ran on to the field. The whole team except Wes; he was still sulking on the bench.

Ever since that summer day, Wes has been diligent in practicing fundamentals. He has excelled in every aspect of the game and he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox to play major league baseball. However, last summer he tore his a tendon in his knee, he had to return home and get a job, because the torn tendon ended his career. So what I am trying to tell you kids is that if you practice and learn from your mistakes, you can be a superior player and excel in baseball. “I think that it is imperative that each of you ballplayers know that you must practice to thrive to be successful.” This story is just one of many stories about kids that succeeded when they practiced to sharpen their skills.

Baseball is a just like any other sport. Each athlete must practice, so as a team they can be successful. It has been shown in history, that the great baseball players are the ones that work diligently day after day. After I told this story to the ball players, Coach Cook told me that they started practicing harder than they did before. Their record improved vastly and they reached the playoffs.

To play baseball, it requires many different types of skills. The hitting aspect of the baseball requires concentration, hand-eye coordination, and a good follow thru on one’s swing. While batting a batter must concentrate his eyes on watching the rotation of the ball as the pitcher releases it. A pitcher can throw many types of pitches such as fastballs and curveballs. If the player watches the motion of the ball he can decipher what pitch is coming at him. This is where the hand-eye coordination is valuable and handy. Once a player has figured out the type of spin on the ball; he can swing relatively near the pitch. As a player swings he needs to keep his eye on the ball, so that the rotation has not changed. If the rotation has changed, a player must adjust to the ball with his hands, while keeping an eye on the ball. A good follow thru is one that can be put on a straight line. The straighter a player’s swing is the better contact he will be able to make. If the swing is tilted up, the ball has the tendency to go in the blue sky. If the swing is tilted down, the ball has a tendency to roll across the green turf on the field.

Catching and throwing are the two other types of skills needed in baseball. It requires hand-eye coordination and speed. When a ball is hit toward a player, he must move in the direction of the ball. Once he positions under it, he must raise his glove and use both hands to catch it. Using two hands is the best technique to catch the baseball. If the ball is hit on the ground, the fielder must shift in front of it so it will not get passed him. Throwing is another type of skill. It requires hand-eye coordination and a good aim. Once a player has caught the ball, he must transfer it from his glove to his hand. After he has done that he needs to plant one foot in the ground and step forward and throw the ball toward the base.

After I had a talk with the players, their coach told me they vastly improved. He made practices harder. The team responded by playing very good in their final five games. During those games, the team performed with only minor errors. They reached the playoffs and were beaten by a team that was better than them. But they have also got permission from their parents to start practicing for next year. They got the ok from their parents; so know the team is practicing for next year so they can win the city championship. The players reacted toward the story about their coach as if it were a challenge for them to succeed.