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We will have a solid group of college coaches coming to Jacksonville for our two day Combine.  Players will work one on one with college and professional coaches and be instructed on all facets of the game.  We will also host a pro style workout to properly evaluate the players.  Combine attendees will have the option to watch the Jacksonville Suns take batting practice and prepare for their game.  Tickets for the games will be provided.

It is an exciting time for Baseball Pros Academy right now.  Our program is getting off the ground and our teams are set for competition.  College coaches are taking notice and are looking forward to see what we have to show them!  See you all in Jacksonville next month.
AB

Coach Barkett

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Coach Barkett

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I had the pleasure of speaking with him the other day and recapping the wonderful year he had.  After catching up on how are families are doing, we talked for about 20 minutes about what we always enjoy discussing: hitting, mechanics and approach.  For most of Carlos’ young career he had been an underachiever.  He had been a starter in the big leagues with Oakland, Detroit, Boston and New York.  He had shown signs of being a star, but had never been able to show the consistency of an everyday player in the big leagues.  That all changed in 2007.  In 148 games, he hit .282 with 46 HR, and 121 RBI’s.  He also added 29 doubles and scored 99 runs.  He broke out.

There are many lessons to be learned from this young man.  Number one is perseverance.  There were many clubs that had given up on Carlos and it would have been easy for him to give up on himself.  It took him a while to find job last year and finally, was signed as a non-roster invitee to Spring training with the Devil Rays.  I remember the excitement in his voice when he called to tell me he made the team.  He was so excited at another shot at the big leagues.  He was determined to make the most of it, and he did.  What I thought was most interesting about our recent conversation was the mechanical adjustments he made in 2007 that help contribute to his success.  Carlos is a tremendous talent.  That was never a question.  But, he has always been his worst enemy.  He was always in search for the “holy grail” of hitting.  The “secret” to it. What he didn’t realize until 2007 was that he held the secret in his hands all along.  I asked Carlos, “What did you do different this year?”  His response was simple.  First of all, he said he got ready to hit early.  He made sure his hands were in a good position to launch.  From there, he said he tried to see the ball as long as he could and then use his hands.  He explained that his approach every at bat was to let the ball get deep and let his swing work.

Now, the difference between Carlos and a high school hitter is his hands, strength and swing path are fully developed.  But, there is a valuable lesson to be learned in his adjustment.  No matter the level of baseball you are playing, in order to give yourself the best chance to put a good swing on the ball, you have to be ready on time, you have to stay square to home plate while the ball is in route, and you have to trust your swing.   Now, if you have Carlos Pena talent and you execute that approach every at-bat, a monster year is the result.

Andy Barkett, Manager, Jacksonville Suns

We lost a tough one last night.  Their guys pitched well.  We didn’t make great adjustments or have enough quality at bats.  We pitched ok.  But left too many pitches up and out over the plate.

Lesson to be learned:

Hitters – Don’t guess to swing.  Anticipate.  Read.  React.  Trust.  Control body and timing.  Good hitters will hit if they can get to and maintain a good hitting position to give them time to see the ball and execute swing.

Pitchers – Learn how to throw the ball down and away to hitters and trust that pitch.  Be careful with throwing too many breaking balls, unless you can throw quality strikes with them.  I see more mistakes made with pitchers trying to be cute throwing breaking balls when they didn’t need to.  Attack with the fastball inside and down and away, and then use your breaking ball.  Pitchers have to learn to get hitters out with their Fastball.

Until Next Time,

AB

Parents,

Please have your son read this article.  Baseball is fun, and fun is an important part of their development as they continue to play the game.  For the serious player who is really focused on playing at the next level (beyond high school), this article may save them some heartache.  Great points and good examples are made in the article.

What gets put out on social media never goes away and much like email can be misconstrued, many times tweets, Instagram, as well as Facebook posts can easily be misunderstood.  Any player who thinks only his friends are looking at his tweets, Instagram and Facebook is terribly mistaken.

This is definitely a time when better safe than sorry applies.

Thanks,
Ken

• Do Not Be That Parent

  We all know that parent. Some of us are that parent. The one who screams at the refs from the bleachers. The parent who curses out the coach in front of his child because his kid didn’t get played. The one who ridicules the players who aren’t as gifted as others. That parent is an embarrassment and disgrace. Set the example for your child. Unless you have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Win or lose, offer high praise for the effort. Thank the coaches for their time, which is usually volunteered. Sportsmanship starts with the parent.

• Win with Dignity

  Winning is easy. It’s fun. It can also breed arrogance and bad behavior like taunting and mocking the losing team.  Not very appealing traits in a person. Show your child to win with dignity—to shake the opposing players’ hands after the game and say, “Good game.” To be humble in their success. Coach Dungy is the model for winning with dignity.

• Losing with Grace

  As stated in the opening paragraph, losing is as important as winning. Without a good dose of rain there would be no beautiful flowers and green plants. The same goes with human life. Support your child at these times with encouragement and praise. Offer to help them practice more. Gently give tips on things that might need to be corrected. Emphasize positive actions as opposed to negative feelings. Hold your head high and be as humble in defeat as in victory.

• Respect the Game

  The showboat. The hot dog. Yes, they can be entertaining and sometimes funny.  Unless you are the Harlem Globetrotters, it really doesn’t have a place in organized sports.  Teach your kids it’s ok to be happy. To celebrate. To enjoy themselves…because it is only a game. But they need to do so with respect for the game and the other players. Walter Payton and Barry Sanders were great examples of how to deeply love and play a sport with class, heart and style.

• Follow the Rules

  Remember how John McEnroe used to go ballistic when a call didn’t go his way? He became famous for his ridiculous temper more than his skill as a tennis player. Rules are in place to make the game fair. To keep order. Teach your child to follow them and to respect those that are there to implement them. Be a good sport and acknowledge that not every call will go your way.

• Point Out Examples

  Nothing is better than watching a football game on a crisp Fall day with your son. Taking your daughter out to watch the World Cup. Great times and memories. Also use those moments to point out examples of both bad and good sportsmanship. You are sure to see both. Visual examples are always an excellent learning tool.

• Include Your Teammates

  No person is an island. You cannot do it all alone. The ball hog is never a wanted member of any team. Kobe Bryant learned that lesson and now wears championship rings. If your child is very talented at a particular sport, that is great. Teach him to help the other kids who might not be as strong. To include them and to use the abilities they bring to the benefit of the team. One child might be a great ball handler. Another might play excellent defensive. Rare is the child who excels at all facets of the game. It’s a team and all parts are required to win.

• Don’t Let Your Child Win Every Time

  It’s hard not to do so. They are so adorable and you don’t want to see them sad. You are playing checkers and you let her win every single time. Playing the great basketball game of H-O-R-S-E with your son and you intentionally miss the shot that would give him an “E.”  As tough as it is, you need to win the game at least sometimes. How can they learn how to lose and be a good sport if they never do? They will be getting better and beating you on their own soon enough anyway.

• Encourage Strong Effort

  Having good sportsmanship also means having a strong work ethic. “Practice? We’re talking about practice?” was Allen Iverson’s infamous outburst after being drilled for skipping practice. Nobody is above the team. Even the biggest stars. Teach your children to always give their best effort. At practice as well as the game. To earn the respect of the other players and coaches. Anything less is not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

• It’s Just A Game

  Children all over the world are sent into war. They are starving. They have horrible things done to them. Sports are only games. They are for fun. Teach your child the bigger picture…the perspective that it’s a blessing to be out playing games and enjoying life. Teach them to appreciate it. It’s hard to be anything but a great sport when you are humbled and thankful for just the opportunity to play.

The minor league players have all reported and we are about 5 days in on their workouts.  It is good to see all the young guys (and some older ones) in preparing for the season and trying to win jobs.  Our camp is very competitive and there are many unanswered questions as far as rosters go.  We open up tomorrow vs. the Cardinals here in Jupiter.  It will be fun to watch the Jacksonville Suns start preparing for the 2013 season.  It has a chance to be a special year in Jacksonville.  We have some of the top players in the organization and some of the most exciting young prospects in baseball slated to head our way.  I am looking forward to building our quest to get them all to the big leagues & maybe win a Southern League Championship along the way.  Check out the articles below on some of our young players.

Coach Barkett

http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130303&content_id=42235156&vkey=news_mia&c_id=mia

http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130313&content_id=42703772&vkey=news_mia&c_id=mia