We all love to compete. I would venture to say that everyone opening up the pages of this magazine loves the competitive elements of baseball. We also love to win. Billy Martin once said, “The sky is more blue, the grass is greener and the girls are prettier when we win.” We can all relate to that, right? But, it’s very good to sometimes step back and recall what initially attracted you to baseball.
Coaches and players, even those at the highest level, can benefit from reflecting on playing catch with your dad, pretending to be your favorite Major League player while bouncing a ball off the wall and catching it, or hitting rocks with a broken bat and imagining you’re getting the game winning hit in the World Series. We need to remember the thrill of the game in-stead of the grind, the camaraderie instead of the complexity, and the love of the game instead of the anxiety we sometimes allow to creep in.
That’s why I follow guys like Steve Springer (@qualityatbats), Mike Rooney (@Mike_Rooney) and Jeremy Sheetinger (@CoachSheets3) on Twitter. They’re positive and they help us all to keep the fun in the game. The more you allow yourself to truly enjoy the game, the less pressure you will experience.
The Inside Pitch Magazine staff and the ABCA Board and staff sincerely want to make the game more fun for you. We want to produce informative, challenging and entertaining content, and we want to strengthen your passion for the game so that you can pass it on to the next generation. The more fun you help others have in our game, the more our game will grow.
In this edition of Inside Pitch, Duke’s Chris Pollard will share insights on the Blue Devils’rise to prominence in college baseball. And, not many have the privilege of coaching a number one MLB draft pick. You will enjoy reading how Auburn pitching coach, Steve Smith, enjoyed this past season with Casey Mize. You will also hear from Florida Atlantic’s John McCormack and one of college baseball’s brightest young assistant coaches, New Mexico State’s Terry Davis.
Summer, baseball, Inside Pitch Magazine…it’s all fun. Enjoy!