Sunday, August 27, 2017

This Week in MLB History


Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A's wore the spikes pictured here when he broke Hall of Famer Lou Brock's single-season stolen base record on Aug. 27, 1982. Henderson stole his 119th base of the year, surpassing Brock's record-setting total of 118 during the 1974 season. The history-making theft came in the third inning, when Henderson drew a walk with two outs. After a pitchout, Henderson stole second against the Milwaukee Brewers' combination of George "Doc" Medich (the pitcher) and Ted Simmons (the catcher). Henderson, who went on to swipe three more bases in a 5-4 loss to the Brewers, would finish the season with a remarkable 130 stolen bases.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_thisweekhistory.jsp

Friday, August 18, 2017

Open Hitting Sundays at The Baseball Barn


Sunday Open Hitting at the Baseball Barn in Vacaville
from 12pm - 2pm

Fills Up Fast, Register Early HERE

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Mike Trout on Sharpening Your Swing


By many measures, reigning AL MVP Mike Trout is still just a kid. But at 25 years old, he’s already accomplished more than most adults. In 2012, he won the AL Rookie of the Year Award after scoring 129 runs, still a career high. Two years later, he took home AL MVP honors. And in 2016, he led MLB in on-base percentage (.441) and runs scored (123) to win the award a second time. The New Jersey native, whose father played in the Minors, grew up around the game. Now, he’s eager to share what he’s learned on his way to the top.

Imitation Game
My dad played baseball, so once I touched a bat, it was [like] an instinct. I'm competitive, so I wanted to be good at it and play to win.

When I was a kid, I played Wiffle Ball in the front yard. Ken Griffey Jr. always had that sweet swing, and I would [practice his] stance every once in a while.

Hit ’Em All
When you’re in the cage, you’ve got to have fun. Hitting off a tee gets a little boring after a while. If you add something to it, like a target game, it will help. My teammates and I actually put up targets, and you get points if you hit them. You can also put another tee somewhere else in the cage, and try to hit the tee. Our team is always thinking of new games to play in the cage. That way, you’re working on your swing, but you’re still competing while you’re doing it.

Warning Track Workout
The best part of the game to practice is hitting. I love to take BP. And when I’m in the field during BP, I get to rob home runs.

Article Source: http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/media/2017-ll-magazine.pdf

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Thursday, August 3, 2017

This Week in MLB History


On Aug. 1, 1972, Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres set a Major League record by driving in 12 runs during a doubleheader sweep of the Atlanta Braves. The slugging first baseman broke the record of 11 RBIs in a twinbill -- a mark shared by Earl Averill of the Cleveland Indians, Jim Tabor of the Boston Red Sox and Boog Powell of the Baltimore Orioles. The 26-year-old Colbert also set a record with 22 total bases and tied a Major League record by clubbing five home runs in the twinbill. As Colbert rounded the bases after hitting his fifth home run against the Braves, he commented to umpire Bruce Froemming: "I don't believe it." Froemming responded in agreement, "I don't either." Colbert, whose lifted his seasonal home run total to 27, would finish the year with a career-high 38 home runs and 111 RBIs.

In a remarkable coincidence, Colbert had attended the May 2, 1954, game at Sportsman's Park, when Hall of Famer Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals also hit five home runs in a doubleheader. "Stan the Man," a 1969 Cooperstown inductee, wore the spikes pictured here during his career with the Cardinals.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_thisweekhistory.jsp