We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Regulations on the Bat
In the American major leagues, Rule 1.10(a) states:
The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.
Bats are not allowed to be hollowed or corked—that is, filled with an alien substance such as cork which reduces the weight. This corking is thought to increase bat speed without greatly reducing hitting power, though this idea was challenged as unlikely on the Discovery Channel series MythBusters.
Both wooden and metal alloy (generally aluminum) bats are generally permitted in amateur baseball. Metal alloy bats are generally regarded as being capable of hitting a ball faster and farther with the same power. However, increasing numbers of "wooden bat leagues" have emerged in recent years, reflecting a trend back to wood over safety concerns and, in the case of collegiate summer baseball wood-bat leagues, to better prepare players for the professional leagues that require wood bats. Metal alloy bats can send a ball towards an unprotected pitcher's head up to 60 ft 6 in (18.44 m) away at a velocity far too high for the pitcher to get out of the way in time. Some amateur baseball organizations enforce bat manufacturing and testing standards which attempt to limit maximum ball speed for wood and non-wood bats.
In high school baseball in the United States:
The bat is not permitted to be more than 2+5⁄8 inches (67 mm) in diameter in proximity to width and length.
Its "drop" (inches of length minus ounces of weight) must be no more than 3: for example, a 34 inch (863.6‑mm) bat must weigh at least 31 ounces (880 g).
The bat may consist of any safe solid uniform material; the National Federation of State High School Associations rules state only "wood or non-wood" material.
To be legally used in a game, an aluminum bat has to be a BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) bat because it has been determined that a pitcher loses the ability to protect himself when this ratio is exceeded.
In some 12-year-old-and-under youth leagues (such as Little League baseball), the bat may not be more than 2+1⁄4 inches (57 mm) in diameter. However, in many other leagues (like PONY League Baseball, and Cal Ripken League Baseball), the bat may not be more than 2+3⁄4 inches (70 mm) in diameter.
There are limitations to how much and where a baseball player may apply pine tar to a baseball bat. According to Rule 1.10(c) of the Major League Baseball Rulebook, it is not allowed more than 18 inches up from the bottom handle. An infamous example of the rule in execution is the Pine Tar Incident on July 24, 1983. Rules 1.10 and 6.06 were later changed to reflect the intent of Major League Baseball, as exemplified by the league president's ruling. Rule 1.10 now only requires that the bat be removed from the game if discovered after being used in a game; it no longer necessitates any change to the results of any play which may have taken place. Rule 6.06 refers only to bats that are "altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball. This includes, bats that are filled, flat-surfaced, nailed, hollowed, grooved or covered with a substance such as paraffin, wax, etc." It no longer makes any mention of an "illegally batted ball". In 2001, MLB approved the use of Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer in major and minor league games as an alternative to pine tar.
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Is Your Player In A Funk? How To Get Them Through It - Coach Rich Lovell
Coach Rich talks about having a player with a mental struggle or funk and get them over the hump.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Materials and the Manufacture of the Baseball Bat
Baseball bats are made of either hardwood or a metal alloy (typically aluminum). Most wooden bats are made from ash; other woods include maple, hickory, and bamboo. Hickory has fallen into disfavor over its greater weight, which slows down bat speed, while maple bats gained popularity following the introduction of the first major league sanctioned model in 1997. The first player to use one was Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays. Barry Bonds used maple bats the seasons he broke baseball's single-season home run record in 2001, and the career home run record in 2007. In 2010, the increased tendency of maple bats to shatter caused Major League Baseball to examine their use, banning some models in minor league play.
Manufacturers position each bat's label over the mechanically weaker side of the wood. To reduce chance of fracture, and maybe deliver more energy to the ball, a bat is intended to be held so the label faces sky or ground when it strikes the ball during a horizontal swing. In this orientation, the bat is considered stiffer and less likely to break.
Different types of wood will fracture differently. For bats made of ash, labels will generally be where the grain spacing is widest. For maple bats they will usually be positioned where grain is tightest.
Maple bats in particular were once known (circa 2008) to potentially shatter in a way that resulted in many sharp edges, sometimes creating more dangerous projectiles when breaking. Maple bat manufacture evolved significantly, in cooperation with Major League Baseball, paying special attention to grain slope, and including an ink spot test to confirm safest wood grain orientation.
Based on consistent anecdotal reports of sales at sporting goods stores, maple appears to be displacing ash as most popular new baseball bat material in the United States. Next and rising in popularity is bamboo, which has more isotropic fine grain, great strength, and less weight for a bat of any given size.
Within league standards there is ample latitude for individual variation, many batters settling on their own bat profile, or one used by a successful batter. Formerly, bats were hand-turned from a template with precise calibration points; today they are machine-turned to a fixed metal template. Historically significant templates may be kept in a bat manufacturers' vault; for example, Babe Ruth's template, which became popular among major-league players, is R43 in the Louisville Slugger archives. Ruth favored a thinner handle than was the norm in the 1920s, and his success caused most to follow.
Once the basic bat has been turned, it has the manufacturer's name, the serial number, and often the signature of the player endorsing it branded into it opposite the wood's best side. Honus Wagner was the first player to endorse and sign a bat. Next, most bats are given a rounded head, but some 30% of players prefer a "cup-balanced" head, in which a cup-shaped recess is made in the head, introduced to the major leagues in the early 1970s by José Cardenal; this lightens the bat and moves its center of gravity toward the handle. Finally, the bat is stained in one of several standard colors, including natural, red, black, and two-tone blue and white.
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Improve Your Swing Using A Clockwise Motion - Coach Rich Lovelle Baseba...
Coach rich goes over how he came across a unique technique to get his student to understand making a big swing correction.
Monday, December 12, 2022
History of the Baseball Bat
The bat's form has become more refined over time. In the mid-19th century, baseball batters were known to shape or whittle their own bats by hand, which resulted in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and weights. For example, there were flat bats, round bats, short bats, and fat bats. Earlier bats were known to be much heavier and larger than today's regulated ones. During the 19th century, many shapes were experimented with, as well as handle designs. Today, bats are much more uniform in design.
Innovations
On June 17, 1890, Emile Kinst patented the ball-bat, or banana bat. The bat is shaped with a curve, hence the name banana bat. The creator of the bat, Kinst wrote: "The object of my invention is to provide a ball-bat which shall produce a rotary or spinning motion of the ball in its flight to a higher degree than is possible with any present known form of ball-bat, and thus to make it more difficult to catch the ball, or if caught, to hold it, and thus further to modify the conditions of the game".
The mushroom bat, made in 1906 by Spalding. With baseball bats being larger in the 1900s the Spalding company designed a larger bat with a mushroom-shaped knob on the handle. This enabled the batter to get a better distribution of weight over the entire length of the bat.
The Wright & Ditsons Lajoie baseball bat. This bat had a normal size barrel but had two knobs on the handle. The lowest knob was at the bottom of the handle and the other knob was roughly two inches above the lowest knob. This was designed to have better spacing between the hands due to the knob being in the middle of the grip. This also gave batters an advantage when they choked up on the bat, because the second knob provided a better grip with in mushroom shaped handle.
In 1990, Bruce Leinert came up with the idea of putting an axe handle on a baseball bat. He filed a patent application for the 'Axe Bat' in 2007 and the bat started being used in the college and pro ranks over the following years. In 2012, the Marietta College Pioneers baseball team won the NCAA Division III World Series using axe handled bats.[2] Several Major League Baseball players have adopted the bat handle including Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, George Springer, Kurt Suzuki and Dansby Swanson.
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Friday, December 9, 2022
Terminology of the Bat
A baseball bat is divided into several regions. The "barrel" is the thick part of the bat, where it is meant to hit the ball. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball, according to construction and swinging style, is often called the "sweet spot." The end of the barrel is called the "top," "end," or "cap" of the bat. Opposite the cap, the barrel narrows until it meets the "handle," which is comparatively thin, so that batters can comfortably grip the bat in their hands. Sometimes, especially on metal bats, the handle is wrapped with a rubber or tape "grip". Finally, below the handle is the "knob" of the bat, a wider piece that keeps the bat from slipping from a batter's hands.
"Lumber" is an often-used slang term for a bat, especially when wielded by a particularly able batter.
The "bat drop" of a bat is its weight, in ounces, minus its length, in inches. For example, a 30-ounce, 33-inch-long bat has a bat drop of minus 3 (30 − 33 = −3). Larger bat drops help to increase swing speed; smaller drops create more power.
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Baseball Bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than 2.75 inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches (1.067 m) in length. Although historically bats approaching 3 pounds (1.4 kg) were swung, today bats of 33 ounces (0.94 kg) are common, topping out at 34 ounces (0.96 kg) to 36 ounces (1.0 kg).
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Our Pricing
Please register for a FREE account to view our package discounts and schedule your time online.
Are you a Team looking for practice and/or workouts? Please call us at (707) 564-5010 to discuss our special team options.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Reservations
THE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL BARN Normal OPERATING HOURS:
OPEN: Monday thru Friday 4:00pm to 9:00pm
OPEN: Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm
Check our FB page and/or Google for updates on Hitting Lessons, Camps/Clinics, or temporary changes to our hours, or your Login Page.
Contact Rich Lovell directly at 707-290-9731 for questions about the Hitting Lessons, Camps-Clinics- or the Facility.
If no answer, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE!
Make your reservations, here.
Friday, November 18, 2022
Front Toss To Improve Hitting Strategy - Coach Rich Lovell
Coach Rich talks about how to use front toss or live throwing to help your player hit better and strategize on what to hit.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Epstein Hitting System : Hitting Philosophy
Plate Discipline
Pitch Selection
Know The Situation
Get Your Pitch and Hit it Hard
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Epstein Hitting System : 7-Swing Sequence
1. Stance (Style)
2. Stride (Style)
3. Launch Position (Technique)
4. Approach Position (Technique)
5. Contact Position (Technique)
6. Power-V (Technique)
7. Finish (Style)
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
How To Overcome Fear At The Plate - Coach Rich Lovell
Coach Rich gives some tips on how to help players that are afraid of being hit by the ball.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Epstein Hitting System : 3-Core Movements
1. Hips Lead The Hands
2. Barrel of The Bat Inside The Ball
3. Plane of The Bat on The Plane of The Pitch
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Thursday, November 3, 2022
1995 – Present, Rotational Hitting
The current hitting “cycle" began changing in 1995, but unfortunately, many coaches have not responded to hitting’s changing conditions. Astroturf, diving into pitches, getting the weight to the front side, and swinging down, are now dinosaurs of the past, or at least should be.
In addition, we’ve got minus-3 alloy and composite bats to contend with, which make it more difficult for hitters to use linear, hands-and-arms mechanics. The weight-to-length ratio does not lend itself to hands-and-arms mechanics.
The biggest problem confronting today’s hitters is that the coaches and instructors are a product of this past generation. As a result, many teach what they learned when they played and/or repeat what they have heard. Mostly, it is because they don’t want to learn about rotational mechanics, but some are simply lazy or don’t care. The players pay for this indifference.
It’s “back to the future"
We’re in a “new-old" age of hitting now. We’ve gone back to pre-aluminum bat mechanics, back to the days of baseball’s “Golden Offensive Era" (1920-1970), and the upsurge in hitting at the major league level has been breathtaking.
Once again, smart hitters and coaches are capitalizing on baseball’s changing conditions. The outfield dimensions in today’s ball parks are much smaller, hitters are considerably bigger and stronger, infielders are more agile and athletic than ever, equipment is better, the height of the pitchers’ mound is lower, the baseball is “livelier," and the strike zones have been reduced to “postage-size" dimensions.
There is no other technique that can take advantage of all these hitter embellishments than rotational mechanics and is the reason why the hitting world is in transition.
Rotational hitting is all about high total bases. It isn’t just about hitting home runs, but more about power (as in hitting the ball “hard"), and producing runs.
As coaches, players and instructors, we must be able to see and understand the changes taking place today, because the players already see them, are emulating them, and reaping the benefits these new venues now offer.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Monday, October 31, 2022
How To Improve Your Swing By Doing This... - The Baseball Barn
Rich talks about why putting the bat against your shoulder helps technique.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Friday, October 28, 2022
1920–1975: Rotational hitting – Baseball’s “Golden Era"
As discussed earlier, rotational hitting is somewhat similar to linear hitting. As in linear hitting, there is also a “weight-shift" executed in rotational hitting. However, this is where the similarity ends. Perhaps the best way to describe the difference is with an illustration.
“Shoeless" Joe Jackson (photo left) is generally credited with being baseball’s first “rotational" hitter. (In those days, it was called “pivot hitting.") He was considered the first “average and power" hitter of the twentieth century. I don’t think there is any question that had he not been expelled for allegedly gambling from major league baseball at the tender age of 31, that the numbers he put up in his career would be even more eye-popping.
In 1911, Jackson’s first full major league season, he hit .408. Military service interrupted his career in 1918 and the Black Sox Scandal ended it after the 1920 season.
In his nine full seasons, he averaged 190 hits and 60 extra-base hits. His .356 lifetime batting average was lower than Cobb’s (.367), but his slugging percentage of (.518) was a few points higher. In 1920, he hit .382 with 12 home runs and a .589 slugging percentage. Had he not been banned from baseball, his power numbers would have been even more impressive.
His hitting technique and his fluent style at the plate caught the eye of a young Boston Red Sox rookie named Babe Ruth (photo, below left) around 1915. Over time, Ruth emulated Jackson’s hitting movements and perfected them. As he became more proficient with the rotational technique, Ruth’s production numbers and power soared. By 1918 he was hitting 11 home runs a year. In 1919, 29. And, in 1920, he hit 59. This figure totaled more than the rest of the clubs in the American League combined!
One of the most enduring things I have found in all my years in baseball is that it is a “copy cat" game. The “best" hitter will be emulated by the other players. A few years ago, it was Barry Bonds. Today, it is Albert Pujols, Josh Donaldson, Miguel Cabrera and in 1920, it was Babe Ruth.
Interestingly, all players who are emulated seem to be power hitters. Maybe it’s just me, but I cannot ever remember the hitting mechanics of a singles/contact-type hitter being something that others have wanted to copy. Perhaps it’s too difficult to learn, not aesthetically pretty to the eye, or just not productive. My gut feeling is it’s because most hitters want to be run producers.
Ruth’s hitting dominance captivated his peers—and the fans. Attendance skyrocketed as more and more fans turned out to watch his towering home runs leave the ball park. And, as Ruth continued his hitting supremacy, more and more players emulated his hitting movements; they also wanted a piece of the action and glory.
Baseball was now heading towards its “Golden Era" of hitting. This era spawned the likes of Gehrig, Foxx, Ott, Hornsby, Greenberg, DiMaggio, Williams, Mantle, Aaron, Mays, Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew. It continues today with Story, Murphy, Arenado, Davis, Stanton, Bogaerts, Pujols, A-Rod, Altuve, Pedroia, Correia, Posey, et al. All are rotational hitters. When you look at the names of the linear hitters mentioned earlier, Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker and “Wee Willie" Keeler, you may shake your head and say, “Never heard of them." But we all recognize the names of the rotational hitters. The above-mentioned hitters read like a “Who’s Who" in baseball.
Why? Simply, because people remember the dominant hitters. They identify with them. These players produce the runs, make the money, and grab the headlines. And, guess what?: they all shared a common technique. Their hitting approaches were all rotational.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Pre-1920: The Linear Hitting Technique
Linear hitters do not use their total bodies in their swings. Rather, it is a “hands and arms"-type swing. As a rule, linear-type hitters have become the foundation for describing one of my three hitting types: the Singles/Contact-type hitter.
Before talking about linear hitting, it is best to define it. “Linear," by definition, means “Of, relating to, or resembling a line; straight." A linear hitter starts with his weight over his rear leg and transfers his weight to a point over his front leg as he swings. It is a straight-line, back-to-front movement.
For many reasons, the linear hitting approach was the technique of choice before 1920; the singular, most important reason was that there were no outfield fences at that time.
When studying the historical transition of hitting techniques over different time periods, one thing becomes increasingly evident. Any changes made were simply “cycles" during which smart hitters adapted to playing conditions the best they could. As an example, the “Dead Ball Era" was, in reality, just a period during which field design and “dead" baseballs did not reward the batter who drove the ball a long way in the air. Thus, linear type hitters thrived.
However, the dominant hitters of that era, Ty Cobb (photo, left), “Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Sam Crawford, Honus Wagner, “Home Run" Baker, et al, clearly used rotational mechanics. As you look at Ty Cobb to the left, this is an action photo as he is at toe touch, just before heel plant and the beginning of his swing-technique. The hands depict a “hitch” he had, but he returned to the universal launch position like 95% of HOF players did.
While the concept of hitting “level to the ball" was not in vogue because there were no fences, the dominant hitters, i.e., those that generated the highest number of total bases, did use “torque" and hip rotation to generate their power. The swings of that era were “flat" to “down"—on occasion, even a “chop"—to better take advantage of large outfields and porous infield defenses.
Hitting balls in the air in those days was tantamount to failure. It was near impossible to hit one over an outfielder’s head. Most home runs in those days were “gap" line drives which got past the outfielders and just keep rolling.
Today, those hitters of yesteryear with their “level" shoulders hitting approach, would be classified as “linear" hitters. Top linear hitters of this era included Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, and “Wee Willie" Keeler.
The game of baseball in those days was one of strategy, centered on bunts, hit-and-run tactics and base stealing. Not to mention field managers that would water down the area in front of home plate. Most runs were “manufactured" and every run was critical.
In 1910, the cork-centered baseball was introduced and the game became livelier and the pace quickened. Babe Ruth came on the scene and single-handedly introduced a whole new style of play with the home run. Fenced-in ballparks took the place of the large open fields. The change in venues helped seal the demise of linear hitting.
Starting in 1920, the game would change forever. Or, at least until 1975.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Hitting and Pitching Video Analysis - The Baseball Barn
Rich talks about the use of video analysis for hitting and pitching.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Epstein Hitting System
I have worked with and received personal instruction from Mike and Jake Epstein, who were trained by Ted Williams and have attained their Master Certified Instructor Level; currently 1 of only 6 in the entire country of 700 Certified Instructors. If you are not familiar with Mike, click here—> Mike Epstein to read more about Mike’s thoughts on hitting:
The Two Hitting Techniques
Since baseball’s earliest beginnings, hitters have used only two hitting techniques:
Rotational and Linear.
Both of these hitting techniques “weight-shift" in similar fashions. At a singular, defined point in time, the techniques dissociate and follow dissimilar paths. The rotational technique becomes circular and rotates around a stationary axis. The linear technique continues moving progressively forward (on a progressively forward-moving axis-lunging).
Sunday, October 16, 2022
We live by one simple measure of success.Yours.
• Personal Instruction
• Awareness is the first step; let's take it together
• “I realize that we live in a “microwave society" where everyone wants everything “yesterday.” Unfortunately, Mother Nature makes no allowances for hitters in this regard. Becoming a good hitter takes time—and patience. Believe me, talking with many players who have been there and done it at baseball’s highest levels, everyone agrees that there are no shortcuts-None.
• Teaching hitting should be presented in a logical, progressive, and straight-forward manner to the student. It should also make sense. There is little to gain from a haphazard, non-structured approach to the learning process. It's a waste of time and money.
• In sports, players rarely get a second chance to make a good first impression. Taking the time necessary to choose a hitting instructor and the philosophy you can live with, is very important to their continued advancement."
• Take the first step…
• Our individual and group lessons typically last 70-90 minutes and always include full use of theEpstein Swing Analyzer motion analysis computer with a 32" flat screen display. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend, watch, and learn with their son/daughter to make this a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
• For local players, we offer no-risk swing evaluations to determine the player's current mechanics. The evaluation typically lasts 75-90 minutes and encompasses the player's swing analysis, mechanics review and history, as well as frame-by-frame on-screen synchronization with current MLB All-Stars. The evaluation is a wonderful way to not only see one's swing compared to MLB players, but also former Epstein and Baseball Barn hitters of the same age and ability level.
• Awareness is the first step; let's take it together. I urge you to contact us today to find the right program for your son or daughter.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Thursday, October 13, 2022
This Is What a 100 MPH Fastball Looks Like Up Close
Enjoy This Is What a 100 MPH Fastball Looks Like Up Close! Subscribe to Made The Cut for more mlb content!
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Monday, October 10, 2022
Hitting Instruction
Hitting a baseball and teaching the major league swing have been an endeavor I have taken to heart over the past few years. Being mentored—and certified—by Ted Williams has given Mike Epstein insights into the science of proper hitting technique that very few have ever had access to; For baseball or softball. They continually upgrade their products and teaching instruction methods to keep you on the leading-edge of what is being taught in today's hitting community. As a Certified Epstein Hitting Instructor let me put these techniques to work to help your son or daughter improve.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Friday, October 7, 2022
Turf Field
Our hitting tunnels easily retract to create over 4,500 SF of open infield turf suitable for nearly every baseball/softball activity:
• Infield practice
• Speed & Agility Training
• Base running drills
• Catcher’s drills
And so much more.
Are you a manager/coach of a team? Please call us at (707) 564-5010 or email to info@vvbaseballbarn.com to discuss a custom team practice package that suits your needs.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Pitching and Throwing Without Pain - The Baseball Barn
Rich from The Baseball Barn talks about teaching proper pitching and throwing techniques to reduce pain and injury.
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Pitching Tunnel
Our full length Pitching Tunnel allows pitchers of all ages to get their bullpen work in. Adjustable from 35’ all the way to 60’6”, both baseball and softball pitchers are welcome. Our pitching tunnel features two mounds so two pitchers can work out side by side. No catcher? No problem we have strike zone targets to give you the ability to get your workout in, even if your regular catcher is unavailable.
Need help with your pitching? Just check out our online scheduling system and schedule a personal instruction session with one of our qualified pitching instructors.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Hitting Tunnels
The Baseball Barn (BB) has five hitting tunnels equipped with everything needed to get your hitting workout in (baseballs, softballs, L-Screen, tee and hitting mat). Come hit off the tee, bring your parent, coach or friend to throw live pitches to you or soft toss to you. These hitting tunnels will help you work on your hitting. Come in today and see how effective a 30 or 60 minute session can be.
Need help with your hitting? Just check out our online scheduling system and schedule a personal instruction session with our Certified Epstein Hitting Instructor, “Richard Lovell."
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Is Timing Important When Hitting? Coach Rich Lovell
Coach Rich goes over the importance and relevance of timing during your hitting sequence.
Click Here for Online Hitting Lessons, Video Analysis, Hitting Camps and lessons before 4p.m. through my Epstein Online Academy Page.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Batting Cage Rentals
The Baseball Barn (BB) has two fixed batting cages that each feature JUGS™ pitching machines. These machines can be configured for either baseball or softball and can be adjusted to speeds of 15-60 mph. These machines will give you a consistent delivery to allow you to focus on your swing.
• 2 cages equipped with Juggs Pitching Machines*
• Adjustable Speeds
*Please note that you will need to have someone with you over the age of 15 to feed the Juggs machine.
Need help with your hitting? Just check out our online scheduling system and schedule a personal instruction session with our Certified Epstein Hitting Instructor.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Monday, September 19, 2022
About, The Baseball Barn
The Baseball Barn (BB) was founded on the principal that passionate, dedicated, and intelligent training are the keys to improving performance. The BB is a premier baseball/softball training facility, where athletes of all ages and skill levels can come to improve their game. Whatever your training needs:
• Batting Cage Rentals
• Pitching Practice
• Conditioning, Strength & Agility Training
• Mental Focus Training
• Full Team Practices
• Group Camps/Clinics
• Individual Instruction in Pitching, Fielding, and Hitting with a Master Certified Epstein Hitting Instructor.
The Baseball Barn has got you covered. Come check out our facility and see for yourself how the BB can help you take your game to the next level and beyond.
It’s not a question of can you…It’s a question of will you?
Friday, September 16, 2022
Do You Point The Barrel At The Pitcher? Explained by Coach Rich Lovell
Coach Rich goes over the positives and negatives to having the barrel of the bat pointed at the pitcher.
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Types of Baseball Parks : Modern Ballparks
While most teams turned to multi-purpose parks, some built baseball-only parks. While these modern ballparks shirked some of the conventions of multi-purpose parks, they did include some of the new features. The most notable influences were the cantilevered upper decks, the use of seating colors other than green, fairly plain concrete exteriors, and symmetrical outfields. While the multi-purpose parks have become all but extinct, some modern parks, such as Dodger Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, have been hailed for aging beautifully. Rather than build new parks, the teams have decided instead to renovate the current structures, adding a few newer conveniences. Several of the modern parks built as such have remained in use, with no indication of being demolished.
While Cleveland Stadium is the ancestor to the multi-purpose ballpark, the ancestor of the modern ballpark is Milwaukee County Stadium. It was the first to feature a symmetrical, round outfield fence. It also featured the rounded V-shaped grandstand and colorful seats that are common among modern parks. Coincidentally, it also would have been one of the earlier examples of a converted park as well. It was supposed to replace a minor league facility, and serve as home of the minor league team until a major league franchise could be lured to the city. However, the Braves came to Milwaukee earlier than expected, and the minor league team never played in the stadium.
The first two truly modern ballparks were built by the two New York teams who moved to California, the Giants and the Dodgers. Candlestick Park was created first, but was converted to a multi-purpose park to accommodate the 49ers. Dodger Stadium has been upgraded a number of times, but remains baseball-only and its original design is still largely intact.
Anaheim Stadium, which was initially modeled closely on Dodger Stadium, was expanded for football, but once the Rams departed, most of the extra outfield seating was peeled back, returning the structure to something closer to its original design.
The original Yankee Stadium is an exceptional case. Yankee Stadium was a jewel box park, albeit a very large one. It was showing its age in the 1970s, and the stadium was extensively renovated during 1973–75, converting it into more of a modern style ballpark. Many of the characteristics that defined it as a classical jewel box were also retained, so the remodeled Stadium straddled both categories.
New Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field) was the last modern ballpark to be built in North America. A series of renovations have been made to make it appear more like a retro-classic ballpark.
Although they were purposefully built for baseball, some of these stadiums also hosted professional soccer and football teams at times. The Minnesota Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium during the Twins' entire tenure there, and the Green Bay Packers played a few home games at Milwaukee County Stadium every year from 1953 through 1994. A few of them, including Metropolitan Stadium, also hosted NASL teams during the 1970s.
The only modern parks still used by Major League Baseball are Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, and Guaranteed Rate Field, although the latter has been renovated into a Retro-classic ballpark while Angel Stadium and Kauffman Stadium have been renovated into Retro-modern ballparks.
Read more, here.
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Types of Baseball Parks : Multi-purpose Ballparks
From the 1960s until the arrival of retro parks in 1992, baseball built many multi-purpose ballparks. Also derisively known as "concrete donuts", "cookie-cutters", or "giant ashtrays", they were usually tall and circular or square structures made entirely of, usually bare, reinforced concrete. The parks were built to hold baseball as well as football, soccer, and other sports. One of the earliest baseball stadiums that incorporated this type of design was Cleveland Stadium (built 1932), which featured an oval grandstand that was more friendly to goal-centered sports like football. A park built to suit all sports well, which was co-owned by the teams or the city, seemed advantageous to all, especially because it was less expensive to maintain one stadium rather than two. Some parks that were originally built for one sport were renovated to accommodate multiple sports.
The shape of the parks generally depended on the original use. Baseball parks that were renovated to accommodate football, like Candlestick Park and Anaheim Stadium, were usually asymmetrically shaped. Football stadiums that were renovated to accommodate baseball, like Sun Life Stadium and Mile High Stadium, were usually of a rectangular shape, though Mile High actually started its life in 1948 as a Minor League Baseball park known as Bears Stadium. Parks that were built to serve both were usually circular and completely enclosed on all sides. These were the parks that gained multi-purpose parks the reputation as bland cookie-cutter structures. The first of these parks was DC Stadium (renamed RFK Stadium in 1969) in the District of Columbia. RFK is unique in that it hosted two different baseball teams, and that it was the first to originally be intended for multiple sports.
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Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Subscriber Question - Do You Teach Hitters To Push Hands Back? Coach Ri...
Coach Rich answers a viewer's question about pushing of the hands.
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Types of Baseball Parks : Jewel Box Ballparks
The earliest ballparks built or rebuilt of reinforced concrete, brick, and steel are now known as the jewel box ballparks or classic parks. Two-tiered grandstands became much more prevalent in this era, as well. The Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, which opened in 1895, was the first to use steel and brick as the primary construction materials and included a cantilevered upper deck seating area that hung out over the lower seating area. Although it did not use reinforced concrete in its construction, Baker Bowl is considered the first of the jewel box parks. The first of to use reinforced concrete was Shibe Park, which opened in 1909, also in Philadelphia.
The upper decks were typically held up by steel pillars that obstructed the view from some seats in the lower level. However, because of the supports used , the upper decks could come very close to the field. The two-tiered design was the standard for decades, until the New York Yankees built Yankee Stadium. To accommodate the large crowds Babe Ruth drew, Yankee Stadium was built with three tiers. This became the new standard until some recently built parks reverted to two, including PNC Park in 2001.
Most jewel box parks were built to fit the constraints of actual city blocks, often resulting in significantly asymmetrical outfield dimensions and large outfield walls to prevent easy home runs. Notable examples included League Park in Cleveland, which had a 40-foot (12 m)-tall wall in right field, and the Green Monster, the 37-foot (11 m)-tall left field wall at Fenway Park in Boston. Notable exceptions include Shibe Park and Comiskey Park, which were built on rectangular city blocks that were large enough to accommodate symmetrical left and right fields.
Other sports, such as soccer and football, were often played at these sites (Yankee Stadium, for example, was designed to accommodate football). In contrast to the later multi-purpose parks, the seats were generally angled in a configuration suitable for baseball. The "retro" ballparks built in the 1990s and beyond are an attempt to capture the feel of the jewel box parks. The only jewel box parks still used by Major League Baseball are Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Types of Baseball Parks : Wooden Ballparks
The first professional baseball venues were large wooden ballparks with seats mounted on wood platforms. Although known for being constructed out of wood, they featured iron columns for better support. Some included one tier of inclined seating, topped with either a flat roof or, in some instances, a small upper tier. The outfield was bordered by tall walls or fences covered in advertisements, much like today's minor league parks. These advertisements were sometimes fronted with bleacher seats, or "bleaching boards". Wood, while prone to decomposition, was a relatively inexpensive material.
However, the use of wood as the primary material presented a major problem, especially as baseball continued to thrive. Over time, the wooden stands aged and dried. Many parks caught fire, and some were leveled completely. This problem, along with the popularization of baseball and expectations for long-term use of the parks were major factors that drove the transition to the new standard materials for ballparks: steel and concrete. Some famous wooden parks, such as the Polo Grounds III in New York and National League Park in Philadelphia, burned and were rebuilt with fire-resistant materials (Polo Grounds IV and Baker Bowl). Others were simply abandoned in favor of new structures built elsewhere. These new fire-resistant parks often lasted for many decades, and (retrospectively) came to be known as "jewel boxes". There are no more professional ballparks in existence left with this architectural trend, with the last one, Oriole Park V, burning down in 1944.
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Monday, August 29, 2022
Hitting and Pitching Video Analysis - The Baseball Barn
Rich talks about the use of video analysis for hitting and pitching.
Friday, August 26, 2022
Etymology of the Ballpark
Baseball was originally played in open fields or public parks. The genesis of modern baseball is conventionally connected with Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, a large public park where the businessmen of New York City gathered from time to time to play organized baseball games and cricket matches, starting around the mid-1840s. The name "Field" or "Park" was typically attached to the names of the early ballparks.
With the beginnings of professional baseball, the ballfield became part of a complex including fixed spectator seating areas, and an enclosure to restrict access to paying customers, as with a fairgrounds. The name "Grounds" began to be attached to ballparks, starting with the Union Grounds in 1862. The suffixes "Field" and "Park" were still used, but many professional ballparks were "Grounds". The last major league "Grounds" was the Polo Grounds in New York City, which was razed in 1964.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Variations of the Field
Distinctive from "goal games" such as football and basketball, which have fixed-size playing areas, the infield is the only rigidly laid-out part of the field. Like its English relative, cricket, there is significant flexibility in the shape and size of the rest of the playing area.
Baseball leagues may specify a minimum distance from home plate to the outfield fences. Generally, the higher the skill level, the deeper the minimum dimensions must be, to prevent an excess of home runs. In the major leagues, a rule was passed in 1958 that compelled any new fields built after that point to have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field, and 400 feet (120 m) to center. (Rule 1.04, Note(a)). This rule was passed to avoid situations like the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was 251 ft (77 m). down the left field line.
However, with the opening of Baltimore's Camden Yards (1992), the "minimum distance" rule began to be ignored. One factor may be that the quaint, "retro" look of Camden Yards, with its irregular measurements, proved to be very popular, along with a traditionalist backlash against the symmetrical, multi-purpose, "cookie-cutter" stadiums. Since the opening of Camden Yards, many other "retro" stadiums have been built, each with asymmetrical fences. These distances vary from park to park, and can even change drastically in the same park. One of the most famous examples is the original Yankee Stadium, whose odd-shaped plot of land caused right field to be over 100 feet (30 m) shorter than left, although this difference lessened over time. The rectangular Polo Grounds had extremely short distance down the lines, 258 ft (79 m). to right and 280 ft (85 m). to left. In contrast, the deepest part of center field was nearly 500 ft (150 m). from home plate.
Older ballparks, such as Fenway Park, were grandfathered in and allowed to keep their original dimensions. Also, new parks have sometimes received special dispensation to deviate from these rules. For instance, the second Yankee Stadium, built 2009, used the same dimensions as the original Yankee Stadium.
The heights of the fences can also vary greatly, the most famous example being the 37-foot (11 m)-high Green Monster in Fenway Park's left field. Such tall fences are often used to stop easy home runs in a section of the ballpark where the distances from home are shorter, or where there is little space between the field and the street beyond. Some in-play scoreboards and high fences reached 50 to 60 feet (18 m), whereas a few outfields were even lined with hedges rather than normal fences or walls. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, when set up for baseball, had a 23-foot (7.0 m) right field "fence" that was actually a relatively thin blue plastic sheet covering folded up football seats. It was often called a "baggie" or "Hefty bag".
Some ballparks have irregularly shaped fences. Ballparks may have round swooping fences or rigidly angled fences, or possibly a significant change in direction or irregular angle. For example, the center field stands and the left field stands at Fenway Park meet at an uneven angle, creating an indentation (called "the triangle") that angles sharply back into the stands. In Citi Field and Oracle Park, part of the right field fence juts unevenly into the outfield as if the builders were trying to create an unpredictable ricochet effect for balls hit against it. Some "retro" parks, such as Globe Life Park in Arlington, throw in a sudden and small inward turn (often referred to as a jog) just to give a little quirkiness to the design.[citation needed] Milwaukee's Miller Park was designed, with the help of former player Robin Yount, to promote extra base hits.
Originally (mostly in the old jewel box parks) these variations resulted from the shape of the property where the park was constructed. If there was a street beyond left field, the distance to the left field fence would be shorter, and if the distance was too short, the fence would be higher. For example, in the old Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., part of center field had to be built around a cluster of apartment houses and the result was a rather large angular indentation in the left-center field fence. Now, these variations are mostly influenced by the specifications and whims of the designers. New "retro" parks, which try to recapture the feel of the jewel box parks, are often designed to have these quirks.
Read more, here.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
How To Grip A Bat Properly - The Baseball Barn
Rich from The Baseball Barn goes over proper grip technique when batting.
6963 Gibson Canyon Road
Vacaville, CA 95688
Email: linda@36oaks.com
Call 707-447-8037 to book today!
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Seating in the Baseball Park
Today, in Major League Baseball, a multi-tiered seating area, a grandstand, surrounds the infield. How far this seating extends down the baselines or around the foul poles varies from park to park. In minor league parks, the grandstands are notably smaller, proportional to expected sizes of crowds compared with the major leagues.
The seating beyond the outfield fence generally differs from the grandstand, though some multi-purpose or jewel box parks have the grandstand surround the entire field. This area could contain inexpensive bleacher seats, smaller grandstands, or simply inclined seating. In local ballparks, there are often simply a set or two of aluminum bleachers on the first-base and third-base sides.
Read more, here.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Ballpark
A ballpark is a place where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to place.
Larger venues are usually called baseball stadiums, a term which includes the playing field, spectator seating areas, pedestrian walkways, bathrooms, dining areas, vendor areas, offices, and recreational areas.
Read more, here.
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Pitching and Throwing Without Pain - The Baseball Barn
Rich from The Baseball Barn talks about teaching proper pitching and throwing techniques to reduce pain and injury.
6963 Gibson Canyon Road
Vacaville, CA 95688
Email: linda@36oaks.com
Call 707-447-8037 to book today!
Monday, August 8, 2022
Come See Us!
Check out our Facebook page for hours of operation.
777-D Elmira Rd
Vacaville, CA 95687
(707) 290-9731
E: info@vvbaseballbarn.com
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Friday, August 5, 2022
History of the Baseball Field
The basic layout of the field has been little changed since the Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. Those rules specified the distance from home to second as 42 "paces." The dictionary definition of a "pace" at the time was 30 inches, yielding base paths of approximately 75 feet; however, if a "pace" of three feet was meant then the distance would have been 89 feet. It is not implausible that the early clubs simply stepped off the distance. 30 yards (90 feet) between the bases was first explicitly prescribed by the NABBP Convention of 1857. Through trial and error, 90 feet had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense.
The original Knickerbocker Rules did not specify the pitching distance explicitly; the 1854 Unified Rules stated "from Home to pitcher not less than fifteen paces." By the time major league baseball began in the 1870s, the pitcher was compelled to pitch from within a "box" whose front edge was 45 feet (14 m) from the "point" of home plate. Although they had to release the ball before crossing the line, as with bowlers in cricket, they also had to start their delivery from within the box; they could not run in from the field as bowlers do. Furthermore, the pitcher had to throw underhand. By the 1880s, pitchers had mastered the underhand delivery—in fact, in 1880, there were two perfect games within a week of each other.
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
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Tuesday, August 2, 2022
Kinetic Chain as it pertains to the baseball swing - The Baseball Barn
Rich goes over the kinetic link in a proper baseball swing.
6963 Gibson Canyon Road
Vacaville, CA 95688
Email: linda@36oaks.com
Call 707-447-8037 to book today!
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Player Preparation and Coaching Areas
The bullpen (sometimes referred to as simply "the 'pen") is the area where pitchers warm up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Relief pitchers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes their final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin their warmup tosses. "Bullpen" is also used metonymically to describe a team's collection of relief pitchers.
On-deck circles
There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish their turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, a mat made from artificial material, with the team or league logo painted onto it.
Coach's boxes
The coach's boxes, located behind first and third base, are where the first and third base coaches are supposed to stand, although coaches often stand outside the box. This is permissible as long as the coach does not interfere with play and the opposing team does not object (in which case the umpire shall ensure that all coaches on both teams must abide by the boundaries of the coach's boxes). The coach's boxes are marked with chalk or paint. In the early days of baseball, the term "coacher's box" was used, as "coach" was taken to be a verb. As the term "coach" evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Foul Poles
Foul poles, if present, help umpires judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run). The poles are a vertical extension of the foul lines at the edge of the field of play. The outer edge of the foul lines and foul poles define foul territory. Both the lines and the poles are in fair territory, in contrast to American football and basketball, where the lines marking the playing boundaries are out of bounds. The minimum distance to hit a home run (along either foul line) is set by baseball rules, generally at 325 feet (99 m).
Before 1931 (with the exception of a couple months in 1920) the foul lines extended indefinitely; a batter was awarded a home run only if a fly ball out of the field was fair where it landed. Now, a batted ball that leaves the field in flight is judged fair or foul at the point it leaves the field. Thus, such a fly ball passing on the fair side of a foul pole, or hitting a foul pole, is a home run regardless of where the ball goes thereafter.
Foul poles are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence or wall, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole. This further aids the umpires' judgment, as a ball that bounces off this screen is a home run. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole.
At Major League Baseball fields, foul poles are usually yellow. Those at Citi Field are orange. At Petco Park, there is no foul pole in left field; the pole's function is served by a yellow metal strip along the corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. Several parks featuring advertising along the length of the foul pole, with the most prominent example being the advertising from Chick-fil-A at both Citi Field and Minute Maid Park (serving as a pun, with "fowl" being another term for a chicken, the primary meat featured by that restaurant chain).
Read more, here.
(707) 290-9731
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Website
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Baseball Swing: Technique vs Style - What does that mean? - The Baseball...
Rich goes over the difference between style and technique and why he teaches technique, not style.
6963 Gibson Canyon Road
Vacaville, CA 95688
Email: linda@36oaks.com
Call 707-447-8037 to book today!
Thursday, July 21, 2022
Outfield Wall
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