THE COACH'S CAVE

Early Work: Infield Warm-up Drills

2012-03-04T13:50:00.002-05:00

We start virtually every infield practice with a series of warm-up drills before we ever take a live ground ball. The following drill series begins with a short hop drills working on the ball hit directly at the fielder, followed by balls to the forehand and backhand. After progressing through ball handling drills* (not shown - description below), we move through a ground ball progression which simulates plays to home, first and second base. The entire progression should take 20-25 minutes and is a perfect drill series for early work.

*Ball Handling Drills: Take a ball in glove and work on transferring the ball from glove to hand by moving in circles around each leg in both clockwise and counterclockwise motions. Perform either 15-20 reps or 30 seconds (15 each direction) around your right leg, left leg, both legs and a figure 8 motion.

For more videos, check out The Coach's Cave YouTube channel. RAGE ON!

Thank You for your Support!

2012-03-03T13:41:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank all those who participated in, and donated to Lake Erie's inagural event with the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Several baseball players made time between class and practice to join fellow classmates in shaving their heads to raise awareness for the foundation. The event raised over $5,000 towards cancer research for children with cancer. For more details on the event, check out the Lake Erie College event page.

Stay connected on social media by following Twitter feeds for both @StBaldricks, and

@BaseBald_SBF. Thanks to everyone for making a difference! RAGE ON!

Lab Notes: 3/3/12

2012-03-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

The season is officially underway after a disaappointing opening weekend at Southern Indiana but there was plenty to take away from the 3-game set on the banks of the Ohio River. Here are a few news and notes from the weekend.

News & Notes:

The pitchers allowed just over 5 runs and 6 walks a game. Obviously a higher number than desired, but USI only managed a .259 average against Storm pitchers.
The bullpen allowed only four earned runs and six hits in 9.1 IP
Freshman/pitcher Russ Hogue made an impressive debut in Green and White, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings, only allowing a single hit.
Senior/catcher Nick Lovick made his return behind the plate after missing the entire 2011 season with a wrist injury. The Captain started all three games for the Storm.

The team is off on Saturday, but will get back to the practice floor on Sunday. The season will continue one week from today in Highland Heights, KY when they face Northern Kentucky in a double-header. The DH kicks off the Storm's week-long spring trip, totaling a six-game schedule.

Stay tuned to The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave this week for news leading up to the #SpringTrip. #RageOn!

Cuts and Relays

2012-02-28T08:13:00.005-05:00

Join me and several members of the Lake Erie baseball team on Wednesday, February 29, when Lake Erie College hosts a cancer awareness head shaving event to benefit the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The event will start at 2:30pm at the Holden Stage area on the campus of Lake Erie. The event is not limited to Lake Erie students and members of the community are encouraged to participate. To participate, donate or to volunteer, go to the St. Baldrick's event page.

Lab Notes: 2/20/12

2012-02-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the final Spring Training edition of Lab Notes. We are less than a week from the first pitch of the 2012 season, which begins next Saturday in Evansville, Indiana against the 19th-ranked Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles. Unfortunately, Hayden Fox won't be anywhere near the diamond during the three game set. Here are the latest news and notes from last week and a look ahead to the final week of Spring Training.

News & Notes:

The squad was split into two teams for a modified intersquad scrimmage on both Saturday and Sunday. The pitchers stuck to their live bullpen schedule, but the hitters played to the count, inning, and score.
In addition to the live cage match, the teams physical tools were put to the test in a series of physical challenges between at-bats such as: fielding, throwing, running, endurance, and bunting.
Saturday Results: Team 2 wins cage match 5-4, Team 1 wins physical challenge 4-3 and takes Gold Glove round 1-0 to win the day.
Sunday Results: Team 2 sweeps both cage and physical challenge to take the day.
The team will depart campus on Friday afternoon for the 8 1/2 hour trip. Evansville is located in the Central Time Zone so fans making the trip should plan accordingly.
Saturday's double-header will begin at 1pm CST. Game one will be a 9-inning game with the nightcap being a 7-inning contest. The single game on Sunday will be a 9-inning affair.

Spring Training updates will continue this week (#SpringTraining) on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave. Look for #OpeningDay2012 and #LECBaseball tweets all weekend in Evansville. #RageOn!

Lab Notes: 2/14/12

2012-02-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

We are less than two weeks away from the start of the 2012 season and we're at the point of Spring Training where the practices can become stale. That was somewhat the case with tonight's workout. It is always the coaching staff's responsibility to keep the team and the practices fresh, but it is also the players' responsibility to keep themselves motivated and focused on the task at end. Baseball is a daily grind but as author Robert Collier once said, "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." Here are the lastest news and notes from the past week of Spring Training.

News & Notes:

Uniforms were passed out on Sunday. The Storm added a white pants with black pinstripes to the mix of uniform options for 2012. They will be worn with both the current green "Storm" tops and the black "Erie" tops.
There were a few number changes among the coaching staff. Coach Sankovich changed from #23 to #41 while Coach Bunnell switched from #21 to #43.
There weren't any number changes among any of the returning players. The only other changes were the addition of the freshman numbers to the roster. They were as follows.

#13 Dylan Yankle

#16 Sean Mathews

#21 Russ Hogue

#22 Jake Ripma

#23 Cory Fox

#27 Jake Gilstorff

#29 Aaron Lindgren

#33 Shaun Gaydos

#36 Heath Kelley

#39 Tyler Lindgren

#50 Chase Haas

Stay tuned all Spring Training long for updates on the Storm via The Coach's Cave Twitter feed (@thecoachscave #SpringTraining). RAGE ON!

How to Spend an Off Day

2012-02-09T11:05:00.004-05:00

It's still very early in Spring Training so the wear and tear on the body isn't as prevalent as it would be in mid-April. Nonetheless, off days are always welcome no matter the time of year. Forget the phrase, "there are no off days." While that phrase looks good on a t-shirt, if you want to make it thru an entire season in good mental health, you need to take advantage of off days. Here are just a few areas which are addressed during an off day as a coach.

1. Sleep. There are a lot of sleepless nights during the course of a season whether its an extended losing streak, a rash of injuries, disciplinary problems with players...the list goes on. Throw in the fact that five of the seven days are spent getting up at 5:30am and you are running the risk of running on fumes by mid-season. So if there is a morning in which you can sleep in past 6am, you do it.

2. Working Out. On practice days, getting a workout in during the day can be very difficult. If your team has morning workouts and practice during the middle of the day, there isn't much time between the two. There are also practice plans to put together, staff meetings to attend, high school coaches to talk to about recruits, and a laundry list of other daily tasks which need accomplished. An off day allows a coach to workout during the time they would normally be at practice and clear his head and get reenergized for the next wave of practices or games.

3. Recruiting Visits. The recruiting aspect of college athletics truly never ends. So having a full day in which there is no baseball activity, off days are good opportunities to bring on potential student-athletes to show around campus without trying to limit your time with a recruit.

4. Emails. Coaches are on their emails everyday, be it in the office or on their smart phones. For the most part, the emails are with recruits or administration, but there are always emails which get pushed to the bottom of the pile, which can now be addressed.

5. Personal Time. Spending time with family is always taken for granted during the off-season but those opportunities can be few and far between during the season and can have an exponential affect on your week. There are also the menial tasks such as laundry, cleaning your house, going to the bank or whatever needs done to clean out the inbox.

Stay tuned all Spring Training long for updates on the Storm via The Coach's Cave Twitter feed (@thecoachscave #SpringTraining). RAGE ON!

Lab Notes: 2/8/12

2012-02-08T20:32:00.005-05:00

The 2012 season will open in less than three weeks when the Storm opens at No. 17 Southern Indiana. The Storm will have their hands full as they take on the the 2010 national champions. This is something Storm fans should get used to, however, as there are four teams on the schedule ranked in the Top 30. Here are this week's news and notes.

News & Notes:

Monday featured a 5-inning intersquad game in the turf at Kiwanis where assistant coaches took the hill in place of Storm hurlers.
There weren't set lineups for the scrimmage due to the number of players still in class, so the inning totals are unofficial.
Storm pitchers didn't throw live in keeping with their routines to prep for today's live bullpen sessions against the hitters.
The most interesting match-up of the day featured brothers taking up arms (and bats) against each other when Brian Kilway (So/RHP) faced off against older brother Pat (Jr/1B) in a 5-pitch session. The pair traded jabs with each other when Brian forced a few swing and misses and Pat found a gap later in the round.
Today was the last of a six-day stretch of practices in which the Storm made it outside for all but two of them. The team will have an off day Thursday before getting back to work Friday morning when "The Bear" makes its second appearance.
The four outdoor practices of the week brings the 2012 total up to six. The Storm didn't reach that number in 2011 until mid-March, after their spring trip to Florida.

Stay up-to-date between blog posts by following The Coach's Cave on Twitter @thecoachscave #RageOn #SpringTraining. RAGE ON!

Lab Notes: 1/31/12

2012-02-01T10:22:00.010-05:00

The first week of Spring Training is in the books and Storm baseball is well into week two. There was nothing out of the ordinary in week one, but Tuesday's weather promoted good feelings around camp. A typical first week of practice can resemble this, but for some specifics from the first week of practice, check out these news and notes.

News & Notes:

Pitchers threw bullpens on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and as expected, the pitchers seemed to have the edge over the hitters.
Garrett Emling recorded the first hit of the spring.
Position players worked out on the turf at Kiwanis Rec Park on Tuesday and have a controlled intersquad game planned for Wednesday.

Stay up-to-date between blog posts by following The Coach's Cave on Twitter @thecoachscave. RAGE ON!

Lab Notes: 1/24/12

2012-01-24T19:41:00.007-05:00

The first day of Spring Training has come and gone and like many other first days, there was nothing out of the ordinary. I don't like saying there wasn't anything special but we are now one day closer to Opening Day...so we've got that going for us, which is nice.

For major league teams, the only news worth reporting is usually their high-priced, free agent signee has arrived at camp or a returner has either dropped or gained significant weight. We don't have any free agents coming to camp, but there were a few new additions to the roster. For the latest, check out the News & Notes.

News & Notes:

The program added two players in the Aaron and Tyler Lindgren, outfielders from Willoughby South. Tyler comes on board from Notre Dame College while Aaron, already at Lake Erie, spent the fall on the gridiron with the football team.
Pitchers did some light tossing gearing up for their first full bullpen session on Wednesday. The pens will be short in nature but will prep them for the first live bullpens on Saturday.
The new hitting coach put on quite a display during his first day in the cage. This should help for Saturday's live bullpens.

Stay up-to-date between blog posts by following The Coach's Cave on Twitter @thecoachscave. RAGE ON!

Lab Notes: 1/16/12

2012-01-16T22:05:00.005-05:00

There's still a week before the students officially return for the spring semester and there isn't much going on around the Lake Erie campus...yet. There has been a buzz generating around the OC from the anticipation of spring training.

News & Notes:

Players are reporting this week for open, non-mandatory workouts at the Osborne Center.
Pitchers on campus will throw light bullpens on Saturday.
The first full-squad workout will be held on Tuesday, January 24.

Stay up-to-date between blog posts by following The Coach's Cave on Twitter @thecoachscave. RAGE ON!

The Car Push

2012-01-05T19:51:00.004-05:00

Throughout the Storm fall practices, the baseball team engaged in a series of fitness challenges after many of the practices. The players were conveniently split up into their respective SFL teams for the year-long competition. This particular event, "The Car Push," was simple in concept, but not in practice. The goal was for each team to push the car from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time possible. The rest of the competition details can be explained in the video by Storm pitching coach Mark Sankovich. RAGE ON!

Check out this, along with many other videos on The Coach's Cave YouTube page and follow updates throughout the year on The coach's Cave twitter feed @thecoachscave.

Lab Notes: 1/3/12

2012-01-03T16:19:00.004-05:00

To ring in the New Year, I am introducing one of hopefully many new features/segments to the blog today with Lab Notes. This will be a weekly segment which will feature the latest news and notes on Lake Erie baseball. For the first edition, I put together a list of significant upcoming dates in the program, along with a few other notes. Stay up-to-date between blog posts by following The Coach's Cave on Twitter @thecoachscave. RAGE ON!

Significant Dates:

January 22: Players return to campus
January 23: Classes Resume
January 24: First Day of Spring Training
February 25: Opening Day 2012 (at No. 17 Southern Indiana, 1pm)
March 10-15: Spring Trip (Northern Kentucky, Delta State, No. 12 Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello)
March 24: GLIAC Opener (at Grand Valley State, 1pm)
March 28: Home Opener (v. Notre Dame, OH, 2pm)
March 31: Home GLIAC Opener (v. Hillsdale, 1pm)
May 10-12: GLIAC Tournament

Full 2012 Schedule

Other Notes:

The Division II Top 30 rankings were released and the Storm will face four pre-season Top 30 teams in 2012 starting with No. 17 Souther Indiana Screaming Eagles on February 25 in Evansville. (DII Top 30)
Adam Beach named top prospect among Prospect League players (Full List)

Start Me Up

2012-01-02T21:35:00.004-05:00

As someone who grew up in sports, I have always heard stretching is the most important thing to do before engaging in any kind of physical activity. I could never touch my toes so I hated this concept. But after eight years of coaching, I have strung together a series of exercises that enable athletes to get their blood flowing and get ready for physical activity without embarrassing themselves by demonstrating their lack of flexibility. The following dynamic warm-up routine is performed before every game and practice by Lake Erie baseball. A special thanks to junior outfielder Zach Mosbarger for his assistance.

Check out this, along with many other videos on The Coach's Cave YouTube page and follow updates throughout the year on The coach's Cave twitter feed @thecoachscave.

11 in '11

2011-12-22T09:46:00.006-05:00

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their holiday seasons! It has been quite a record-breaking year for Storm baseball in 2011 and 2012 is shaping up to be even better. This will be the last blog post of 2011 but there will be plenty more to come in 2012, including some new segments and features. So in the spirit of holiday sports journalism and my apologies to David Letterman, here is a countdown of the Top 11 moments in 2011 from the home office in ~~Omaha, NE,~~ Painesville, OH. Enjoy!

Top 10 Memorable Moments from 2011

11. Program hosts inaugural alumni game. [Full Story]

10. Summer Success: Junior pitchers Adam Beach and Tyler Minnich were named All-Stars in their respective summer leagues. [Full Story] Brayan Cacique wins NABF World Series MVP Award. [Full Story] Brian Kilway, Pat Kilway and Brad Raley led the Pineville Pioneers to summer championship. [Full Story]

9. Five Storm players named to All-GLIAC Team (1st Team: Brandon James, Ryan Rua; 2nd Team: Matt Toth; Honorable Mention: Doug Fox, Jae Leeworthy) [Full Story]

8. James and Rua earn NCBWA All-Region honors. [Full Story]

7. Toth wins the program's first ever Gold Glove Award. [Full Story] [Video/Story]

6. Rua named All-American by Daktronics. [Full Story]

5. Program's first GLIAC win versus Hillsdale, 6-1. [Box Score/Recap]

4. The Storm offense finished 2nd in hitting (.313), slugging (.422) and home runs (23) and led the GLIAC in stolen bases (75).

3. Brandon James walks-off against Ashland in the bottom of the 9th. [YouTube]

2. Set program record for wins with 2-1 victory over Wayne State. [Recap/Box Score/Audio]

1. Junior shortstop Ryan Rua was selected in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. [Full Story] Follow Ryan's journey through the minor leagues here and check out his twitter feed here.

So there you have it…the top moments of the past year. I hope you've enjoyed the trip down memory lane but as Harold MacMillan once said, "use the past as a springboard, not a sofa." With that in mind, here's to 2012! I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Stay tuned for news and updates throughout the new year from The Cave's twitter feed (@thecoachscave). For more on the Storm baseball and other Lake Erie athletic programs, visit www.lakeeriestorm.com. RAGE ON!

Winter Camp Wonderland

2011-11-30T20:17:00.011-05:00

The Lake Erie baseball team will host a one-day Pitchers and Catchers Instructional Clinic on Saturday, December 10 at the Jerome T. Osbrorne Family Athletic & Welness Center. Campers in grades 4-12 will have the opportunity to work on individual skills work in their specific positions and finish with a live bullpen session. There will also be an overflow date the following day at 10am. For more information, check out the camp brochure.

Flipping Out

2011-11-01T09:09:00.008-04:00

There are still about four weeks left of individual work and off-season strength and speed training before Thanksgiving break is upon us when all team work shuts down until January. Part of the fun of strength training is being able to show off the hard work that has been put in during a training regimen. Earlier this fall, while still in fall practice, the team had such an opportunity in the SFL Fitness Challenge Series. In this event, all three teams had their chance to flip a tractor tire from the left field foul line to a distance of 150 feet away and back. The team with the fastest time would take home the belt.

2011 Tire Flip Results

Green - 2:42

Gray - 2:50

Black - 2:53 (incurred a 10-second penalty)

Check out this, along with many other videos on The Coach's Cave YouTube page and follow updates throughout the year on The coach's Cave twitter feed @thecoachscave.

The "I" in Team

2011-10-23T09:51:00.001-04:00

When Black Team shortstop Sean Mathews fielded the routine ground ball and threw to first to retire the hard-charging base runner, he collectively ended the Storm Fall League, a championship drought, and the fall practice season, all in less than four seconds. As the dust settled on the Black Team's celebration after their first title of the four-year history of the SFL, and the final piece of proverbial confetti fell to the Kiwanis turf, the player's had now earned a break from the game they had worked at so diligently the past 45 days.

During an off week, the time seems to fly by even faster than in a normal week. A round of golf, a morning or two to sleep in past 9:00, and the next thing you know "The Friday Song" is playing and you realize you haven't even come close to getting through your to-do list. You blink an eye and the weekend has come and gone and it's time to get back to work.

With the off week in the rearview mirror, it was time to get back on course in our preparation for spring 2012. Off-season strength training was about to begin to go along with individual workouts, which will dominate our time through the Thanksgiving break. Here's a look into the first week back in action.

MONDAY

9:23 am - Today is the first day of our off-season strength and conditioning program which is set to begin. The workouts had been designed but the workout cards still needed to be printed. I wanted to wait until today to print them out in case I wanted to add an exercise to the program. I made a small change to the program and sent it off to the mailroom for printing.

11:15 am - Randy Jackson called from the mailroom and said there was a problem with the network and the printer wasn't responding. It was a minor problem but it would mean the lifting cards wouldn't be ready until Wednesday. I guess this is what I get for waiting until the last minute.

2:03 pm - I printed off copies of the workout on regular paper and headed off to Ritchie Gym. Like we had done during fall ball, the position players and pitchers were split into to separate weight rooms so Coach Sank would stay back at the Osborne Rec Center. The format worked in the fall and it would work again now. The two groups were on different workout programs to begin with, so the position segregation just made sense.

3:20 pm - With the first "swoll session" completed, the position players headed back to the Rec Center for their agility work and speed training. While position players worked their agility stations, the pitchers worked on their aerobic conditioning.

TUESDAY

12:47 pm - Today was the first day of individuals and both Coach Sank and I had full plates. I had four groups coming in starting at 1 pm with a pair of catchers, followed immediately by the corner infielders, middle infielders, and finally, the first baseman. Preparation is key when you have four different groups, all working different fundamentals, so I set to the gym to get set up.

1:10 pm - The catchers finished their throwing progressions and were ready for drill work. Today's focus was receiving, blocking, and throwing transfers. There were some drills I received from the milwaukee Brewers catching coordinator that I wanted to try so I was excited to see them in action.

1:45 pm - The third baseman started early. Early in the sense that their time overlapped and spent the first 15 minutes on throwing and working their hands. We finished working on double play feeds, something we have progressively improved upon throughout the fall.

2:30 pm - The middle infielders arrived for their session while I finished the final 15 minutes in the hot corner. Their daily routine consists of throwing, short hops, and ball-handling before getting into ground balls. The ground ball routine I put my infielders through has changed slightly over the past eight years but the concepts have remained the same.

3:35 pm - The first baseman were the last group of the day and I was ready. I get really involved in the drills and sometimes join in just to show them what its like. every practice that focuses on individual skills, the first baseman go through a series of drills developed into a routine by a Mississippi State assistant coach, which I began using after listening to him speak at a convention in either Chicago or Orlando (I can't remember which).

5:47 pm - Sitting at my desk, recapping the workouts, I was asked by our sports information director if I would mind filling in on the Storm Report at the Harry Buffalo in Painesville. I wasn't sure what I would talk about or who would be interested in hearing about baseball in the middle of the fall sports season, but the SFL provided some content and the show went off without a hitch. I was very conscious of the potential of voice immodulation but a text from my brother put my thoughts at ease...sorry Jacob Silj.

WEDNESDAY

11:36 am - Wednesday is similar to Monday and is my boring day of the week, if you will. I didn't have any individuals today but I did have to pick up my lifting cards for our second workout. So I made the walk over the College Hall mail room to pick up the cards and to say hello to Tiberius.

THURSDAY

12:52 pm - This is my "off day" for the week but I still had a shift at the golf course. But as I neared Stonewater Golf Club, I received a text stating I didn't need to come in because the rain had been keeping the golfers away. I should have texted before I left campus but better late than never.

1:21 pm - I got back to the office and jumped on the bike to loosen up from the recent resumption of my lifting program. We had a special guest hitting with the team when I arrived.Ryan Rua was back from Arizona and needed to get some work in. After fall instructs finished, he didn't have any team commitments with the Texas Rangers until he had to report for spring training in February.

FRIDAY

12:15 pm - It was lunch time and the cafeteria was holding an Oktoberfest event so we went over to get some free samples before the final individual workouts of the week.

1:30 pm - My second group of catchers came in to complete the week of individual workouts. The three-man group went through the same drills as the pair from Tuesday but with an extra man in the group, we didn't get quite get through every drill. This will give me something to work on for next week.

4:37 pm - Speed training went well and I really liked some of the new drills that were incorporated into the workout. Former Storm hitting coach Eric Cormell had sent a drill or two and is planning to send us a few more once he gets back from winter intructs with the Baltimore Orioles in the Dominican Republic.

5:20 pm - The photographer was in the lobby which meant it was time for head shots. This was the first opportunity for our freshman to be featured in a Storm uniform, even if it wasn't their own. We went with our green tops, featuring "STORM" across the chest in white with a gray outline, and our white "LE' hats with the black bill and black piping.

SATURDAY

11:08 am - Showed up to Kiwanis to work the second home football game in as many weeks. I had begun "spotting" for our stats man Kyle Akins. My basic job description was to identify the ball carrier, the tackler, and the yard line among other things. Our players were working the parking lots, tickets booths, and serving as ball boys on the field of play as a form of fund raising.

3:58 pm - The football game ended in with a series of bizarre events that mostly surrounded the men in stripes. The fans in attendance are still trying to figure out how an extra point could be blocked, returned the other way for a 2-point conversion, and count as no play, despite being void of any whistles before or after the play. Nevertheless, the Storm football team lost a heartbreaker.

That was the week that was as individuals and off-season workouts began. Stay tuned throughout the fall for updates and stories during the off-season. RAGE ON!

Black Out

2011-10-10T23:05:00.002-04:00

Another fall season has come and gone and once the confetti has settled, the Storm Fall League has seen a first. In the fourth year of the SFL, the Black Team can finally call themselves champions after a convincing 7-2 victory. After Black got on the board in the 2nd with a RBI single by Jimmy Powell, Green answered when Brayan Cacique belted his first home run of the fall to dead center for a 2-1 lead. The lead was short-lived when the game's Most Outstanding Player, Shaun Gaydos doubled to right-center to drive in a pair of runs. Gaydos went 3-for-4 and drove in four, with the other two coming in a 3-run sixth inning for Black, which put the game out of reach. Brian Kilway picked up the win with three scoreless innings in relief. Mike Morgan closed the door with a 1-2-3 7th and the Black Team had their first SFL title after falling to the Gray Team in 2010.

In the semi-final game, Jake Gilstorff singled home the only run of the game in the 4th inning while Adam Beach and Doug Fox combined on the shutout. Up next for the team is a week off before individual workouts begin. Thanks to all the fans who showed up to all the SFL games this year...we can't wait to see you in the spring! RAGE ON!

Latest Games

Saturday, October 8

Semi-Finals: Green 1, Gray 0

Championship Game: Black 7, Green 2

SFL Final Standings (Regular Season)

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Black 7 4 1 .636 - 27 33

Green 6 6 0 .500 1.5 31 29

Gray 4 7 1 .363 3.0 28 26

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray 5, Black 1

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black 4 Green 2

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1

Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

Thursday, September 22

Game 11: Green 4, Black 2

Game 12: Green 3, Gray 0

Tuesday, October 4
Game 13: Gray 2, Green 0
Game 14: Black 1, Gray 0
Game 15: Black 1, Green 0

Thursday, October 6

Game 16: Black 4, Gray 3

Game 17: Green 2, Black, 1

Game 18: Gray 2, Green 0

The Final Push

2011-10-05T07:16:00.003-04:00

Instead of canceling the remainder of the SFL regular season and skipping ahead to the playoffs, there was a unanimous decision to keep playing the schedule as is. With the allotted time left to practice this fall (next Tuesday), there were some adjustments to the schedule that needed to be made in order to complete the regular season by championship weekend. With that said, the remainder of the regular season games have been shortened to 4-innings each.

The time-shortened games were all nail-biters and had the feel of postseason baseball. Any mistake, no matter which inning it occurred, could be the deciding factor. With only four innings to work with, offenses had to manufacture runs anytime a runner reached base, if they weren't picked off. The Black Team took advantage of good pitching and clutch hitting to earn a pair of 1-0 wins to all but wrap-up a spot in Saturday's championship game. Either a Black win or a Green Team loss would secure the top seed for the team looking for its first SFL title. If the Black Team was the big winners on Tuesday, then the Green Team would be the big losers with two shutout losses. The Gray Team pulled a game closer to Green, but unfortunately they find themselves even further out of first place.

If the season ended today, Green would play Gray for the right to play Black in the title game. But if this game has taught us anything, it is that anything can happen.

SFL Standings

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Black 6 3 1 .667 - 22 28

Green 5 5 0 .500 1.5 29 27

Gray 3 6 1 .333 3.0 24 21

Latest Games

Tuesday, October 4
Game 13: Gray 2, Green 0
Game 14: Black 1, Gray 0
Game 15: Black 1, Green 0

Remaining Schedule

Thursday, October 6

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 3:30 pm

Game 17: Green v. Black, 4:30 pm

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 5:30 pm

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray 5, Black 1

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black 4 Green 2

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1

Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

Thursday, September 22

Game 11: Green 4, Black 2

Game 12: Green 3, Gray 0

Tuesday, October 4
Game 13: Gray 2, Green 0
Game 14: Black 1, Gray 0
Game 15: Black 1, Green 0

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

Weekend Washout?

2011-10-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

After four weeks of (mostly) cooperating weather, SFL games have hit a wall in the next-t0-last weekend of the fall. Today's SFL double header has been postponed and will try to be made-up tomorrow at 4 pm at Kiwanis. The weather, however, doesn't look promising but hopefully the later start time will give the The K-Zone grounds crew time to get the field ready...if it ever stops raining.

SFL Standings

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Green 5 3 0 .625 - 26 27

Black 4 3 1 .571 0.5 22 26

Gray 2 5 1 .286 2.5 23 19

Latest Games

Saturday, October 1
Game 13: Gray v. Black, PPD
Game 14: Black v. Green, PPD

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray 5, Black 1

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black 4 Green 2

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1

Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

Thursday, September 22

Game 11: Green 4, Black 2

Game 12: Green 3, Gray 0

Remaining Schedule

Sunday, October 2Game 13: Gray v. Black, 4 pm

Game 14: Black v. Green, 5:30 pm

Monday, October 3 (Tentative)

Game 15: Green v. Gray, 4 pm

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 5:30 pm

Wednesday, October 5

Game 17: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

SFL: The Lost Games

2011-09-27T19:26:00.004-04:00

There were some games that slipped through the cracks last week while I was attending to a personal matter but nonetheless, we had a double-header last Thursday. The Green Team reclaimed their post at top of the SFL standings after a pair of wins while their pitching was great allowing only two runs in two games. After a 4-2 win over the Black Team, Green jumped in front of Black by a half game. Games will continue this weekend.

SFL Standings

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Green 5 3 0 .625 - 26 27

Black 4 3 1 .571 0.5 22 26

Gray 2 5 1 .286 2.5 23 19

Latest Games

Thursday, September 22

Game 11: Green 4, Black 2

Game 12: Green 3, Gray 0

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray 5, Black 1

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black 4 Green 2

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1

Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

Thursday, September 22

Game 11: Green 4, Black 2

Game 12: Green 3, Gray 0

Remaining Schedule

Saturday, October 1

Game 13: Gray v. Black, 9 am

Game 14: Black v. Green, 11 am

Sunday, October 2

Game 15: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Wednesday, October 5

Game 17: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

Support Staff

2011-09-26T07:49:00.000-04:00

Another Family Day has come and gone and it seems to be getting bigger every year. This being only my second year in the program, it is difficult for me to speak of years past, but this year's turnout seemed to give our regular season attendance a run for its money. The spread which was laid out for players, coaches, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, girlfriends, and everyone else in attendance put to shame every Saturday afternoon tailgate party held at Rec Park.

A special thanks goes out to all the parents who lent a helping hand in yesterday's event. Their efforts helped make the 2011 Family Day the best one yet. But the efforts they put forth every other day of the year and support they provide have helped make the program what it is today. We have not yet reached any of our goals but we are well on our way and it could not be possible without the tireless efforts of the families involved.

As far as the game is concerned, Josh Crout is my hero for driving in the tying, and go-ahead runs with a 2-out, 2-run double in the bottom of the 7th inning which gave the Green Team a 4-3 victory and now gives me bragging rights over Coach Sankovich for the rest of the fall. The Black Team took an early 2-0 lead after a RBI-hits from Jae Leeworthy and Jake Gilstorff. Green answered back when Matt Toth doubled home a pair. After a 2-out hit of their own, Black now led 3-2, but the Green bullpen put up zeros the rest of the way. Glenn Stewart, Brandon Grunda, Doug Fox, and Mike Morgan held the game in check for the final four innings to preserve the 4-3 win.

Finally, a special thanks goes out to former players Zack Justice and Cam Castro for their help yesterday. Zack lent a helping hand behind the plate calling the balls and strikes while Cam donated his dulcet tones for the pre-game introductions. Their efforts are yet another example of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to lend a helping hand and who also believe in the direction this program is going. Thank you and RAGE ON!

Balls in Play

2011-09-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

The SFL has reached and passed the halfway point and the action is heating up. Games have been close, with seemingly every game going into the last inning with teams either tied or within a run of each other. Usually what has made the difference in each game has been a single play for one side or another which either swings momentum, or stops it altogether. A common misconception is that big plays always happen in the late innings. While that is true to some degree, in that those are the plays we remember most vividly, big plays happen throughout the entire game.

From an offensive standpoint, one way to increase your chances for a big play is to put the ball in play. As any baseball fan, player, or coach will tell you, striking out accomplishes nothing during an at-bat. But what they may not know is just how big of an impact strikeouts actually have on the course of a game. Through ten games of the SFL, teams are hitting a combined .241 (85-for-352). If strikeouts are removed, the average jumps to .323 (73-for-226), an increase of nearly 100 points when the ball is put in play. When people talk about the little things in baseball which can make a difference between winning and losing, this is one of those things they are talking about.

Special Thanks

A special thanks goes out to players Josh Crout, Shaun Gaydos, Brandon Grunda, Chase Haas, Heath Kelley, Sean Mathews, Brad Raley, Reid Rizzo, Matt Toth, Dylan Yankle, and guest coaches/instructors Cam Castro, Ryan Rua, and Ben Willis for their help at camp...we couldn't have done it without you!

SFL Weekend Recap

The Gray Team dropped a pair of games when SFL action resumed on Sunday after games were put on hold for Saturday's Prospect Camp. The Black and Green Teams took advantage and kept pace with each other atop the SFL standings with wins on Sunday. In the first game, the Green Team erased an early 1-0 deficit and opened the game up with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to a 5-1 victory. In the nightcap, the Black Team led 4-0 into the sixth, but Gray made it interesting after back-to-back home runs by Zach Mosbarger and Garrett Emling, but that would be all the scoring and Black held on for a 4-2 win.

SFL Standings

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Black 4 2 1 .667 - 18 24

Green 3 3 0 .500 1.0 24 20

Gray 2 4 1 .333 2.0 20 19

Latest Games

Sunday, September 18
Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1
Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray 5, Black 1

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black 4 Green 2

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green 5, Gray 1

Game 10: Black 4, Gray 2

Remaining Schedule

Sunday, September 25

Game 11: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 12: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Saturday, October 1

Game 13: Gray v. Black, 9 am

Game 14: Black v. Green, 11 am

Sunday, October 2

Game 15: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Wednesday, October 5

Game 17: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

Green with Envy

2011-09-12T20:03:00.000-04:00

SFL action resumed on Sunday after the weather postponed its first games of the year. The forst-place Green Team took the field looking to extend a slim half-game lead in the standings. But the Black and Gray Teams, respectively, took care of business to hand the front-runners a pair of losses. SFL games will resume on Wednesday after a team workout on Tuesday.

SFL Standings

Team W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Black 2 1 1 .667 - 9 15

Green 2 2 0 .500 0.5 19 13

Gray 1 2 1 .333 1.0 10 10

SFL Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Sunday, September 11

Game 5 (from 9/10): Black 8, Green 3

Game 6 (from 9/10): Gray 5, Green 0

Remaining Schedule

Wednesday, September 14

Game 7 (from 9/11): Gray v. Black, 3 pm

Game 8 (from 9/11): Black v. Green, 5 pm

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 10: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Sunday, September 25

Game 11: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 12: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Saturday, October 1

Game 13: Gray v. Black, 9 am

Game 14: Black v. Green, 11 am

Sunday, October 2

Game 15: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Wednesday, October 5

Game 17: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

SFL is Underway...and Underwater

2011-09-10T14:40:00.002-04:00

The Storm Fall League (SFL) is underway at The K Zone and despite today's (and possibly tomorrow's) games were cancelled due to rain, the start to the 2011 version has been very positive. The two areas from the 2011 regular season that needed improvement, pitching and defense, has shown just that, improvement. Walks are down and with more pitches in the strike zone, more balls are being put in play, giving fielders more chances to make plays, which they have. The offense hasn't been as prolific as in years past, but losing the GLIAC's top two hitters in Brandon James (.421 AVG.) and MLB draftee Ryan Rua (.400) will have that effect. But ask any coach and they'll tell you that the pitching always starts faster than does the hitting. Regardless, the games have been much cleaner and there has been more of a focus on the "smaller" aspects of the game (advancing runners, keeping the double play in order, etc.). Despite the increased quality of play, there is room for improvement, and it's always exciting to think about what we're capable of accomplishing.

Recent Scores

Saturday, September 3

Game 1: Black 3, Gray 1

Game 2: Green 4, Black 3

Sunday, September 4

Game 3: Green 6, Gray 3

Game 4: Gray 1, Black 1 F/6

Saturday, September 10

Game 5: Green v. Black, PPD (weather)

Game 6: Gray v. Green, PPD (weather)

Remaining Schedule

Sunday, September 11

Game 7: Gray v. Black, 9 am

Game 8: Black v. Green, 11 am

Sunday, September 18

Game 9: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 10: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Sunday, September 25

Game 11: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 12: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Saturday, October 1

Game 13: Gray v. Black, 9 am

Game 14: Black v. Green, 11 am

Sunday, October 2

Game 15: Green v. Gray, 9 am

Game 16: Black v. Gray, 11 am

Wednesday, October 5

Game 17: Green v. Black, 9 am

Game 18: Gray v. Green, 11 am

Standings W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Green 2 0 0 1.000 - 6 10

Black 1 1 1 .500 0.5 6 7

Gray 0 2 1 .000 2.0 10 5

Follow updates on The Coach's Cave Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#SFL) for Storm Fall League updates.

Warning Track Power, Part III

2011-08-30T21:53:00.002-04:00

Each day in baseball is a clean slate. The closer will inevitably have another opportunity after a blown save. The hitter will have another at bat. And even the umpires will have another bang-bang call to make. The clubhouse itself had a clean slate. When campers arrived on day one, white tops were hanging inside each locker along with solid gray game pants, a navy blue adjustable game hat with the Captains powder blue “C” surrounding a lighthouse on the front, completed with navy blue socks, and a navy belt. The alternate blue tops were on hangers resting on a hook on the outside of each locker with each camper’s name and number facing the clubhouse.

After each game, when the players are long gone, clubhouses bear a resemblance to shelves in the department store aisles on Black Friday. But clubbies meticulously repair and prepare the room for the next day’s action. Tables which previously supported trays of pasta, grilled chicken and salad were being scrubbed of the marinara and barbeque sauce stains so they could be washed and put back in time for the donuts, bagels and coffee in the morning. Laundry bins were empty, ready for the next wave of sweaty polyester, shampoo bottles and soap dispensers were now at their tipping points. The clubhouse appearance at sunrise would be a mirror image of the previous day.

The White Team became the Blue Team when we put on our alternate blue tops, which were hanging on the outside of our designated lockers and hadn’t been worn since Friday morning’s workout. Our white tops were washed, dried and also hanging in our lockers awaiting game two. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the morning game for the coach-pitch game. This was essentially batting practice played live. There was a lot more offense but our team dropped its second straight.

After my morning painting our outfield fence, I arrive on LaTourette Avenue and found a spot in the Classic Park parking lot near the clubhouse entrance. Most of the players were in the tented area in the right field stands finishing their lunches, but there were a few players still in the clubhouse either changing their jersey tops, applying one more layer of Ben-Gay to already oversaturated appendages, or laying on the floor trying to catch their breath.

There were a lot of different paths on each camper’s trip to Classic Park. For many of the campers, it was their first time participating in camp, but for some, they were experienced veterans. Two such men were Kenny Seelie (Valparaiso, IN) and Steve Sutker (Cleveland Heights). The two campers crossed paths in Winter Haven, FL over a decade ago where they attended their first Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp.

Kenny originally made his way to the weeklong event after visiting a friend’s house in the Akron area. The house wasn’t much on the outside, but the contents on the inside were the driving force behind the 1,200-mile trip. The basement housed memorabilia from his friend’s own trip to the Tribe camp which were arranged in such a way to make visitors feel the need to pay admission to the personal museum. Still playing in an adult baseball league in Chicago, Kenny’s competitive fire still burned and after seeing his longtime friend’s shrine, he knew he had to do it.

Steve’s road was somewhat different but within the differences, laid many similarities. The brother of his ex-wife had worked up the nerve to join a cattle drive, which was enough to wrangle his emulous spirit and embark on his own version of the Chisholm. The two met on the diamonds of Chain O’ Lakes Stadium and became fast friends. The friendship grew on the and off the diamond and the two have reunited for the previous fifteen years to spend another week in the sun together.

The afternoon game was a must win for the White Team. After dropping the first two games, another loss meant not only losing the weekend series, but also kept alive the possibility of being swept. So like the 2011 version of Justin Verlander, we needed a stopper. We needed 30 years of combined experience. Seelie took to the hill in as stressful as a situation that a weekend of fun would allow. To combat game-induced stress, a pitcher needs to find a comfort zone, and who better to provide comfort than the one player who had been behind the plate for the entire weekend. Sutker crouched in his familiar stance and went to work calling each pitch of the 5’9” left-handers complete game effort.

The White Team bats came alive and thanks to a 6-run fourth inning, had a comfortable lead, which was never threatened in a 10-1 win. The battery of Seelie and Sutker had given us exactly what we needed, a chance to get even in the morning.

That nightcap win got us on track and a big win in the morning tied the series at two. But unfortunately, the series would end just so. The fifth game was a game between the campers and the pros. Lenny Barker took the mound, Kevin Rhomberg was at the hot corner, Mike Hargrove anchored the defense at first base, and Joe Charboneau patrolled the outfield. The rest of the pros team was made up of family members, friends of the camp, and interns. Each camp team had two innings of six outs apiece to defeat the pros. But even at this stage in the game, we stood no chance. This was one final chance for campers to enjoy each other’s company on the field, and to bask in the glory of the professionals they revere. There are many reasons for campers to attend a fantasy camp, and there are even more reasons to come back. But the relationships formed and the friendships renewed turn fantasy into reality.

I would like to personally thank Tricia Ambrose and the News-Herald who helped make this experience possible. A very special thank you goes out to Kevin Rhomberg for his hard work and tireless efforts in preparing the event, providing each camper with an experience they'll remember the rest of their lives.

Warning Track Power, Part II

2011-08-29T08:35:00.002-04:00

Day 1: The Games

The afternoon continued with the first of five intersquad games. The pros (or coaches) excused themselves from lunch to pick teams. I was on Team Hargrove and Team Rhomberg. The Rhomberg in this case was Kevin Rhomberg who played for the Indians from 1982-84. Kevin also organized the entire camp and made sure everything ran smoothly. He of course, did far more behind the scenes than the campers would probably ever know, but it was a lot of work that shouldn’t go unrecognized.

I was penciled in the lineup in the 3-hole and playing shortstop. I was the White Team’s Ryan Rua. Aside from a few swings in the cage during the spring and the morning BP session, I hadn’t played a game of baseball since my last collegiate game in 2003. There were a few Alumni Games at Mount Union but those were less competitive than the games at Classic Park. Trailing the Blue Team 1-0 after a half-inning of play, I was getting ready for my first at bat. All I was looking to do was hit the ball hard and did not care about the result. This is actually the approach we take with our hitters but it is easier said than done. With this in mind, I was looking for the first fastball near the zone. I wasn’t sure how many good pitches I would get so the first one to fit the description I was hacking. Ordinarily with a runner on first and one out, I would look to find a way to get him into scoring position and staying out of a double play. Had I not beaten out the relay throw I would have failed at both goals. But despite the rollover ground ball to short, I felt pretty good about the at bat because I accomplished my original goal of hitting a good pitch, and hitting it hard. I knew if the same pitch was thrown in my next at bat, I would crush it.

I lead off the 4th with the Blue Team still leading 1-0. I had made a few plays at short, one ground ball and one pop up, and I was starting to get a feel back for the game I had played competitively since I was seven years old. I was again looking for the first ball I could hit hard and as the leadoff hitter of the inning; my job was to get on base. There was no bunting allowed so that wasn’t an option. Not that I would in a game like this but it didn’t matter because it was against the rules. So was stealing, pick-off attempts (by pitcher or catcher), and advancing on passed balls or wild pitches. It was pretty much like playing backyard ball as a kid, but without pitcher’s poison or opposite field out.

Walks were enforced but hit-by-pitches were left to the hitter’s discretion. If the bean ball didn’t cause enough pain and the hitter wanted to stay in the box, they were allowed. This sparked a story from skipper Mike Hargrove about the time Albert Belle was hit by a pitch and refused to take his base. He told the umpire we would not take his base and he was taking his at bat. Hargrove was summoned from the dugout and had to basically tell Albert that he had to because “those were the rules.” Each camper had the option to think like Belle if inclined, but most just took their base and kept the game moving.

I took a few pitches and was in a 1-1 count when I got a fastball over the middle of the plate in which I was able to drive to the right-center gap. The players manning the outfield were not as fleet of foot as they once were so what should have been an opposite field single turned into a three-bagger. I was hoping it was only a single so I wouldn’t have to leg out a triple but the ball scooted nicely on the fresh-cut grass and I was on third. A groundout to first later and the game was tied at one.

There wasn’t much offense in the opener. The Blue Team took a 2-1 lead and we brought the infield into the cut of the grass. With an insurance run standing 90 feet away, we did our best to keep it a one-run game. The batter did his best Luis Gonzalez and I turned into Derek Jeter. The ball hung in the air for what felt like an eternity but I needed one more second because the ball fell softly into the outfield grass for a base hit. The 3-1 lead stood tall and we dropped the opener. We would have three more chances to get our revenge but game one belonged to the Blue Team.

In the locker room, we got more of the big league experience. Clubhouse attendants, or clubbies, were on hand to take dirt stained uniforms and throw them in the wash. This was a welcome change for me, as Coach Sankovich and myself split the laundry duties last season. Laundry left in the bins, campers said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, if only for a night.

Up next: Day 2

Warning Track Power

2011-08-28T00:11:00.000-04:00

Day 1: The Morning Workout

Most kids dream of playing Major League Baseball the moment they pick up a bat and ball. But as they get older, what they are really dreaming of is the big league lifestyle. For three days, nearly two dozen men get to experience aspects of that lifestyle. And for the past two days, I have also gotten a taste by participating in the Lake County Captains annual Fantasy Camp.

The weekend started on Friday with a morning workout. The campers were split into three groups who were then sent to different position areas. Naturally, I started in the bullpen with Lenny Barker. At that point, each camper in the group threw a short bullpen, or a “short pen” for short. The short actually referred to the number of pitches thrown and not to the distance from which they threw. Pitchers are known to throw short pens between appearances, which are normally between 20-25 pitches. These are not to be confused with flat ground sessions which are normally thrown from the distance of 55 feet. The main goal in the flat ground sessions is to work on the command of each pitch in the repertoire. My session was much shorter than the 25 pitch norm of a short pen. I threw about ten pitches when I noticed my catcher showing signs of discomfort behind the plate in the catcher’s crouch. After each guy in the group finished his set, we convened in the outfield grass near the warning track where Lenny Barker was demonstrating the grips he used for his pitches.

We were in the bullpen for about 20 minutes before heading to the hitting shell with the 1980 American League Rookie of the Year. Joe Charboneau was sporting a navy blue Indians mock turtleneck with his game pants from that amazing 1980 campaign. It is often said that hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in sports. Teaching the art of hitting can be very difficult as well. But it can also be the easiest thing to do as it can always be broken down into the simple concept of “see ball, hit ball.” It is very difficult to discuss the intricacies of hitting in a 20-minute time span so “Super Joe” took the latter approach. Instead of getting too technical with the swing, the session turned into an open forum for campers to ask question regarding their swing or hitting in general. This was a common theme throughout the camp; the pros were eager and willing to interact with each camper.

The best was saved for last when I arrived at the third and final station was infield defense with Mike Hargrove. “Grover” is probably best known for the time he spent as the manager of the Indians during the 1990’s, but he put together a respectable 12-year career finishing with a .290 career average and also was named Rookie of the Year, six years prior to Charboneau winning the award. I was looking forward this session the most and was hoping to pick up a tidbit to take back to Lake Erie. Unlike the previous two stations, there wasn’t much time for shooting the bull because we got right to work and used every second of the allotted time.

The next part of the morning is usually what all players look forward to…batting practice. We remained in our three groups for BP; I would hit in the second group. This gave me time to talk to different campers who were scattered around the outfield. When it was my turn to hit, I was just looking to knock the rust off so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. There were a few occasions during the 2011 season where I took some hacks in the cage before a practice but those were few and far between and it had been at least four months since that happened so my worries were warranted. It took me a few swings to get my timing back and by the fifth cut I was making solid contact. It doesn’t matter how many days or months or even years are between swings, a hitter always expects a base hit, even in BP. So I was disturbed at the fact I kept rolling over on each pitch, resulting in a cluster of ground balls to the shortstop. Near the end of my round, I started to really connect and I think I short-hopped the wall. It definitely got a rise out of the guys in my group but I wasn’t sure the exact landing point because Barker was pitching and despite the fact he hadn’t played a Major League game since 1987, I had no doubt he would buzz me if I stopped to admire any of my hits.

The camp got a little more authentic during the second round of BP when Hargrove thought the group wasn’t hustling enough and gave us a piece of his mind about one of his biggest pet peeves. I’m not sure the group knew how to take the tongue-lashing but in a weird way, I think we all secretly enjoyed it. Nevertheless, BP resumed with a little more pep.

Lunch was provided in the picnic plaza in the right field stands. This may have been the best time for campers to mingle with the pros. Yes, they were on the field with us, and would be during the game as well, but here their guards were down as campers gathered around each pro like boy scouts around a campfire while the pros told different stories of their playing or coaching careers.

Up next: The Games

Eye of the Storm: 5 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-23T23:47:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Monday, August 22...5 Days

6:33 am - Woke up early today, trying to prepare the body for 6:30 workouts which begin in exactly one week. During the final weeks of the summer recruiting calendar, I was routinely waking up in the 5am range, but a few days of getting up after 8 or 9 can quickly disrupt the body clock.

7:31 am - I emailed a few recruits to follow-up some of the phone calls from last night which was followed by a session of Compliance Assistant.

11:37 am - I had some errands to run in the morning so I got to the office a little later but still in plenty of time to prepare for tonight's team meeting. We were pretty prepared as a staff so there wasn't much to do before hand. Print out the fall calendars, run some copies of the player profile sheets and we were set.

2:31 pm - Players were coming in and out of the office all day so our weekly Tuesday recruiting meeting got started a little late. It may as well have been the first day of classes because the to-do list was getting longer by the minute.

4:44 pm - With the recruiting meeting over, we had some time to kill before dinner. It has become a tradition for the coaching staff to go out to eat before the first team meeting of the year.

7:25 pm - Finished dinner at the Lizard and headed back to campus for the team meeting.

8:00 pm - First team meeting of the year!

Up next: 4 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 6 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Monday, August 22...6 Days

7:21 am - Woke up today with a little more pep in the step. There was, at the very least, a sense of urgency to get out of bed. Not only was this the first day of classes but we had a big day planned at the field. No, we didn't have any baseball workouts scheduled but this is a big week as far as preparation is concerned.

8:36 am - I got to the Oz Center and was surprised to find little action going on in the bullpen area of the athletic office. But that would quickly change as we would have players shuffling in and out all day. One of those players was Renne Araujo, a transfer student from Riverland Community College. Renne was coming to us from a community college in Minnesota, where he left a high school in Texas, but not before coming to the US from Maracaibo, Venezuela. So he's seen quite a bit of this great country of ours. He seemed to have already made a smooth transition to life at Lake Erie. And while he's dealt with being away from home before, having another player from Venezuela (Brayan Cacique) on the team couldn't hurt.

10:31 am - After the staff finished a meeting to discuss the updated fall calendar, Sank and I started gathering equipment to transport from the gym to the field. It took a lot less time than we expected. All of our equipment fit in Sank's vehicle in only one trip to the field. The list: 1 bat bag, 3 BP buckets, 3 empty buckets, 1 bucket of dimple balls, 3 batting tees, 2 home plates, 2 medicine balls, 1 stretching bag with cones/jump ropes/bands, and 1 pitchers bag.

11:10 am - Before filling the equipment shed with our stuff, we needed to clean it out first. We spent about 15 minutes moving rakes, drag screens, and chalkers around before sweeping out the shed. Once that task was completed, we emptied Sank's trunk and moved on to the next task, bringing over the L-screen, turf protector, pitching platform, and the hitting mat from the barn on the other side of the football field. Anyone that has been to the Kiwanis (otherwise known as the K-Zone), knows this barn is not close to the field, but we put our heads together and made it in one trip. Those Master's degrees are really being put to good use.

12:08 pm - We headed back to campus to meet Coach McGee for lunch after his staff meeting. I would rather have carried the equipment the two miles from campus to the field than attend that staff meeting. We talked some more about the upcoming schedule and what we wanted to do at our first practice before heading down to the field to put the roll cage together.

2:26 pm - After a quick stop at the hardware store for some rope, we got back to the field to put out roll cage together. It didn't take long with the amount of help we had at the field, so we were able to get back to the office much sooner than anticipated.

3:37 pm - Back at the office, I was finally able to get to some emails that had been waiting for me in my inbox. There was also a stack of envelopes on my desk which I could assume were Camp Flyers.

4:45 pm - We had one last impromptu meeting in Coach McGee's office which started around with lifting groups and ended up in assigning the Storm Fall League teams. By the time we were done it was almost 6:00. Never have a to-do list on the first day of classes because you will almost certainly never get to it. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Up next: 5 Days to Fall Ball

Playing the Greatest Generation

2011-08-20T10:06:00.001-04:00

I know I said no blog posts this weekend but this one has nothing to do with baseball. Every year in my hometown of Conneaut, Ohio, the Chamber of Commerce transforms the shores of Lake Erie into the shores of Normandy, France by hosting a D-Day reenactment. The event celebrates those veterans who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. Thousands of people gather each year and travel from all over to honor parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors, and everyone else who protected our freedom.

While I don't go every year, this is something I recommend attending at least once. There are events all weekend but the reenactment takes place today. Below are a few pics from the 2009 reenactment I attended. God Bless America!

Full View of Photos

Eye of the Storm: 9 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Friday, August 19...9 Days

8:19 am - It felt like 10:00 when I woke up but it was only a few minutes after eight. I was a little sore after the first day at the golf course so I was figuring I would sleep until ten. Nothing too big on the schedule today. It was going to primarily focus on the strength and conditioning programs I was in charge of. This was something I had been in charge of while at Mount, partly at North Central and of course, last year at Lake Erie. This year's "Swoll Sessions" would be primarily the same but have a few minor changes.

9:59 am - After I spent about an hour on YouTube looking at different speed, strength and agility exercises, I began to email some of the high school coaches of my top recruits. High school (and travel) coaches become invaluable resources for college coaches in getting more of an insight into the recruits history, work habits, and overall personality, which can sometimes be the difference between Player A and Player B.

12:18 pm - $5 Footlongs.

1:01 pm - I was took a break from the computer to catch up on a few shows I had missed. Mainly Rescue Me and Wilfred on FX. Unfortunately, last night's storm caused interruption in the taping of the latter so I'd have to catch a rerun or just watch it on Hulu.

5:46 pm - I got back from a local ball field where I tested out the new warm-up routine. Most of the time we just call it stretching but it's more of an active warm-up with little standing around. I finished the workout in 9:46 which will probably extrapolate into a 10-12 minute routine with the team. It is pretty much the same as last year's but I added two exercises, took out two exercises and added a component to another exercise. But the main goal of working up a sweat and getting the heart rate moving will remain in tact.

[Ed. Note: There will not be any blog posts this weekend. I am, for the most part, taking a break from baseball tasks this weekend so there won't be much to write about. I will be back on Monday, August 22 with the next post but I will still provide tweets during the weekend. Be sure to register for our Fall Prospect Camp being held on Saturday, September 17 at Painesville's Kiwanis Rec Park.]

Up next: 6 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 10 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-18T22:59:00.002-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Thursday, August 18...10 Days

8:57 am - Today was going to be a light day baseball wise but my schedule was full. I was starting a part-time job at Stonewater Golf Course. I'd mostly be working two days a week on our off days. This is the ugly side of coaching, where many assistant coaches need to find part-time jobs to supplement their income. This job will only last through the golf season but I could get some free rounds out of the deal as well...so I got that going for me, which is nice.

10:33 am - I arrived at the office with a few things to do before heading to the course. I started at 2pm so I had to be efficient with my time. I checked the mail to see if any camp (Saturday, September 17) flyers had come in, which a few had, so I entered those names into the registration list right away. We were getting a lot of calls about the camp but only a few flyers were returned. However, we are expecting a very good response.

11:34 am - With fall ball less than two weeks away, this was a good time for me to review last year's strength and conditioning program. I spent a lot of time last year looking at exercises which had the right mix of strength, speed and explosiveness. I also spent a lot of time talking with strength coaches at other schools and even minor league strength coordinators to stay current on any cutting edge training methods. Baseball training has changed so much even in the last five years, you always have to be looking for a better way to do things.

1:52 pm - I had a good start to the weight program and just needed to talk to Sank to make sure we were on the same page with what the pitchers would be doing. The bench press is something that will not be on the list. In fact, I am very much against the exercise for position players as well. Loading a bunch of plates on a barbell doesn't really do much to translate to the baseball field. Baseball training is all about the core muscles and explosive exercises. Baseball is a dynamic sport with constant starts and stops and our weight program needs to reflect that.

Up next: 9 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 11 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-17T18:07:00.004-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Wednesday, August 17...11 Days

6:50 am - Today felt like the first actual day of the year. I actually set my alarm this morning because the past few days have been get up whenever. The coaching staff had planned to meet at Dickenson Hall to help move freshman into their dorms.

8:31 am - I arrived at a somewhat deserted office. Coach McGee had been there for what I can guess an hour or so getting ready for our staff meeting later in the day. I had a few house cleaning duties at my desk before we walked across campus to the dorms. The first few items were sending out a few more camp (Saturday, September 17) emails and following up last night's phone calls with emails to each recruit. Camp was starting to shape up, which was promising for this time of the year. T-Shirts have been ordered, a trainer was lined up and hundreds of flyers were sent. The next phase of the camp prep was waiting for the registration forms to arrive. That, and more promoting (Saturday, September 17).

10:26 am - Sank finally arrived at the office which meant we could finally walk across campus for move-in as a staff. We immediately ran into the first crop of freshman. All seven of our on campus kids were in the same dorm.

2:05 pm - We sat down in Coach McGee's office for our weekly recruiting meeting. This was a relatively short meeting as far as recruiting talks are concerned. But there wasn't a lot of news to report. We made a lot calls and left a lot of voice mails. But we did make head waves with a few recruits so we left on a high note.

5:36 pm - The day had finally come to an end after six of our freshman left the office to head back to their dorms. Naturally, they were going to change, grab their gear and come back to the gym to get take some swings, and play some catch. The first day of anything is always optimistic and today was no different. Of course, there is still the first day of fall ball, the first day of individuals, the first day of spring training, and opening day to feel optimistic about, but I'll look forward to experiencing each one on its own.

Up next: 10 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 12 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Tuesday, August 16...12 Days

9:04 am - Yesterday was a long day in many respects. I spent almost five hours on the road to and from Pittsburgh. It was a family affair so I won't go into much detail, but it was a day I'd rather forget (and coincidentally, it has nothing to do with Pittsburgh). Nonetheless, I got home rather late and needed a few extra ZZZ's. As far as I'm concerned, my work week starts tomorrow when we welcome the freshman to campus.

9:06 am - Before I get started with any baseball work, I needed to mow the lawn. It needed it Saturday but I went to the Indians game that night and took off for downtown around 2pm. The subsequent rain both Sunday and Monday nullified any chances of that happening. Dating back to my days at Mount Union, where I was the Athletic Grounds Supervisor for baseball, softball and soccer, cutting grass has always been a stress reliever. The mower I used had four rollers which enabled me to make various designs in the outfield grass. That was without question the funnest part of that job.

10:11 am - After the lawn, cereal, and a shower, I got down to business. I had a pretty hefty to-do list so I had to stay focused. The majority of the list featured between 15-20 recruiting calls. Each coach is responsible for a certain number of recruits, with the head coach ultimately being responsible for all of them, but each coach takes pride in the recruits he actually brings on campus. A moment of such pride was in 2010 while still at North Central, when TJ Hecimovich, a left-hander from northwest Indiana, threw eight scoreless innings allowing seven only hits (all singles) to earn the victory in the final game of the regular season which clinched the conference title. TJ was my first recruit to commit during the 2009 season and set the stage for a memorable 2010. Every coach is recruiting to experience moments like this.

11:34 am - The cable guy showed up, I think unscheduled, to fix the recent problems with the HD channels. Despite not being aware of the appointment, his arrival designated as good a time as any to take a break from database work. The past hour and a half was mostly answering emails, adding names to the camp (Saturday, September 17) database, and planning which kids needed calling.

1:05 pm - Back from lunch, I got started on my recruiting calls. I was having moderate success in my first few days of making calls and was hoping today would see a few more pick-ups and a few less voicemails.

3:04 pm - I was having much better success today than I had in my previous two attempts at making recruiting calls. I was still leaving quite a few voicemails but my call volume had increased as well. I was hoping to have an idea of where most of these recruits stood so I could have something concrete to bring to tomorrow's recruiting meeting. But I'd say I had a good start through the first week of calls.

4:36 pm - I was done making calls and the next step was to enter the names into Compliance Assistant. This wasn't necessarily something that needed done everyday but Tuesday was going to be one of my days to take care of this and I hate letting these things build up into seemingly insurmountable piles of work, so I decided to just get it done.

5:03 pm - I started eating dinner while watching All Bets are Off on STO. I don't get into talk radio that much but I do like this show and once of my favorite writers, Jonah Keri was making a guest appearance. I am reading his book "The Extra 2%" which centers around the Tampa Bay Rays and their rise from worst to first. It's a good read thus far but I haven't made enough time for myself to sit down and finish it.

5:27 pm - I finished dinner and took a peak at my depleted to-do list. Like with any profession, the list will never be fully completed, but I accomplished a lot today. I feel good about tomorrow's meeting. I was in a good place which will allow me to feel excited instead of anxious about the start of fall ball.

6:01 pm - The last thing on the to-do list was to finish crunching the defensive numbers from the past three seasons. This was a task which could be left until later when I would sit down and watch the Tribe game tonight.

Up next: 11 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 13 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-15T17:03:00.002-04:00

There will be no blog post tonight. I'll be back tomorrow. Class resumes in a week and we're less than two weeks to Fall Ball.

Eye of the Storm: 14 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-14T21:48:00.001-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Sunday, August 14...14 Days

8:07 am - I woke up early for a Sunday with nothing on the schedule. I was planning to mow the lawn at some point but it was still raining when I walked downstairs. It must have been quite a storm last night because I vaguely remember waking up at some point in the wee hours of the morning.

10:38 am - It took awhile to get going this morning. I laid on the couch watching third round highlights of the PGA Championship for about an hour. I still haven't showered but did make my way to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal.

12:12 pm - I stepped outside for some fresh air and to pick up a few fallen branches from the maple tree near the street. The branches appear to be the extent of the damage from last night's thunderstorm and fortunately they fell nowhere close to any power lines in the neighborhood.

12:46 pm - I received a text message from Coach McGee reminding us of our recruiting meeting on Wednesday. That is also the day where our freshman will move in to their dorms. We will be on site to provide a helping hand to our guys as well as others in need.

1:05 pm - The first pitch of the Indians game was thrown in the background on TV. While the Tribe went for the sweep, I began checking emails and started organizing my upcoming week. There was still a lot to be done for our fall prospect camp (Saturday, September 17) which was dominating my to-do list. In addition to the workload from setting up a camp, I still have some recruiting calls to make before Wednesday's meeting. I made a good portion of calls the past few days but there were still a few kids who needed called.

2:07 pm - I started looking over some stats from the 2011 season to accompany my practice plan for the first day of Fall Ball. We have good kids in the program but it helps strengthen your argument if you have concrete numbers to back you up. A good way into this endeavor I realized the numbers were a series of outliers. We only posted a .500 record (4-4) when we didn't commit an error last year. Ordinarily, teams are well-above the .500 mark when they play errorless baseball. However, I would bet that if we played more than eight games without an error, our record would have been much better. We just didn't have a big enough sample size.

4:15 pm - The Indians game had been postponed and the PGA Championship was getting good but I was still stuck on these numbers. I was working my way through each game of 2011 and had decided that I needed to look at 2010 as well. In fact, over the next few hours (or days if I don't get through it tonight) I would take into account every game since Lake Erie transitioned to the Division II level in 2009.

6:42 pm - I just ordered a Stromboli as I sit here at the computer staring at my excel spreadsheets in no mood to make dinner. I'm looking at some interesting numbers but right now I'm sure exactly what they mean. In the majority of our games, we would allow between three and eight runs a game where we would only score between two and seven. So the lesson here is if we hold our opponent to three runs or less, we win nearly 63 percent (10-6) of our games. And if we score two or less, we win a dreadful 7 percent (1-12) of our games. This puts a premium on offensive execution and keeping our errors to a minimum. But I didn't need to spend all day sifting through stats to figure that out.

7:31 pm - Looking at the differences between runs scored and runs allowed in 2011, I am having flashbacks to high school chemistry class where we took data and produced daily box plots. Those flashbacks quickly turned to nightmares because I quickly realized my high school chemistry teacher was also a high school umpire who had, on occasion, rung me up due to a very pitcher-friendly strike zone.

7:41 pm - The Stromboli's still wasn't here. I think the driver is lost.

7:49 pm - Food finally arrived. I took a break from the stats. Actually, I called it a night. Realistically, I had about a week to get the numbers in order before I started laying out my plan for infield practice during the first few weeks of fall ball.

Up next: 13 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 15 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-13T13:06:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Saturday, August 13...15 Days

8:25 am - Woke up today with even less on the schedule than yesterday, and if you read my post about yesterday, you would know there wasn't much going on then either. But it took me awhile to get out of bed. The recent nights have boasted absolutely perfect sleeping conditions and the mornings have been starting slow.

9:25 am - Sat down to my computer with my bowl of Cheerios and started surfing. It took me about 20 minutes before I even thought about checking my email. I don't remember what I was looking at but I know it had nothing to do with recruiting.

9:50 am - After finally getting to my emails, I followed-up to some calls from Thursday and Friday. After the last email was sent, I knew I had to perform a task which I was not looking forward to. For every student-athlete we begin a recruiting relationship with, by NCAA rules, we have to enter their name and info into something called Compliance Assistant. This is basically a program on the NCAA website that allows coaches and administrators to track the recruiting process as it relates to phone calls, official and unofficial visits, national letters of intent, among other things. There are a lot of rules in the NCAA manual and to avoid being the next Calvin Sampson, this is a tedious, but necessary step.

12:25 pm - After my compliance duties were complete, I went back to emailing a few emails about camp (Saturday, September 17) before calling it a day. I will be heading to downtown Cleveland with the folks to grab an early dinner and take in the Tribe game. So I'm calling it a day relatively early today.

Up next: 14 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 16 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-12T17:00:00.001-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Friday, August 12...16 Days

8:32 am - Woke up later this morning by design. There wasn't much on the schedule for today. We finished the mailing yesterday which was the big task for the week. Hopefully, the flyers would be sent out this afternoon. But whether they were or weren't, it was out of my control.

8:34 am - After putting on my glasses, I sat down at the computer to check my email. I would be doing any of my work from the home office today. But as I said, there wasn't much on the to-do list. I sent a few emails after the mailing before leaving the office last night and I had received some quick responses. We are trying to coordinate some possible overnight visits the weekend of the prospect camp (Saturday, September 17) which dominated most of the conversations.

9:37 am - I finished my morning emails and decided to run some errands during the morning so I could meet my dad for lunch. I received a few tweets saying my account had been sending out spam. I quickly changed my password and notified tech support but who knows. I have a feeling I will have to change my password every two days.

2:16 pm - I got back to the house and picked up where I left off earlier in the day. I have been getting strong response thus far from potential campers so I spent the next few hours answering camp questions. The more the merrier. I will answer camp questions all day long so long as it helps our attendance.

3:51 pm - Emails were sent and I was taking a break. I went over to a high school friend's house to see how he was adjusting to his new principal job. But he had started this week and wasn't home. Unfazed at Jim's absence, I went upstairs to partake in a game of old-fashioned hide and seek with my Goddaughter Addison. I also wanted to get her autograph on a photo that had appeared in the local paper.

4:55 pm - Sent my last email of the day...most likely. Tonight is going to be an early night as far as work is concerned. A big series for the Tribe starts tonight and the PGA final rounds are this weekend so there will be plenty to do while not doing anything.

Up next: 15 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 17 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Thursday, August 11...17 Days

7:50 am - We had a daunting task ahead of us today, having to finish the prospect camp mailing. So it was worth getting up a little earlier today. Despite the fact I got home late last night after an incredible Indians game, I forced myself to get out of bed. I'm not going to tell you that it was a Rocky Balboa "eye of the tiger" moment or anything, but I had no idea how long this would take today so I wanted to get an earlier start.

8:24 am - I left the house after downloading a few podcasts for the drive into the office. I'm listening to a series of podcasts by Jim Meier called Championship Thinking. They aren't nearly as entertaining as the BS Report, but it definitely has more value for me.

10:04 am - I got to the office and was very focused. The printer was back online so before I did anything else, I printed out the address labels for our recipients. Once that was completed, I could start labeling all 1,000-plus envelopes. We had an advantage today because there was a student-worker manning the front desk in the Osborne Center lobby who could lend a helping hand. It was a HUGE help! Sank and I debated yesterday about running to Staples to utilize their tri-fold machine. The one in the mail room was temporarily out of service. We seriously considered forking over the $.02 per sheet to save ourselves the agony of folding each and every flyer. We decided against it which saved us about $20 but it was in my head the entire time.

11:15 am - I took a break from folding and labeling to email a few recruits about the camp. But these were players we had already developed a relationship with throughout the summer. I could feel my wrist becoming constricted by about a year's worth of carpal tunnel syndrome happening in an instant. But emailing recruits wasn't exactly the best remedy, but it needed done.

1:35 pm - Sank and I, along with one of our compliance assistants Kevin, made our way downtown for lunch at the best pizza place (and my favorite) in town, Bada-Bing Pizza. One of the unknown tidbits at Bada-Bing is that if you yell "Bada-Bing" as you enter the restaurant, you receive $1 off your order. Of course it doesn't apply on the lunch specials that we usually order (2 slices and a beverage for $4), but it's worth knowing if you order a full pie or a sub.

2:18 pm - We got back from little Italy and got back to the labels. Sank and I actually split up the job duties. He kept folding while I finished the labels and we both would handle the stuffing. Coach McGee jumped in at the bottom of the hour. It was a good opportunity to talk shop in an informal setting while a few of our returning players took some swings in the background. Classes begin the 22nd but a lot of upperclassmen come back early to move in to their off-campus living arrangements.

4:29 pm - We finally finished the mailing! This accomplishment was slightly delayed after we realized we were short about 200 flyers. At this point, we were all working in the lobby so I went back in the main athletic office to run the 200 or so copies. This added an extra 20 minutes or so to the task.

4:35 pm - We dropped off the 1,000-plus envelopes to Randy Jackson in the mail room. But there was a little problem in the way the envelopes were delivered. The flaps weren't overlapping and in order for them to be run through the sealer, they needed to be. This was a 10-minute job at the window, but at this point, we were on the other side of the tunnel. As we returned back to the athletic offices, insult was added to injury. While walking back to the baseball workspace, we noticed a stack of papers on the desk next to ours. That area had been deserted by Kevin, as he had left for the day. In the area behind where his laptop sat for the majority of the day, was the stack of 200 folded camp flyers that were the previously thought to be missing, or just not printed. It was bittersweet for me because I felt redemption in my math skills but as Steven Coogler once said, "In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes." So despite the renewed self-esteem, we wasted nearly 30 minutes in this ordeal. However, the bottom line is that the mailing was done, and in the end it was a victory.

4:57 pm - After finishing the mailing, there a few emails waiting for me in my inbox. The Indians game was going to feature a potentially great pitching matchup between Fausto Carmona and Justin Verlander so I wanted to reply to as many emails as I could because I wasn't going to spend much time on the computer later in the evening. I also planned to make a few recruiting calls tonight between innings.

6:15 pm - I finally left the office and should make it home in time for the first pitch of the Tribe game. The flyers would be sent out on Friday so there isn't much on the docket the rest of the week. It feels good to be done.

Up next: 16 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 18 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-11T01:19:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Wednesday, August 10...18 Days

8:01 am - It was another not so early morning. I figure I'd better take advantage of these while I still had the opportunity. Once the fall season begins we will have 6am weight training workouts twice a week, which means 5am wake-up calls. That, along with early morning weekend practices and you're looking at a lot of dewey wake-ups.

11:44 am - I finished a mail merge creating four separate lists of labels for both seniors and juniors ready to print except the football staff was borrowing the office printer/copier so the labels had to be put on hold. Kyle Akins, our sports info GA, had finished editing our camp flyer this morning which was now ready to be sent out. I emailed a copy to Randy Jackson in the who helped us out by running the copies in the mail room. Since we had some time before the copies were made, the three of us (myself, Sank and McGee) went to lunch at the cafe.

12:06 pm - You can tell we are getting closer to the start of the new school year because every day, there is more food offered at the cafe. Over the summer, campus can be a desolate place and the need for large quantities of food is nonexistent. But the cooks or chefs (I'm not sure which they prefer to be called) are trying to knock the rust of their games, the two weeks leading up to the start of classes is their spring training. Today, diced chicken was an option in the salad bar. I hadn't seen that in quite some time. Today's conversations were very similar to the previous day's which revolved mostly around recruiting and the 2012 schedule.

12:46 pm - lunch was a little shorter today because we had to get going on this camp mailing. This meant a stop back at the mail room to pick up our flyers. There were also two presents sitting for the baseball team which we could take back to the office. The main one was a new bat from Akadema in which the players could try out for the fall to see if we want to buy a few for the spring. We currently use Easton and I happen to like that brand (it happens to be the brand I used in college) but with the new BBCOR bats I don't think it matters too much which brand we use.

2:39 pm - We had a quick ten-minute meeting about which recruits each coach would begin calling. Actually, we have had contact with a number of players since the June 15th startup date. But Sank and I were assigned which recruits we would be responsible for calling and trying to set up visits with. After leaving Coach McGee's office, we went back to our area to continue folding flyers, getting them ready for the envelopes. We still couldn't print labels because the printer/copier was offline as a result of being unplugged for football report day. I guess we'd have to wait until tomorrow.

4:19 pm - We were still folding flyers. We need a GA!

5:37 pm - I finally left the office, on my way to meet my cousin. We had tickets to see the Tribe-Tigers matchup at The Jake (yes, I still call it that). I was excited to see Ubaldo make his home debut. It would be a good end to a day full of the not-so-exciting work that accompanies working in college athletics.

Up next: 17 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 19 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-09T20:56:00.000-04:00

20 Days to Fall Ball...

Tuesday, August 9...19 Days

8:04 am - Woke up a little later today than I did yesterday. I think the lack of sleep over the past few days and weeks finally caught up with me. But once I was out of bed, I decided to begin easing my way back into a workout routine. Team weight training sessions will begin once fall ball begins so I want to get the soreness out now so I still have the ability to throw batting practice when the need should arise.

8:58 am - Finished my morning workout and grabbed a quick bite to eat while checking my email. After seeing a message from both Coach McGee and Coach Sankovich, I realized I had to make a slight adjustment to my recruiting list from yesterday. Our meeting is in four hours so I will have plenty of time to update my list.

9:41 am - I finished editing my list and should be ready for the meeting, at least as paperwork was concerned. I had a few notes to print out once I got to the office, but the work was done. One thing I've learned over the past year is that Coach McGee is very organized and meetings run more smoothly when everyone else on staff is as well. This is definitely one of my strong points as far as office work is concerned.

11:19 am - I got to the office a little later than I wanted but I had a few errands to run. One of the benefits of coaching, especially in the summer, is there aren't necessarily set office hours so there can be a lot of freedom to take care of little things here and there. When I got to the office, Coach Sank was standing in Coach McGee's office. They were talking about a lot of the topics we would be discussing later but I still added to the brief discussion. A discussion that started around our top recruits and how they potentially fit into our program and quickly transitioned into our current personnel.

1:00 pm - We returned back to the office from lunch in the cafe. Most of the conversation centered around pretty much the same things we were just talking about in Coach McGee's office. The thing about baseball coaches, and I'm guessing coaches in general, is that we love talking about our sport, and we love talking about our players and how fun it is to watch them grow into the players we think they can be. There were a few housecleaning items in our email inboxes that we needed to attend to before our closed door meeting officially took place. This gave me a chance to get my notes together.

1:59 pm - After much anticipation, the recruiting meeting finally started.

3:49 pm - The recruiting meeting ended in a shade under two hours. We went through our entire database, narrowing down prospective student-athletes to a list that will allow us to target players who not only are talented and will be accepted into the school, but who also have an interest in our program. So with that said, two hours isn't too bad. We also had some discussion regarding our spring trip, but I won't say too much until the details are finalized.

5:38 pm - We finished up some details regarding our fall prospect camp (Saturday, September 17) while Kyle, our sports information GA, worked on the camp brochure. And after I finished a few small tasks at my desk, it was time to call it a day. Of course I did have some more work to do at the home office, but I finally was able to get in my car and head home.

Up next: 18 Days to Fall Ball

Eye of the Storm: 20 Days to Fall Ball

2011-08-08T13:43:00.002-04:00

We are officially two weeks away from the start of the 2011-12 school year and less than three weeks away from the start of fall ball. As a staff, we couldn't be more excited. The 2011 season, while featured a disappointing finish, provided the foundation for an opportunistic 2012, which begins two weeks from Sunday. Over the next two weeks, the coaching staff at Lake Erie has a lot on their collective plate. The fall schedule needs to be set, fall prospect camp (September 17 - stay tuned for more info) details need finalized, workout gear needs to be ordered, recruiting notes need to be shared and compared. Some of these are ongoing duties which will continue throughout the year, but all of them will require our attention between now and the start of practice.

So, I am going to provide as much info over the next three weeks as I possibly can to enlighten fans on some of the day-to-day aspects that accompany being a college baseball coach. Some of it you may find exciting, a lot of it you may find tedious. But all of it we find essential, and we love every second of it. Besides, as Confucius once said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." If that is true, I will be spending the rest of my life on Easy Street.

[Ed. Note: I will also be posting on my Twitter feed @thecoachscave (#eyeofthestorm) as the events happen and will then recap with a new blog post.]

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-31T15:06:00.003-04:00

I was recently attending a summer baseball game where I saw something particularly interesting, and it had nothing to do with anything taking place on the field. A gentleman in the stands had trained his black labrador retriever to track down foul balls once the leave the field of play. This dog has a knack for sniffing out baseballs normally lost in the woods, showing instincts comparable to those of "The Beast" from The Sandlot. Below is the footage of the real-life Hercules chasing on down. Good boy!

To look at this, and other Storm videos, check out The Cave's YouTube page.

Camp Date Announced

2011-07-29T15:13:00.004-04:00

The Lake Erie baseball team will be hosting a Fall Prospect Camp for all interested high school students on Saturday, September 17th. The camp will take place at Painesville's Kiwanis Recreation Park before the Storm football team takes the field at Jack Britt Stadium. More details will follow, check out the Lake Erie athletic site at www.lakeeriestorm.com.

Summer Reading

2011-07-21T18:51:00.005-04:00

We are at the time of year when summer tournaments are wrapping up and coaches and players alike are looking forward to some time off from the diamond. I know I always have trouble finding things to do that don't involve watching or coaching baseball and one can only take so many bogey-filled rounds of golf. So if you're looking for something to do that would still allow you to kick your feet up and relax poolside, you may want to check out a few of these titles. And yes, I have read each of these because legally, I cannot recommend them if I haven't.

Baseball Titles

Bullpen Diaries by Charley Rosen

The Extra 2% by Jonah Keri

Life is Yours to Win by Augie Garrido

Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners by Joe Torre

Off the Field

Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

Extra! Extra!

2011-07-18T17:48:00.006-04:00

I would like to announce that after weeks of planning, emailing editors and redesigning the site, The Coach's Cave is about to enter a partnership with the Lake County News-Herald. Starting today, The Coach's Cave can now also be found in the Lake County News-Herald's Media Lab online.

What does this mean? Well, nothing for those who already follow this blog and Lake Erie baseball. But this does mean that the blog will have the opportunity to reach a new audience online and in print. This is something I am very excited about and will undoubtedly help increase the publicity for the blog and the Lake Erie baseball program. The content will remain relatively the same (I say relatively because I am always looking for new ideas) and the domain name will remain the same, but readers can also find The Cave at www.news-herald.com/medialab/ along with blogs from other Lake County residents.

I would like to thank the News-Herald for their cooperation with this project, specifically Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps and Executive Editor Tricia Ambrose. I would also like to thank Lake Erie's Sports Information Director Jason Tirotta, not only for his role in setting up this partnership and recommending me to the News-Herald, but for also including a link to The Cave on the Lake Erie Athletic Site and his overall promotion of the blog. Jason and his staff do a top-notch job and are far and away the best sports info staff I have had the pleasure of working with in my seven years of coaching college baseball. Thanks for your help...RAGE ON!

Heart and Backbone

2011-07-16T13:04:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week, one of the truly great baseball coaches to ever put on a uniform called it quits. Massillon Washington head coach for the past two seasons, Joe Gilhousen, announced his retirement from coaching. Most people who know Joe, remember Joe from his days at Canton GlenOak where he recorded 575 of his 601 career wins along with back-to-back Ohio state titles and a plethora of league and district titles. But I remember him most from the four years he spent coaching college baseball at Mount Union from 2005-09.

For three of those years (05-08), we worked together as assistants for Paul Hesse. Working with Joe were three of the most important years of my career. I was only in the second year of my coaching career and at this point and didn't really have any definitive plans to make coaching a career. But working side-by-side with Joe and watching him work on a daily basis was the best thing I could have been exposed to at that point in my career. That experience may have kept me in coaching. Unlike Stuart Smalley, I never needed daily affirmation to do my job and Joe was very chary of compliments, but he was always good at dropping a few subtle hints, in his own way, letting you know he felt you were doing a good job. Those hints went a long way.

A hint you didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to notice was when he recommended to the GM of the Stark County Terriers that I be brought aboard the coaching staff in the summer of 2006. Two summers later, I was the skipper of a team that would eventually break a franchise record for wins that was established by none other than Gilhousen himself.

I have worked with some great coaches in my seven years of coaching college baseball, but none had a stronger influence on the development of my coaching beliefs. He always preached the fundamentals. Whether it was in teaching a hitter the mechanics of his swing, a fielder the mechanics of his throwing motion, or the steps in getting a field ready for play, few had showed the dedication to the absolutes of the game the way Joe did.

I never wanted to be exactly like Joe. I never want to be exactly like anyone. And that was the final lesson I learned from him before I said goodbye to Mount Union and said hello to North Central. Days before I began my first season as head coach of the Terriers, he gave me one last piece of advice. Be yourself. There are always going to be people with their own agendas who want you to things a certain way, but the only agenda you need to follow is your own.

The coaching world won't be the same next spring, and thankfully because of Joe, I won't either.

I wish Joe the best of luck as he prepares for life after baseball. To read more on Gilhousen, read this article from Canton Repository writer (and a former classmate of mine) Josh Weir.

While You Were Out...

2011-07-14T19:47:00.008-04:00

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer! It has definitely been busy for the Storm baseball staff. Coaches are busy on the road trying to find the next crop of players to dawn the green and white, players are honing their skills with games in wood bat leagues across the country, while the incoming freshman are preparing for a new chapter in their lives.

Yes, it's been awhile since the last post. If memory serves correctly, it was at some point in the middle of the season. This is not characteristic because I've always tried to take the same approach to the daily grind whether the team is winning or losing, which includes updating Storm fans (and baseball fans in general) on the latest news and notes.

A coach I once worked with a few years ago, once addressed our hitters with these words of wisdom, "If you're going to be man enough to carry it up, you'd better be man enough to carry it back." These words have always stuck with me. That being said, there were other items during the playoff chase that bumped the blog from the priority list. So, in efforts to catch the Cave Dwellers up on Lake Erie baseball, here is a short recap on the year that was in the heart of Painesville, Ohio.

Season Highlights:

Program's first GLIAC win versus Hillsdale, 6-1. [Box Score/Recap]
Set program mark for wins in a season (21).
Junior/shortstop Ryan Rua was selected in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. [Full Story] Follow Ryan's journey through the minor leagues here and check out his twitter feed here.
Senior/outfielder Brandon James joined Rua as a 1st Team All-GLIAC performer. Junior/outfielder Matt Toth was selected as 2nd Team All-GLIAC and sophomore pitcher Doug Fox and junior/1st baseman Jae Leeworthy received Honorable Mention. [Full Story]
The accolades pile up for Rua and James, as they also earned All-Region honors. [Full Story]
Matt Toth won the program's first ever Gold Glove Award. [Full Story]
The Storm offense finished 2nd in hitting (.313), slugging (.422) and home runs (23) and led the GLIAC in stolen bases (75).
Brandon James walks-off against Ashland in the bottom of the 9th. [YouTube]

It was certainly a roller coaster season. The year started with a 3-game skid, followed by an 8-run comeback to get the first win of the year. There were ups and downs which featured a 5-game and a pair of 4-game winning streaks but also saw a pair of 5-game skids, and a season-ending slump that saw the Storm drop eight of their last ten to fall out of playoff contention.

All in all it was a great learning experience. We were reminded of what it's like to go through the grind of a conference season and how there is never a day off when it comes to conference play. We did fail reaching our goal of postseason play, but Truman Capote once said, "Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." If that is the case, next spring's barbecue should be plenty tasty.

Stay tuned for mini-updates throughout the remainder of the summer. Check out The Cave's twitter feed (@thecoachscave) for updates all year long. For more on the Storm (and other Lake Erie athletic programs, visit www.lakeeriestorm.com. RAGE ON!

Games for a Rainy Day

2011-04-20T11:00:00.003-04:00

This has been one of the worst springs weather-wise that I can remember in awhile. Somehow, we have only had one game postponed or cancelled, until today's postponement of our single-9 with Notre Dame College. We have played in 20 degree weather, winds in the 35 mph range, days filled with a mix of rain, snow, and hail, and throw in the fact we have only practiced on our field twice this spring. But through all that, spirits have remained high and we have posted a 15-17 overall record with an 8-11 conference mark. By no means are we happy with being under .500 but we are still in a position to compete for one of the four playoff spots. And all you can ask for is an opportunity.

Because today has now turned from game day to practice day, I would like to share one of my favorite practice drills for the infield, called Power Infield. The drill is explained by one of my former players, Ryan Tanner Schmidt so make sure the volume is up high. This is a drill that was developed during the winter months of spring training while coaching at Mount Union College. The players liked the drill so much that we adopted it as our pregame Infield/Outfield (I/O) routine, which has made a triumphant return to the pregame ritual after a two year hiatus. So sit back, take a few notes, and most importantly...enjoy!

Stay tuned to the twitter feed at www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates on Lake Erie Baseball all season. RAGE ON!

Cave Hibernation

2011-04-09T08:01:00.007-04:00

It's been awhile since the last post. I guess you could say I've been in hibernation (thanks @jhabs7). But what hasn't been in hibernation, is the work put in by the team and the coaching staff. There are some definite differences between Division II and Division III baseball, and while subtle, they are there nonetheless.

Since the last post, a lot has happened. The season has not only begun, but we are ensconced in conference play. The season is nearly to the halfway point and we are sitting two games under the .500 mark at 10-12 (3-7 GLIAC) with a huge four-game series starting today against Tiffin University. As in most seasons, there have been some games we lost which could have been wins, and conversely, we've snagged a few wins from the jaws of defeat, so the record is a pretty accurate representation of the way we've played...to this point.

What the record does not show is the capability of this team when we are running on all cylinders. I think we got a glimpse of that on Thursday at Ashland. But as I continue to make the transition from DIII to DII, the program itself continues to make a similar transition into DII conference play. There is still plenty of baseball left to be played, and the fun part of this game will be to watch the players go through the ups and downs of conference play and figure out what adjustments need to be made on a daily basis, which will enable them, and us, to be successful.

While the posts may be fewer and farther between, the twitter updates remain constant. Be sure to check out www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates all season long. Also check out Lake Erie's official athletic website at www.LakeErieStorm.com and www.twitter.com/lecsports for recaps, box scores, and live stats. RAGE ON!

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

2011-02-27T19:02:00.003-05:00

It doesn't matter how old I am or how long I've been in the game, the day I receive my uniforms for the upcoming season is always a special day. It has become a ritual every year near the end of spring training to put on each set of uniforms and practice the game moves. As a player, this would consist of getting in your batting stance and taking a few cuts or fielding some grounds balls and although it never applied to me in games, working through a windup from the mound. Now as a coach, this has moved into giving signs into the mirror or hitting fungos, but a few swings or ground balls may find their way into the routine.

Uniform handout was Saturday where players and coaches alike received their three game tops, three pants, belts, socks and stirrups. Having received our two game hats a few weeks earlier, we are ready to go. So I used part of my Sunday to test drive the different combinations of our uniform set. We are still awaiting our fourth jersey top, which should arrive this week, which means there is more test driving ahead...buckle up!

Don't Give Her The Weight Room Thing

2011-02-25T17:26:00.006-05:00

"Do you know where the weight room is? I'll check it out." Most of the time, people who utter that classic line from Tommy Boy usually haven't spent too much time in the actual weight room. It is apparent that our guys do, in fact, know where the weight room is. It has been a staple in the weekly routine beginning in fall ball and continuing through the winter, the pre-season, and now spring training.

As the game of baseball has evolved over the past five, ten, and even 15 years, and the players have evolved along with it. This includes a year-long commitment to strength and conditioning. This goes well-beyond just bench pressing and running laps. Training itself has evolved and become more sport-specific, focusing on the same movements players will see on the field.

Coordinating the Lake Erie baseball strength and conditioning efforts has quickly become one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job. Partly because of the enthusiasm showed by the team, but also because of the availability of new drills, lifts, and training exercises to add to our current regimen. Take a peak into a typical week off the diamond by checking out a compilation of spring training speed and strength workouts by clicking here. For more videos, check out The Cave's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/thecoachscave.

Spring Training: Final At Bat of the Day

2011-02-20T18:42:00.004-05:00

The first pitch of the 2011 Lake Erie baseball season will be thrown two weeks from today in St. Augustine, Florida. We have now been outside two days in-a-row. Live bullpens are in full swing (no pun intended). We are at the point where the players are getting anxious to get between the lines and play for real. To fight baseball's version of cabin fever, we try many different things in practice to keep things competitive, or to add any game-like feel to the drill. Today's live bullpens finished with Matt Vanni on the mound against Zach Mosbarger. With it being the final at bat of the day, the cage drew a crowd quicker than a playoff hole at TPC Sawgrass. Now nearly 80 eye balls focused on the 60'6" battleground, the question was who would prevail, hitter or pitcher? Thanks to modern technology, we have the answer. Check out the video here, and check out The Cave's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/thecoachscave for more videos.

We Are Official

2011-02-19T19:21:00.004-05:00

The countdown to opening day is approaching two weeks and spring training became official today when we were able to get outside for the first time. With temperatures nearing the 60's on Thursday and Friday, conditions were ideal to get on the football field. But Thursday is our off day, and Friday is our day at Lost Nation so we were unable to get on the field turf at Jack Britt Stadium until this morning. The conditions were not nearly ideal, with the temperature just above freezing and extreme winds howling around the confines of Kiwanis Recreation Park but it was exactly what we needed.

The outfielders have been able to long toss every week at Lost Nation but have yet to see a live fly ball. Short of live game action, nothing simulates balls off the bat like batting practice but with live bullpens still taking place in the Osborne Center, that wasn't possible. The outfielders would have to settle for balls off the fungo. Despite the cold temperatures and the wind, the sun did make an appearance and add another element to the workout.

Power Infield made a modified return in Friday's practice but was in mid-season form during today's infield outdoor session. Infielders have more of an advantage during the winter months as far as their defense is concerned. By that I mean they have more opportunities to take game-like reps, but until they get outside and take live balls off the bat, they are in the same boat as everyone else.

Overall, today was a successful one, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. There are still two weeks to continue working out the kinks before the first pitch is thrown on March 6th in the Sunshine State.

When it was a Game

2011-02-10T09:28:00.005-05:00

As "Scotty Smalls" of Minor League University wrote last week, there are certain ways baseball players handle bus rides. There is a strategy to picking your seat to not only ensure you get your own row, but to also sit in the optimum seat for watching movies. There are iPods, DVD's, magazines, cards, and laptops to keep players occupied on long trips. But there are certain things to take on trips that don't require any extra space in your bag which can eat up a few hours on trips or rain delays.

"Black Magic," "Camping Game," and the "Triangle Game" are names of dugout games as common with baseball players as "I Spy" is to kids on family vacations. These games probably originated in baseball during summer ball, where bus rides ranging from 2-4 hours are the norm, but have made their way to the spring season as well. These games are fun for awhile but played too long can create some unwanted hostility if the guys trying to break the code have trouble figuring it out.

Our featured game today is called "Destination Game." The purpose is to guess the next city the player will visit based on a series of clues from his previous stops. For those of you who have never heard of, or played the Destination Game, we have provided some video of how it works. In this footage, juniors Jae Leeworthy and Matt Vanni give us an example of how the game is played and leave us with one to figure out on our own. We will be back in a week or so with the correct destination. See if you can figure it out. Enjoy!

For more video footage of Storm baseball, check out The Cave's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/thecoachscave.

Spring Training: Bullpens Unplugged

2011-02-06T21:49:00.003-05:00

We are now only a month away from Opening Day 2011 when our first pitch will be thrown in St. Augustine, Florida. It is now the time of year when the screws get tightened during practice and the intensity picks up as well. This usually means that live bullpens have begun where the hitters and pitchers square off in the cage. Continuing with the look-ins to the 2011 version of Storm Spring Training, we take a look at some of this weekend's live bullpen action. The hitters have been doing drill work for two weeks waiting for the moment when they get to dig in versus the Storm pitching staff. Like the hitters, the pitchers have been doing chair drills, towel and band work for months waiting to see an opponent in the box. Let's take a few minutes to put the snow shovels down and take a look at some live AB's. The video can be found at The Cave's YouTube site, but you may also watch by clicking here.

Spring Training Videos

2011-02-04T05:52:00.004-05:00

Spring is my favorite time of year and one of the reasons why is spring training. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I am used to the brutal winters. But a constant bright spot in the winter was footage of the Indians spring training workouts in Arizona, then Florida, and now Arizona again. Even if it was just watching Charles Nagy play catch with Dave Burba on the evening news, it was enough to get me through the last few weeks (and months) of winter. Now thanks to beat writers and fans across the country, spring training video footage is all over the Interweb. Because I always looked forward to watching these, I figured I would share a few clips from a recent pitcher's workout. The video can be found at The Cave's YouTube site, but you may also click here.

Spring Training: Week 1

2011-02-03T12:44:00.005-05:00

The first week of the college practice season is usually the same every year, and each day eerily resembles the set list for a music concert. After a few months off from baseball, players and coaches alike are excited to get back in the swing of things and a heightened level of anticipation surrounds the hours and minutes leading up to the first catch of the new season. Day one is like the first song of the concert, the band wants kick off with a killer, to grab attention so they either start with one of the hits from their latest album or one of their classic songs that contains a fast beat (e.g. "Corduroy" by Pearl Jam). On the first day of spring training, the coaching staff wants to set the pace for the year regarding intensity of practices, rules and procedures, while the players are ready to prove themselves worthy of a starting spot and there is always a lot of intensity and adrenaline flowing throughout the gym.

The second song has to take the intensity up a notch to really set the stage for the remainder of the show. A good example would be the song "Hail, Hail" to follow "Corduroy." After these two songs, the crowd would be feeling good and locked in for the rest of show, allowing the band to play a lot of the songs from the new album. In order to hammer home the ideas, theories, and principles set the previous day, the coaching staff has to increase the intensity of practice to demonstrate how serious they were about what was established in day one (the fall season also follows this formula but it is more like an unplugged version so the artists and coaches have the ability to freestyle on songs or practice plans).

The next song is key for the performer because they don't want the crowd to exude all their energy for the remainder of the show, so they have to cool it of a notch (e.g. "Daughter" or "Off He Goes"). Because the baseball season is a five-month grind, the same rule applies for the coaches and their practice plans on day three. This is when you start to get into the mode of being ready everyday with an even-keeled approach...not getting to high or too low and just getting your head right. There are a lot of rules.

The remainder of the concert is usually up to the performers discretion. If there is a time they feel like throwing in "Do the Evolution" or "Alive" as opposed to "Low Light" or "Just Breathe," the crowd will usually dictate this by their mood. Similarly, there will be times a coach needs to put his foot on the gas and get the team going and there are times to let them wear shorts to practice and plug in the iPod. Like I said, there are a lot of rules.

Spring Training: Days 1 & 2

2011-01-28T09:13:00.009-05:00

This post is a little late but there has been so much going on in the program the past few days, the task slipped down the priority list. The start of spring training, for instance, took up a lot of our time along with a number of recruits visiting campus, and a staff meeting or two. But it's (sometimes) never late than never. The first two days have went extremely well based on the amount of work completed. If you add Monday's weight training and Tuesday morning's speed training sessions, the team has put in a lot of work.

Spring Training: Day 1

Spring. Training. Those two words standing alone really don't do much for me but when placed in succession, they conjure up strong feelings of excitement and anticipation that can only be matched by the words "Opening Day." With the amount of excitement and anticpation that normally surrounds Spring Training," there wasn't one thing that really stood out on the first day. But the pure fact that workouts are underway is enough for me.

We didn't spend much time talking to the team or explaining drills, the bulk of that was handled in the fall. So we just jumped into position-specific drills at the outset and hitters took in the upwards of 300 swings.

Spring Training: Day 2

Day 2 was a bullpen day for all the pitchers and strictly an ofensive day for the position players. The bullpens were light with regards to the number of pitches each pitcher threw, but there was the added effect of hitters standing in for each pitcher. The first two days were basically to get used to baseball movements again, even though our guys had been working out on their own over the winter. From this point on, the workouts will get much more interesting. Starting on Friday, the team will head to the Lost Nation Sports Complex to use their indoor facility, complete with a fully-turfed infield and live bullpens begin on Sunday.

Stay tuned for more spring training updates in the coming week on the blog as well as The Cave's Twitter Feed. RAGE ON!

Eye of the Storm, Part IV

2010-12-14T16:25:00.004-05:00

As Brett Farve just showed us, everyone needs a day off now and then. Such is the case for college student-athletes. Even as demanding and time consuming as being a Division II collegiate athlete can be, there is, believe it or not, time to relax and hang out with friends among other things.

Intramurals - Osborne Fitness Center

Basketball can be a great way to stay in shape and it can also keep the competitive juices flowing. Fortunately, Lake Erie offers a number of intramural programs to keep students busy throughout the year including flag football, volleyball and dodgeball among others. Basketball remains the most popular among the Storm baseball players and takes place in the auxiliary gym located in the Osborne Center (pictured right). The team usually competes through the Thanksgiving holiday, at which point their fun on the court is put on hold until the next season. With the winter practice season beginning once classes resume in January, there is not much time for IM Sports (which works out because baseball players are prohibited to participate during the season).

Apartment Life - Founders Court and Lydia Sessions Hall

Whether its playing XBox, PS3 or even an old school Nintendo, video games are always a part of college life and off days. I believe the trending choice of which game to play is Call of Duty but it could be something completely different once classes resume in January. A popular location for team video game sessions are on campus apartments such as Founders Court (pictured right).

Once a student enters his junior year, they are eligible to move into on-campus apartments. The rooms feature one or two-bed layouts with 12' x 19' common area complete with an 8' x 10' kitchen area and bathroom. Most of our upperclassman live with this setup or move completely off campus in houses or apartments. The coaching staff does not interfere with the rooming assignments and leave this responsibility to the staff in the Residence Life department and the players themselves. Players can room with, but are not in any way limited to, other baseball players.

Student-Athletes Advisory Committee (SAAC)

This group gathers to "facilitate communication between the student-athletes and the Lake Erie College Athletic Department (courtesy Lake Erie website). Student-athletes are nominated, selected, chosen from each of the 23 intercollegiate teams on campus to help with community activities and promoting teams on campus as well as many other activities. Each sport has a representative or two but all student-athletes are encouraged to attend the bi-weekly meetings and various events.

Up next...Part V: Spring Training (coming in January)

Hopefully you've enjoyed a look into the life of a college baseball player. The next installment of the Eye of the Storm will hopefully feature a daily account from the current players on the team, following them throughout an actual day during the winter practice season. But because winter practice sounds depressing and college teams do not actually leave for spring training (or when they do, the games actually count towards their record), I will refer to the five weeks of indoor practice as spring training from this point forward. See you in the sun!

Eye of the Storm, Part III

2010-12-13T18:12:00.004-05:00

The first two parts of the all-access pass finished with our student-athletes wrapping up practice at Braggs Field. The inside look featured an early morning workout at the Ritchie Athletic Center, breakfast and lunch at the Holden Center, class in the College's academic buildings, and finally practice at Kiwanis Park.

12:00 pm-4:00 pm - Individual Workouts

Osborne Fitness Center

After the fall season, each player is allowed two hours a week to spend working with their respective coach at their respective positions in small, four-man groups. Each session is one hour each and occur on two different days during the week. The pitchers use each session to work with Coach Sankovich (pictured right) on various aspects of their craft. This year, Coach Sank opted not to have the pitchers throw bullpens (much to the catchers delight) instead focusing on their balance and overall delivery mechanics as well as their arm strength.

Infielders and catchers have their training sessions split into offensive and defensive segments. The catchers get their defensive work in with Coach McGee while the infielders work with Coach Bunnell. Both groups work with Coach Cormell on their offense with the outfielders who hit during each session.

This format lasts four weeks through the week of Thanksgiving. The NCAA rules permit this activity to run up until a week before finals. The players also continue their strength and conditioning three days a week that involves lifting, agility work, and speed training.

7:00 pm-9:00 pm - Study Table

Arthur S. Holden Center

Once the final out of the SFL is recorded and fall ball is completed, the players are required to attend two, two-hour study sessions which are held in a classroom in the upstairs of the Holden Center. All freshman are required to attend as well as upperclassmen with a sub-2.5 GPA. While in study table, the student-athletes have the option to utilize the classroom's computers for anything class-related, whether it is typing a paper or researching a project (sorry Facebook). There is also an opportunity for players to review any upcoming exams, papers or projects with Coach Sank who is the team's academic supervisor.

Up next...Part IV: Off Days

Eye of the Storm, Part II

2010-12-07T19:50:00.004-05:00

When we left the team yesterday, we had just finished breakfast at the Holden Center. But the next part of the day fuels the reason for being...at least being at college, and that is the class time. Each schedule will vary but many of the players will be in class from either 8 or 9 am through the mid-afternoon, ending roughly at 1 or 2 pm, enough time to grab a lunch, change, and get to practice on time.

8:00 am-2:00 pm - Class Time

Austin Hall, College Hall, Garfield Center, Holden Center, and the Royce Hall for the Fine Arts and Performing Arts

The majority of classes take place in the Garfield Center (pictured right) which also holds faculty offices and the Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Austin Science Center was renovated and reopened in 2010 and will be ready for full classes in January. The new center is the home of chemistry, math, environmental science and pre-veterinarian programs. Also, students studying in San Salvador and the Bahamas use Austin Hall as their "hub." Players are encouraged to schedule their classes early to accommodate the team's practices which take place in the early afternoon.

2:30 pm-5:30 pm - Practice

Braggs Field at Kiwanis Recreation Park

The practice home of the Storm is located just off-campus in downtown Painesville. After class, the players drive down to Braggs Field (pictured right) at Rec Park for a three-hour workout to complete their baseball day. During the week, the Storm baseball team practices three days during the week and twice on the weekend. The field itself features newly constructed dugouts with pro-style seating. During the construction of the dugouts, grass was added to the baselines. Last season, the bullpen mounds were demolished and reconstructed and now feature two mounds in each bullpen.

Braggs Field sits adjacent to Britt Stadium, home of the Storm football and track squads. The Britt received a facelift in the off-season and now features a field turf playing surface which is utilized by the baseball team when inclement weather makes an appearance, still allowing for the team to take ground balls and long toss. Underneath the stadium bleachers sits the Storm batting tunnels which are used rain or shine and allow for hitters to get plenty of swings each day at practice.

Up next...Part III: Individuals

Eye of the Storm, Part I

2010-12-07T08:38:00.003-05:00

Because winter sucks and we're still seven weeks away from the start of winter practice, I think we all need a distraction to get us through these next few months. With that said, we're taking a look at the past while keeping our eye on the future and our mind in the present by taking a look into a day in the life of a Storm baseball player. For the look back, we'll get a glimpse into a typical day during the fall semester.

FALL BALL

For the Storm baseball program, fall ball roughly begins after Labor Day, about three weeks into the start of the semester and lasts five weeks. During those five weeks, the team spends two days a week in the weight room and five days a week on the practice field. The next few entries will describe how players balance academics, meals, practice and college life.

6:00 am - Rise and Shine

Dickinson, Fowler and Ritter Halls

During the fall, players get an early wake-up call for a morning lift. The actual time each player wakes up will vary depending on their proximity to campus. But when the players do get up, most of them leave from their 144 square-foot living areas which come complete with two twin beds, dressers, and desks. Even though the campus is now wireless, there are high-speed internet connections in each room. If a player doesn't have his own computer, he can head down to the lobby and use one in the computer lab, located adjacent to the laundry room and kitchenette.

6:30 am - Getting Swoll

Ritchie Athletic Center

I really don't know how "swoll" became part of the Storm lexicon but it's alive and well and using it has become as essential to a baseball player as breathing. And with a facility like Ritchie Gym (pictured right), it's no wonder. There are at least 14 platforms attached to state-of-the-art racks with Eleicko bars along with stretch bands, BOSU balls, physioballs along with many other strength tools to aide the baseball team in their strength training. Twice a week the Storm baseball team gathers in Ritchie on days of practices to supplement the fall development. Once fall ball ends, the team meets three times a week. There are days where the team will stay home and workout at the Osborne Center.

7:30 am - Refueling

Arther S. Holden Center

After an intense workout to start the day, the team makes their way over to the dining hall to refuel before class. Each player on the meal plan has the option to visit the cafe for three squares a day and can eat as much as they want during each trip. In addition to the dining hall, the Holden Center features the campus bookstore, residence life, campus security, as well as classrooms and a 24-hour computer lab.

Up next...Part II: Class Time

Working off the Turkey...in Advance

2010-11-26T10:08:00.004-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone and we'll have leftover turkey sandwiches for the next three weeks, it is time to work off the L-B's from our big Turkey Day feasts. And if you are a Storm baseball player, you have had plenty of advanced training for working off the extra pounds from the holiday season. Part of this is because our guys live in the gym, but since the completion of fall ball they have also been participating in the Storm Fitness Challenge.

The Challenge has consisted of nine different fitness challenges that tested players in speed, strength and agility. The players remained in their SFL teams and competed both as a team and as individuals. Players received individual points based on their finish in a particular event, which were then added to their teams score. The team with the most individual points won the event and earned three points towards the overall standings, while the second place team earned two points and the third place team earned one point.

The Gray Team couldn't sweep 2010 by winning both the SFL Cup and the Storm Fitness Challenge. The Black Team edged out the Gray Team by a single point in The Challenge's team standings, 22-21 thanks to four, first-place finishes. On the individual side, outfielder Zach Mosbarger (Gray Team) was the position player champion as well as the overall champion. The leader on the mound was JD Ingalls (Black Team) who finished second in the overall standings. Eight of the top ten overall scorers were position players. The Fitness Challenge was done in conjunction with a five-week strength and conditioning program which provided a solid foundation for the eight-week training program which will last the entire winter break. The winter program will lead up to the beginning of spring practice, which starts in mid-January.

Below are the results for the team standings as well as the top five finishers in each challenge.

Team Standings

Black, 22 points (3434 overall)

Gray, 21 (3323)

Green, 11 (2656)

Top 5 Position Players

1. Zach Mosbarger, 374 points

2. Ryan Rua, 357

3. Justin Rebhun, 322

T4. Matt Toth, 305

T4. Kyle Kemp, 305

Top 5 Pitchers

1. JD Ingalls, 358 points

2. DJ Stastny, 300

3. Doug Fox, 281

4. Cameron Sheehan, 276

5. Logan Nordquist, 270

Squat (225 lbs)

1. Jae Leeworthy, 90 reps

2. AJ Gobar, 60

3. Mike Morgan, 52

4. Glenn Stewart, 45

5. Zach Mosbarger, 44

Push-ups (1 min)

1. Nick Lovick, 81 reps

2. Jae Leeworthy, 76

3. Matt Toth, 74

4. Zach Mosbarger, 73

5. Matt Vanni, 71

Sit-ups (1 min)

1. Zach Mosbarger, 84 reps

2. Matt Toth 82

3. JD Ingalls, 75

4. Ryan Rua, 71

5. 2 Tied at 70

Pull-ups

1. Ryan Rua, 30 reps

2. Matt Toth, 26

3. Johnny Christani, 23

4. Josiah Ring, 22

5. Matt Vanni, 21

Broad Jump

1. Matt Toth, 9 feet, 1 inch

2. DJ Stastny, 9'0"

3. Jimmie Shaw, 8'11"

4. Ryan Rua, 8'10"

5. 2 Tied at 8'9"

30-yd Sprint

1. Justin Rebhun, 3.87 seconds

2. Ryan Rua, 3.88

3. Zach Mosbarger, 3.90

4. JD Ingalls, 3.91

4. AJ Gobar, 3.91

60-yd Sprint

1. Ryan Rua, 6.93 seconds

T2. Matt Toth, 7.03

T2. Zach Mosbarger, 7.03

T2. Justin Rebhun, 7.03

5. 3 Tied at 7.12

Pro Agility

1. Matt Toth, 4.11 seconds

2. JD Ingalls, 4.12

3. Cameron Sheehan, 4.18

4. Zach Mosbarger, 4.25

5. Zack Justice, 4.34

300-yd Shuttle

1. Cameron Sheehan, 50.07 seconds

2. Ryan Rua, 51.42

3. Tyler Minnich, 51.78

4. JD Ingalls, 51.93

5. 2 Tied at 52.19

Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T12:21:00.006-05:00

It is the time of year where we all take a step back and reflect on the great things in our lives and the people the surround us that make it so. But rather than using this post to state my thankfulness for my own personal friends and family (which is best performed by actually saying it, preferably in person), I would like to take this opportunity to list the five things about Lake Erie Baseball that I am thankful for.

1. The Lake Erie parents. Knowing how important my parents have been in my life, this seems like a no-brainer. But we always get in trouble when we take special things for granted and while each individual parent is special to each player in their own way and deserve their own spot in the countdown, the collective group of parents occupy the number one spot. It is only November and I can tell this is a special group. Our players have already played in front of more people during the fall than most teams will play in front of during their spring. This was evident during the Storm Fall League championship game which featured an array of family, friends, and in some cases, wives that would rival attendance numbers for some conference tournaments. But even more remarkable was the number of parents who attended mid-week intersquad games that took place at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Add these factors to the list of sacrifices each parent has made for the past 18-22 years already and you have the number one reason to be thankful to be a part of Lake Erie Baseball.

2. Players who want to win. I can count on one hand the number of times a player has been late for, or missed a workout since September. This of course includes a series of 6am weight training sessions at the start of the fall and 9am practices on the weekends. It is very easy for players to get excited at the start of the fall and the start of the winter practice, but it is a very different thing to keep that level of excitement and enthusiasm throughout the course of the year. In order to go places you've never gone, you must do things you've never done. With all the distractions that can get in our way, I am thankful for a group of people who truly want to play baseball and do all that comes with that privilege. This doesn't always produce the results we want, but it definitely make it easier to show up to work everyday.

3. Joining the GLIAC. On the field, this may be the most important for the program's stability. Since I was first exposed to college baseball back in 1999, I have always had the opportunity to compete for a conference championship. I can say this is something that I have taken for granted. I was not in on the ground floor of this rebuilding process and did not experience life as an Division II Independent. This I am thankful for. I cannot imagine having to play the majority of my games on the road because of the lack of a conference schedule. The last two seasons while at North Central, there were always 21 games cemented in the schedule that would allow for at least ten home games a year. Something that should not be lost in just having a conference schedule is the opportunity to compete in a conference that has had a representative in the College World Series the past two seasons, not to mention five teams advancing to NCAA Regional play in those years. Clearly this is one of the best conferences in the country which by that fact alone should elevate our level of play.

4. Working with a knowledgable and energetic staff. Working year-round in the game I love is worthy of it's own spot on the list but working with great people makes it that much more rewarding. It also makes it more fun when the coaches not only love baseball, but love the coaching in general. I am thankful for working with coaches who swear by the fundamentals but are also willing and eager to try new ideas. I am thankful for being able to be my own coach and have fun with the different tasks at hands. I am also thankful for coaches who absolutely love their team and are willing to do anything to make them better. Playing college baseball yielded some of the best years of my life and I am thankful for the opportunity to provide the same opportunities to players now.

5. Classic Park. While it would be nice to have an on-campus facility of our own within footsteps of the Osbourne Center, the opportunity to play at one of the finest minor league parks in the country is another reason to be thankful to be a part of Lake Erie baseball. For the majority of the players in our program, it will be the nicest field they will ever play on. Aside from the field, the other opportunities at Classic are worth noting. The ability to take batting practice on the field, hitting in the tunnels, and the use of the clubhouse is something that should not be taken lightly, and we are thankful to the Lake County Captains for their cooperation.

There are many more reasons to be thankful for being a part of this program but we'll stop at five. On behalf of everyone at Lake Erie College and the baseball team, I would like to wish baseball fans everywhere and their families a Happy Thanksgiving!

Final Out of SFL

2010-10-18T07:01:00.004-04:00

If you haven't watched the video yet, here's another look at the final out of the SFL and the subsequent dog pile on the pitchers mound. The Gray Team won its second SFL championship in three years with a 4-3 victory over the Black Team last weekend. Check out www.youtube.com/thecoachscave for more videos.

The Gray Cup

2010-10-11T21:48:00.015-04:00

No, we're not talking Canadian football (which is the Grey Cup), but rather the 2010 SFL Champions. After the Black Team won an extra-inning affair in the first game over the Green Team, the Gray Team cemented themselves as the dominant team this fall, capturing the SFL title with a 4-3 win. The Gray Team wrapped up its second SFL championship in three years and finished with a 10-2-1 record this fall.

As he did much of the fall, Kyle Kemp powered the Gray Team offense with a clutch two-run double in the fourth inning. Reid Rizzo walked and was hit by a pitch, crossing home after each free pass for the Gray Team's third and fourth runs. The Black Team made their best efforts to erase a 4-0 deficit in the sixth when Matt Toth drove a base-clearing triple to right field, closing the gap to 4-3 but they ultimately fell short in the end. The Gray pitching was dominant, allowing runs in only one of seven innings. DJ Stastny closed the door in the seventh after Bobby Seda put himself in position to tie the game with a double but Stastny got the next two hitters to fly out and a dog pile ensued near the pitchers mound.

The first game of the day may have been the most entertaining, which saw the Black Team grind out a 7-5 win in eight innings. The Green Team jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when Garrett Emling cleared the bases with a double in the second. Black chipped away at the lead thanks to a Pat Kilway 2-run home run to left in the third and a few wild pitches in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. They extended their lead in the sixth thanks to a Bobby Seda RBI-single but the Green Team fought back to tie in the seventh to force extra innings. Timely hitting and extra outs resulted in a 7-5 Black Team win and their match-up in the championship game.

Between games, the postseason award finalist were announced followed by the winners. The four categories Rookie of the Year, Pitcher Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and the Most Valuable Player. The following indicates the nominees, winners, and their key stats.

Rookie of the Year

Player (AVG/OBP/SLG) Key Stats

Ryan Anstaett (.344/.371/.406) 11 H, 5 R

Garrett Emling (.375/.487/.500) 12 H, 9 R, 65 Bases Touched

AJ Gobar (.345/.441/.379) 10 H, 3 R

Rookie Pitcher of the Year

Player (ERA/OAVG/WHIP) Key Stats

Brandon Grunda (4.15/.278/1.73) 4 ER, 8 APP

Mike Oley (6.00/.300/1.78) 1-1, 8 APP, 9 K

DJ Stastny (2.25/.240/1.38) 2 ER, 7 APP

Cy Young

Player (ERA/OAVG/WHIP) Key Stats

Tim Birch (3.52/.125/0.78) 3 ER, 9 SO

JD Ingalls (3.18/.240/1.59) 2 ER, 4 SO

Logan Nordquist (1.13/.138/0.50) 2-o, ER, 9 SO, 0 BB

Most Valuable Player

Player (AVG/OBP/SLG) Key Stats

Cody Blood (.353/.421/.559) 12 H, 7 R

Josh Crout (.353/.436/.676) 12 H, 10 R, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 65 Bases Touched

Jae Leeworthy (.367/.513/.800) 11 H, 10 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 60 Bases Touched

Note: Bold indicates winner

SFL Championship Round Game 1

Black 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 2 - 7 (4-7-2)

Green 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 5 (3-7-3)

W: Ingalls (1-2), L: Vanni (0-1), S: Morgan (1)

SFL Championship Round Finals

Black 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 - 7 (4-8-2)

Gray 0 0 0 3 1 0 x - 5 (10-2-1)

W: Porter (1-0), L: Throckmorton (2-1), S: Stastny (1)

The fall will finish up with a split squad scrimmage on Wednesday which follows a few days of practice. Be sure to stay tuned throughout the winter for updates on Storm Baseball on www.twitter.com/thecoachscave and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com.

Same Ol', Same Ol'

2010-10-08T23:07:00.005-04:00

Not much changed after the regular season finale of the Storm Fall League. The Black Team had the opportunity to leapfrog the Green Team and pick up home field advantage in the opening round of the SFL Championships with a pair of wins in Friday's double-header but split their two games and the standings remained the same.

The Gray Team put an exclamation point on their regular season dominance in game one with a 3-0 shutout of the Black Team in game one. Kyle Kemp continued to light up opposing pitchers with a pair of hits and two runs driven in. In the top of the first, Kemp singled home the game's first run and later in the third, Kemp belted his team-leading fourth home run of the fall. Josh Crout added his two cents with an RBI-single in the fourth for the third and final run. Chris Mason, Glenn Stewart, Brandon Grunda, and DJ Stastny combined for the shutout with Mason picking up the win.

After the loss, the Black Team could no longer jump ahead of the Green Team in the standings and could only build momentum for Saturday. They did just that. A four-run first inning, capped by Cody Blood's second long ball of the fall, paced the way to a 6-1 win over the Green Team. It was no secret the Black Team had trouble scoring runs this fall, but their six-run output could be something to hang their hat on going into the SFL Championship Round.

The Black and Green teams will rematch in the opening round of the SFL Finals with the winner advancing to face the Gray Team. Game 1 begins at 10:30am and the SFL Championship Game is slated for a 1:00pm start. In between the games will be a picnic lunch for players and their families followed by player introductions and the announcing of the SFL award winners. Award categories are Rookie of the Year, Rookie Pitcher of the Year, Cy Young Award, and the Most Valuable Player. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Friday, 10/8

Game 17: Gray 3, Black 0 (W: Mason 1-0, L: Ingalls 0-2, S: Porter 1)

Game 18: Black 6, Green 1 (W: Castro 1-0, L: Beach 0-1)

Saturday, 10/9

SFL Finals Game 1: Black v. Green, 10:30am

SFL Finals Game 2: Winner Game 1 v. Gray, 12:30pm

Standings W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 9 2 1 .818 - 30 56

Green 3 6 3 .333 5.0 51 37

Black 3 7 2 .300 5.5 45 31

Down the Stretch

2010-10-03T15:21:00.002-04:00

In the next-to-last weekend of the fall, the playoff picture looks pretty clear. The Gray Team solidified their hold on the top seed with a 6-0 win over the Green Team. It was all about Josh Crout who made the most of his two at-bats with a base-clearing double in the first and a two-run home run in the third. Crout has been the team's hottest hitter of late and has upped all major offensive categories including home runs, runs batted in, runs scored and the total number of bases touched.

[Note: The total bases touched is simply the number of bases touched throughout the course of a game, compared to total bases which account only for base hits. A base on balls does not count towards total bases but does count in bases touched. If that walk leads to a run scored, then the total bases touched for that at-bat (or plate appearance) is four. The more bases touched, the more chance for scoring a run.]

The Green Team rebounded in the double-dip, scoring six runs of their own. A four-run first inning set the tone for the 6-1 win. Jae Leeworthy was not to be outdone by Crout and hit his third home run of the fall in the second inning which ended the scoring for Green. Cody Blood spoiled the shutout when he left the yard for the first time in the fall.

Despite the loss, the Black Team has a chance to jump the Green Team and secure the number two seed in next weekend's championship round of the SFL with two wins on Friday. Gray has already secured the number one seed and will await the winner of Green and Black in the opening game of Saturday's Family Day. Stay tuned towww.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Friday, 10/1

Game 15: Gray 6, Green 0

Game 16: Green 6, Black 1

Friday, 10/8

Game 17: Black v. Green, 3pm

Game 18: Black v. Gray, 4:30pm

Saturday, 10/9

SFL Finals Game 1: Black v. Green, 10:30am

SFL Finals Game 2: Winner Game 1 v. Gray, 12:30pm

Standings W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 8 2 1 .800 - 30 53

Green 3 5 3 .375 4.0 45 36

Black 2 6 2 .250 5.0 41 25

Movin' on Up

2010-09-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

Wednesday featured some impromptu SFL baseball. Originally it was scheduled for a practice but with rain in the forecast for the weekend, it was an opportunity to take advantage of the weather so the games from Friday were moved up to Wednesday. In the first game, Green had the first shot to slow down the Gray attack. For most of the game, they were succeeding. The action started in the top of the first when Nick Lovick drove home Garrett Emling and Matt Vanni after a no-doubter to left. It was Lovick's first home run of the fall. Gray answered with two in the second after a Josh Crout RBI-double. It remained 3-2 until the fifth when Gray brought home the tying run. The Gray team hasn't lost a game since game four of the opening weekend. It was also the third-straight SFL game to end in a tie.

After the tie, the Black Team would have the opportunity to end Gray's string of defeat-less games. The Black Team used a three-run fourth to snap Gray's five-game winning streak and pull within a half-game of second place. Consecutive RBI singles by Jae Leeworthy, Matt Toth and Pat Kilway extended the Black lead to 4-1. Gray made an attempt at their second-straight comeback with a run in the fourth on Josh Crout's second RBI-double of the day.

With rain in the forecast, Sunday's games have been moved up to Friday and Sunday will feature a split-squad game preceded by a short practice. "Family Day" is set for Saturday, October 9th. Festivities will begin at 10:30 am during the SFL 3rd Place game of the SFL and will continue through the SFL Championship Game at approximately 12:30 pm. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Wednesday, 9/29

Game 13: Gray 3, Green 3

Game 14: Black 4, Gray 2 (W: Sinko 1-0, L: Birch 1-2, S: Shaw 1)

Friday, 10/1

Game 15: Green v. Black, 3pm

Game 16: Gray v. Green, 4:30pm

Standings W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 7 2 1 .778 - 30 47

Green 2 4 3 .333 3.5 38 30

Black 2 5 2 .222 4.0 35 24

School Ties

2010-09-27T18:34:00.008-04:00

Sunday's SFL action left a lot to be desired. No, not in the play, which was much improved from the previous two days, but the results. After a very speedy outcome in the first game, an outcome for game two was left in limbo. The game would end in a 5-5 tie when Ryan Anstaett (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and the Green Team watched as their 4-run lead slip away. Trailing 5-1 after 3 1/2 innings, the Black Team scored four unanswered runs with the final two coming in the final inning thanks to RBI singles by Matt Toth and Cody Blood. Black had the winning run on third base but Green held off their best effort and maintained their hold on second place.

After the Black Team escaped defeat in the sixth, they had a chance to grab victory and close in on second place by scoring a run to pick up a win from the suspended Game 8 from last weekend. Black had loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth but Garret Emling pitched out of the jam to preserve a 7-7 tie.

Aside form the overall dominance thus far of the Gray Team, the story of game one was the red-hot bat of Kyle Kemp. In the top of the first, Kemp belted his third round-tripper of the fall over the left-centerfield wall. Kemp would walk and score an insurance run in the third en route to the Gray Team's seventh win of the fall, in a 3-1 decision.

The SFL heads into its final weekend of the regular season with games resuming on Friday. The Storm baseball team has announced Saturday, October 9th will be "Family Day." Festivities will begin at 10:30 am during the SFL 3rd Place game of the SFL and will continue through the SFL Championship Game at approximately 12:30 pm. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Sunday, 9/26

Game 11: Gray 3, Black 1

Game 12: Black 5, Green 5

Game 8 (Resumed from 9/17): Black 7, Green 7

Friday, 10/1

Game 13: Green v. Gray, 3pm

Game 14: Gray v. Black, 4:30pm

Sunday, 10/3

Game 15: Green v. Black, 9am

Game 16: Gray v. Green, 11am

Standings W L T .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 7 1 0 .875 - 23 42

Green 2 4 2 .333 4.0 35 27

Black 1 5 2 .167 5.0 33 20

Downright Offensive

2010-09-25T14:22:00.006-04:00

Easily the highest offensive output of the fall, the Gray Team extended their lead in the SFL standings with a pair of wins Saturday morning. They now sit at 6-1 and hold a three game lead over the Green team. The first game of the day featured 18 total runs, with Gray scoring a dozen themselves, doubling up Green 12-6. Green jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a half-inning, but Gray answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles by Ryan Rua and Kyle Kemp. Gray was nursing a 5-4 lead when they put up a four-spot in the fourth thanks to RBI hits by Mike Fabri and Zach Mosbarger. Jae Leewothy provided some offense for Green, knocking his second home run of the fall in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback. The Ump Cam, Chris Mason, picked up the win in relief.

In game two, the Gray team used the long ball as their weapon of choice. Kyle Kemp's bat was still scorching when he belted a go-ahead two-run home run in the third and Josh Crout added some insurance when he blasted a two-run shot of his own to dead center field. There was cause for concern with the number of errors committed throughout the day and the slow pace of play. Hopefully the weekend finale will see improvement in both categories.

The Storm baseball team has announced Saturday, October 9th will be "Family Day." Festivities will begin at 10:30 am during the SFL 3rd Place game of the SFL and will continue through the SFL Championship Game at approximately 12:30 pm. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field andwww.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Saturday, 9/25

Game 9: Gray 12, Green 6 (W: Mason 1-0, L: Minnich 0-3)

Game 10: Gray 6, Black 4 (W: Nordquist 2-0, L: Ingalls 0-1)

Sunday, 9/26

Game 11: Black v. Gray, 9am

Game 12: Black v. Green, 11am

Standings W L .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 6 1 .857 - 22 39

Green 2 4 .333 3.0 30 22

Black 1 4 .200 3.5 25 14

Welcome to Ump Cam

2010-09-19T18:07:00.005-04:00

During the second game of today's SFL action, there was a little experiment being conducted and I think the results were conclusive...we want to see more of Ump Cam! Junior pitcher Chris Mason threw in the first game of the day and was scheduled to call the balls and strikes for game two. He geared up and got behind home plate and was armed with a digital camera. Here is the trial run of Ump Cam which took place between innings. Check out the rest of the videos from Ump Cam at The Cave's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/thecoachscave.

Running Away?

2010-09-19T17:23:00.007-04:00

Two weekends of the SFL are now complete...almost. Today's SFL action ended with the Black and Green teams in a 7-7 tie after five innings of play in the second of two SFL games. The Green Team jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after two innings but the Black Team rallied with seven unanswered runs in the third and fourth innings. Pat Kilway led the attack with a pair of hits and drove in four. Mike Morgan, Bobby Seda and Cody Blood each scored a pair of runs during the two-inning span. The Green Team put their own rally together in the fifth to plate three when four of the first five hitters recorded base hits. The game was officially suspended and the teams will resume play next weekend.

In the opening game, the Gray Team showed why they are sitting in first place and have no interest in letting up by scoring in each of the first three innings. Zach Mosbarger led off the game with a triple and later scored on a Ryan Rua sac fly. Rua has now driven in a run in each of Gray's five games. Gray loaded the bases in the second and Johnny Christani singled in a pair and Rua added his second sac fly of the game to extend the lead to 4-0. Christani came through again the very next inning with another bases loaded single which plated two. The Green Team started a late rally but only managed a pair of runs when Nick Lovick doubled in Jae Leeworthy. Lovick would score on a Ryan Anstaett ground out. Brandon Grunda recorded his first win of the fall throwing an inning of scoreless baseball.

The team will have practice Tuesday, Thursday and Friday before resuming SFL action on Saturday. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Sunday, 9/19

Game 7: Gray 6, Green 2 (W: Grunda 1-0, L: Minnich 0-2)

Game 8: Green 7, Black 7 (Suspended in 5th)

Saturday, 9/25

Game 9: Gray v. Green, 9am

Game 10: Gray v. Black, 11am

Sunday, 9/26

Game 11: Black v. Gray, 9am

Game 12: Black v. Green, 11am

Standings W L .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 4 1 .800 - 12 21

Green 2 3 .400 2.0 18 16

Black 1 3 .250 2.5 19 10

Black, Black Satruday

2010-09-18T19:20:00.007-04:00

Only four games into the 2010 Storm Fall League, each outcome can completely change the landscape of the standings. The Black Team came into play sitting a half game out of first place, but a pair of losses on Saturday, sent them spiraling towards the basement.

In the first game of the day, the Green Team made their push to get out of the cellar, led by the corner combo of Jae Leeworthy and Ryan Anstaett. In the fourth inning, Leeworthy broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run shot to right field, his first of the fall. Two innings later, Anstaett broke the game open with a bases loaded single which plated a pair. Adam Beach worked two innings to get the win, stranding a key runner on third in the fifth, maintaining a 2-run lead. The Black Team threatened in the sixth, but Chris Mason induced a game-ending double play to close out the 7-2 victory for the Green Team's second win of the fall.

The Black Team's troubles continued in the nightcap, trailing 1-0 after a half inning, back-to-back hits with runners in scoring position by Cody Blood and Bobby Seda gave Black a 2-1 lead. The lead was short-lived when Mike Fabri led off the second with a solo shot to center. After back-to-back walks, Kyle Kemp deposited a fastball over the left field scoreboard for his first round-tripper of the fall, giving the Gray Team a 5-2 lead in which they would not relinquish. Gray would add one in the fourth and a pair in the sixth for an 8-4 win to extend their lead in the standings. Tim Birch worked a scoreless inning to even his record at 1-1.

The SFL will resume play on Sunday with a pair of games beginning at 9 am (weather permitting). Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Saturday, 9/18

Game 5: Green 7, Black 2 (W: Beach 1-0, L: Dempsey 0-1)

Game 6: Gray 8, Black 4 (W: Birch 1-1, L: Minnich 0-1)

Sunday, 9/19

Game 7: Green v. Gray, 9am

Game 8: Green v. Black, 11am

Standings W L .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 3 1 .750 - 10 15

Green 2 2 .500 1.0 12 14

Black 1 3 .250 2.0 19 10

Going Camping

2010-09-16T21:57:00.004-04:00

We will be hosting a Fall Prospect Camp on Saturday, October 16 from 12-5pm. The camp is open to all high school baseball players in grades 9-12 interested in playing at the collegiate level. While the Lake Erie baseball practice facility is receiving a face lift, we will hold the camp at Mentor High School. For more information, visit the Lake Erie baseball website or contact the baseball office at (440) 375-7484. Hopefully there will be a PDF posted shortly.

Weekend Wrap

2010-09-12T14:45:00.008-04:00

The first weekend of the Storm Fall League is in the books and one things is apparent, the pitchers are ahead of the hitters. The Storm pitchers are holding the hitters to a .264 average (37-for-140) with 18 runs allowed thru four games. Contributing to the cause was the Gray Team trio of sophomore Logan Nordquist, freshman Josh Porter, and junior Ryan Rua. In Sunday's first game, these three pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout of the Black Team. Nordquist picked up the win after posting a line of 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 K, 0 BB and induced three ground ball putout. Porter came in relief and also went six up and six down giving his defense some work with four ground ball outs. Rua allowed the only two Black Team base runners allowing a hit to freshman AJ Gobar and a walk to junior Matt Toth but induced a key double play and added a strikeout to earn his first save of the fall. On offense, Rua drove in the only run when he hit a sac fly in the first to score Zach Mosbarger who led the game off with a single.

The Green team got off the schnide with a 5-2 win in the nightcap. Junior Jae Leeworthy paced the Green offense with a 2-for-3 day and a run scored. Green got a run in the first but Gray tied the game on Ryan Rua's second home run of the fall. Green answered with a 4-run third inning thanks to some defensive miscues which sandwiched base hits by Leeworthy and junior Matt Vanni. Freshman Mike Oley bounced back on the mound after suffering a loss in game two on Friday by striking out the side in the fifth to earn his first dave of the fall.

The team will practice Tuesday, Thursday and Friday before resuming the SFL next Saturday. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the game.

Sunday, 9/12

Game 3: Gray 1, Black 0 (W: Nordquist 1-0, L: Shaw 0-1, S: Rua 1)

Game 4: Green 5, Gray 2 (W: Raley 1-0, L: Birch 0-1, S: Oley 1)

Saturday, 9/18

Game 5: Black v. Green, 9am

Game 6: Black v. Gray, 11am

Sunday, 9/19

Game 7: Green v. Black, 9am

Game 8: Green v. Gray, 11am

Standings W L .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 2 1 .667 - 6 7

Black 1 1 .500 0.5 2 4

Green 1 2 .333 1.0 10 7

First Pitch of SFL

2010-09-10T23:00:00.007-04:00

Here's a short clip some of the first pitch of the 2010 SFL from junior Michael Backes to sophomore Zach Mosbarger. Missed high for ball one...and we are underway.

Friday Night Smackdown

2010-09-10T22:19:00.006-04:00

It was not a great day to be the defending champs of the Storm Fall League. The Green Team opened the 2010 SFL with a pair of losses Friday night as they began their title defense. In the opener, the pitching was the story early on as the champs and the Gray Team managed only four hits total thru the first three innings. It was in the fourth inning that the goose eggs were cracked when Gray Team junior Ryan Rua broke the game open. After two quick outs in the inning, sophomore Zach Mosbarger sandwiched a single between a pair of walks which helped load the bases, and Rua cleared them with a grand slam over the left field fence to give the Gray Team a 4-0 lead. The champs showed signs of a late rally but that fizzled falling in their opener 4-1. Freshman pitcher Cameron Sheehan picked up the win in relief. Both Rua and Mosbarger finished the game with two hits apiece.

Game two was much like the opener as the pitching was dominant in the outset and it wasn't until the 5th inning until any runs were scored. The Black Team broke a scoreless tie in the 5th when junior infielder Mike Morgan led off with a double to right. After a sac bunt by sophomore Cody Blood advanced Morgan to third, freshman Bobby Seda brought him in with a sac fly to deep center. The Black Team would add three more runs in the inning when they recorded four straight hits, capped by a RBI-triple by junior Matt Toth. The Green Team would again rally late but fall 4-1 and drop to 0-2 in the SFL. Freshman Jeff Throckmorton picked up the win in relief.

SFL action will resume on Sunday when Gray and Black square off at 9am in the first of two games on the day. Stay tuned to www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates from the field and www.thecoachscave.blogspot.com for recaps after the games.

Friday, 9/10

Game 1: Gray 4, Green 1 (W: Sheehan 1-0, L: Fox 0-1)

Game 2: Black 4, Green 1 (W: Throckmorton 1-0, L: Oley 0-1)

Sunday, 9/12

Game 3: Gray v. Black, 9am

Game 4: Gray v. Green, 11am

Standings W L .PCT GB RA RS

Gray 1 0 1.000 - 1 4

Black 1 0 1.000 - 1 4

Green 0 2 .000 1.5 8 2

Are You Ready for Some...Fall Ball?

2010-09-09T17:14:00.021-04:00

Sure the NFL season kicks off tonight and all of America will be focused on New Orleans. But for me, it's hard not to be thinking about the SFL. Practice thus far have been going great and the team has been busting it so today's off day has given the team (myself included) time to rest and reflect, and to build up anticipation for the 2010 Storm Fall League, which begins play on tomorrow (Friday, 9/10/10).

The third year of the SFL will begin with the 2009 Champion Green Team facing off against both the Gray and Black teams. First pitch is scheduled to start around 2:30 pm at Mentor High School. The league will run through the second week in October (SFL Finals, 10/9/10). Games are open to the public and all fans are welcome to attend. For recaps, scores, and standings from SFL action, stay tuned to the blog as well as The Cave's twitter feed at www.twitter.com/thecoachscave for updates throughout the fall.

Rosters will be available at the field but may also be viewed below. The full schedule will be posted tomorrow. It should be a fun fall...see you at the park!

GREEN TEAM (2009 Champions)

Pitchers: Michael Backes, Adam Beach, Tim Dempsey, Doug Fox, Tyler Minnich, Mike Oley, Brad Raley, Matt Vanni*

Catchers: Nick Lovick

Infielders: Ryan Anstaett, Jae Leeworthy, Dillon VanDyne, Matt Vanni*

Outfielders: Garrett Emling, Josiah Ring

BLACK TEAM

Pitchers: Cameron Castro, JD Ingalls, Brian Kilway, Zack Justice, Mike Morgan*, Pat Sinko, Jimmie Shaw, Jeff Throckmorton, Ricky Volante

Catchers: AJ Gobar*, Pat Kilway*

Infielders: Cody Blood, Pat Kilway*, Mike Morgan*, Justin Rebhun, Bobby Seda*

Outfielders: AJ Gobar*, Bobby Seda*, Matt Toth

GRAY TEAM (2008 Champions)

Pitchers: Tim Birch, Brandon Grunda, Chris Mason, Logan Nordquist, Josh Porter, Ryan Rua*, Cameron Sheehan, DJ Stastny, Glenn Stewart

Catchers: Johnny Christani, Mike Fabri*

Infielders: Josh Crout, Kyle Kemp*, Reid Rizzo, Ryan Rua*

Outfielders: Mike Fabri*, Kyle Kemp*, Zach Mosbarger

*Plays multiple positions

And with the First Pick...

2010-09-06T13:00:00.005-04:00

One thing about going to a new program is finding out about ongoing traditions and rituals that exist and how they compare to what you've seen in the past. The 2010 Storm Fall League Draft was held last night after practice and there was a lot of extra buzz about these intersquad games. What makes these games unique is the team rosters stay the same from year to year instead of just resetting the rosters. There will always be bragging rights involved but the SFL carries over each year and there is a little more intensity and competitiveness with each game.

This is something new to me because there seemed to be so much turnover in player personnel this would be a difficult format to maintain. But the players have embraced the idea and added an extra element in the fall and with the first game of the year still six months away, it always helps to make the fall more competitive.

Stay tuned throughout the fall for SFL scores, standings and other updates.

Cave Notes

Congratulations to former North Central Cardinal and Cave Correspondent Justin Moriarty on being named head baseball coach at his alma mater of Fenton High School in Bensenville, IL. Good luck JMo! Read some of his past posts here.

High Fives to Better Judgement

2010-09-04T20:06:00.004-04:00

Whenever baseball coaches factor in the weather in any decision regarding games, practices, workouts, etc., they (we) begin to worry a little extra...and for no real good reason. Sure there is always the threat rain could pop into the picture and postpone or cancel practice, or sometimes just make it miserable to work through. But that is just part of the life we have chosen. Today we were faced with the decision on whether or not to cancel practice, and the percentages were not in our favor. Practice had already been pushed back three hours to give the field a chance to dry from the overnight rain, and at the time of the executive decision, it wasn't raining. The skies did not look promising and there was no doubt it would rain...it was just a matter of when. Luckily we decided to "Stay The Course" for a second straight day and it worked out for the best. Pitchers threw bullpens on schedule and we are all set for the showcase day tomorrow preceding the Storm Fall League draft later on Sunday night. The weather was going to do what it did regardless of our decision so we were damned if we did and damned if we didn't. So we figured we would rather be damned by doing and it was the best decision of the year...so far.

First Day of the Rest of Your Life

2010-09-03T21:16:00.004-04:00

Today was a long day, which for me started when my phone alarm went off at 3:45 am (the battery was fine so I did get up, sorry Jim Furyk) for a 6am lift. Getting up that early for the 45-minute drive didn't bother me because today was the first day of fall practice. The weather forecast didn't look promising but why would it? It hasn't rained for two weeks so naturally it would for the fall opener. Surprisingly, the rain stopped and the field was able to take some water so practice went off pretty much without a hitch.

There were a lot of good things that happened today but frankly, I am too tired to remember everything, or at least too tired to write everything down. I'm sure I'll have a post later in the week to recap the first week of practice. But it's about time to hit the sack before another early morning wake-up call. Until next time...

A New Beginning

2010-09-01T22:08:00.011-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. In fact, the last time I was still in Chicago. The location has since changed but the subject has not. I recently took a coaching job at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. This, of course, means I must close the chapter at North Central, which started only two years ago. Making sure I sound like an old man, the past two years have flown by and it seems like only yesterday I packed up and moved from Alliance to Naperville. But that was two years ago and now I'm ready to get going at Lake Erie. I leave a lot of great friends in the Windy City, where I will try to visit any time I can (Chi-town is one of my favorite cities ever) and take with me with a lot of great memories but am excited to begin new relationships and create new memories.

So The Cave will still revolve around baseball and coaching and I invite everyone to stay tuned. I will still try to provide insight into the world of college baseball and get a glimpse into life outside the lines. I wish everyone at North Central the best of luck and I have no doubts that the program is back and here to stay. Stay tuned and enjoy!