The Baseball Drive

On this episode Coach Joe Ferraro joins up to dive deep into the parallels between the classroom and the playing field.  We discuss best teaching practices and the current trends in education, and how those strategies can be applied to coaching the game of baseball.  We dive deep into practice planning, structure and routines, communication skills, and so much more.  For example, you will learn about understanding by design, the blended and flipped classroom, assessment tools, and student engagement. Episode Links Support the Show Our guest’s resource: Focus3, Understanding by Design, Kevin Wilson Baseball, Mike Deegan, Listening for Success Follow the guest on twitter: @FerraroOnAir Follow KWBRadio on twitter: @KWBRadio 1% Better Project The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation BACK OF THE BASEBALL CARD Joe Ferraro is a High School English Teacher, Head Varsity Baseball Coach, writer, podcast host, and creator of the One Percent Better Project.   This year marks his 18th year in the classroom. While working full-time as a teacher, Joe was hired at Manhattanville College as the youngest head coach in NCAA history at age 21.  There he inherited a 5-win team and helped turn the program around, totaling 22 wins in 2003. After five years at the helm, Joe now ranks second all-time in wins in program history. Prior to his leadership at Manhattanville, Joe played four years of Division I baseball at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY earning academic all-conference status twice. Joe was a starter on the 1995 Pennsylvania State champion Yardley Western Post 317 squad and a captain on the 1996 National Championship team.  The final game airing on ESPN and featuring Yardley Western defeating future Olympic Gold Medalist and Major League Baseball All-Star Ben Sheets. Joe has spent the last decade as a high school coach, first as JV coach and varsity assistant for the 2010 New York State Class C Champion Valhalla Vikings, and for the last two seasons as Head Coach of The Bronxville High School Broncos. Joe’s current projects include writing and speaking as well producing and hosting KWB Radio. Finally, Joe is the creator of The One Percent Better Project.  There Joe interviews creative leaders to uncover and share the habits and practices of success. A lifelong learner, Joe takes pride in being a trusted resource for coaches, leaders and teachers looking to improve daily.

On this episode, Greg Brown shares what it means to be a servant leader, and how to coach individuals from the inside out.  Brown explains how important it is to focus on developing your players habits to achieve personal goals, with winning as a by-product.  In addition, Brown takes us into his program, explains their mantras from the past few seasons, and how those themes were manifested. We also cover practice planning, and how to be prepared and efficient to maximize the time with your players. And lastly, the importance of building a program that is a contributing member of their school and the greater community. Greg shares a lot of great anecdotes and stories in this one, and I believe this episode will be an absolute game changer in so many ways.   Episode Links *Credit to Getty Images for the image Support the Show Our guest’s resource: The Obstacle Is the Way, The Undoing Project, KWB Radio Podcast Follow the guest on twitter: @Brownie_GB44 Follow the Nova Sharks: NSU_Baseball The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation   BACK OF THE BASEBALL CARD Greg Brown is the Head Coach of the 2016 DII National Championship winning Nova Southeastern University Sharks.  In Coach Brown’s 6 years at as the NOVA lead man, they have competed in Regional play 4 times, and were the 2015 Sunshine State Conference Champions. In 2015 NCAA South Region Coach of the Year Honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the 2016 season the ABCA names Coach Brown the Division II National Coach of the Year. In addition to the team success, 17 of his players sign professional contracts and has coached seven All-Americans, two Rawlings Gold Glove recipients, the 2015 NCAA South Region Player of the Year, 15 All-South Region selections, two conference Players of the Year, one conference Pitcher of the Year and 23 All-SSC selections. Greg Brown also has coaching experience with USA Baseball where he was a member of the staff for the USA Baseball 18u tournament team competing in the Tournament of Stars. Prior to coaching, Brown was an area scout for Houston Astros and was an assistant coach at Broward Community College. As a player, Greg signed with the Florida Marlins as a catcher, and throughout his 5 year professional career he spent time in Double – A and high A. Brown played his collegiate ball at fellow Sunshine State Conference member Lynn University from 1999-2003. During his time with the Fighting Knights, Brown helped lead the team to a .563 winning percentage. He still ranks second in career games played, third in career games started and ranks among team leaders in single-game hits and putouts. While a student-athlete at Lynn, Brown was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee serving as President of the organization from 2002-2003. In 2003, he was also named Lynn’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year. But with all of this success, present and past, Greg Brown has a bigger vision, and that is his impact as a servant leader which spans beyond the field.  His program has developed relationships with many charity organizations and non-profits making sure his athletes are making an impact on the community. Brown earned a degree in Business Administration in 2002 and finished his MBA with a concentration in Sports Administration during his final season as a Fighting Knight in 2003.

On this episode, Nunzio Signore shares how to design individualized training programs for pitchers, and how to establish a high performance environment.  Nunzio digs deep into detail about The Pitching Lab, a closed-loop training program that he developed alongside episode two guest,  Jim Wladyka.  We talk weighted balls, mobility assessments, core activation, bullpen sessions, video analysis, he gives us his Do’s or Don’ts of training pitchers, and, much, much, more.   Episode Links Marisa Tufaro inspired many with her heart and courage   Support the Show Our guest’s resource: Pitcher’s Arm Care Follow the guest on twitter: @RPP_Performance Rockland Peak Performance The Pitching Lab The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation   Back of the Baseball Card Nunzio Signore is the owner and operator Rockland Peak Performance, Co-Director of the Pitching Lab, and author of the book Pitchers Arm Care. Nunzio is a performance enhancement specialist certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and is also certified in the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). In addition to the work he is doing at RPP and with The Pitching Lab, he speaks annually at clinics such as Inside Baseball and Be the Best, and has been invited to lecture to college exercise science majors at schools such as Springfield College, Cortland University and Montclair State to name a few. Prior to starting RPP, he did extensive baseball mentorships with Eric Cressey of Cressey Sports Performance as well as programs with Mike Boyle (Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey, Boston Red Sox).

EP.23 Jeffrey Bradley (Bradley Baseball Gloves) on Being Glove Obsessed On this episode, we talk baseball gloves.  Jeffrey Bradley, shares what goes into the design and construction of a baseball mit, and how to go about properly breaking in a glove.  In addition, Bradley shares the inspiration behind starting a glove line that is 100% invested in giving youth players the confidence to catch the ball securely. Jeffrey Bradley is glove obsessed. And with Jeffrey being a sports writer, there is no shortage of baseball stories in this one.   Episode Links Support the Show Our guest’s resource: Tewks Hitting, Complete Academy Follow the guest on twitter: @BradleyGloves Bradley Baseball Gloves The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation

EP.22 Bryan Eisenberg (Best-selling Author) on Grokking Baseball One Resources at a Time On this episode, Bryan Eisenberg shares the strategies and resources that he has found to help him support his son, and help him grow each day.  Bryan discusses the importance of communication and goal setting, and also how he has used to data to help measure the growth of his son.  In addition, Bryan discusses how understanding marketing strategies can help you communicate more effectively with players and parents.   Episode Links Support the Show Our guest’s resource: Tools of the Titans, Baseball Think Tank, True Grind Systems, Tewks Hitting, and Play Ball Kid – Keeping sports fun for kids, parents and coaches Follow the guest on twitter: @theGrok Bryan Eisenberg The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation  

EP.21 Dean Ehehalt (Monmouth U.) on Creating an Edge with Team Offense On this episode, Dean Ehehalt defines the keys to implementing an offensive system and team playbook.  Dean shares his programs offensive goals, his thoughts on having a good approach or plan at the plate, and the importance creating your offense with every practice and pregame drill. In addition, he discusses the importance of clarity through goal setting and being task oriented with your players. Episode Links Support the Show Our guest’s resource: The Matheny Manifesto, The Way of the Seal,Seven Days in Utopia Follow the guest on twitter: @DeanEhehalt Monmouth U. Baseball The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Follow Cannonball Foundation Back of the Baseball Card Dean Ehehalt is in his 23rd season as Head Coach of the Monmouth University Hawks.  In March of 2015, Dean earned his 600th career victory, and has compiled 618 career wins in total, making him the All-Time winningest coach in Monmouth Division I history. Coach Ehehalt is a three-time recipient of the NEC Coach of the Year, and a eight-time honoree of the NJCBA Coach of the Year. Since 1996, he has guided the Hawks to 18 Conference Tournament appearances, including 11 Conference Championship games, and 4 NEC titles and NCAA Regional appearances. Under Ehehalt’s direction, the Hawks have amassed 21 consecutive 20-win seasons and eight 30-win seasons, while appearing in 71 postseason games. In addition to the team success, individual players have gone on to flourish. Brad Broach made his major league debut in 2011, and was named a 2016 American League All Star. In addition, 2011, Ryan Buch and Brett Brach, Brad’s younger brother, were selected in the 8th and 10th rounds respectively.  Also, in 2012, the Red Sox selected Pat Light in the first round of the Ametur Draft. In total, more than a dozen players have come out of Coach Ehehalt’s program and gone on to play professionally. In addition, Monmouth has had five conference players of the year, five conference pitchers of the year, 8 conference rookies of the year, and 15 receive various All-American honors. Prior to MU, Ehehalt spent two seasons at Upsala College as the head coach, and had assistant coaching stops at Kennesaw State, Princeton University, and his alma mater, East Carolina, where he earned a B.S. in physical education, and in 1990, he earned his second degree from the school, receiving a master’s degree  in education. As a player at East Carolina, Ehehalt was named to the 1987 CAA Scholar-Athlete team, and in his senior season, the Pirates won the league tournament championship. Prior to his arrival at ECU, Ehehalt played two years at Brookdale Community College, where he was named a Junior College First-team All-Region player. Ehehalt has also served on several committees throughout his career, including the NCAA Regional Baseball Advisory Committee and he was named the National Chair of the ABCA All-America Committee in 2007.

On this episode, Mingione shares the process that coaches go through in order to develop a complete program.  Nick emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with a great staff, spending time with your players, and developing them both on and off the field as well.  And when Coach talks about development, he lists them in the order of importance: student, person, and a player.  Also, Nick explains the role honesty plays in his program, and gives us a peek into how he develops athletes, most specifically, his hitters, and we talk bunting too.   Episode Links Support the Show Our guest’s resource: Hack Attack Pitching Machine Follow the guest on twitter: @Coach_Mingione The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation   The Back of the Baseball Card Nick Mangione is the Head Coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  Coach Mingione took over the reins in 2016 after serving as an assistant at Mississippi State for the last eight seasons. While at Miss. State, Mingione worked with the team’s outfielders, 1st basemen, and hitters, and served in the crucial role of Recruiting Coordinator. In his time working for John Cohen a Miss. State, the program was able to capture a SEC regular-season championship, a runner up finish in the 2013 College World Series, and the coveted SEC Tournament Championship in 2012. Prior to Mississippi State, Nick spent two seasons at Kentucky, winning 33 conference games in two seasons, including a 2006 SEC Championship. Nick has a earned the reputation as an elite recruiter, and he has an unmatched track record in player development. For three years in a row, from 2013 – 2015 Mingione help build a top-three ranked recruiting class. And as far as player development goes, Nick has mentored 64 players that were selected in the MLB Draft, as well as 36 All-Americans, and 5 conference players of the year. Nick also made successful coaching stops at Western Carolina, Embry-Riddle University which is his alma-mater, and Florida Gulf Coast, while also getting his start by returning to coach at his high school, Mariner HS. Lastly, Nick is a Hall of Fame speaker, literally.  In 2013, he was inducted into the “Be The Best You Are” Baseball Clinic.  I was actually in the building for that ceremony, and I was fortunate to attend his bunting session, which to this day is still the very best presentation of any sort that I have ever personally experienced. All you need to know is that he was able to combine the late comedian Chris Farley and bunting into the same presentation. LEGIT I want to thank Jim Belanger, UK Pitching coach for connecting us with Nick, def sent him a fist bump emoji for the assist, much appreciated! And I appreciate you, thank you for taking the time to listen to Nick Mingione on this episode of The Baseball Drive Podcast.

On this episode, Phil shares what it takes to build a successful staff in the Northeast.  Phil also discusses how important is to get our best athletes on the mound, and how to go about supporting them as they learn the position. In addition, Coach Cundari details the parallels between an athlete, and an actor, or a performer.  We also discuss how being a licensed psychotherapist has helped shape him as a baseball coach and mentor. Episode Links Support the Show Follow the guest on twitter: @PhilCundari13 Our guest’s resources: The New Toughness Training for Sports, The Only Way to Win, 10 Minute Mental Toughness, The Mental Game of Baseball, Heads Up Baseball The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation The Back of the Baseball Card Phil Cundari is the current Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach of The Seton Hall University Pirates. In his 17 year coaching tenure, Cundari has developed 21 professional players, including 9 players competing in pro ball at the time of this recording, including 2013 National League All Star, Jason Grilli. As a staff, his pitching program has been rewriting the Seton Hall and BIGEAST conference record books. For the 2016 season, the Pirates led the BIGEAST in strikeouts, wins, opponent batting average, and ranked second with a team ERA of 3.21. His staff’s 465 punch outs were second in program history. These BIG EAST conference pitching rankings have been incredibly consistent from season to season, always finishing among the conference leaders across numerous categories, which has also resulted in a collection of all-conference performers. For example, In 2014, Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and Second Team All-America. In 2012, Phil Cundari received the “Distinguished Service to College Baseball” award, from the New Jersey Sports Writer’s Association. Cundari’s promotion to Associate Head Coach came on the heels of a tremendous 2011 season in which the program won its second BIG EAST Championship in Cundari’s tenure. Cundari’s pitching staff led the conference in earned run average and was second in strikeouts, opponent batting average, innings pitched and hits allowed. Joe DiRocco was named Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship and became the first Pirate to receive ABCA All-America honors since 1997. For the impressive work of his pitching staff in 2011, Cundari was named National Pitching Coach of the Year. As a player, Phil played collegiately for Seton Hall, and currently ranks 2nd in career wins, fifth in games started, and 7th in strikeouts in just three seasons.  In 1985, he earned the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Award and was named a 2nd Team All-American. Cundari’s 1.22 ERA in BIG EAST conference games still stands as the conference record. Following his junior year, he was drafted by the Oakland A’s, playing 4 seasons before a career ending injury. For his success at The Hall, Phil Cundari has been elected to the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition, Coach Cundari is a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in peak performance and mental toughness training. Phil runs his own private practice as a sports performance consultant. I would personally like to add, that in my humble opinion, Phil is one of the great men in baseball.  A true gentleman, who treats both the game and its players with the utmost respect, a true professional, and I am honored to have him, another NJ native,  on this episode of The Baseball Drive Podcast.

On this episode, Scott shares his philosophies on player development and discusses some of the approaches that are prohibiting our players from truly meeting their potential.  He gives you practical advice for managing games and designing practice plans that will promote individualized player development. Scott also provides advice on how to raise quality ballplayers, detailing how he parented within the game of baseball.  And lastly, and maybe most importantly, he explains what it means to be resilient.   Episode Links Support the Show Follow the guest on twitter: @PUTigerBaseball Our guest’s resources: Resilience , The Champion’s Mind The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Cannonball Foundation   The Back of the Baseball Card Scott Bradley is in his 19th year as the Princeton Univeristy Skipper.  In his time at the institution,  he has led the Tigers to six Ivy League titles, six NCAA tournament appearances and 10, 20-win seasons. The Princeton Tigers are your current defending IVY League Champions (2016) Scott Bradley has seen numerous players drafted and signed out of his Tigers program, but most  notably their five recent big league contributors of Matt Bowman, Ross Ohlendorf, Chris Young, David Hale and Will Venable, bringing the total to 10 active professional players. Prior to taking over the helm at Princeton, Coach Bradley spent one year at Rutgers University as an assistant, and served as a minor league player/coach in the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies organizations after his playing days. And speaking of playing days, Scott spent nine seasons in the big leagues, breaking into the show wearing Yankee pinstripes in 1984 and stayed in the majors until retiring in 1992. Scott played 604 games in the big leagues for the Ny Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Cincinnati Reds, hitting above .250 clip for his career. And a quick –  Did you know? Scott Bradley guided Randy Johnson to his first no-hitter while the two were teammates in Seattle in 1990. Bradley was the second pick of the Yankees in the 1981 draft out of the University of North Carolina. In 1980, Scott was named the ACC Player of the Year, batting .386 with 10 homers and 63 RBI. Bradley hit .351 during his three-year career and impressively was an All-American in 1980 and 1981 For his contributions at the University of North Carolina, he was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2004. In addition, Scott is the older brother of Bob Bradley, former U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team head coach from 2006-11 and Jeff Bradley, esteemed writer and baseball columnist. Lastly, Scott has raised two great ball players himself, his son Kevin is a pro player in the Indians organization, who played at baseball at Clemson and finished up his collegiate career at Oklahoma State, while his youngest son Scotty is currently playing at Indiania University, and started 29 games for the Hoosiers as a freshman during the 2016 season.

On this episode, Karl Kuhn discusses the importance of being an authentic and consistent communicator. Karl walks us through his world-renowned mound visits by detailing how he structures each meeting, and he even shares a quick story about one of the mound visits he had in the College World Series.  In addition, Karl explains additional key components of effective communication, such as touch, presence, active listening, and humor. Other topics explored are: Why the University of Virginia is such a special place? Thoughts on pitch counts And of course we talk, VELOCITY. And do not forget to stick around for Karl’s Five that Drive Round at the end of the show, and stay tuned for our parting quote.   Episode Links Support the Program: Click here to help keep this show going! Follow the guest on twitter: @VirginiaRecruit Follow Virginia Baseball on twitter: @UVABaseball Our guest’s resources: “Turn this Ship Around” by L. David Marquet CHECK OUT CANNONBALL: The Cannonball Foundation The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA   The Back of the Baseball Card Karl Kuhn has been the pitching coach for the 2015 College World Series Champions, The University of Virginia Cavaliers for the past 13 seasons. Since the 2005 season, his pitching staff has earned the second lowest cumulative ERA in the nation.  The success on the mound has helped the Cavaliers reach 12 straight NCAA tournaments. Coach Kuhn’s staff has ranked among the top 20 nationally in ERA in 9 of the last 12 years, finishing # 1 in 2011 and # 2 in 2014.   In 2014, Karl was named Collegiate Baseball’s National Pitching Coach of the Year.  In addition, in 2010 he received Collegiate Baseball’s Tom House Teaching Professional of the Year Award.   Under coach Kuhns tutelage, many players have obviously experienced personal success.  Karl has seen 34 of his pitchers selected in the MLB Draft, including three first rounders.  At the time of this interview, 5 of those pitchers have reached the show, including 2014 American League All-Star ,Sean Doolittle. In addition, the Cavaliers have had 13 all Americans and 25 All-ACC honors on the bump during his tenure.   Prior to being Head Coach Brian O’Connors first hire when arriving at UVa, he was the associate head coach and pitching coach at Arkansas-Little Rock for seven years where began to establish himself as one of the nation’s top recruiters and pitching coaches.  He also spent three years at Charleston Southern and helped lead them to their first conference championship and NCAA regional appearance in school history.  Karl also has coaching experience at the community college and high level as well.    Karl started his college career at Valencia Community College in FL where he later coached.  He finished out his playing career at the University of Florida.

On this episode, Coach Brown reveals his keys to being a successful coach and player no matter the level of play. He discusses the importance of staying in the moment, and how important it is to always be in search of new resources.  In addition, if you are interested in talking pitching, Scott shares the resources, both tools, and people, that he has found to be helpful for developing his pitchers both physically and mentally. And few other topics explored are: managing bullpens, arm care, and monitoring pitches vs. innings.   Episode Links Follow the guest on twitter: @browntown_vandy Follow Vanderbilt on twitter: @VandyBaseball Our guest’s resources: The 95 MPH Body by Ben Brewster, Jaeger Bands, Cross-Over Symmetry, Austin Wasserman, TrackMan, Lantz Wheeler/BaseballThinkTank, Year Round Throwing Manual, Heads Up Baseball – Ken Rivizza (Top Rated Resource) CHECK OUT CANNONBALL: The Cannonball Foundation The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA   The Back of the Baseball Card Scott Brown is the Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach for the 2014 National Champion Vanderbilt Commodores. In his first three seasons with the program, the Commodores have won 156 games and his pitching staff has struck out a nation-leading 1,859 batters.   In addition, in each of his three years at Vandy, his staff has posted a team ERA under 3, which is the first time in program history the Commodores have been able to accomplish that feat.  It also helps that Brown’s arms have combined to throw 25 shoutouts over the three-year span.   Scott has helped produce two first rounders in his time at Vandy, Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler, and a third rounder in Philip Pfeifer. And impressively, Coach Brown has guided a freshman to freshman all-American status in each of his three years at Vanderbilt.   Due to this success, Coach Brown has set a new standard for the program, and his crew is rewriting the Vanderbilt record books. Prior to his success with Commodores, Scott Brown was the pitching coach at St. John’s University for prior guest Ed Blankmeyer.   Over those 9 years, 15 players signed professionally, with four of them reaching the big leagues.   In addition, his staff set several records in ERA and strikeouts, including mentoring numerous all-American and all-conference selections, which mirrors his current success at Vanderbilt. Scott Brown has experience at other levels as well.  He served as a manager for the Stanford Mainers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, was an assistant at SUNY – Cortland, a division 3 institution, which also happens to be his alma mater, where he was 2nd team All-American in 1999, and was atop the leaderboard for career victories upon graduation. Some of you may know, Cortland finished third this year in the Division III rankings, losing to Trinity in the 2016 Division III College World Series.  In each of his coaching stops, his staffs have set records in wins, era, and strikeouts, making Scott Brown one of the most sought after pitching minds in the country, and I am pumped to have him on this episode of The Baseball Drive Podcast.

On this episode, we discuss the dynamic between players, coaches, and parents, and dive deep into his experiences of raising a ball player.  Coach Blankmeyer shares strategies for how to successfully coach your own kid, and how he set parameters and also his process for making it a family decision. In addition, Coach Blankmeyer shares stories of important baseball moments in his father/son relationship, stories that we can all learn from – true teachable moments.     Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds Follow the guest on twitter: @EdBlank1 Follow the Johnnies on twitter: @StJohnsBaseball Our guest’s resources: Check out Jon Gordan’s books here – The Baseball Drive Resources CHECK OUT CANNONBALL: The Cannonball Foundation The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA   The Back of Ed Blankmeyers Baseball Card Ed Blankmeyer is the head coach of the St. John’s University Red Storm and was the manager for the 2015 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.   In over 21 seasons at the helm of ‘the Johnnies”, he has recorded 688 victories, making him the winningest coach in program history and Big East Conference history. Coach Blankmeyer has guided his program to three Big East Championships, four regular season championships, and eight NCAA tournament appearances, one of which they advanced to Super Regional play. Ed has earned conference coach of the year 5 times and has been named American Baseball coaches Association Northeast Region Coach of the Year 4 times.   Coach Blankmeyer’s has seen over 80 of his players drafted or signed to professional contracts, including players whom you may know, 2015 world series champion Joe Panik, 1995 Al MVP Mo Vaughn, and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. In addition to his dug out duties, Coach Blankmeyer has served on many committees which truly shows the respect that he receives from his coaching peers.  He has served on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, is an ABCA Division I Regional chairman, has represented that association at the MLB winter meetings, has been appointed to the American Baseball Coaches Association Editorial Committee and has served as the president of the Big East Baseball Coaches Committee to name a few. Lastly, before coach Blankmeyer began his coaching career, he was the starting 2nd basemen for Seton Hall Pirate teams that played in the college world series in both 1974 and 1975 and Ed co-captained the 1976 Pirates that made to the Northeast Regional.  In 1975 he was named the Atlantic Collegiate League MVP, and was an Academic All-American.  At the completion of his college career, Ed was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.  

On this episode, we discuss the importance of being a resourceful coach and parent. Coach Sheets and I dive deep into life-long learning, and share some of the valuable experiences and teachable moments that have shaped us as coaches, parents, and men. Coach Sheets also discusses his role within the American Baseball Coaches Association, and explains the great work they are doing throughout the baseball community. Stick around for Coach Sheetinger’s Five that Drive Round, our parting quote, and something extra special.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds Follow the guest on twitter: @CoachSheets3 Follow the ABCA on twitter: @ABCA1945 ABCA Website: ABCA.org Our guest’s resources: Toughness by Jay Bilas Calls from the Clubhouse Podcast CHECK OUT CANNONBALL: The Cannonball Foundation The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA   The Back of the Baseball Card Jeremy Sheetinger is the current College Division Liaison for the American Baseball Coaches Association, a position dedicated to increasing the communication across all levels of the game of baseball. Prior to this mission, Sheets was head coach at Spalding University in Louisville. In three seasons at Spalding, Sheetinger led the Golden Eagles to an 86-43 overall record (.667) and a 52-21 mark (.712) in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Spalding competed in three straight conference Tournaments in the program’s first three seasons eligible for the NCAA Div. III postseason. Before Spalding, Sheets worked through the ranks as a lead assistant at Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana (Div. II) for two seasons, was the Director of Operations at University of Kentucky (Div. I) for three seasons, and coached a season each at Brescia University and Georgetown College, both (NAIA) school.. While at Saint Joseph’s College, as the Head Assistant and Recruiting Coordinator, Coach Sheets helped the Pumas to a .301 team batting average his first season and improved the team fielding percentage 20 points. At the University of Kentucky, Coach Sheets handled roles such as coordinating and organizing year-round baseball camps, served as the bullpen coach during games, assisted the coaching staff during practices and played a vital role in the day-to-day administrative duties around the UK Baseball office. In addition, his stop at Brescia University (NAIA) during the 2007 season, was a success, where he served as the Recruiting Coordinator, as well as handling the hitters and team defense. During his year as the hitting coach of the Bearcats, Coach Sheets’s team raised its batting average almost 50 points, setting a then school record with a .325 team average. As a player, Sheetinger was a three-year letter winner at Kentucky Wesleyan College. While at KWC, Sheetinger was an Academic All-Conference selection, a member of the Dean’s List, and was named Captain his senior season. Academically, Coach Sheets earned his undergraduate degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College and also holds master’s degrees from Brescia University and the University of Kentucky. Lastly, Coach Sheets is a camp veteran, working in over 30 different states across the US, he is the Founder of the Bluegrass Experience, and the host of Calls from the Clubhouse – you could find links to those projects in the show notes. Coach Sheets has a true enthusiasm for the game and is dedicated to helping coaches all of the country – and for this reason I am pumped to have him on this episode of The Baseball Drive Podcast.

  On this episode, we discuss how and why the best tool that can be used to help players become successful is, conversation.  Kevin shares how important it is to ask questions and to be a good listener, how to “trick” your players into success.  Kevin also explains the role of a hitting consultant to the pros, why professional players need them, and most importantly, he shares the process that he goes through when working with players.     Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds Follow the guest on twitter: @KWBaseball Kevin Wilson’s Website: KWBaseball Our guest’s resources: Relentless , The Good Batting Book KWBRadio Podcast The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA  

In this episode, we are going to try something a little different, I am joined by my friend, Coach Steve Ditrolio of the Diamondjacks Super 17 Program. Steve and I met when we both were getting our starts in coaching. Together we coached at Bloomfield College, a small division II school in NJ, for Matt Belford. I then asked Steve join my Edison American Legion staff, and in that season when were one of the final 16 teams in the country, losing in the regional final. It was at the end of that season that we decided to form Full Count Baseball Club teams, with the owner of Full Count, Matt Belford. However, Steve never started with Full Count because he was offered a full time position with the DiamondJacks organization where has been working since 2008. Steve and I have assisted hundreds of players and their families in the recruiting process across all different levels. And what we are going to do on this episode is give you an overview of the recruiting process – each year both Steve and I give presentations to the parents in our program- and this is an adaption of that. OVERVIEW OF THE SELECTION PROCESS AGAINST THE ODDS RECRUITING MISCONCEPTIONS If I am good enough they will find me High school stats are important I should wait for schools to contact me I cannot have contact with a coach until the summer of my junior year Division III is for the least talented players Walk Ons – What does it mean? LEVELS OF PLAY WITHIN LEVELS OF PLAY SEC vs Patriot League NE-10, NJAC 9 different levels according to Wladyka   THE ROLE OF THE COLLEGE COACH/SCOUT CREATE A DEPTH CHART TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM NEEDS SEE (EVALUATE) AS MANY PLAYERS AS POSSIBLE (COLLECTING DATA WITH THEIR EYES AND STOPWATCH) SEND AND/OR RESPOND TO EMAILS/PHONE CALLS REVIEW RECRUITING VIDEOS IDENTIFY PLAYERS WHO FIT THEIR PROGRAM (STYE, FINANCIALLY, SOCIALLY, ETC) GENERATE A RANKED LIST OF POTENTIAL PROSPECTS INVITE PLAYERS TO CAMPUS (CAMPS/VISITS/TOURS)   THE ROLE OF THE PLAYER/FAMILY 100 “THINGS” LIST RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH (Financials, Social, Academic, Location, Enrollment, Program Success) SCHEDULE SURFING THREE FOR THREE (AND BEYOND) SEND AND/OR RESPOND TO EMAILS/PHONE CALLS Send schedules to coaches. Let them know why you are interested in their school. Send emails before tournaments. CONSIDER A RECRUITING VIDEO ATTEND COLLEGE BASEBALL GAMES (LET THE COACH KNOW) ATTEND CAMPS AND SHOWCASES KEEP CLUB COACHES INFORMED OF YOUR INTEREST/CONTACT WITH SCHOOLS MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA – “A retweet is still a tweet” and lyrics   THE ROLE OF CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL COACH PROVIDE GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS (SEMINAR,CONFERENCE,ETC) EVALUATE EACH PLAYER MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COLLEGE COACHES SEND AND/OR RESPOND TO EMAILS/PHONE CALLS PUT YOU IN A POSITION TO BE SUCCESSFUL   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds Follow the guest on twitter: @ditro2 Steve’s Resources: DJACKS College Recruiting Somerville Baseball Recruiting The Five that Drive Recruiting The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA BIGS Seeds Giveaway

We bring you Justin Su’a, Author, Speaker, and Mental Skills Coach in the Boston Red Sox Organization. We discuss how coaches and parents can better develop their players’ mental performance. Justin shares strategies on how to focus and motivate our players, and explains how we could help our players deal with anxiety and the fear of failure. Justin also shares some powerful thoughts on leadership and what is means to be a teacher, and discusses his role with the Boston Red Sox.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds Follow the guest on twitter: @Justinsua Justin Su’a’s Webiste: justinsua.com Our guest’s resources: Heads Up Baseball (in our Bookcase) & Extreme Ownership Increase Your Impact with Justin Su’a: Podcast The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA BIGS Seeds Giveaway   The Back of Justin Su’a’s Baseball Card Justin Su’a is currently a mental performance and leadership coach in the Boston Red Sox Organization and host of the “Increase Your Impact Podcast”. For the Red Sox, Justin conducts mental performance and leadership trainings for both the players and coaches throughout the organization. Prior to this position, Justin was the Head of the Mental Conditioning Department at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he was charged with the task of managing a team of mental conditioning coaches to provide world-class mental skills training. In addition, he travels the country speaking and training various organizations on how to cultivate mental toughness and create a culture of excellence. Justin’s clients perform in the NFL, Olympics, So You Think You Can Dance, PGA, the U.S. Army and as well as the MLB and youth athletics. Also, Justin is also the author of “Parent Pep Talks” and “Mentally Tough Teens” – and as mentioned before, the host of the daily motivation podcast, Increase Your Impact which you can find on iTunes, and all of the other pod players. As a player, Justin has an impactful career at Brigham Young University, serving as both a reliever and starter throughout the course of his career.  His most notable year was as a junior where he notched 6 wins and slammed the door on 3 saves. Justin was a scholar athlete and all academic MidWest Conference player.  Lastly, Justin had the great honor of being a member of the Samoan National Olympic Baseball team in 1998 and 1999. Justin is dedicated to helping athletes, parents, and coaches perform on purpose, with purpose, and I am excited to have him on this Episode of The Baseball Drive

On this episode, we focus our discussion around the ways that we can support players during competition. We discuss the dynamic between a player, their team coach, and hitting coach, and ways to make the relationship a positive one.  We also talk about the necessary balance between mechanics and approach, and John shares the things he looks from his offense during games. With Coach Peabody’s extensive background as a hitting instructor, and the fact that he has recently become a high school head coach, I think he is the perfect fit for this topic. Don’t forget to check out John’s Five that Drive Round at the end of the show – I have added a new question – so we are mixing it up a bit.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Follow the guest on twitter: @PeabodyBaseball GREAT RESOURCE: Peabody Baseball Our guests resource: Talent Code & Intangibles The Back of John Peabody’s Baseball Card John is a professional hitting instructor and currently the head coach of Santa Fe Christian High School Varsity club in Solana Beach, California. Over the past 10 years, John has established himself as a thought leader and go-to hitting coach throughout the country.  Since he established Peabody Baseball in 2007, Coach Peabody has worked with players that gone on to or currently play for many top colleges, including Arizona, Cal-State Fullerton, and Stanford.  In addition, John has continued his work amongst professional hitters, working with players from about a dozen organizations including the NY Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and 2016 World Champions, Kansas City Royals. And with his strong social media presence, he has over 40,000 followers and online resources, he could be a resource for you as well. As a player, John was a high school all-american at Rancho Bernardo HS who committed to attend San Diego State to play for the late Tony Gywnn. John was drafted in the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school, and decided to fulfill his dream of playing professional baseball, playing four seasons spanning from 2003 – 2007. John’s passion for the mechanics and mental sides of hitting are second to none, and I am pumped to have him on this episode of The Baseball Drive.

On this episode we discuss the benefits of travel ball and dive deep into why it is such an attractive option at all age levels.  Bob give us a brief history of travel ball and Perfect Game and shares with us what he thinks are some of the attributes of a strong travel baseball program.  Which could be of great use to the parents out there, and even those who run or coach at similar program. Lastly, Coach Barth talks about his experience coaching one of the game’s greatest players, Mike Trout.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Follow the guest on twitter: @barthbobhd Our guests resource: The Sports Source (Tell them The Baseball Drive sent you!)   Bob Barth’s Baseball Card Bob Barth is currently the Perfect Game 25 Mid-Atlantic Regional Director and owner and operator of the Tri-State Arsenal which is currently ranked the #1 16U in the country by Perfect Game.  The program has helped over 300 kids find a home in college baseball, many of which attened top level division baseball programs, and some that have gone on to play professionally, most notably a kid named Mike Trout. Bob is also the Founding Managing Partner of the World Ametuer Baseball Series and the senior manager of an elite baseball clinic, “The Hit Doctor” which was founded by his father, Joe Barth Jr..  He also runs several successful showcase skills events and tournaments. In addition, Coach Barth has been a professional scout for many years, and is most recently working as a scout for the San Francisco Giants, in which he dons a ring from their 2014 World Series Championship. As a player, Bob Barth was a scholarship first baseman and middle of the lineup hitter at Temple University.  Prior to attending temple, he participated in the D-III Junior College World Series for Gloucester County College, winning All-Region honors. As a scholastic player, he was an all-state caliber player for Gloucester Catholic HS and Brooklawn Legion, winning the prestigious Louisville Slugger® Batting Champ Award at the 1994 American Legion World Series. Coach Barth has an extensive history in the game of baseball that includes years of high quality coaching and instruction. Simply put, the Barth family name is synonymous with championship level baseball.

On this episode we bring you 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association High School National Coach of the year, Brian Chapman, of Millburn High School Baseball.  Coach Chapman shares how he quickly built one of the most successful high school baseball programs in the state of New Jersey.  Brian discusses the importance of empowering assistant coaches, and how key it is to build transparent relationships with the parents in your program.  Also, he shares his summer baseball approach, and how he has gotten the community to buy into what his program is accomplishing.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Follow our guest on twitter: @MillburnBasebal Brian’s ABCA/Diamond Coach of the Year Press Release Brian’s NJ State Baseball Article Our Guests Resource(s): EP 3 The Baseball Drive w/ Ryan Hurba & Pat Riley   Brian Chapman’s Baseball Card Coach Brian Chapman was named a 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association High School National Coach of the year. In his 6th Season as the Head Coach at Millburn High School, and in the five previous seasons, he has taken his club to two county championship games, won two conference championships, captured three state sectional finals, and in 2015 nabbed the big one, a Group 4 (which is a grouping for the largest schools in the state) State Championship. Coach Chapman he has created one of the most respected programs in the state of New Jersey. At the time of this recording, his program is ranked as the top public school in the state and are gearing up for another run. Before taking the position at Millburn, he served 12 seasons as an Assistant at Cranford High School under Dennis McCaffrey, also one of the most respected coaches and programs in New Jersey. Prior to that, he spent 2 years as an assistant at Union Catholic High School And spent five years coaching college baseball. One year at county college of Morris Two at Jersey City University and two years DIII powerhouse Kean University which is also his Alma mater where he played for the Cougars and was named a captain for his senior year.  , where he captained the baseball team during his senior year.

On this episode we are joined by professional strength and conditioning specialist, Ryan Faer, of the Deland Bulldogs and formerly of the New York Mets. We discuss the importance of ensuring that our athletes maintain peak performance during the baseball season.  Ryan shares why it is important for coaches and parents to be advocates for their players’ overall health and wellness, and he shares his suggestions and provides the staples for in-season training. Ryan keeps your players’ maturing bodies and their student-athlete schedules in mind when offering reasonable strategies for implementing a strength and conditioning program for your team or individual player.  In addition, we cover all seasons, fall, spring, and summer, touch on the specialization hot topic, and discuss the role nutrition plays in an athlete’s performance.   Episode Links Show Survey – will only take 60 seconds The Baseball Drive Resources The Baseball Drive on Facebook Follow your host on twitter: @TIMBANOS Follow the show on twitter: @DRIVEBALLMEDIA Follow the guest on twitter: @ryan_faer Ryan’s Blog: RyanFaerBlog.com Our guests resources: Eric Cressey & The Sports Nutrition Guide Book   The Back of Ryan Faer’s  Baseball Card Ryan Faer is currently the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Deland High School Bulldogs in Central Florida.  Prior to returning to his ala mateur, Ryan spent a season with the New York Mets and coached two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as a strength and conditioning coach. Prior to his start in professional baseball, Ryan also worked with Division I Athletes at Stetson University. In addition, Ryan doubles as a baseball coach.  He has spent over six years coaching high school baseball at both Deland High School and Lake Howell High School, as well as having experience in the summer travel circuit. His roles on those teams where to obviously handle the strength and conditioning components, but he has served as a pitching and bullpen coach as well. As a player, Ryan played baseball at DeLand where he was their varsity captain and received the “Coaches Award” for outstanding effort and leadership. Upon graduating from high school, Ryan attended the University of Florida, where he earned his degree, and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.