~ Baseball Coaching ~ Baseball Participation ~
~ Dream It, Believe It, Achieve It! ~

Welcome to theoleballgame.com, a website for baseball coaching youth, and amateur. The information contained within these friendly confines, is created for coaches, players, parents and fans.

This site is here, and bet that you are also, because someone has touched us with this game. A game like no other, it is loved and cherished by those who have, and have not played it. The game is surrounded by a magical, almost mystical presence of all that was, is, and always will be, played out on sand lots and inside stadiums world wide.

Playing or coaching this great game, begins with a dream, that vision of something we wish to accomplish, or a destination we aspire to achieve. Development of that dream requires that we truly believe it can happen.

The pages within are designed to stimulate thoughts on ways to help develop and achieve your dream, take your belief in that dream and turn it into reality, whether you are a rookie or veteran coach, player, parent or fan. I encourage you to engulf yourself in the journey. Your investment in the game, like a good stock, will provide far greater returns than you invested.

While there have been a few original thoughts along the way, most of what has been accumulated was learned from someone, somewhere. Every now and then it's believed there has been an original idea, only to realize it has been forgotten from whom it was learned.

So, pack up your dreams in the "ole" equipment bag, gather around the portable cage, lean on a fungo while traveling "round" the bases in your mind, at theoleballgame.com; inspired by 45 years of experience.

As you focus on the process, the results will take care of themselves, just as they do in the game itself.

May you always slide in, under the tag!

Wishing each of you the best in your journey.

Yours in baseball,

Rick

Tips From The Dugout

Who Would Have Imagined?

As We Work And Play In This Game, A Good Portion Of Our Life Is Spent Gripping A Baseball, And As It Turns Out, It Was Baseball Gripping Us.

Let That Passion Take You To A Lifetime Of Memories And Experiences, That Money Cannot Buy!

A True Classic

If you located this paragraph, then you probably have had, or currently do have, the "dream". That vision of playing in a stadium the magnitude of Fenway or Wrigley, or a modern day version of the dream, which places you in one of the 28 other stadiums of major league baseball.

Who hasn't dreampt of standing on that mound looking in for the sign, digging into the batter's box in anticipation of turning around a 95 mph fastball, backhanding a ground ball deep in the hole and throwing the runner out at first, or leaping up at the outfield wall to steal a homerun.

As you circle the bases of the ole ballgame, you will find tried and tested ways to improve your game or enhance your coaching experience, all designed to help take you one step closer to your "dream".

Fenway Park has been home to The Boston Red Sox since 1912, making it the oldest major league ballpark in use, with only a few changes since it opened. Along with Wrigley Field, home of The Chicago Cubs, they are the last remaining classic ballparks in major league baseball.

One of the games most notable landmarks, the GREEN MONSTER was part of the original ballpark construction. Painted green in 1947, this 37'2" high, left field wall, was aptly nicknamed.

Fenway was also home to Ted Williams, who played his entire career in Boston. Williams was the last major league player to hit .400, which he did in 1941.

Entering the last day of the '41 season, Williams was hitting .3995, which would have rounded up to .400.

His manager, Joe Cronin, told him he could sit out the double-header scheduled for that day. Williams played, going 6 for 8, ending the season at .406. He would later say that it would have felt like cheating, if he sat out.

The true spirit of the game, and not surprisingly, a great approach to life.

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Baseball Coaching Blog The baseball coaching blog keeps you up to date with all the additions and changes to the oleballgame.com website. Subscribe here.

Baseball Coaching, About Us Baseball coaching about us is truly are a compilation of my 46 plus years of playing and coaching baseball, and the lifetime of information learned from all those I have come in contact with.

Baseball Coaching, Site Dedications Baseball coaching, site dedications, a tribute for two very special people!

Site Origin Site Origin: Reflections, or the thoughts you finally have time for once you aren't so concerned with the everyday survival mode that plagues us all!

My Site Build It! Story How I went from retirement, to lobster fishing, to site build it.

Baseball's Mental Game Baseball's mental game; It can be the difference between success and setback.

Baseball Hitting Baseball hitting, the art and science of hitting a baseball, one of the most interesting and talked about aspects of the game.

Base Running Base running, one of the least taught and practiced skills, yet still one of the most important, even in the age of the aluminum bat.

Baseball Throwing Advanced Baseball throwing advanced, a major piece to the puzzle for becoming a successful baseball player.

Baseball Receiving Advanced Level Baseball receiving, advanced level becomes a matter of getting players to move their feet.

Baseball Recieving Rookie Level Baseball receiving,rookie level.

Bunting Bunting; not taught as a desperational choice, but as an offensive weapon to be used at any point in the ballgame.

Baseball Practice Organization It can seem so overwhelming, this subject of baseball practice. How is it possible to cover all the material there is, let alone have time to effectively work on each one?

Game Management Game management, prepare them in practice so that everyone can enjoy the games

Baseball Drills Coaching Tips Maintain the fun as you build a sound foundation through baseball drills.

Baseball Skills Checklist Baseball skills checklist; sitting down and making a map of skills and the days you plan to cover them will assure that things don't get left out.

Baseball Rules A working knowledge of baseball rules is essential for players to feel comfortable and enjoy success within the game.

Baseball Games Baseball games; Inject some fun into a practice with one of these easy to use, fun to do games!

Baseball Resource Links to baseball resource sites I have found interesting and informative.

Baseball Drills By Category Baseball drills by category.

Baseball Rundowns Baseball rundowns, the fewer the throws, the higher your success rate.

Pitching Split Drill This pitching split drill is a great way to work your pitchers on four main defensive situations, in a short amount of time.

Situations Squeeze Bunt Situations, Squeeze Bunt: The Secret To Bunt Defense Is Decisiveness On The Part Of The Defensive Team!

Baseball Tribute To Roberto Clemente A baseball tribute to Roberto Clemente, the man!

Willie Mays The Catch Willie Mays, the catch was a truly memorable play in the 1954 World Series.

Fear Of Being Hit Minimize the fear of being hit by the baseball. This concern has certainly been a part of this game since it's inception, over 170 years ago.

Rookie Throwing Rookie throwing, one of baseballs' essential skills, needed by all players.

Baseball Sliding Baseball sliding

Sacrifice Bunt Defense When the hitter squares to bunt, the sacrifice bunt defense springs into action.

Baseball Outfield Fundamentals Baseball outfield fundamentals.