Miami University of Ohio Redhawks Head Coach Danny Hayden – It would surprise parents and players to know that we…

Miami University of Ohio Redhawks Head Coach Danny Hayden – It would surprise parents and players to know that we…

It would surprise parents and players to know that we are not extremely concerned with results. I think high school players and parents can get a little too caught up in numbers and at least here at Miami, we do not put too much weight in them. A high school player that puts up great numbers does not mean that he will be a great addition to our roster. On the other side of that,…

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Coach Al Brisack Describes The Most Difficult Skill Set To Evaluate

Coach Al Brisack Describes The Most Difficult Skill Set To Evaluate

In the 2017 season, Coach Brisack will be entering his 18th year as the Edgewood College skipper . Brisack, the winningest baseball coach in Edgewood College history, has won three conference titles, taken the Eagles to two NCAA Division III National Tournaments, and finished one game from the World Series in 2005.  The Eagles have only failed to play in post-season three times under Brisack’s leadership. One thing becomes clear after speaking with Coach Brisack, he is…

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Smartt Advice as Your Son Moves Through the Amateur Ranks

Smartt Advice as Your Son Moves Through the Amateur Ranks

Mark Smartt is in his first season as the Head Coach at Troy University in 2016. He has been the Recruiting Coordinator and lead assistant coach the last 13 years at Troy, his alma mater. He was the head coach at the University of West Alabama for six seasons and this year will be his 27th season as a collegiate coach. Coach Smartt played on two NCAA Division II National Championship teams at Troy in 1986…

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Boston College Coach Explains What Parents and Players Need to Understand About Recruiting

Boston College Coach Explains What Parents and Players Need to Understand About Recruiting

Greg Sullivan is in his sixth season as an assistant coach for the Boston College baseball team.  Coach Sullivan is one of the three primary recruiters on staff. He is also responsible for running the Boston College Baseball Camps. Coach Sullivan discusses the difficulties of recruiting and provides a brief glimpse behind the scenes of college baseball recruiting. Recruiting players is very hard. Recruiting is looking into a crystal ball and trying to predict how…

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Great Book! One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard

Great Book! One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard

I really enjoyed this book. I would think about Lefty when “the spindly curveball artist John Heneberry” took the mound. A fantastic story about coaching and being a team. Holidays are approaching, stocking stuffer for your baseball dad, BOOM!  Done. One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season by Chris Ballard In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on…

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Playing at the Highest Level – Air Force Academy Graduate 2nd Lt. Ben Yokley

Playing at the Highest Level – Air Force Academy Graduate 2nd Lt. Ben Yokley

When I asked 2nd Lt. Ben Yokley of Air Force baseball, who was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 29th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, what it takes to play at the highest level, his response reminded me that baseball is a game of failure. You have to be willing to strike out, make an error, or lose a game and at the same time not lose your drive,…

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It’s Not Just Baseball, It’s A Higher Calling – Coach Kaz on Playing for the Air Force Academy

It’s Not Just Baseball, It’s A Higher Calling – Coach Kaz on Playing for the Air Force Academy

What does it take to play baseball for the United States Air Force Academy?  According to Coach Mike Kazlausky (Coach Kaz), it takes much more than just being a baseball player. Coach Kaz: Recruiting at the Academy, we look for the whole person concept and not just an athlete in a sport. The recruit has to have the intellect, character, and honor to be able to handle such a prestigious school. We do so much more…

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CSULB Coach Cautions Parents: Raise Men, Not Just Ballplayers

CSULB Coach Cautions Parents: Raise Men, Not Just Ballplayers

If you’ve read my blog before, you’ve probably figured out by now that Lefty plays for a travel ball organization called MIT. What you might not know is that while MIT officially stands for Mentoring, Instruction and Training, my wife and some of the other MIT moms often joke that it should really stand for “Men in Training” (because of the important life lessons our kids are learning through baseball.) Looks like the MIT moms…

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Young Player’s Arm is Sore…Now What?

Young Player’s Arm is Sore…Now What?

Having a sore arm is a part of baseball. Throwing a baseball is an inherently difficult and unnatural motion. And if you have a baseball player, there will most likely be a time when you hear, “My arm is sore.” We can spend hours (if not days or weeks) discussing important topics like prevention, training and overuse. As a parent of a youth baseball player, I know it’s my responsibility to be well-informed and his…

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CSUN Head Coach Greg Moore Answers This One Question For Parents and Players

CSUN Head Coach Greg Moore Answers This One Question For Parents and Players

Over the past few months, I have reached out to NCAA and NAIA head baseball coaches and asked one question that has intrigued me for some time. The response to this question has been tremendous and some times even stunning. Over 100 coaches have provided their perspective to my question. As I am compiling their answers, I wanted to share one response from current head coach at California State University Northridge, Greg Moore. Coach Moore…

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His College Recruiting Secrets Will Surprise You — My Interview with CSUSM Pitching Coach Hause

His College Recruiting Secrets Will Surprise You — My Interview with CSUSM Pitching Coach Hause

  When I reached out to Coach Hause and asked if he’d be willing to sit down for a chat about youth baseball he replied immediately and said he’d do anything he could to help. Coach Hause is the pitching coach for California State University San Marcos, which gained NCAA status last summer and was recently approved for Div II candidacy. He is one of the best and most knowledgeable pitching coaches in the region, known for…

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Why Young Pitchers Should Learn A Changeup

Why Young Pitchers Should Learn A Changeup

Okay, I know it is not as entertaining as a nasty curveball. Batters won’t bail, duck and swing like a corkscrew out of the box.  Most fans in the stands won’t ooh and aah when they see it. It is not widely used especially in youth baseball.  It takes time to learn a grip that works and most of all, trust it.  But, done right…it is awesomely nasty!  It is the changeup. Lefty has been working…

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Butch Thompson Explains Future Of Pitching

Butch Thompson Explains Future Of Pitching

  Interesting pitching philosophy by coach Butch Thompson at Mississippi State.  He believes that using more pitchers during a game not only gives every pitcher a key role but also creates a more effective staff late in the year instead of suffering from dead arms. By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. Editor/Collegiate Baseball (From Feb. 21, 2014 issue of Collegiate Baseball) MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. — Pitching coaches have always utilized different strategies to maximize the pitching talent they…

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Myosource Kinetic Bands

Myosource Kinetic Bands

Lefty’s team started to use these Myosource Kinetic Bands to condition.  I think it will be a great way to increase his speed an agility.  Looking forward to seeing his progress. Resistance & Exercise Bands That Provide A Comfortable, Strength Building Workout For Your Legs, Hips, And Core! Kinetic Bands are a unique resistance band training product that provides a heart healthy, strength building workout for all ages (7+). These comfortable leg resistance bands fit just above…

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Use the Tee

Use the Tee

Lefty asks daily to go out and take some batting practice.  But sometimes there is just not enough time in the day and the rusty arm is REALLY rusty.  I know hitting off a tee is not the most fun drill for a 10-year-old to do, but I encourage him to do it daily.  It doesn’t require a lot of space or time or even another person.  Lefty takes the tee into the garage and…

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Summer Time Routine

Summer Time Routine

There is always a lot of talk about playing year round baseball.  With summer here, I found this article by Danny Knobler on Bleacher Report about Josh Beckett and his summers.  I believe limiting pitching and throwing is the way to go during summer. Baseball’s Pitching Dilemma: ‘Too Hard, Too Fast, Too Much, Too Soon’ Josh Beckett grew up as a baseball star in the baseball hotbed of Texas. He was so good at his Houston-area high school that…

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American Sports Medicine Institute Examines Pitchers Ages 9 – 14

American Sports Medicine Institute Examines Pitchers Ages 9 – 14

Researcher at the American Sports Medicine Institute believe there is a the link between overuse at a young age and future injuries.  An ASMI study published in 2011 examined 481 pitchers ages 9-14, and then checked with them 10 years later. Those who threw more than 100 innings in a year were 3.5 times more likely to need elbow or shoulder surgery or were forced to stop playing baseball. ASMI Position Statement for Youth Baseball…

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Rice Bucket – Build Arm Strength

Rice Bucket – Build Arm Strength

#4 Rice Bucket – Build Arm Strength This is one of my favorite exercises because it does not involve weights so players of all ages can do this drill.  This drill will strengthen the wrists, forearms and shoulders.  Give this exercise a try with your player, you will be amazed at the strength developed in your wrists and forearms. Rice bucket drills can be used as strength building exercises for ball players of all ages.  The…

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Don’t Try To Make Everything Perfect

Don’t Try To Make Everything Perfect

I hate to admit it, but there are times when I try to make every single aspect of Lefty’s game perfect and tend to focus on the negative instead of celebrating the positives. There aren’t too many ten-year olds who play the game with the intensity as Lefty does.  He gives 100% on every pitch and every play.  He plays his heart out in a game as a catcher, then pitcher, then first base, then…

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SHOULD YOU ICE?

SHOULD YOU ICE?

#3 in my journey…Icing Arms At some point in  your young player’s development, you will ask yourself the same question I did about a year and a half ago.  I wrote a post called Should Young Pitchers Ice Their Arms.   I contacted Dr. Alexander Espinoza, Board Certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, with Medicine-In-Motion and posed the question, should young pitchers ice their arms? Dr. Espinoza stated “Icing in a young thrower has not been shown to…

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BASEBALLISM.com

BASEBALLISM.com

If you are a baseball fan, or know one, you will love this site. I do! Clever clothing                   Caps               Signs and Posters           Follow on Facebook or

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How to Strengthen and Prevent Injury in Young Arms

How to Strengthen and Prevent Injury in Young Arms

THE PROPER CARE OF LEFTY’S ARM I care for Lefty’s arm more than I ever cared for my own.  I am consumed by idea that his arm health is my responsibility at this age.  I am on a journey of discovery.  I spend a lot of time scouring the internet and speaking with coaches, players, physicians for information on age appropriate arm strengthening drills and injury prevention for Lefty.  How can I strengthen and prevent injury…

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WALL ART – SWINGS OF BEAUTY

WALL ART – SWINGS OF BEAUTY

I sent a video clip of Lefty’s swing to his coach and got some good feedback.  He recommended that Lefty get his belly button facing the pitcher after contact.  He also noticed that Lefty’s front knee is bent at and following contact which takes away all his power and torque produced by his lower half.  He explained the stride leg can go out bent but should straighten as the swing progresses. To encourage this approach, I printed…

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A Truly Touching Baseball Story

A Truly Touching Baseball Story

This story has inspired me to “ bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world”.   By The Numbers: A Truly Touching Baseball Story Father Gabe Costa on CBS New York Below is a “baseball story” which an old friend sent to me a few days ago. I suspect it will get you — right in the heart. At a fundraising dinner for a  school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one…

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Every Team Wants a Guy Like Matt Long

Every Team Wants a Guy Like Matt Long

“A guy that’s very easy to like on and off the field, …the grinder, Matt Long.”  Taylor Ward Scout.com “Hey Matt, will you take a picture with my son?”  As I shouted those words at the Peoria Sports complex back in March, I was not sure if I would get the photo.  But true to everything I have read about Matt Long, he walked over, put an arm around Lefty and I got this photo….

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Lefty’s Clubhouse

Lefty’s Clubhouse

 Okay, I admit it. I am kind of a cheese-ball when it comes to pre-game preparation for Lefty. Maybe it is because I enjoyed the pre-game rituals when I was playing. What player at any age doesn’t enjoy  the routine of gearing up and putting on the uniform? Or maybe it is because we usually have to leave at zero dark thirty for weekend games and I have to get Lefty’s gear ready the night…

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Tee Ball

Tee Ball

Lefty’s first experience in organized baseball…Tee Ball! Hard to believe that it has been four years since this picture. But I love looking at it. I don’t think his passion or focus for the game will ever be captured in a better pic. As the years go on, I do enjoy watching him play more and more. I enjoy seeing him learn the game and play at a higher level. I can’t wait to see…

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Home Plate Collisions

Home Plate Collisions

MLB’s rules committee approved a resolution at December’s winter meetings to ban home plate collisions.  The guidelines designed to eliminate home plate collisions are scheduled to go into effect this season.  In the next few days, MLB will be making teams aware of the new rule.  At this time,  the general understanding that players and coaches are working with is that catchers can’t block the plate and runners must slide and can’t initiate a collision….

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Hitting – Get Mad

Hitting – Get Mad

Stepping into the batter’s box and facing live pitching takes confidence. The transition from machine pitch to live pitching can be stressful for young players. No one at any level likes being hit by a pitch, but it happens . Overcoming the fear is key for young hitters. From the time I started throwing wiffle balls to Lefty for batting practice, I would intentionally let one get away and hit him with the wiffle ball….

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Pressure vs. Resource – Which One Are You?

Pressure vs. Resource – Which One Are You?

I find this article by Bill Ripken (Ripken Baseball) thought-provoking.  The fact that his dad, Cal Sr. – a manager in Major League Baseball, did not pressure his sons to play, is incredible to me.  I hope Lefty feels this way years from now. The Role of Parents By Bill Ripken Every parent wants the best for their child, there’s no doubt about that. But we as parents can sometimes put unnecessary pressure on our…

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Padded Hat for Pitchers

Padded Hat for Pitchers

Would you put your young player in this hat? When it comes to the safety of Lefty, I would say yes. Major League Baseball has approved a product designed to protect pitchers from potentially dangerous line drives hit at them. After testing a number of prototypes from various companies, a padded cap manufactured by the 4Licensing Corporation subsidiary isoBlox will be made available to pitchers at all levels when they report to Spring Training. Use…

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One Pitch Ahead – The Mental Side of the Game

One Pitch Ahead – The Mental Side of the Game

As Lefty gets older, I see the need for him to start thinking more about the mental side of the game. Last weekend we were playing in a tournament and I witnessed a few plays that caused some confusion. In baseball you have to be one pitch and one play ahead in your mind. What if the ball is hit to me? What if the runner steals? Questions like these need to be asked before…

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Baseball Quilt

Baseball Quilt

What do you do with your player’s old jerseys?  Hang them in the back of the closet?  Put them away in a drawer or box?  Or…make a baseball jersey quilt. A friend of mine did this quilt for her son.  What a great keepsake. Not sure if she does this for others, but if she does, you will have to get in line behind me.

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Surviving Baseball Tryouts

Surviving Baseball Tryouts

It was 1989 and I was attending a tryout at a local college. I was up on the hill of the main field. There were four coaches sitting on buckets outside the dugout watching my every move while looking at their clipboards trying to find my name and pertinent information. Fellow players were sitting in the dugout sizing me up as their competition to make the team. And in the stands were a dozen parents…

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Travel or Rec Ball

Travel or Rec Ball

Well, it is that time of year again.  Tryouts for the rec season are just around the corner.  I can honestly say I did not think I would be saying these words for at least a year or two, but here they are.  This year Lefty did not sign up for the local rec league and he will be playing travel ball instead.  This was a big decision for Lefty and TheRustyArm family.  The previous…

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Total Control Ball

Total Control Ball

Lefty has been using these Total Control weighted balls in pre-game hitting and practice drills for the last month or so.  Already I have seen an improvement in how he drives through the ball and finishes his swing.  He is driving balls to the outfield regularly now which he was not doing before.  These training balls are a really good design that allows you to use a small area.  As your young player swings through…

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Hit By Pitch

Hit By Pitch

No batter at any level likes getting hit by a pitch.  But, the truth is it is not if your young player will get hit, it is when.  It is a part of baseball and hitting.  Young players need to learn the proper way to take a hit by pitch and overcome the fear.  I have seen it happen when a player gets to kid pitch, can’t stand in the batter’s box, and soon his…

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Little League or Pony League

Little League or Pony League

At this time of year, the Little League World Series brings youth baseball to the limelight. Lefty plays Pony baseball, not Little League.  Lefty started in Pony baseball for no other reason than there is no Little League in our city.  I would guess that is why most parents have their child in either Little League or Pony.  These are two separate organizations but both provide a great youth baseball experience.  We get asked a…

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BASEBALL SCOREKEEPING

BASEBALL SCOREKEEPING

I know the idea of keeping score in baseball can be intimidating.  When I ask a parent if they would be able to keep score, I see the hesitation and sometimes fear in their eyes.  It’s understandable. If you have never kept score, you have no idea what it entails, what to expect and you may feel too much responsibility.  But, if you are a baseball fan and/or parent, I really think you would get…

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CHOOSING A BASEBALL BAT

CHOOSING A BASEBALL BAT

What size bat should I buy?  Great question!  I get asked this question often and I by no means consider myself an expert.  I know the size bat Lefty uses but when it comes to this big purchase and choosing a baseball bat,  I think we could all use some help. I prefer not to spend a car payment on a bat for Lefty, but I also want him to have decent bat.  I also…

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VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS – PART III

VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS – PART III

HOW IT WORKS TheRustyArm:  How many kids usually try out each year? And for how many spots? Coach Dufek:  Typically we get anywhere from 25-30 freshman tryout each year. We will get anywhere from 5-10 upperclassman tryout.  This does not count the returning players from the previous season.  I usually keep anywhere from 16-18 players on each team.  We have three levels at which a player can compete at, Varsity, Junior Varsity and Freshman.  Our…

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VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS – PART II

VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS – PART II

My conversation with Coach Dufek continues. Getting a Spot on the Team TheRustyArm:  How many players do you normally carry on a team? What percentage of them are pitchers? Coach Dufek:  I will carry any where from 16-18 players on each team. Some years we have a couple more or less. I will carry as many quality pitchers as I can. Ideally I would like to have 6 to 7 pitchers on our team. Some…

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VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS

VARSITY COACH GIVES ADVICE TO PARENTS

It’s been a (real) long time since I tried out for my high school baseball team. Makes me wonder what has and hasn’t changed about the steps players take to get there. And if my son, Lefty, wants to play high school ball like I did, is he on the right track for today’s game? Questions like these led me to talk with San Marcos High School’s varsity baseball coach, Jeff Dufek. I thought it…

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Youth Baseball – Should Young Pitchers Ice Their Arms

Youth Baseball – Should Young Pitchers Ice Their Arms

Lefty is now playing kid pitch baseball.  He has been waiting for kid pitch for a few years now because he has always wanted to pitch.  He is getting his chance and enjoying it.  Now that he is pitching, I started to wonder if I should consider icing his arm and shoulder after he throws.  I was then asked by a couple of parents if they should do the same.  I remember icing my elbow…

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The Hitting Jack-It System Review

The Hitting Jack-It System Review

You know those products you see and say, “that is a good idea, why didn’t I think of that’?  When I first saw this product on TV a few years back, that is exactly what I said.  Since then, I have not thought too much about bat weights until recently.  At one of Lefty’s games, I saw his teammate struggle to get a donut on his bat in the on deck circle because he had…

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“I Love To Watch You Play”

“I Love To Watch You Play”

Have you ever embarrassed your child by yelling or being a bleacher coach? I have coached Lefty a lot in baseball.  I could spend all day and night coaching him.  Sometimes I wonder if he would rather have me as a coach or just a Dad.  After, and I admit sometimes during, each practice or game, I have to fight back the temptation to keep coaching (a.k.a correcting).  I sometimes bring a book to his practices…

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Strengthen Young Arms with Long Toss

Strengthen Young Arms with Long Toss

One of my favorite things to watch at a big league game is the players playing long toss.  Does that make me strange?  Whether it is the starting pitcher beginning his warm-ups in the outfield or the position players in front of the dug out.  I enjoy watching this part of their pregame ritual. Besides being a pregame warm-up fan, I believe long toss is the best way to develop arm strength especially in young…

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Mom Teaches Multiplication While Playing Catch

Mom Teaches Multiplication While Playing Catch

One family goal this summer, as Lefty heads into the third grade, is to have him memorize his multiplication tables. No summer slacking for him, enrichment must continue! Here are some facts about Lefty; he loves baseball, he loves playing catch with me or with Mrs. RustyArm, if he could play family catch with both me and mom at the same time, well he has hit the jackpot.  He likes math but he does not love…

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SDSU Star and Oakland A’s Sixth Round Draft Pick Time Travels Back to 2006

SDSU Star and Oakland A’s Sixth Round Draft Pick Time Travels Back to 2006

What if you could go back in time and give one piece of advice to your 12-year-old self? What would it be? I asked SDSU’s former No. 1 starter and the Oakland A’s sixth round draft pick, Bubba Derby, that question. Now of course, when I asked Bubba what piece of advice he would give his 12-year-old self, I was really looking for a jewel I could give to Lefty and his 12U teammates. I found it. Bubba: If…

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