Baseball Training Tips

Baseball is a sport whose origin can be traced back to centuries ago, and its more modern shape went on to become the United States of America's most famous sport, providing great outdoors fun, for young people as well as adults.

It isn't really hard to get a handle of the game's rule and dynamics, but to reach the next step, baseball, (like any other sport when taken seriously) requires a lot of time, passion and training.

There is a great number of kids and teenagers that have become familiar with this sport every year, as well as older players that wants to keep their level high and stay in shape in a fun way. These following simple tips will definitely help improve the result of your training efforts, whether you are a youngster or a older baseball fan.

Tip number 1: Stay healthy
This seems pretty obvious, but let's not forget the basic ingredient to succeed in any sport (and to greatly improve your quality of life in general) is to keep a healthy lifestyle. This doesn't mean that you have to follow a rigid diet or excessively sacrifice yourself, but avoiding smoking and heavy drinking, eating healthy food as much as you can, jogging and stretching will definitely improve your efforts during any kind of training, and you will also notice a great sense of well being and mood brightening over all.

Tip number 2: Study
Sports are a matter of action first of all: to be on the field and actually experiencing the game is definitely the most rewarding and the most fundamental aspect of the whole thing, but it really helps to learn some theory off the field, in order to know how and when to move, and to better grasps the dynamics of the game and figure out what is happening on the field.

Baseball is a sport that requires brains more than muscles and agility, so a player with a good theoretical and strategical knowledge of the game will always be a step ahead.

Tip number 3: Don't try too hard
Training requires constancy and determination, but don't over do it. Over-working yourself with heavy training will not help, in fact, it might destroy all your effort. Find your balance, test your mental and physical resistance and don't try too hard. Right away you will notice that from time to time, you'll be able to achieve better results if you take your training one step at a time!

2012 Kansas City Royals Predictions

The Kansas City Royals finished fourth last season in the American League Central with a 71-91 record, but they are expecting to finish this year with a record above.500 for the first time since 2003. This team is loaded with young talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The only question this team has is its starting rotation. The Royals added Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants, but he isn't the only player on the team that the organization is excited about. Here are the projected starting lineup, starting rotation and closer situation.

Projected Lineup

Sal Perez (Catcher) - In his first season in the big leagues, the 21-year-old impressed many with his stellar play. He hit.331 with 3 home runs and 21 RBI in just 39 games. It is highly unlikely that he will maintain those numbers over the course of a full season, and he also needs to some time to develop some power. He certainly has a lot of potential, but he might need a couple more seasons to realize it and be a major contributor down the road.

Eric Hosmer (First Base) - The Royals certainly believe that they have a future MVP in their hands. In just 129 games, Hosmer hit.293 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI. The best thing about him is that he is not just a threat at the plate, but a huge upgrade defensively. Some are saying that he might just struggle in his second season, but he is unlikely to let this golden opportunity pass him by and should deliver even better numbers in 2012.

Johnny Giavotella (Second Base) - Giavotella has the starting job in the bag despite competition from fellow second baseman Chris Getz this spring. But he still needs to improve and show that the job is his to keep. He made his debut in the big leagues last year, but hit just.247 with 2 home runs. He also isn't that great defensively, so he needs to work twice as hard and show huge strides if he wants to keep his job.

Alcides Escobar ((Shortstop) - The Royals acquired Escobar from Milwaukee in a trade that sent ace pitcher Zach Greinke packing. The 25-year-old is a defensive specialist who has found himself in many highlight reels throughout his career. He still needs to develop his offensive game, but he came on strong during the final month of the season by hitting for an average of.324. He is also a big-time threat on the bases. He has 18 triples and 36 steals over the last two seasons.

Mike Moustakas (Third Base) - Another player coming off his debut in the big leagues last season is Mike Moustakas. The 23-year-old struggled early on, but improved as the season rolled along, and ended up hitting.263 with 5 home runs and 30 RBI over 89 games. The team is counting on him to continue what he started last year and emerge as a force in the middle of the lineup this season.

Alex Gordon (Left Field) - After struggling mightily in his first four seasons with the Royals, the former No. 2 pick in 2005 finally lived up to his potential last year. He hit.303 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI, but to completely turn his career around and take that next step, he needs to put up comparable if not better numbers this year.

Lorenzo Cain (Center Field) - Another player acquired in the Greinke deal is Lorenzo Cain. He was, however, limited to just six games because of the success the other outfielders were having. Cain has hit.302 in 169 career games between the Brewers and Royals. He improved his power in the minors last year, but not enough for the team to fully notice. He certainly is an upgrade at center with the potential to hit for a high average and rack up a lot of steals.

Jeff Francoeur (Right Field) - After playing on his fourth team in three years, Francoeur surprised a lot of people by hitting.285 with 20 home runs, 87 RBI and 22 steals. Although the team is hoping that he can build on what he did last year, I think that it is a far better bet that he will regress back to his career numbers.

Bill Butler (Designated Hitter) - Last year, when he was moved to Designated Hitter, Butler was reluctant at first, but in the end, the change didn't faze him as his offense continued to shine. He hit.291 with 19 home runs and 95 RBI. Butler has hit right around.300 with at least 15 home runs and 78 RBI in each of the last three seasons. He turns just 26 in April and his best years are still ahead of him. He could be in line for a breakout season if his power continues to develop.

Projected Rotation

Jonathan Sanchez (LHP) - The Royals are hoping he can pitch like he did in 2010, when he went 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 33 starts. He was hit by the injury bug last year, causing him to pitch in just 19 games, where he went 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. His stat line isn't exactly that of an ace, but he still remains to the best starter for the Royals going into the season.

Luke Hochevar (RHP) - Hochevar got back on track with an 11-win season in 2011, but there is still plenty of work to be done. He needs to lower his 4.68 ERA and 1.28 WHIP if the team wants to contend in the AL Central going forward.

Bruce Chen (LHP) - For everything he was able to do last year, Chen just doesn't seem to get the recognition he deserves. He was arguably the Royals' best starter in 2011. He went 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 25 starts. The lefty is 24-15 over the last two seasons, and it looks like it will be another double-digit win season in 2012.

The Purpose Of Pitching Equipment And Ways To Improve A Team's Performance

There are many different types of pitching equipment that a coach can utilize in training players of a baseball team. Many of these training aids are an asset to a coach or team leader as they help players make the best out of their abilities. In baseball, the strongest teams consist primarily of good hitters and pitchers. And as a result, there are several products that are designed to focus on improving the skills of both pitchers and batters.

Coaches and players have the ability to take advantage of some of the useful resources that are on the market. However, before considering what type of pitching equipment to purchase, it is important to consider the specific needs of the team.

There are multitudes of baseball training aids available to help players enhance their batting skills. A portable baseball batting machine is unique, as it does not require the use of a batting cage and can be easily moved. A coach can use this type of batting aid to help players improve on bat speed and power, while at the same time helping create consistent swings with good form. They are particularly good for entry-level ball players and can be found for around $200 to $300 online.

A more common baseball machine used for batting practice is the pitching machine. This type of pitching equipment is normally used in batting cages, but can be also placed in the open baseball field. When choosing from the many types available, coaches need to consider factors such as the age group and ability of their players. Other features to consider would include an adjustable pitch speed, as well as the types of pitches the machine is designed to pitch. Coaches will use these baseball machines to train and help improve different age groups starting with "bat-to-ball" contact, and later for more advanced training on hitting and batting mechanics.

The cost of this type of pitching equipment depends on the quality and features of the batting machine and can vary from $50.00 to over three thousand dollars. The most inexpensive, yet simplest teaching aid many coaches use for batting drills is the portable light-weight "batting-tee". Most think the batting tee is just used with the young tee-ball teams, but every age group, including major league players, have been known to use them. Coaches have realized that this device can help teach players to be consistent with the correct level and power in their swings.

Different types of pitching equipment are also available to help pitchers enhance their skills. A pitcher has a large responsibility to their team and therefore must have additional training on mechanics. Pitchers must have good balance and control, strong velocity abilities and the ability to visualize and pitch to a specific location over home plate. They also must practice while avoiding any injury and strain. Some of these types of baseball training aids are simple and inexpensive.