This week we are joined by the Pirates’ Josh Harrison. Recently I had the pleasure of listening to Josh speak to a small group at the Green Diamond Gallery in Montgomery, OH (words can’t describe how cool that place is) and then sit down with him for a one on one interview. It doesn’t take long to see that he has a very likable personality and is passionate about playing in the big leagues for years to come. In 2011 he hit .310 in AAA before getting called up to the Pirates and hitting .272 over almost 200 AB’s.
Josh has played multiple positions over the past few years, and at one point in the night was asked which position he would prefer to play this upcoming season. His answer was simple, yet profound. “Whatever position will keep me in the Big Leagues.” It’s a great lesson for any ballplayer out there trying to make a team and earn more playing time. Be a team first guy!
Many thanks to Josh for taking the time to sit down with Next Level Ballplayer to talk about his hitting routine that keeps him out of slumps, Eddie Murray’s hitting advice when facing hard throwing pitchers (hint: get your front foot down), what it means to have a good two strike approach at the plate, what motivates him and more.
Hey guys, I’m pumped to tell you about a unique opportunity that is available this summer. I am putting together a team of 15 high school baseball players (2012, 2013 and 2014 grads) to go to the Dominican Republic for a week. The dates of the trip are June 18-24.
This trip is unique in that you will have the chance to work with a small group of players and professional coaches for the week improving your baseball skills. We will have regular workouts with Dominican players and play a series of games during the week. There will be tours, mental baseball training, college recruiting lectures and of course, some of the nicest beaches in the world. In addition, you will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the Dominican Republic – the world’s most dynamic nation in terms of baseball (the Dominican currently puts more players in MLB, per capita, than any nation including the U.S.)
It is a GREAT opportunity if you have an interest in playing college baseball.
This week in Coaches’ Corner we sit down with University of Connecticut head baseball coach Jim Penders. Coach Penders is going into his ninth season with the Huskies and has guided them to two consecutive NCAA regional births, including a Super Regional appearance in 2011. That 2011 team had 10 players drafted, including three players in the top two rounds… Yes, 10 draft guys on one team! That doesn’t happen very often.
We appreciate Coach Penders stopping by for this insightful look into: what he looks for when recruiting, the hardest adjustment for freshman to make, what it means to be a good teammate, his advice to ballplayers that want to get better, and more.
Before we start, here is a quote from the interview that should probably make it onto your wall!
“You’re either getting better or worse every second of the day. It’s like the Dow Jones that’s never staying the same any day.” UConn Baseball Head Coach Jim Penders
Thanks to Stephen Fife for stopping by to hang out with Next Level Ballplayer. Stephen was, by his own admission, a late bloomer. He didn’t hit 90mph on the gun until he was 21 years old! After bursting on the scene his senior year at the University of Utah, he was drafted in the 3rd round by the Boston Red Sox. A few years later, and after a recent trade to the Dodgers, he is one of the top young pitchers in their organization.
Today we talk to Stephen about what it means to “stick with it”, having an aggressive mentality on the mound, the keys to breathing, how he gets better without a baseball in his hand, and more. Continue reading →
This week in coach’s corner we receive baseball insight from Dallas Baptist University’s head coach, Dan Heefner. Coach Heefner is entering his eighth season with the DBU Baseball Team and fifth season as the Patriots’ Head Coach. In his four years at the helm, he has had 23 players drafted and has reached an NCAA Regional twice including a Super Regional appearance in 2011.
A few months back I had the privilege of spending a week with coach Heefner and the Dallas Baptist baseball team in the Dominican Republic. They played some incredibly talented Dominican winter league teams and ran a different baseball camp almost every day for the local kids. Not only was I impressed with the on field talent level of DBU, but off the field they were a pleasure to be around.
We appreciate coach Heefner giving us a few minutes of his time while his team ran a great baseball camp at a local field in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. In this nine minute interview we touch on, advice to high school ballplayers who want to play at DBU, how he defines a winning ballplayer (3:37), why perspective on life can make you a better ballplayer (5:31), the highlight of his Dominican trip (6:55), and more.
Next Level Ballplayer will be taking a team of high school players to the Dominican Republic June 18-24 to play baseball, receive top notch baseball instruction on both the physical and mental side, and even get some time to enjoy some of the nicest beaches in the world. If you are interested in getting more information, please email me personally at Franco@NextLevelBallplayer.com
This week we are joined by former big leaguer and current AA coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, Sal Fasano. Not only did Sal play 13 seasons in the big leagues, he is also one of the top young coaches whom many feel will become a big league manager sooner rather than later. In 2011, he was named AA Manager of the Year while leading his team to their league championship.
Many thanks to Sal for taking the time to sit down with Next Level Ballplayer to talk about loving failure, why being able to handle success is huge, his definition of mental toughness, the type of player he wants on his team, his rare coaching philosophy and more. Continue reading →
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Cleveland Indian’s hitting instructor Jim Rickon. Going into his 14th season as a part of the Indians organization, he has been a player, bullpen catcher, and hitting instructor. Just a few of the superstars he’s played with and/or coached are Victor Martinez, Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, CC Sabathia, Jim Thome, and many more. Currently Jim is the hitting instructor for the Indian’s single A team.
Many thanks to Jim for taking some time to talk with Next Level Ballplayer about the ins and outs of being a great hitter. In this 5 minute video interview, we cover: the first thing you should do when you start mis-hitting balls, how to make sure you stay balanced in the box (drills to help), best Indians hitter he has seen, how much you should hit if you are serious about being a great hitter (3:00 mark) and more.
This week in coach’s corner we receive baseball insight from The Ohio State University’s head coach, Greg Beals. Coach Beals previously had successfull coaching stints at Ball State and Kent State before taking over the Buckeye’s program last year. He was also a very good ballplayer himself, spending 3 years playing in the Mets’ organization before making the move to college coaching.
We appreciate coach Beals stopping by for this insightful look into, the best way for HS prospects to get his attention, hardest adjustment for freshman, how players can stand out when being recruited, how he’d describe a winning ballplayer, is Nick Swisher as cool as he seems and much more.
What advice would you give to high school baseball players looking to play at Ohio State University? Continue reading →
Even if you are a stud starting pitcher right now, chances are good that at some point you will be asked to throw out of the bullpen at the “Next Level.” This happens all the time to starting pitchers when HS underclassmen make the varsity team, when college freshman comes into a talented program, and when ballplayers make it to professional baseball. This concept came up in NLB’s interview with, college starter turned longtime MLB reliever, Matt Whiteside:
What’s the hardest adjustment for young pitchers to make when moving from high school to college baseball? When going from high school to college you are probably going to step into a role you’re not familiar with. For the most part freshman are going to come out of the bullpen. Being able to acclimate yourself into the role you are given is a big part of successfully transitioning to the next level.
Today we sit down with someone who was asked to make the move to the bullpen for the first time in his life… and in AAA no less! Many thanks to Rockies’ prospect, and former college teammate of mine, Keith Weiser, for sitting down with NLB and talking pitching. Keith has been a starting pitching his entire life until this past season when the Rockies asked him to switch to the bullpen. In this interview we talk all about the ins and outs of making a smooth transition from being a starter to a reliever as well as how to throw a nasty curveball.
Keith Weiser
Position: Left Handed Pitcher
College: Miami University (Freshman All-American)
Draft: 2003-18th Round by the Braves (Out of HS),
2006- 3rd Round by Rockies
Quick – Who holds the Blue Jays’ franchise records for most home runs in a season by a catcher? Who hit a bomb on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues and then followed it up with a single, double and another bomb in the same game? And who recently hung out with NextLevelBallplayer.com to talk baseball? Of course the correct answer to all these questions is JP Arencibia.
Many thanks to JP for taking some time to sit down with NLB before one of his intense off season workouts at D1 Nashville (minutes after the interview he was taking a sledge hammer to a huge truck tire!). In the video below we touch on: the toughest adjustments to make in college and minor league baseball, how he has learned to handle high expectations and external pressure, why hitting slumps are all mental, how he keeps his mind quiet in the batter’s box and much more.
