The Handshake

I suppose everyone has a particular "claim to fame" event in their lives. For me, one of those memorable events took place while playing baseball in college. I attended a small college in west Alabama on a work/ study program. Scholarships for baseball players were very limited back then, so, many of my teammates were also included in this (almost a scholarship, but not quite) work/study program.

We were very good athletes. Most of us attended small rural high schools from across the country and were simply unnoticed by the larger universities. We could flat play some baseball as could most of the smaller schools throughout the south. Each year our schedule included a few games against a few larger universities. I'm sure we were considered as easy wins for them, but, we could hang with them and often come out on top. This particular season we were scheduled to play a doubleheader in Tuscaloosa against the University of Alabama.

The day arrived and early that Saturday morning, we boarded the old rickety bus and made the two hour drive to Tuscaloosa. To a bunch of old country boys who had never been anywhere much, it seemed like a huge metropolis.  There were gigantic buildings everywhere and students moving from place to place like ants on an ant hill. The bleachers were already nearly full and the Alabama players were on the field loosening up for the game. Somebody said "We don't need to pick no fight today...we outnumbered bad!". He was right, there must have been 80 or more of them dressed out that day.

The Crimson Tide couldn't roll us that day. We took both games of the doubleheader and I had a good day both in the field and at the plate. The one good thing about playing a large university was that  win or lose, you were going to get fed. After the games we were led to the athletic dorm's cafeteria. Now, this was no ordinary cafeteria. They fed their athletes here and they fed them well! There were big steaks, chicken, ham, potatoes, all sorts of vegetables and any non-alcoholic beverage known to man. The desserts were cakes, pies, and ice cream...everything geared toward building bodies bigger and stronger. We loaded our trays and sat down at a few tables to eat when someone said "looky yonder!".  As soon as I looked up and saw this man in coach's attire and wearing a houndstooth hat, I knew it was the Bear himself.  That's right...Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was right in front of us!

As he took off his hat, someone stopped him a moment for a brief word, then he came straightway to our tables and congratulated us for playing so well. He then moved around the tables shaking our hands and asking if the food was good etc.. When he got to me, he took my hand and said, "You had a good day today didn't ye?". I said "Yes sir. Thank you sir.". I thought then and still think today, this was a good man. I mean, here's one of the best football coaches that ever lived, yet he wasn't full of himself or unreachable to us. He had watched us play and simply admired our effort and ability.

I will never forget that handshake. His hand seemed huge. My hand is by no means small and it seemed that his enveloped mine completely.  I am sure that Coach Bryant quickly forgot us, but you can bet that we never forgot how he treated us. So there you have it, one of my "claims to fame". I shook hands with the great Bear Bryant. I won't be forgetting that!

Tweaking your high school catcher

A fellow coach asked me once, "Coach, what drills and such do you do with your catchers?".  He was a young fellow, just starting his career, so, I certainly wanted to give him some sage advice. I said, "Well Coach,  I just do basic blocking drills, fielding bunts and pop-ups, and throwing to the different bases.".  He said, " I do those with mine too, but, it doesn't seem to make them better!".  I said, "Maybe you just need to have a talk with them!".

I explained what I meant by "having a talk".  A catcher is usually a gritty kid who volunteered to play the position as a small child in little league or before. By the time he reaches high school, he's done more drills and caught more games than you can shake a stick at! The drills you do with him should be used just to remind his mind and body how to react, nothing much more. At this point, improvement comes through mental development more than physical, so, have a talk with him.

Talk to him about anticipation. A good catcher must anticipate a bad pitch on every throw, especially with runners on base. Knowing each pitcher he catches and what the ball does out of their hands can help the catcher. Location, count, and stance also come into play. Keeping the ball from going to the back stop or beating the Ump's shin bones to death is much easier if the catcher anticipates the block.

Instruct your catcher and work with him on catching every pitch he possibly can with his mitt up. This will often give the pitcher a low strike call. Many catchers turn the mitt down on low borderline pitches making it easy for the Ump to call a ball. Your catcher can make the umpire earn his money by catching the low pitches with his glove up.

Along the same line, have him work on framing the strike zone with his mitt, knuckles on top of the high or low strike,  outside on the corner pitches.  To frame the right hand side of the strike zone and get the knuckles outside, the catcher needs to invert the mitt. Framing the strike zone may be new to some catchers, so, bring it to mind early in preseason as the catcher is working the bull pen.

Finally, observe your catcher's foot work. Throwing a runner out is greatly aided by the catcher's foot work. We all know that most bases are stolen off the pitcher's action or the base runner's savvy at predicting an off speed pitch on which to run. How quickly the catcher can receive the ball and then throw it can overcome even a good base stealer sometimes. Many catchers need to be taught to position their bodies and thus their feet as if they were throwing a ball, right foot back and left foot forward.  When the ball is caught, weight should be on the back foot. As the catcher rises, he should shift weight forward, taking a short jab step with the front foot. During this time, he should bring the ball up to make a short arm throw to the base to get the runner. Again, anticipation is important here and a block may be necessary, but, if the pitch is good and the feet are in place, there is a greater chance to throw out the runner.

As a coach you are responsible for a catcher's physical condition, so, use enough drills and running with pitchers to condition him properly, but, don't drill him to death! He already knows what most drills try to teach, so, have a talk with him. Talk to them often, tell him what a good job he's doing, preach the three points above, and most of all tell him to have fun!

Scratching my head!

I consider myself a fairly sensible man. I know what's right and what's wrong most of the time. I would  think that there are others who cater to the same lines of thought. This being said, I'm " scratchin " my head over some recent events.

In the first place, what judge with good sense would even hear a case involving whether a cake was baked or not?  Is there not enough cases of true crime to keep a judge busy? I mean, come on now. In years past judges refused to hear such nonsense...I'm scratchin my head!

I hear that some type of courage award is to be given to a man named Jenner who now wears women's clothes. Since when did the United States of America consider it courageous to glorify such idiocy?  There are people in this country who have been maimed serving her. There are people who have put their own lives in danger to save others. There are people who have overcome great hardships in service to our country or countrymen, yet, they are somehow undeserving of a courage award, and, second to, of all things, a male nut in a dress....I'm scratchin my head!

What's going on with this Supreme Court ruling that allows a couple of the same gender to call themselves married? Again I ask, don't they have better things to judge than something like this? Oh yes, I had forgotten their ruling on Obamacare! ...which of course, they, the President, and the congress are exempted from. I can see nothing but detriment for our country from both of these rulings. Are you happy to be paying for your own health insurance and for someone else who had rather drive a Cadillac than buy their own? Have you tried to see a doctor lately? In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, " Good grief!"....I 'm scratchin my head!

I turned the TV on this morning and there was the man we call our President lauding the fact that he and his Secretary of State had reached a "deal" with Iran over the development of nuclear weapons there.  Does our President fear Iran? I remember when this nation would demand a cease and desist, and, back it up with the most powerful military in the world.  What's changed? Why should we cower down to a nation that cannot be trusted and wants nothing better than to destroy us? What does our great ally in the Middle East, Israel, think of us now? ....I'm scratchin my head!

I have seen in my lifetime a change in public sentiment from "Work hard to get ahead" to "I 'm entitled to a free ride". Doesn't the constitution say we are entitled to life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness, and doesn't a pursuit require a bit of work on our part?.... I 'm scratchin my head!

The list of things that make a sensible man scratch his head goes on and on. I've not commented on the Mexican border situation, nor, the President's redistribution of wealth policies. Frivolous lawsuits are heard every day, I have absolutely no confidence in our President, I don't think our society's morals are what they ought to be, and, I worry that my children and grandchildren will not be able to live their lives with as much freedom as I have enjoyed.

God bless America...I 'll just keep scratchin my head and let Him handle it!

"Settin" out hooks

As teenage boys in the rural south of the 1960's, our pastimes were sports, hunting, fishing, and of course girls! A few of us had an old worn out car or truck, but most had no girlfriend, or if we did, it meant only one date a week...maybe twice if she'd let you come sit with her on Sunday afternoon between church services. Shoot, we couldn't afford more than that anyway..movies were $1.50 a head, burgers for both would nearly be a 5-spot, and if you used the family car, you were expected to replace all the 25 cent per gallon gas that was used, so, there was always some of my friends ready to go with me to set out hooks.

Spring break was a prime time for "settin" the hooks. We had a whole week to fish. I would "make up" 25-30 lines. I'd take a spool of strong nylon twine and cut pieces about 6 feet long. I'd tie a granny knot on one end and then a slip knot on the same end forming a loop. On the other end I'd tie a large hook and then crimp a large piece of lead about 4 inches above the hook.

Once the lines were ready, it was time to gather some bait. A catfish is a bottom feeder and will eat most anything. Preferably the bait needed to be sturdy enough to withstand the constant pecking from the panfish in the creek. Earthworms and catalpa worms are better used after dark because of this and you can bet the hook will be clean the next morning.  My favorite baits were crawfish and " puppy dawgs". "Puppy dawgs" are spotted salamanders indigenous to our area. They are found in the woods under old rotting logs and large tree limbs. It took some effort to find enough of them to bait the hooks for several nights, but it was fun finding them and well worth the effort.

Now with hooks and bait, I'd head over to the creek. Poles could usually be cut along the creek banks unless the hooks were to be set down one of the many cow pastures that existed in those days. Small hardwood saplings were good because they were sturdy and you could usually leave a small fork on the top end which made fastening the line easier. Cane poles were also good, but, required a little more care to fasten the lines so that they wouldn't slip off the end.

To set the pole I would try to select a spot on the bank that would be easy to reach in the dark, then I would stick the butt end of the pole in the bank, pushing down on the pole so that when the ground raised it back a little, the hook would be suspended slightly off the bottom. Depth of the creek didn't matter. If the hole  took all the line, so be it, or if the creek was shallow in a spot, just wrap the line around the end of the pole till it reached the desired depth.

Along about dark, we'd all gather up and head to the creek. Most brought a light, a quilt or sleeping bag to sit on, and something to eat and drink. The first thing to do was clean off a spot and build a small fire. Wieners or smoked sausage links roasted over an open fire were some of the best tasting things in the world! Sometimes we'd make a stew, sometimes we'd just snack on cookies or cakes, whatever we could round up to bring. It was all good and we all shared what we had. We joked about each other's performance in the last ballgame, our parents and friends, and our lives in general. We carried on serious conversations about the Vietnam war and especially the draft. We talked of our dreams and ambitions, all the while making jokes and wisecracks. You learn a lot about your friends sitting around a camp fire where nothing inhibits your thoughts and words. Secrets were unveiled and lifelong friendships were formed.

After we ate, when it had become good dark, we'd run the lines. Generally on the first night we'd catch a lot oh mud cat and eel. They are good eating but the prize catch was channel cat, the big boys of the creek. You could tell by the way the pole acted whether you had a good fish or a small one. If the pole was bouncing or just slapping the water...mud cat or eel. If the pole was being pulled under or pulled down and hung up, you knew you had a good fish...channel cat or maybe a blue, flat head, or spotted cat. We'd take turns at each hook, giving everyone a chance to catch something. We'd run the lines four or five times between dark and about midnight, then we'd gather up our stuff, take care to kill the fire, and then walk out, usually with a good mess of fish. Sometimes we caught nothing at all! It didn't matter, we were young and strong, full of hope and ambition, and on the verge of being completely on our own.

If you can read between the lines, setting the hooks was a viable reason for us to get out from under our parents for a while. Jimmy, Bobby, Festus, Lip, Chub, Joe, Chunk, Wesley, Bob and Rocky (brothers), and Moose are some of the guys whose company I enjoyed on these fishing trips. Some were drafted and went to Vietnam. Joe gave his life there. Others chose the military as a career, some made accountants, some farmers, some business men, and a couple made school teachers. Those of us who are left are older now. We don't see each other as often, but, we'll always remember the good times we had "settin" out those hooks!

Could it be true?

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the polio virus affected many children in the United States and the rest of the world. In the 1950's, a man named Jonas Salk developed a vaccine to be delivered by mouth on a sugar cube. It was promised that the dreaded polio virus could be eradicated. Could it be true?

During the Cold War of the late 1950's and through the 1960's, the U.S. and the Soviet Union entered a competition for space dominance. It seemed that the Soviets were always a half step ahead until in 1961, President John Kennedy vowed that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade. Could it be true?

By 1880 the population of the United States had grown so large that it took seven years to conduct a census. The government needed a faster way, so, work began on a marvelous number crunching machine that could sort and assemble names and numbers in much less time. The early machines used punch cards and filled large rooms with equipment, but, the census was taken in three years rather than seven. It was said that someday we would all be able to have these machines in our homes, carry them with us, even wear them on our wrists like a watch. Could this be true?

In 1972 Home Box Office (HBO) took advantage of the developing technology and launched its network. The service offered current and past movies directly in the home. The business was formed on the premise that people would pay a fee for the service. Pay good money to watch TV when free TV existed for all? Could it be true?

Some two thousand plus years ago, a man called Jesus preached that He would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. He told His followers that he would be tortured and killed for their sake and for all humanity. He also told them that on the third day after his death, He would rise from the grave. Based on proven historical record, we know Jesus lived and was put to death by crucifixion. We have the eye witness testimony of reputable men and women of that day that the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. They also testify of seeing and touching His body in the days and months that followed. Jesus also promised that one day He will return and all of us who believe will meet Him in the air, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then those of us who remain. Could it be true?

I hope you have a very fine and happy Easter. As for me, I believe that He lives and will come back someday. If you think about it, it's not a whole lot more incredulous belief than the things mentioned earlier in the post that have come to pass as predicted. So, could it be true?...I believe it could!

She's a'comin down!

Stoically she stands in our rural community. Beulah church was established in 1850, and, the original building was constructed prior to the Civil War somewhere around 1855. Some modifications and modernizations have taken place over the years, but, the original foundation blocks and timbers are still in place under the old sanctuary.

Many of us who still live here grew up in the church. As a child, the building was a wood frame structure with an auditorium filled with old wooden pews. Connected to the back were two stories of Sunday school rooms. There was no air conditioning. In the heat of the summer, two giant fans located on the front walls of the church pulled air through the structure. Gas heaters kept us warm in the winter. It didn't matter. People came to hear the Word preached by men of God who were willing and able to be heard over the noise of the fans and in the still of the winter.

There was no baptistry in the church. Baptisms were held in local ponds and creeks, or, in a bigger church located in an area town. There was something special about these events, and they are ingrained in our memories forever.

Every summer the church hosted a Vacation Bible School. In my youth, there were only two structures on the campus-- the church building and the parsonage. Between the two buildings there were some oak trees, some of which were close enough together that someone had nailed boards to them, making rudimentary tables. These became "refreshment" tables during Bible School, loaded with kool-aid and cookies for the children who attended. During these sessions, we learned Bible verses and stories, we crafted things out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners that made us so proud, we learned the pledges of allegiance to the U.S. flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible, we learned the four notes on the piano that signified standing or sitting (I still hear them in my mind!), and we learned that the fabric of our lives is the Christian love that binds us all together. I am ever thankful for the Christian example given to me by the men and women of my community who guided us and loved us during these Bible School sessions. I will never forget them.

The church has hosted countless weddings, revival services, and fellowship meals through her history.  Many of us that still attend were married at the old altar. Strains of "Revive Us Again" ring in my mind every time I hear the word "revival".  Country cooking is the rule at all fellowship meals and I guarantee that the ladies ( and men) of the church can flat out cook! Great food and fellowship abounds every time.

March 8, 2015 is the date of the last services held in the old building. Then, as the old country boy says--"She's a'comin down"! The membership has voted to tear the old building down and rebuild on the same site. A modern structure that will be larger and more energy efficient will replace the old building. Although we are sad to see the old church torn down, we are also anxious to see it reborn in the form of a structure that should last for generations to come. The building that houses Beulah church will look much different, but the church--brothers and sisters in Christ, remain strong and dedicated to follow His will.

It is what it is

We couldn't put a finger on it. Something wasn't quite right with our grandson. He was born five weeks early but healthy. He did have a bad case of jaundice, but, so do many babies, and there is seldom any lasting effect. Having raised four children of our own and from our careers as public school teachers, my wife and I had been exposed to all sorts of behavioral, social, and mental disorders in children, and as we held him in our arms we just knew. His eyes never became fixed on anything, especially us! He didn't gurgle and coo as most babies do, nor did he often cry.

As he began to sit on his own and crawl, it seemed that he was oblivious to anything around him except for the one thing his little mind was focused on. Perhaps he could not hear? Tests showed his hearing was fine. "Oh well, he's just taking his time about talking." we thought. Finally he began to speak, well, sort of..he still would not respond if you called his name. It seemed that he just ignored your presence. You could put your hand on him and he would push it away, as if he didn't wish to be bothered. After a while he might get up and come give you a hug...just "out of the blue".

It became apparent early on that he was very smart. He taught himself to read by watching children's educational television shows. He absorbed information like a sponge absorbs water. He might suddenly walk up say something incredibly technical about some topic he had read or heard on TV. He became fascinated with Thomas the Train and could name every engine. Later on, Angry Bird and action figures took precedent. Again, he could name each one and even began to write his own stories about them, including crude illustrations. Still, it was very apparent that he would rather play alone, rather than with someone. Social interaction escapes him. He takes everything said to him literally. Picking at him is impossible.

Suddenly, we realized that he had always been aware when we spoke to him. He just had the ability to stay focused on whatever he was doing and hear every word said to him at the same time. It just never occurred to him to acknowledge our presence and our attempts to interact with him. He doesn't like loud noises or music. If you whistle or sing around him, he will say "Stop!". There was no doubt he was a bit different.

We all worried about him starting school. With our public school background, we understood how the system could help a child through various programs, but, at the time we still were not sure what or if anything was wrong. We had no objection when my daughter placed him in a small private academy. Kindergarten year went by with some problems. Soon after beginning his first grade year, he began to get in trouble because of "unusual " behaviors in the classroom. He acted as he did at home. His teacher could get little or no response from him. He would get up out of his seat and walk around, play alone on the playground, and just seem bored and uninterested in anything to do with school. Things began to mount, then one morning just prior to the Thanksgiving holidays of his second grade year, the principal of the school met my daughter at her car as she was about to drop him off. He informed her that the school board had met and decided that my grandson was such a problem that he could no longer attend school there. This devastated her. The next week she enrolled him in the public school...the best thing that could have happened to him.

My wife and the special education director had worked together and were great friends, so, she called her and informed her of our grandson's unusual characteristics. This gracious lady put her at ease telling her not to worry, they would figure out how to best serve him. Soon after enrollment, he was tested and the results pointed toward a condition called Asperger's Syndrome. On the other hand, they also indicated that he was a gifted child!  Finally...we had a direction. Appointments with psychologists confirmed that we had a child with Asperger's.

Now it all made sense. After studying about his condition, we realized that he did in fact love us all, he was not purposely ignoring us, he heard everything that was said to him, and he was super smart! We now know that Asperger's children must be taught social skills. Making eye contact is very difficult for them...again this has to be taught. Socially they may come across as arrogant, obnoxious, even disrespectful. They find any sort of change in routine or surrounding unsettling and it may cause them to become very agitated. An outburst may occur if a chair is out of place or something new replaces something worn out.

It is what it is. Our grandson is a great kid and we love him dearly. He will have Asperger's Syndrome all his life. He is now in fourth grade and doing well. He still has trouble with some things, but he is much better in general and we pray that he will grow into a happy and productive adult able to accomplish whatever he desires. God bless all children with Asperger's and their families!

Developing the High School Pitcher

Those of us who have coached high school baseball understand the importance of having solid pitching. A good smart pitcher can carry a team a long way toward winning championships and if you are fortunate enough to have two, with proper management that championship can be obtained. Of course, hitting and fielding are crucial in the scheme of things, but, a strong pitcher can often overcome poor fielding or weak hitting, so, in my opinion, winning starts with pitching.

Pitchers in high school are often the better overall athletes and coaches must use them somewhere in the line up even when not pitching, therefore, the coach must be careful not to over use his arm even if it means losing a game during the regular season. Kids at this age think that they (and their arms) are indestructible and as their coach, one must manage them to protect their future as well as the present.

To list every thing that I tried to do with my pitchers would be too exhaustive, so, here are a few things that I stressed to them regularly. During preseason workouts, I wanted every pitcher to throw no more than 50 pitches to a catcher after warmups. This allows him to work at other positions without damaging his arm, and it allows catchers to get their legs in shape to squat. I encouraged them to work on location and changing speeds, about 30 pitches from the wind up and 20 from the stretch.

I gave them this goal--hold the opponent to 4 earned runs or less. I wanted them to understand that win or lose they would be successful in my mind if they could do this. If we got beat by not scoring more than 4 runs, it was not the pitcher's fault at all!

I often used this statement with my pitchers: "You're not gonna throw hard till you throw hard!". It simply meant to practice as if you were playing a live game. Push yourself to increase velocity by working on mechanics daily, even at home.

You get batters out by a) simply overpowering them with fastballs, b) changing speeds, c) throwing a pitch he's not expecting, d) throwing a pitch he is expecting, but in a location he can't handle. In this age of pitching machines and batting cages where hitters can spend ample time in batting practice, the latter three ways of getting a batter out are of greater necessity.

Never give in to a batter. By this I meant, make him hit your best stuff even in a batter's count like 3&2 or 2&1. A walk is not the worst thing in most cases, and a single is better than any extra base hit.

I wanted my pitchers to come set in the stretch differently on every pitch with runners on base. Every pitcher is different in how they stand on the rubber to take the signs from the catcher. Some will stand up right with glove about chest high and ball in throwing hand behind his back, others will bend over and prop with glove hand on the knee and ball in throwing hand behind the back...either way is fine for what they do after taking the sign is what needs to vary. Teach them to come set with the ball and glove chest high and also with ball and glove waist high. Teach them to take a normal leg kick from both positions, and, teach them to slide step from both positions. Teach them to vary the pause between coming set and delivering to the plate. Teach them a standard move to first to set up their best move to first. Teach them how to step off the rubber to make an appeal to a base and how you wish them to react to first and third double steal situations. All of this may seem trivial, but, it will be beneficial in keeping stolen bases down during a game as runners cannot time the pitcher as easily when trying to steal.

I wanted them to understand that no matter how good they were, there would be days when umpires would squeeze the plate on them, or batters would seem to hit every thing that they threw and our fielders would make a lot of errors behind them. This is the game of baseball. The only thing that you really can control is your mind. Do not get discouraged or frustrated...just pitch!

These are a few things that helped me be successful as a player and coach and I hope they might help someone who wishes to give coaching baseball a try. It's a great game!