Mike Greene - Touching All the Bases: A Complete Guide to Baseball Success on and off the Field

TOUCHING
ALL THE BASES

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO BASEBALL
SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD

Mike Greene

Copyright 2014 by Mike Greene.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014910497

ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4990-3394-6

Softcover 978-1-4990-3396-0

eBook 978-1-4990-3393-9

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Rev. date: 06/06/2014

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CONTENTS

I had the honor of being asked to speak at the North King County Little League coaches meeting in December of 2013. Danaan Bohag who was the president and I had played at Shoreline High School and for Richmond Little league together, just North of Seattle. I asked him what he wanted me to talk about. I had been to so many coaches clinics in the past such as the ABCA national convention and the WIAA clinic put on in Seattle every year. He said just give younger or less experienced coaches something of v alue.

So I came up with a little outline and printed off all kinds of handouts of things I had come up with over the years. Basically the playbook I have given out as a junior college and high school head coach. The meeting went really well, and went for almost 2 hours. They took a lot of notes and the more we talked, the more I realized how much I had learned over the years. So I thought, I think there is a good book in my head, if I can get it all down on paper. Writing a book seemed so impossible, but an author friend of mine told me to just start putting ideas down on paper and then keep refining it. What Im trying to do with this book is give coaches as much information as possible to be a complete coach. What drills to use, how to handle a pitching staff, how do I incorporate baserunning into practice and many things I slowly learned coaching base ball.

This book was put together in the hopes of saving a lot of trial and error by youth and high school coaches who may have some questions in a few areas, and to give insight into what it takes for your child or players to get to the college level or beyond. This book explains in detail what I have learned over 25 years of coaching the greatest game ever invented. This book is for all levels 10-20 years old. It will explain what it takes to put together a solid practice plan, offensive and defensive drills and strategies, coaching all 9 positions with daily fundamentals and drills, baserunning, nutrition, and strength and conditioning outlines. How do I keep a practice interesting? How do I coach my catchers if I never played catcher? What do you do for outfielders at practice? How do I defend bunts and first and third situations? What do college coaches look for in my high school player? How do I coach pitchers?, and what is the best way to deal with parents? This book will answer questions that I wished I had known I started out coaching base ball.

I would like to acknowledge all the players I have ever had the pleasure to coach, and the ones who volunteered by taking pictures for this book. Payton Osbon, Jordan Sprouse and Nick Zieniuk who are the outfielder, infielder and catcher in the drills portion of the book. Sam Moreno, Brock Sullivan, Dylan Dudley, Nick Crosswhite, Chris McClendon, Evan Offutt and Lucas Ogaz, who were in the hitting section of the book. Ryan DiMascio and Corbin Green from the Douglas Diablos who showed proper positioning on tag plays. And lastly Jacob Phillips, Bret DeRooy and Donavon Rigel of the Diablos who are the pitchers in the PFPs sec tion.

I want to thank my Aunt Laurie for being my biggest fan while I played and has also supported me in everything I have done.

I want to thank my kids Michael and Briana for saying Go do what you love to do Dad, we understand. My son Michael for being a player that always did the right thing. My daughter Briana for putting up with being taken to fields all over the place to see dad c oach.

I would like to thank the greatest coaches I have played for, coached with, and who taught me lessons in how important being called COACH is.

Stan Taloff- my high school coach who is in the Washington state coaches hall of fame. I didnt understand all of the things he was saying at 17 years old, but understood real quick when I got into coac hing.

Mike Nadeau- Helped show me what a well rounded coach can do. He is humble and thanked his assistant coaches daily for what they did. He gave his players the credit for winning baseball games and took the heat when they didnt. He Makes everyone feel respected and ne eded.

Dan Teeter- Showed me what being a role model really is. Genuinely cares for his players like no coach I have ever known. Only coach I ever coached with that could express himself without colorful coaching words. Also taught me a lot about faith and helped in my pursuit of being a better Chris tian.

T his book is dedicated to the greatest woman I have ever known and the person who has literally supported me in everything I wanted to do since day one. Thank you so much Mom (Debbie Greene) for supporting me through finishing my degrees, through all the games you watched, and for teaching me to live your dream. You have given me the confidence to attempt things people thought were impossible. Without you supporting my coaching dreams, I wouldnt have survived through the very tough road a college assistant needs to go through until they get a head coaching posi tion.

M ike Greene is currently the manager for the Douglas Diablos professional baseball team in Douglas Arizona. He has coached baseball for over 25 years at every level from 5 year old tee ball, to Independent Professional baseball. Coach Greene coached NCAA division 1 college baseball at Mississippi Valley State, division 2 baseball at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and also coached in the Western Major Baseball League in Canada for the Medicine Hat Mavericks and Melville Millionaires. Coach Greene has been a head coach, hitting coach, infielders coach, and outfielders coach in college. He also has put together baseball strength, speed and agility and conditioning programs at the college level. Coach Greene coached his son Michael in the little league and Select baseball leagues in the Seattle area, and high school baseball in the Seattle area. Coach Greene owned and operated Power Alley in Marysville Washington an indoor baseball training facility and coached their 13u and 18u select baseball teams, and trained players in private lessons. Coach Greene has bachelors degree in Physical Education and a Masters degree in Sport Management. After being a head coach and an assistant at so many levels, he believes the game isnt about the coach. It is meant for the players and every coach should do his best for each and every one of them. Play hard, separate each play, and have fun. Baseball is supposed to be fun, respect the game and it will respect you.

PART 1

PRACTICE PLANS

CHAPTER 1

Practice Musts

T here are many ways to setup a practice plan and many variables that go into making one. What is the age of your team? What facilities do you have available? What part of the season is it? What are your teams strengths and weakne sses?