Posts Tagged ‘MaxBP’

Call 9-1-1 Our Strike Zone is Missing!

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

First things first, this iconic image of Ted Williams (on display in Cooperstown) at bat should be imprinted upon our nation’s baseball conscience forever; he is, after all, possibly the last .400 hitter! All coiled-up and ready to spring, that stare alone, must have been an intimidating sight to opposing pitchers.

The chart, which shows Ted’s BA based on pitch location, has a huge, old-school, strike zone that only a baseball-parent sitting in drizzle on a Saturday morning could love. In today’s game, anything above the belt is a ball; imagine the rhubarb if a pitch above the hands were called a strike! In amateur baseball, the zone might start out this big at the lowest levels but as you move up, the zone shrinks down almost to the pro-level. Of course all the umpires in the stands know a good pitch when they see one but how many of you know what the rule book says about the strike zone?

The major league official rules define the zone as follows:

“The Strike Zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.”

Now, take another look at Ted and note the lines we’ve drawn on his back. That mid-line perfectly dissects the top ball in the zone – amazingly, the diagram accurately displays the modern strike zone, as defined in 2012. And since it’s a strike if any part of the ball hits the zone, you can pretty much add the width of the ball all the way around. We understand the game of baseball is more exciting when there is lots of action and we could write a book on all the factors affecting how and why balls and strikes are called, but that is for another day…

The best hitters have great plate coverage and can drive any pitch back where it came from and to all fields but even Ted had a trouble zone with the low and away junk. We’re not gonna go so far as to say we could have helped Ted out but knowing that all great hitters work hard at it, we can say that small-ball training with The MaxBP is the most efficient, safe and cost effective way to practice until your hands bleed. We guarantee it (not the hands bleeding part, that’s optional).

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Clown College and the Infield Fly Rule

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

I’m always surprised to see players surprised when the infield fly rule is called and all hell breaks loose on the bases. It takes but one clown to trip the first insane-base-running domino when the ball hits the ground and all of a sudden, it seems like the circus is in town and the diamond is the center ring. Everyone involved with a baseball team should not only know the IFR but recognize when it is a possibility in real-time, during games. Those of you serious baseball people whose intelligence we have already insulted have to admit you’ve probably seen some confusing IFR scenarios in your day – read on.

(IFR 101) The spirit of the IFR is to protect the runners in a situation that clearly favors the defense, which could easily turn a double play on a cleverly or ineptly dropped ball. The rule is pretty simple:

IF a fair territory infield fly ball can be caught with ordinary effort
AND there are less than 2 outs
AND runners are on 1st/2nd or bases loaded, (<2o) & (2nd/3rd or BL)…

…The batter is declared out while the ball is in flight, the runners are not forced, and any advance is optional and follows the rules for a non-force play. The umpires should call out something like “infield fly – batter is out” and point to the sky to alert the players (see photo).

(IFR 201) We think of IFR madness being triggered by the ball on the ground but how can runners stay calm if they are not aware of the the situation in the first place? Where are the base coaches when you really need them? If they can be programmed to yell “make sure he goes home” on every full count with 2 outs, surely they could dish out a little love when the IFR is a possibility. The players don’t need to do a lot of thinking, which we know they’re good at; they just need to be aware of the IFR and plan to stay anchored if they hear the call! Base coaches need to be coached to alert runners; runners need to be alert to the IFR call.

(IFR 301) The IFR circus tent can pop-up quickly when the umpires DON’T call it so lets look at how the blue view it. First, it’s not the Infield Pop-Up Rule, the key word is “fly” which is defined as a ball in the air that is NOT a line drive, which is defined as a ball that is hit sharply and directly to a player. The tricky job for the umpires is to decide when a ball is a liner and when it is not, based on the arc; as soon as it’s not a liner, it’s a fly. Second, the umpire needs to decide if it can be caught with ordinary effort. The rule book doesn’t say ordinary effort by a pony leaguer, or a 50 year old with a bad ankle on a windy day, or ordinary for a first baseman who’s had a few too many double cheeseburgers – it just says “ordinary”. While the mile high pop-up is easy, the looper between first and second suddenly has the umpire on the spot as though his wife just asked him “does this make me look fat?” He can’t take a lot of time to answer the question, and like all calls, he’ll be wise to call it quickly and with authority; it is after all a judgment call that is final so really, if it is not obvious, then he should declare, “no, it does not make you look fat!”

Summary: Know the rule – Recognize the possibility – Look for the call.

(IFR – Extra Credit) There are other lesser know details about the IFR you might not know like: did you know a bunt cannot result in the IFR? Baseball rules are wise and proper so if the batter can’t lay down a good bunt, the offense isn’t about to be bailed out by the rules. The defense has the option to let the ball hit the ground and go for the dp but they can’t intentionally drop it, like any ball. Many of you know also that the ball does not have to remain in the infield as defined by grass/dirt lines and can be caught by an outfielder in the outfield, if it is just as easily caught by an infielder. Also, if the ball is not caught and rolls foul, it’s a foul just like any other ball but if it lands foul and rolls fair, the batter is out. A little more bonus Cracker Jack – there is a little known rule that if a ball lands beyond an imaginary line from 1st to 3rd base, it is fair even if it spins foul – we’ve never seen it. So there you have it, an advanced education on the Infield Fly Rule, we hope you’ve learned something today.

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The 9 key assumptions that lay behind the choices we have made as a company

Friday, January 1st, 2010

  1. Everyone’s resources are limited. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to decide which products and services we can carry that contribute the MOST in terms of potential improvement in the hitter’s skill, per dollar spent. A player could spend $300 on the latest super alloy bat, and use it at team practices and in games. But will that make as much difference over time in that player’s overall skill level as putting that same $300 towards a pitching machine that can give him/her literally thousands of opportunities to perfect their swing?
  2. Repetition is one of the main keys to success, but not the only one. Famous author Malcolm Gladwell, in his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, talks about the 10,000 hour rule.* Paraphrased, it emphasizes that, for the most part, those that we have come to see as gifted in a particular field (The Beatles, Bill Gates, etc.) would be much more accurately described as having become excellent through massive hours of practice rather than through some inborn genius. To a large extent, we believe in this theory, and our selection of tools that can inexpensively and conveniently be used for many hours at a time are a reflection of that.
  3. Mechanically correct swings are the only ones worth repeating. This goes hand in hand with point # 2. Yes, it’s critical that tons of practice hours get logged. But if a batter is practicing a swing that is ineffective (has a hitch, off-balance, etc.) then all that repetition is doing is ingraining bad habits. That’s why our website, MaxBP.com is designed to supplement the tools we sell, with the kind of simple, straightforward drills and tips that will ensure that every hour you spend whacking balls is moving you closer to a repeatable perfect swing and ideal hand-eye coordination.
  4. Harder task mastered = Greater skill acquisition. There’s a reason why our flagship product, the MaxBP pitching machine, throws balls the size of a golf ball. Why didn’t we have it throw balls that are the same size as the baseball or softball you’ll be hitting in games? 2 reasons: there is both a physical AND a psychological benefit to mastering a task that is MORE difficult than the one you will ultimately be faced with in competition. It’s a simple matter of incredibly enhanced CONCENTRATION. If you can become excellent at hitting a small ball with a small bat, it stands to reason that you will be even more proficient at hitting a larger ball with a larger bat. It’s common sense that proves true in experience. And the extra bonus is that psychologically, you gain confidence in competition, knowing that you will be asked to perform a task that is significantly easier than the one you did in your backyard yesterday. Confidence is a large part of athletic success, and knowing that the task ahead will be easier than what you are used to, is a great way to insure that confidence will be your constant companion.
  5. Efficiency is everything. Have you seen the statistics that show that the amount of actual action that takes place in a football or baseball game, is really just 5 or 10 minutes in the whole 3 hour affair? And if you’re a batter, getting 4 chances per game…you’re having to make the most of just a few SECONDS per game. Similarly, most practice sessions are equally inefficient. If you’re on the field with your team, taking BP, how many swings do you get to take in a 2 hour practice? 20? 30? At best, that’s 1 swing for every 4 minutes on the field. Compare that to MaxBP. If it’s set to throw a pitch every 6 seconds, you’re getting 10 swings a minute. A twenty minute session will get you 200 pitches! Of course, the only ones that matter are the strikes (see point #6) We define efficiency in terms of amount of quality practice per hour or per dollar. Having your dad or your best friend throw you BP is great, but it’s not the most efficient option if they’re only around once a week. MaxBP is ready when you are, every day for as long as you want to take hacks.
  6. Flexibility. Do you only have 20 minutes available today to hit? No problem. MaxBP sets up in less than 2 minutes. Not going to have time to get to the field today before dark? Just pop MaxBP out of the trunk and hit in the parking lot at school, at work, or at the grocery store down the street from home. The bottom line is, MaxBP is ready when you are, almost anyWHERE you are. It’s powered for hours by a battery, needs little space, and the balls don’t break anything if you happen to hit them off a window or car door. For many baseball diehards, MaxBP goes with them everywhere, just like their glove.
  7. Quality / Durability. This actually falls in line as part of efficiency. That’s because a machine that is cheaply made either breaks down frequently, or fails to throw a high percentage of strikes. Either of those issues drastically reduces efficiency (not to mention the fact that they’re both extremely frustrating). We’ve evaluated dozens of options over the years. Some are great quality, but at great expense or require huge tracts of land. Some are cheap, but made poorly. The MaxBP is the best combination we’ve ever seen of being cost-efficient, convenient AND durable/consistent.
  8. Customer Service. And on those few occasions where the MaxBP doesn’t perform up to standards? We’re committed to making it right as quickly as possible. We want every customer to be a customer for life. We want Little Leaguers still coming to our website for supplies when they’re in high school and college. And the best way to insure that happens is to do whatever is necessary to keep every customer happy.
  9. Level playing field. Add up all the aspects of our philosophy, and one big picture emerges: All of us here at MaxBP love baseball. In fact, we all still play. We use the machine ourselves every week. And we all wish it had existed back when we were kids! We want to make it as easy and affordable as possible for EVERYONE to have a MaxBP and become a great hitter. MaxBP can be used virtually ANYWHERE- basement, tennis court, small backyard, etc. Should a kid that lives miles from his friends and has a small backyard have less of a chance of becoming a great hitter than one who lives next door to a baseball field? Should someone who can spend $2000 on a baseball pitching machine be able to improve more than someone who only has a couple hundred dollars? We say no. And our mission is to level the playing field so that the main differentiators between the great hitters and the not-so-great hitters is how much time and effort they want to spend learning about and practicing hitting.

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Welcome to MaxBP!

Friday, January 1st, 2010

We’re excited to have this opportunity to make lots of new friends throughout the baseball and softball-loving world. Our goal is to build this site in such a way that you’ll make this page one of your favorites. There will be frequent interesting topics discussed on this page, and plenty of opportunities for significant participation from members/fans.

Our company and our website, was created and named for a specific purpose: To MAXimize a ballplayer’s Batting Practice. Not just the quantity of it, but the quality as well. All of us here at MaxBP love baseball. In fact, we are still passionately involved in one form or another, either playing, coaching and/or parenting.  MaxBP is a labor of love borne out of a sincere desire to constantly improve the hitting experience.

MaxBP strives to distill the essential elements of hitting, and to make affordable all of the key ingredients: bats, balls, quality instruction and an inexpensive, portable option for getting as many high-quality practice swings per day as a player could ever want.

MaxBP is built on a foundation of 9 specific elements (read about them in the middle of our Home page by clicking “here” link - Go to Home Page).

When you click on that link, you will notice that there are two distinct, yet intertwined elements involved:

1. We carry the best, most affordable and most helpful baseball hitting products in the market today.

2. We are a source of knowledge that players can refer to, again and again, to learn important lessons, drills, tips and strategies that will help a hitter continually improve, whether they’re 8 years old, or 58.

To accomplish #2, we’re going to do something that you may not have seen before. There are a number of sites whose primary product is baseball “information”. They sell CD’s or DVD’s or books that promise to teach you everything you need to know about baseball. And many of them are very good.

Our approach is a little different. Because we believe so strongly in the tools that we sell, we want to minimize the amount of money you’ll need to spend on instruction, so you can spend your hard-earned dollars on equipment that will really make a difference. And so we’re making it extremely EASY to become a member of the MaxBP clubhouse, which will give you access to ALL of the lessons, drills, videos and podcasts that we will be rolling out over the coming months. Once you see how much stuff there is, you’d be surprised if we charged less than $100+ for a one year membership. But it’s going to be only $49/year. And get this – FREE to anyone who spends over $200 on MaxBP products!

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