| There are several aids which can be helpful | | | | cross-strings directly above the sides of a |
| in the training of your baseball team. | | | | home plate to complete the strike zone. |
| | | | |
| Sliding Area. | | | | Practice pitching mounds should be erected |
| | | | the proper pitching distance from the strike |
| The time to teach sliding is when a boy | | | | zones, and again practice pitching slabs can |
| begins to play baseball. He is closer to the | | | | be built from scrap lumber, painted white, |
| ground and eager to learn. Let the grass grow | | | | and anchored to the ground with wooden pegs. |
| 6 or 8 inches high in foul territory at the | | | | |
| end of a bullpen or outside the outfield | | | | When pitchers warm up, using the strike zone |
| fence. This is all the cushion the player | | | | for a target, this practice can be made more |
| needs. | | | | realistic by having a batter stand in the |
| | | | batter's box. In this way the batter has a |
| Place a loose (detached) base in the center | | | | chance to judge strikes and balls and become |
| of the sliding area. Every boy who is | | | | familiar with the pitched ball, and the |
| physically fit should practice sliding every | | | | pitcher gets used to pitching to a batter. |
| time he goes to the field, sliding three or | | | | |
| four times to the right and three or four | | | | After a few sessions, the batter can start |
| times to the left so that he forms the | | | | his swing and then pull back to get the |
| correct habit pattern and has no fear of | | | | practice of checking his swing when the pitch |
| sliding. He should wear sliding pads, | | | | is bad. This is a good drill for the batter, |
| basketball trunks, or heavy swimming shorts | | | | but he should never go through with the swing |
| to avoid skin burns. | | | | because it would break the strings and might |
| | | | injure someone working out elsewhere. |
| Pitching Target | | | | |
| | | | Batting Range |
| The pitching strings, introduced to | | | | |
| professional baseball by Branch Rickey, | | | | If there is space near your playing field, |
| provide a target for a pitcher. Two strike | | | | develop a batting tee range. A net or canvas |
| zones are recommended. They are erected over | | | | can be strung between poles or buildings. The |
| home plates in the bullpen. (The bullpens, | | | | size of the area is not too important, but an |
| incidentally, should face in the same | | | | area from 8 to 10 feet high and 30 feet wide |
| direction as the pitcher's mound and home | | | | is recommended. This would take care of three |
| plate.) They can be built of scrap lumber, | | | | batting tees and batters at one time. |
| painted white, and anchored to the ground | | | | |
| with wooden pegs for this purpose. | | | | By using a woolen practice ball, the batting |
| | | | tee area could be set up beside a building or |
| Poles 2 by 4 inches can be stuck into the | | | | any other barrier which would eliminate the |
| ground approximately 10 feet apart with the | | | | necessity of going a long distance to |
| 4-inch sides parallel to the pitcher's | | | | retrieve the batted ball. A woolen practice |
| mounds. The poles should be lined up so that | | | | ball will carry far enough in flight to |
| cords strung between them will be directly | | | | determine whether the batter is hitting line |
| above the front of each home plate. One | | | | drives, grounders, or high flies, and will |
| string should be at the average knee-high | | | | eliminate the breaking of windows and other |
| height of Little League batters and the other | | | | hazards of that nature. Again if no area is |
| string at the average armpit height of a | | | | available, tees can be set up behind the |
| majority of batters in each league. | | | | regular field backstop and balls can be hit |
| | | | against the backstop. Use a rubber-covered |
| The strings, which can be obtained in | | | | baseball, plastic ball, or tennis ball if |
| hardware stores, should be of strong white | | | | woolen balls are not available. |
| cord similar to a carpenter's marking line. | | | | |
| Once the cross-strings have been stretched, | | | | With these few aids, training your team can |
| vertical strings at the width of each home | | | | become much more effective. |
| plate should be strung between the | | | | |