Have A Better Day By Watching This MLB Infield Coach Work With Trey Mancini (BONUS HALL OF FAME BASEBALL VIDEO COLLECTION)

It's hard to beat a Good Baseball Guy and that's all I could think about. Sumbitch wants it and you hace to respect that. Becore we continue though. 

I wrote a meaningful blog yesterday. Felt good to see a fastball up in the zone that I could hammer. Been sitting on this news for long enough and I’m ready to turn a page. 

Part of that means opening up about the game and being more vulnerable about my weirdness. I saw the above clip yesterday and watched 12 times in a row just astonished with the communication and detail. We’re talking about simply catching a baseball, and even that activity is subject to extreme and overwhelming scrutiny. Bonus points that it’s Mancini getting coached up too. I think we can all agree he’s a notorious good guy in sports. 

Everything about this makes me happy. The impromptu comparison to catchers because it’s a convenient talking point. Baseball coaches love convenient talking points. 

Extremely simple instruction that’s nearly impossible to execute. The part about keeping your head back behind your knee and glove sounds simple. It’s actually instinctually impossible for most of us. The sheer velocity and related risk magnitude of an errant throw is enough to justify some clenched butt cheeks. Performing the movement smoothly is really something to behold. 

At the same time, this is why you see big league first basemen pick everything. That’s one of the biggest adjustments you see from college to MLB. If the ball is in the dirt, the big league first baseman is going to pick it. Maybe not every time, but enough for you to routinely think “holy fuck they never miss a short hop.” That’s called relativity and it’s a powerful tool. 

Relative to that clip, I’m compelled to share a couple more in the spirit of bonding with you guys through baseball. So let’s get started with some low hanging fruit. Probably worth making a Hall of Fame at some point. 

Earl Weaver

Wally Backman

TAKE YOUR REPORT AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR FUCKIN ASS

Auggie 

THE REST OF YOUR FUCKIN LIVES

George Bush First Pitch

There’s more. Those are my entry level classics, all for different reasons. By all means please connect with me on your favorites. DMs are open and active. 

Would be nice to get some user generated content on the new venture. I used to run a personally -endearing blog of reader emails about the perils of off record and totally impulsive financial decisions. That was a good time. 

What that means is I want in on the good stuff. Think about me when you see baseball. Reach out with anything weird or unique or passionate. From whiffle to intramurals to Game 7s. I want it.

As an example. One year I’m playing summer college ball for Coach Johnson out of the Chicago Wildcats. Coach busses us down to Kentucky for a 4th of July game against some local amateur team. They had a pirate ship in right field. Stadium capacity was maybe 200 and there were over 5,000 people at the game. Pikeville Kentucky or some other similar backwoods community of solid hard working Americans. For whatever reason, they turn the Friday 4th of July weekend baseball game into a county fair. To this day, amidst endless environments and backdrops, I’ll never forget that fuckin pirate ship in right field. Or the fried snickers bars or the loose older sluts that wanted a taste (but didn’t get one because I’m a man of principal when it comes to smelling your puss). Everything about that experience stands out except for obviously the name and specific location. 

Point is it was super weird and awesome. Like a rundown Madison Mallards atmosphere. 

Help me find some more hidden gems.