(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of Baseball Training)

A few weeks ago I introduced you to the plank. Well here's another version of the plank, called the side plank, that builds helps develop shoulder and core stability...and, like the plank, you can do it while watching the playoffs. Who said watching TV wasn't active?



Place your elbow directly under your shoulder and your foot on top of you other foot. Simply raise your hip off the ground and hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on other side.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)

While using technology in football has gotten a bad rap lately, the argument for implementing the use of it in baseball got a boost last night at the end of the Padres-versus-Rockies game.

The last game of the MLB regular season was the best game of the year. But instead of focusing on how great of a game it was, the talk among the sports community is about the controversy that ended it.
The Padres were playing the Rockies for the National League wild-card spot after the teams ended the season in a tie. The Rockies were hot, having won 14 of their last 15 games to get to this point. But things didn't look too hot after Jorge Julio gave up a two-run home run in the top of the 13th inning, putting the Rockies in an 8-6 hole.

The Rockies battled back to tie it up again and, with no outs, Matt Holliday was standing 90 feet from clinching a playoff spot. This is where the controversy began. A sacrifice fly was hit to right field and Holliday tagged up and sprinted home with the season on the line. The throw from right field came loose as Holliday slid in head-first. Safe! Or was he?


The umpire didn't call him safe at first. Replay shows Holliday missed the plate on an incredible block by Michael Barrett. Barrett then picked up the ball to tag Holliday as he lay on the ground. But for some baffling reason--after hesitating and waiting until Barrett reached to tag Holliday for the second out--the ump decided to call him safe.

Maybe the umpire just missed the call. Is it possible he was trying to make up for the fact that an earlier ball that was ruled a double was actually a Rockies homerun? Perhaps Holliday sold his slide by not getting up and scrambling to touch home plate. We'll never know what was going through his mind, but it seems clear enough that Holliday still hasn't scored the winning run.

Since games such as this one are so important, do you feel instant replay would be an asset to assure accurate calls?

(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of Baseball Training)

Everybody has heard the term "See the ball, hit the ball." So why do most hitters, coaches and instructors ignore this critical hitting aspect?

This is the most basic of hitting concepts. We all spend a great deal of time and resources on the mechanics of executing a quality swing. But none of that matters if you can't see the ball.
Your kid doesn't know if there is something wrong with his vision. He doesn't know if he needs glasses (or contacts) or if his prescription is too weak. He assumes what he sees is the way it's supposed to look. Before you hustle him off to another pricey session with a hitting instructor, get his eyes checked.

And make sure that instructor spends time on baseball-specific vision training, not eye drills that make you choose a color or have you sitting down looking at a computer. That's not specific to baseball.

If you're not training vision in your stance, then it's not specific to the sport and it will have very little, if any, carryover to the batter's box.

See the ball. Hit the ball. It's that simple.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)

By David Kloser

There's no place for teasing and heckling on the baseball field, I'm sure you'll agree, yet there seems to be no getting around it. People are going to say what they want. As a former college player and high school coach, believe me, I've heard some wild things.

Unfortunately, teasing and heckling does happen and not just on the field. However, what you learn on the baseball field will help you manage and understand things off the field. I know it does for me.

I spoke with over 300 of today's top Major Leaguers about how they handle heckling (as well as other topics) and one of the main points they shared was, "control what you can control." You can't control what people say to you, but you can control your reaction to them.

Here are a few excerpts from Stepping Up to the Plate that reveal how big leaguers handle heckling. If you like to copy the styles and habits of the pros, you might want to try out some of these positive approaches to heckling too.

You're in the field and you hear something like, "Hey #@!%! You're a *&#@?" Here's what two-time all-star and World Series champion Darin Erstad has learned over the years: "It's an ugly side to the game. You can let it bother you or let it make you stronger. You have to accept that (the teasing) is not personal and you can't take it with emotion."

How does all-star infielder and 11-year MLB veteran Edgardo Alfonzo overcome hecklers? He explains, "I already have my mind set on what I'm going to do, what I'm going to listen to and what my intentions are. The game's only a couple of hours long, I don't want to take my focus off our (game plan)."

Paul LoDuca, three-time all-star handles it this way. "I take the heckling in stride. I was a short, chubby kid when I was younger, so I got razzed a lot. I still do. I just laugh. You can't take it serious. If you do, it starts getting in your head."

Bonus Tip: Tim Wakefield from the 2004 World Series-champion Boston Red Sox puts it best: "You have to force yourself to ignore (the teasing). A lot of people base their self-worth on what other people think about you. You have to be happy with yourself. My self-worth is based on the type of person I am, not what I do on the field."

Wrap Up: Control what you can control, have a game plan and stay focused on it. Whether you're on the field or in the classroom, what you think about yourself plays a big part toward your success. If you know you're not a @!%&*#, it won't matter what other people say.

David Kloser, speaker, visualization trainer and author of the series "Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers" interviewed over 300 Major League Baseball players about success for life on and off the field. David speaks on this topic throughout the country. For more information visit www.SteppingUpToThePlate.com

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Barry Bonds* is about to break one of the most coveted records in all of sports. As Bonds??? career home run count increases, so does conjecturing as to whether Bonds belongs in the Hall of Fame. Hank Aaron said he will not be at the game in which Bonds hits his 756th home run, and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has not announced if he will be present. The integrity of baseball is at an all-time low.

It is ironic that what is now drawing jeers and criticism from fans is what brought the fans back to the ballpark after the 232-day strike in 1994 that resulted in cancellation of the Word Series. Baseball returned, but many fans did not. It took the long ball (and steroids) to bring attendance and revenue back.

Major League Baseball???s stance on drug use has changed drastically in recent years. Prior to 2003, players didn???t have to worry about drug testing. Steroid accusations that once fell on deaf ears have now made their way into Congressional hearings. Now, at the risk of losing fans again, sport-wide standards are a must to restore credibility.

Barry Bonds has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but his legacy is likely to never recover from the controversy. As in the ongoing metal-versus-wood bat debate in New York, regulation consistency is needed in sports today to reinstate integrity. I hope in the near future baseball returns to its original form; that fans return to baseball to see the sport free of steroids and records without controversy.

What do you think -- should Barry Bonds have a spot in the *Hall of Fame*?

Within the last week in the world of baseball:

1. Alex Rodriguez shouted something while running towards third base to distract the third basemen from catching a pop up.

1. Not only teammates, but battery-mates Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett of the Chicago Cubs got in a fist fight in the dug out.

1. Lou Pinella received a three-day suspension as Major League Baseball cited contact he made while arguing with and kicking dirt on an umpire.

1. A minor-league manager went on a tirade that lasted just over two minutes, tossing bases and army-crawling across the field. It reminded me a little bit of a 1-year-old crawling around as he made a fool of himself and his team, and disrespected the umpires and the game.

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The equipment that accompanies sports such as baseball and softball has come a long way since the first mitts were made of flesh-colored padding with the fingers cut out.

But with technological sophistication comes confusion: How do you know which glove to get? Does a $300 bat really make a difference? And just how do you find the ideal equipment for your son or daughter without taking out a second mortgage on your home?

Check out four tips every parent should know about buying sports equipment.

Ahhhh. Spring is in the air and so is baseball season! Is your child ready for the upcoming season? What about you? Are you ready for all the wins and losses, and the hits, runs and errors?

Almost every season, kids, coaches and even parents are faced with the same dilemma--youth baseball during the summer is supposed to be fun, but more often than not it just turns out being frustrating.

It seems most kids don???t get the proper coaching they need on how to deal with making errors ??? especially during a game when it feels like the pressure can be hotter than ever?

To help out with the upcoming baseball season, David Kloser, author of ???Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers ??? 2nd Inning" suggests five simple things kids can do when errors occur and make this season more enjoyable for them as well as coaches and parents.