Former Pro Coach, Scout, & Instructor
/ Midwest Ironbirds College Prep
Eric Cormell Baseball Development
Pro Baseball Training & Consulting
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Parents
There are HS school coaches out there doing things behind the scenes to help your son's, more than you know. Get to know them if you can. Have had some great talks the past few days with some. They truly care about your kids. It isn't always what you think it is.
Needs to be said-
It is incredibly hard to PLAY any level of college baseball. 5% may get on a roster, 1% actually play.
Programs folding, covid year log jam, conferences not playing. If coaches from any school are calling you its a blessing.
Saw two kids today (Sunday) at 8am hitting off a tee at home plate. Wood bats. No parents around. 2 bicycles behind the backstop. All dirt city park. Helping each other out. Seemed to have a plan. All balls were in CF.
I'm rooting for those kids. That's is where it all starts.
Last Ironbirds workout ever today, and just like that, the end of another chapter of my baseball journey. A lot of great people came here to chase their dreams, and I got to be a small part of that. Gonna miss this place.
@coach_a22
and I in Phoenix many years ago, figuring out this coaching thing. Our friendship was irreplaceable. If anyone should be "bronzed up" at Oberlin College, it's this man. We actually joked about it yrs ago. I truly believe he should have a statue at Dill Field. GTSY👍
Solid first week. Seniors showed why they're committed to good schools, Juniors are guys coaches need to get on, and a Sophomore who's making a name for himself already. Fun group to watch. Every guy here made an impact.
Imagine if we had a league in the CLE / Akron / Canton area with the top players, that played nightly through the week and on Sat, on a central college field, and never left the area till the end of summer. Think that venue wouldn't have recruiters camped out every night? 🤔
I typically don't post stuff like this.
I'm just proud of our guys who fought and grinded out to be runner-up in the CABA WS.
The entire team contributed and came back twice to get us to the final game. Hats off to the
@TerrierTeams
for being quality competition.
Bobby is like this every day. Workhorse with attention to detail. What the baseball world would gain if he was mic'd up everyday with his own show. Most if not all of my infield knowledge comes from years spent with him coaching.
What I've witnessed pro hitters do in BP when things are off:
Eliminate the stride to see if it's a flaw in their hitting position & not a timing issue
Eliminate the feet to focus on upper body & barrel awareness
Slow their load & start earlier to gain time to see the ball
Proud to announce our new staff!
Former Chicago White Sox and University of Georgia stand out Mike Mancuso as our new pitching coach.
Current Wittenberg catcher Jack Hollinshead.
Current Ashland University standout Mac Schoenman.
Aspiring ballplayers: stopping your weight training during the season will cause timing issues. Performance will suffer. Injury risk goes up. You must prioritize your routine. Strength has to be part of it. Players who know this have a huge advantage.
Uncommitted:
1. Have college value
2. Identify what school(s) need you
3. Contact the RC/HC
4. Get to their camp(s)
5. Go to showcases they attend
6. Be prepared for that showcase
Lastly- being an out of state player w generic tools playing everywhere can be an expensive mistake.
I have about as good a hitting coach as you can find. Our Iron Mike is supercharged to throw 85 mph from 54 ft (back plate) & can simulate 92 mph (front plate). He's also elevated to create the fastball plane of a 6'2 pitcher on a regulation mound. No substitute for experience.
Unfortunately I'm limited with pictures coaching as of late. But here you go
@wittbaseball
.
I will still be donating $25 to
@MyInnerWarrior1
due to my lack of creativity and because they are a great cause 🙂.
If you're gonna give the take sign to hitters you better add your name to their stat line. Gotta trust players to manage their ABs better and not be robots. If you dislike this tweet you are as controlling as I was as a young HS coach. If I had a delorean...
It's not who you go to weekly (though it definitely can help), but what you do daily that makes the difference. Information without adaptation will only allow you to understand why you fail, but you physically won't be ready to succeed without the vital experience of reps.
This is the time of the year when hitters stop using the T, doing flips the right way, & don't hit off the machine anymore- because they got a few hits, or they squared up a few balls going live. Establishing a routine is how u stay good in this game. Don't stop. 1% every day
Free hitting advice for guys who want to know what most pro hitters do.
Establish a daily warm up hitting routine that does the following:
Keeps your hands above/inside the ball
Keeps your hands tighter to your body
Shoulders square to the ball longer
Stay through contact
Your tools will typically dictate your level, but bottom line is no matter your division/level you better be able to produce. Doing that against adults who practice and lift year round is tougher than most understand.
In a 1 week minicamp we had guys go from 7.2-7.3 to 6.8-6.9 60 yd dash on Sat. Position velos also jumped 3 to 5 mph. Routine and consistency get results. No substitute for experience. Imagine what you can do in a year if you put your effort into the right plan. Not done yet
Uncommitted 2019 CF
@JordanShaheen22
final wood bat stats:
.488 AVG
108 PA
8 Ks
14 BB
8 HBP
11 2B
8 3B
1.395 OPS
Kid flat out hits & is going to get better. Sleeper sign for somebody.
Also played every inning of every game in CF (without an error). Worker. Winning player.
(I get to ask some of the best players in the world how they got there)
Players who aspire to be great- you should be building a daily routine that you can maintain and that makes you 1% better every day. Lifting, speed and agility, hitting, throwing, defensive skills, nutrition.
Want 2 have "bad hitting mechanics"? Load late & fast.
Good hitters get 2 a good hitting position earlier & more often than bad hitters.
Good hitters see the ⚾️ longer than bad hitters.
Timing is everything.
Also, unless the pitcher has the yips taking Ks is a bad strategy.
Phases of baseball/softball wisdom:
1. I know nothing
2. I know everything
3. I thought I knew everything
4. I will never know everything
When I see former players from earlier in my coaching days, I immediately apologize. I hope that they see I was learning too.
I feel for the guys who take the field ill prepared. That look of "uh-oh I'm not ready" is as helpless as you can get.
Throwing strikes, putting the ball in play, securing the ball on defense, and throwing accurately to bases, are part of a daily routine to be a good player.
Learning how to foul off pitches in the "river" or 50/50 zone (space between plate and box) will make you much more valuable as a hitter. Being a tough out increases value in a hitter that doesn't necessarily come out in stats. Scouts see it.
Daily routine hack:
Get up & lift in the morning before school. Yes, even on game day.
Hitting requires a certain amount of strength & muscular tension to maintain timing.
The weaker you get, the more loose & slow you become. This creates timing issues- often misunderstood.
After 3 years of hard use and abuse,
@baumbat
finally gave out. ☹
Our machine is set at 85mph and this bat saved hundreds of ash and maples from early graves. Best option for wood bat guys not in proball.
We are holding an open tryout July 25th. Looking for next year's 16, 17, and 18s wanting to play college baseball. Go to for more info and to sign up. Time and location given through registration. Tryout run by MLB scout.
Uncommitted '19 Hit / Speed tool CF
@JordanShaheen22
Wood bat stats
51 ABs
.463 AVG
6 2Bs
4 3Bs
1.374 OPS
3Ks
Solid 6.7 runner
95+ EV
3.1 GPA
Power lead-off, manages ABs well
Already hits plus velo, with room to grow. He hits right now. Athlete.
The curse of the extremely talented player:
They don't realize how hard the next level is yet. It's a place where everybody else also has talent and has been working to get there. The other problem is nobody tells them the truth.
Players showing up to train w/o being asked, are the guys that make this awesome. They get it. 1 day after playing our last game and guys are texting me with a sense of urgency. Yes, some need a little time off but knowing how close the end could be is half the battle. Impressed
T work is not hitting. Flips are not hitting. Even BP is not hitting. They are warm ups & drills. Machine BP above bat speed & Live is hitting. It's the proving ground for your drills. Hitters must consistently square up FBs that are faster than bat speed. Only 1 way to test it.
My Buddy doing the Lazer Show at the Oklahoma State Camp. Awesome to get to see her on the field she's watched on tv. Got to play against HS girls and held her own (1-2 w 2 BB).
Parental advice on lessons:
1. Watch baseball together (learn).
2. Play catch together as much as possible.
3. Take them to the cages (machine pitch) & vary speeds. Go above their abilities & let them fail a little.
4. Get lessons if this isn't working.
I'm asked this ? a lot
What a bad approach looks like:
Take a fastball out over the plate for strike 1.
Take a hanging curveball for strike 2.
Swing at a CB/CH in the dirt for strike 3.
We've all done it.
Aggressive early
Big part of the field
See ball longer by loading earlier
Timing in hitting is most often thought of when we get our front foot down. This is only 1 part of it. Some hitters take much longer to get the bat moving, when they decide to swing. Also referred to as lag time or take up. Removing as much of that slack is optimal for timing.
Cheap way to give yourself a chance to be good at baseball:
3 build up 80s & 2 all out 60s
15 min throw/ long toss
Tee series that covers high/low strike & keeping your hands close to your body & your shoulders square to ball.
30-45 min lift (front/back of body split)
First throw of the day is max effort
No sprints before playing
Bullpen was a blocking session for C
Players lounging in the dugout
Instructions during the game from stands
Hitting lesson during AB
Umpires being harassed
Parents in the dugout during game
Look familiar?
Had a player tell me "I hit so much better on days that I lift".
If done right, an in season lifting program can keep you strong and out of slumps.
Seems like guys start struggling a couple of weeks after they quit lifting.
When your body atrophies, your timing is going change.
Hitters often make the mistake of expecting star player treatment.
If your ABs are non-competitive, coaches will have a short leash & get someone else in lineup. The excuse of I need more ABs to get going is luxury most hitters haven't earned. Be prepared to produce. Earn trust.
A player, who worked up til his corrective surgery today, called me right after this morning to talk about when we are getting together to start rehab & prep for his first college fall. That's why he's going to contribute at the D1 level as a freshman.
Relentless. Can't teach it
Might be the most important thing in hitting...swing up, swing down, stay square, one leg, two legs, snap, squash, scissor, on plane, ferris wheel, etc...all affected by this. Stay tunned.
2 types of players that make it into proball:
1. Dynamic athletes, who sacrificed a lot to get there.
2. The other 90% were guys who were obsessed with developing their tools and experience level to not be denied when their opportunity presented itself.
Ways to start a slump:
Poor hitting prep
Out of control gather (timing)
Swinging at balls, taking Ks
Forcing hits, not barrels
Over swinging
Not having an answer to the pitcher's plan to get you out.
The weight room affords you the ability to not have to swing so hard. When you are strong and can maintain it during the season, all you have to do is hit the ball right...hard will take care of itself.
Getting off the bus at a gas station on a road trip in the minor leagues:
Cashier: "are you guys a football team?"
Me: "no, baseball."
Cashier: "these guys are huge!"
Players getting to the weight room, you are on the right track.
NFL prospects train 6 days a week for the 40 yard dash. Sprint all 6 days.
Baseball players going to a showcase to run a 60 yard dash (20 yards further) and maybe run once.
Its got to be part of your daily routine as a player. Even slow guys. PS you won't be slow for long.
To get noticed, you have to play the game higher than where you are at. That gets confused with being the best player on the field.
What does it mean to have value at the next level? Find the answer and you now have the advantage most miss on.
Big thanks to
@DaytonClassics
for putting on a great event at Wright State University this weekend. A lot of college bound talent and quality baseball organizations.
Proud of my wife
@amiecormell
. Dedicated herself for months and at 44 got on stage with 20 somethings. PS she had hip replacement recently before starting her training. I am forever impressed.
Hitters who attack the first strike, tend to be more successful. Hitters who take strike two, tend to struggle more. Hitting with two strikes a lot is how you make hitting really difficult.
Players who SAY they want something, SHOW you how much they want it by how uncomfortable they are willing to get. Biggest crutch killing US players is trying to be "comfortable" with everything.
If every pitch a youth player is hearing instructions or meaningless phrases that rhyme or sound good, are they really hearing you? Sit back, relax and release your kid to the game and let them play (fail too). Over coaching kills.
One key separator of good hitters versus bad hitters:
They get into a good hitting position earlier & more often than bad hitters.
Obviously timing is critical. But overlooked.
"Gather and get stable" (heard this from a pretty good big league hitter).
Hitters: test yourself against game speed velocity (machine from 54ft) to see if what you're doing works. Can you consistently barrel up line drives at the top and bottom of the zone? Doing it off of front toss or bp is fantasy land. Not the same. Big misconception in hitting.
Uncommitted 2019
@JordanShaheen22
CF updated summer woodbat stats:
.485 AVG
87 PA
19 BB
7 Ks
10 2B
6 3B
1.407 OPS
6.8 runner
Best baseball is still ahead of him. Makes adjustments. Fully invested. Fun to watch.
It isn't who you go to for hitting or pitching lessons. It's what you do to daily and weekly to solidify your abilities to perform in games.
Information without action is a tough way to improve. Habits and experience make players better.
If private lessons become the practice, you're donating $ & wasting everyone's time. If you practice what you learn outside of lessons & learn new levels each time with ur instructor, you will quickly get a return on ur investment.
Tweets that players in the DR only play 1 game a week is misleading. They take live abs everyday vs the vast # of arms in their academy. Hitters must be challenged to improve. Cages help prime actions, but live velo and stuff expose hitters to adjustments needed. More to it...
Hitters: just a reminder that hitting is also being able to accurately swing the barrel where you want to. It's easy to forget as bat speed is really important. Tee work is where you can do this without the burden of timing. Everything has its place. Train often and wisely.
We are looking for highly motivated, varsity level athletes, who are looking for the best fit at the college level. Our training is second to none. If you want professional level coaching and the training to prepare you for the next level, look no further.
Pitcher's priorities:
Location- because good hitters will hit Velo out over the plate.
Movement- getting the ball to move in the last 17 feet of flight creates intermediate to poor contact.
Velocity- it is important, but without the first two you're just a thrower.
One thing forgotten about tee work is its strength and conditioning component. Its 25-30 reps you can get daily without rush and in every part of the K zone. The weight room is just as important, but its really hard to develop speed and power without hitting the ball.
@Mark_Shires
@WeightRoomHigh
Also not sure if scheduling an AM lift after late game is maximizing productivity. Pro athletes adjust to get the most out of their training economy over doing something to be tough for a reason. I get where he's trying to go with commitment though. Just a bad example.
10x the power when a player does this. Coaches can, but respected players have the ability to ignite teams (when the culture is right) more effectively.
Very few players get to experience the game where routine gb chances, catchable fly balls, and baserunning mistakes are outs. Now think about how many players who later become coaches and teach things that worked at the level they competed at.
Just an observation.
Fun fact:
We sign Dominican players at 15 & 1/2, put them in an academy to develop & perform at a pro level. They swing wood, lift weights, & are learning advanced actions. Pitchers are 88-98+ mph. Hitters hit everyday, sometimes twice. Coordinators cycle in weekly to instruct.
An important message from
@Hobbs_38
for the parents who are writing college recruiting emails on behalf of their kids (spoiler alert: the coaches can tell):
1) "Get a good pitch to hit"
How do you do this? There is a lot more to this question that hitters should ask themselves and seek out in training. Not that simple. Pitchers also make a living by not giving you one of these. Maybe learn to drive all strikes and 50/50's?
There is no substitute for experience. Barrel control, Strike Zone control, Fielding cleanly. If you are going more than a day without doing these skills, you will lose feel. This is what separates the players from the posers.
Common progression I've seen pro hitters use while hitting off the machine.
Barrel
Body
Feet
Effort
Meaning, they don't use any until they find the previous aspect.
Unfortunately, not very many hitters are told this. Routine is your diagnostics.