Category Archives: Baseball Basics

Reyes was Wrong

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Joe Janish

Jose Reyes‘ baserunning gaffe from Friday night’s game was exactly that: a gaffe. Meaning, a blunder, or a foolish mistake. It doesn’t matter that Bob Ojeda was a former MLBer and he supported this blunder, because there are former MLBers … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball Basics | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Davey Lopes On Head-First Sliding

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Roland Agni

With all the ballyhoo about Jose Reyes’ headfirst slide into third last night and the ensuing discussion about whether it’s safer / smarter / faster to slide head- or feet-first, here are some interesting points. First, a mechanical engineer came … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball Basics | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Wally Knows Keystone Coverage

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Joe Janish

This is elementary, but useful for kids and amateur coaches. Wally Backman explains how middle infielders decide who is going to cover second base in a stealing situation and how that decision is communicated.

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What’s Wrong with Jose Reyes?

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Joe Janish

If it were still April, the “shaking off the rust” excuse would still apply to Jose Reyes. However, we’re now getting into mid-May, and Reyes is floundering with a .229 batting average and a .281 OBP. Those certainly are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball Basics, Mets Hitting, Opinion and Analysis | Tagged | 6 Comments

Josh Thole’s Catching Stance

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Joe Janish

RED FLAG ALERT! Take a look at the above photo, taken in Port St. Lucie from yesterday’s intrasquad game by Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog. It’s Josh Thole in his “runners on” catching stance. Notice the flat back, weight forward on … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010 Spring Training, Baseball Basics | 11 Comments

Igarashi Wants to Throw 100 MPH

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Joe Janish

Newly signed import Ryota Igarashi is the owner of the fastest ball thrown in Japan, a 98-MPH heater. However, his goal is to hit triple digits, and he believes the harder clay mounds in the USA will give him that … Continue reading →

Posted in 09-10 Offseason, Baseball Basics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Ron Swoboda on Outfield Play

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Joe Janish

Before Endy Chavez, “The Catch” in Mets history referred to the diving snare made by Ron Swoboda in the 1969 World Series. I had the great pleasure of talking to Ron about that catch and how he turned himself — … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball Basics | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Ryota Igarashi: Mechanical Evaluation

Posted on December 17, 2009 by Joe Janish

The Mets and Ryota Igarashi have reached an agreement on a two-year deal. The 30-year-old Japanese hurler is expected to compete for the setup role in front of Francisco Rodriguez. I’ve never seen him pitch (other than the video below) … Continue reading →

Posted in 09-10 Offseason, Baseball Basics | Tagged | 3 Comments