IS THIS A GREAT GAME OR WHAT!

IS THIS A GREAT GAME OR WHAT!

Where else can you get dirty, holler, spit and scratch... and be cheered for doing it?

Where else can you do ALL these things, in any town, anywhere... and be thanked for showing up?

In fact... they schedule you to show up!

What else can you do that when you "fall on your face"... you're still moving forward!

What else can you do in life that when you take an "0-fer"... you still help your team!

Appreciate ALL the little things! The things that you never really thought to consider.

 Do this... and you will forever be nodding your head and saying...

"IS THIS A GREAT GAME OR WHAT!"

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BOB DYLAN AND BASEBALL?

"I was a whole lot older then, I'm younger than that now" - Bob Dylan

Baseball. Just a game?

Millions play now. Millions will play in the future. Certainly, millions have played in the past.

No matter your age, you at one time have probably swung a bat or thrown a ball. Smelled that enduring smell of a leather glove.

The memories and experiences do not just stay with you... they stick to you.

Parents and coaches get to be young again... kids get to learn to try, compete and do their best. As individuals and... as part of a team. New friends are made... Some for a lifetime.

A sense of place and community spirit is instilled.

Through it all you experience thrills and broken hearts. Pure joy and disappointment.

It's awesome!

As you and your kids grow, you realize time is precious. These experiences won't last forever.

Embrace these times. Feel every moment.

Back in 'your day'... Life and times were going to last forever.

You knew it all.

You were a "whole lot older then, but you're younger than that now".

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HOW TO "REALLY" GET BETTER

"Geez! I go to all my practices and games... I'm not getting any better!"

Sound like you? Someone you know?

Actually... it's like most all players!

What! You're joking, right? Nope. It's true.

It's the common thinking and approach of most players at all amateur levels.
  

IT'S WHAT YOU DO ON YOUR OWN THAT WILL MAKE YOU 'REALLY' BETTER!

EVERY PLAYER IN THE WORLD goes to practice. Goes to their games. JUST LIKE YOU!

Hitters, how many good focused swings do you really get in practice? 5, 10, 15?

How many do you get in a typical game? 2, 3, 5?

Do you work on just hitting the ball or on specific areas/weaknesses of hitting? 

You a pitcher? Infielder? Outfielder or catcher? How about base running and speed?  What are you doing  that all other players, anywhere, aren't doing just like you?

It's not the coaches fault. They have an entire TEAM to coach.

Bottom Line:

"DON'T MISTAKE ACTIVITY FOR ACHIEVEMENT"

Practices and games are not enough to make you 'really' better. That's what all players do.

The best players get to be the best because of... WHAT THEY DO ON THEIR OWN!

It's how YOU will "REALLY" GET BETTER!

It's FREE!
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A MESSAGE FROM BRIAN CRAWFORD'S FATHER

Kenneth Crawford  

Thank you so much for sharing Brian's information!!! 

www.briancrawfordmemorial.com/brianalbum.html

It is our goal to build a small 4 field complex with artificial turf. 

We have an annual baseball tournament that recently had over 100 baseball teams. 

As one of our fundraisers we have baseball and softball lace necklaces or bracelets. Each packet has a pamphlet about our memorial & Brian, baseball card of Brian and a removable Phil 4:13 red or blue sleeve.
 

We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
 

Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart!!!
 

Kenneth Crawford
Proud Father of Brian Allen Crawford
405-642-9592

www.briancrawfordmemorial.com/brianalbum.html

It's FREE!
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BRIAN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL.COM

FOR AN OUTSTANDING YOUNG MANS'   SPIRIT, LEGACY and MEMORY If you would like to help, please go to briancrawfordmemorial.com Below is a letter sent to Brian Crawford's parents. Dear Mr. & Mrs. Crawford,
I watched the news last night & I wanted to let you know that it was my family that your son saved. My baby girl & 2 boys
were in the car when the accident occurred. It is God’s miracle that we are here today.  I was by Brian within seconds.
I held his hand for what seemed to be eternity before help arrived. He was so calm & so BRAVE. I just kept telling him he’d
be alright & I truly thought he was going to be fine.  I prayed for Brian every second. Another lady arrived & held Brian’s
other hand & just kept telling Brian to talk to Jesus. She was an angel to me. My hope comes from God’s promise of
eternal life. (1 John 2:25) Cast your burden upon him & he will just air you. (Psalm 55:22).
My heart is torn as I do not know why the Lord placed me there at that time, or why he sparred my life & my children. I
know only time will help less the pain. I am a mother & teacher & I know our children mean the world to us.  Please rely on
God to carry you through each day. Brian will always be in my thoughts. You will have my prayers for years to come. I		Phil. 4:13 Reversible Sweatband Nike Sweatband Color
hope this letter does not cause you more pain. I was touched by the positive story on the news & I wanted to let you know
that Brian was not alone. He is my hero & my angel. Stay close to God & stay in church. If you need someone to talk or
cry with, please call.
BRIAN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL
We would like to see that Brian will always be remembered and that others could be touched by his legacy. Either from
spiritual inspiration, never quit competitiveness playing through pain (2 knee surgeries) or helping other avoid injury so
they could live another day.  A memorial fund has been established through Tinker Federal Credit Union in Brian
Crawford’s name or you can send donation to:  Brian Crawford Memorial Fund, 1308 Castle Creek, Shawnee, OK 74804.
Donation will be accepted through any branch and would be appreciated.  We would like to see that a monument be
placed at his high school baseball complex in Prague with the addition of a gated entrance to the facility.  briancrawfordmemorial.com For Brian, let's get this done.
BRIAN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL

YOU CAN DO IT!

Always believe...

It's not your size or shape...
It's not your level of ability or skills...
It's not what you can or cannot do...
It's not what you have or haven't accomplished...

IT’S NOT WHERE YOU’RE AT...
IT’S WHERE YOU’RE GOING!

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WHY YOU NEED EXPLOSIVENESS

It's sad. Heartbreaking. To tell a kid his playing days are over.

He's worked so hard. Year after year his dedication and passion was off the charts. His dream still alive.

Year after year some of the best amateur statistical hitters and pitchers get don't get drafted. It will happen again this year too. And, they don't understand why.

Good players. Good make-up. Good approach. Good instincts. All have worked long and hard on their game.

As a hitter or pitcher, you work over and over again to develop your craft. You should. Obviously, it's mandatory to any player who desires to be successful.

Fundamentals and technique have always been, and will be, the foundation of every successful player.

But... it's not enough. Not for the highest level.

To be really successful, to really have a chance to realize your dreams, there is another aspect of your game that needs to be continually developed. Without this, your dreams are just that... dreams.

What is it? What makes the good player better? What makes you stand out from the competition?

What turns the heads and opens the eyes of pro scouts and player evaluators?

It's the one thing that needs to show up during the 'dog days of August' and on 'Christmas morning in the snow'!

In a word... it's EXPLOSIVENESS! EXPLOSIVENESS! EXPLOSIVENESS!

What is explosiveness? It's strength, speed and quickness all combined.

It's not body building. It's not muscles.  It's EXPLOSIVE BODY MOVEMENT!

It shows up at the plate, on the mound,in the field and on the bases.

So many players think they have it. Nope. Not close!

But, it's not your fault. You haven't been surrounded by it, every day, to really know what it is. More importantly, you haven't trained for it.

You can't see it on television. Only live. Up close. Happens in micro seconds.

It's that faster than a speeding bullet twitch, flick or snap. With the feet, legs or hands.

Baseball, at the highest level, is played every day. Players are lucky to have 3 to 5 days during a season where they feel at their best.

Knowing this, the prettiest swing in the world isn't going to help much without that automatic twitch, flick or snap known as... EXPLOSIVENESS!

WHAT TO DO TO REACH YOUR GOAL

Whether your goal is to make the team, be a starter, an all-star, play in college, or play in the World Series you must absolutely work on your explosiveness.

I encourage all players to get on a EXPLOSIVE BODY MOVEMENT training program.

Seek out someone who trains player specific explosiveness. 

It's as important as the 'perfect swing".

Please, don't be another good player who gets bypassed without it!

It's FREE...
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WINNING "AIN'T NO PART TIME THING"

Years ago I was sitting in the office of my college coach. A very well known and respected Division 1 college baseball coach when his phone rang.

On the phone was a high school coach trying to sell one of his players. A good player, had just been drafted.

The high school coach was maybe 10 seconds into the conversation when the college coach interrupted.

"No thanks, I'm going to pass". He thanked the high school coach for the interest in his program and hung up.

This college coach, would go on to win three Division 1 national titles. He developed numerous All-American players, pro prospects, MLB players including managers, coaches and scouts.

He looked at me and said, "I can tell how badly someone wants to win by watching their first 3 steps".

The coach told me he saw the kid play a week ago. One at bat. Out the box, the kid didn't run hard. That's all it took. One time. One look. The coach left the game. Scholarship gone!

One of the best programs in the nation walked away. Without hesitation. Easy decision. A no brainer.

Even the best programs want desire before talent.

Always, always, always play hard! Play like you want to win! Play like a winner... all the time!

If you don't, they'll find someone who does!

Why? Because winning, "Ain't no part time thing!"



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THE MOST RESPECTED AND VALUED ATTRIBUTE OF ALL

Saying your 'the best' does not make you good. Surrounding yourself with others who brag about your abilities does not make you good. Mouthing the words about how wonderful you are proves nothing,

Every day, around the world, thousands of home runs are hit, strike outs are pitched, outstanding defensive plays are made.  Games are won. Games are lost.

Setting a goal to be great, focusing on it, then practicing everyday, regardless of where you
are and what abilities you may start with, is the road to real success.

Far fewer do this than are those home runs hit, strike outs pitched, outstanding defensive plays made and games won or lost.

Do it this way and your talent will be real. You... and your game, will have the most respected and valued attribute of all... INTEGRITY!

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HOW TO 'SHRINK THE FIELD'

'SHRINK THE FIELD'

The best players 'shrink the field'.

Wadda 'ya mean, 'shrink the field'?

Yep, whether you're at the plate, on the bases, in the outfield, infield, on the mound or catching, the best players have trained and developed to do this. So can you!

In over 150 years the infield measurements are still the same. 60 feet 6 inches from pitchers rubber to home plate. 90 feet from one base to the next. Outfield measurements? Anything goes! But, left, center and right fields are still left, center and right fields.

So, how do you 'shrink the field'?

In a word, become more explosive!

All Players All the Time: Always on the inside balls of your feet.

Outfielders : Read the pitch and be moving on the pitch through the hitting zone and the ball off the bat. Be explosive with your first 3 steps and close the gaps. Explosive outfielders 'Shrink the Field'!

Infielders: Same as the outfielders.  Read the pitch and be moving on the pitch through the hitting zone and off the bat. First 3 steps be explosive! Close those holes. Explosive infielders 'Shrink the Field'!

Goal : Get to the ball quicker. By getting to the ball quicker, base runners have less time to run. Hits turn into outs. For the opponent, outfield gaps aren't as wide. The infield holes are smaller. 

Throwing distances can become shorter. The ball in the outfield gets back to the infield quicker. Instead of a double or triple, it's a single or double. The ball in the infield now becomes a bang-bang play. A difficult double play is now a routine double play. Better yet, a hit turned into an out! 
You 'Shrink the Field'!

Catchers: Be snake-bite quick. Blocking balls! Pounce on those bunts! Get to those foul balls in the air that you never did before. Beat the hitter out of the box! Explosive catchers 'Shrink the Field'!

Pitchers: Extend your release point! You already have forward thrust towards home plate cutting down the distance of your pitches. Extend your release point further out front and cut the distance even more. Doing this cuts down the time and distance the hitter has to track your pitch. Extend your release point and 'Shrink the Field'!

Base Runners: Again, always, always always be explosive with your first 3 steps! Out of the box. Jumps on hit balls. All hit balls. Base hits! First to third! Tagging up! Force plays! Scoring plays!  Jumps when stealing bases! Be aggressive and explosive! Get the call on those bang-bang plays! Turn 90 feet into 87 feet!  "Shrink the Field'!

Hitters: Be short and quick to the ball! Explosive through it! Bat speed equals power!

Hard hit ground balls get through the infield!  Outs now become base hits! Balls get between the outfielders quicker! To the wall quicker. Over the wall more often!  Singles turn to doubles. Doubles to triples. A line drive within reach of an infielder is now a scorched base hit! Explosive hitters are the real deal. Outfields aren't as deep. Fielders have less range. Explosive hitters 'Shrink the Field'!

Commit to being more explosive in every aspect of your game. 

Do it and you become the real deal! Why? 

Because when you play you... 'Shrink the Field'!

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DO WHAT YOGI SAYS...

You've been there before. Lots of times.

Sure. All players have. Coaches too.

You know... those times where you're trying to do too much, get too many things done. Yep, all at once.

Then you start to question yourself. That little voice inside you says " Man, I'm sure doing a lot but getting nothing done. Or, "I planned on doing that but now I'm doing this..."

Maybe it's one of your teammates. A buddy. Maybe another coach helping you coach. Here you were focused on one thing and before you know it you're doing another.

Just like that, doing or talking about too many things and now you're more messed up than ever.

You were trying to accomplish just 'one thing'!  But now.... you're way off track.

Yep, for sure, you've hit one of those momentary crossroads. That 'fork in the road'.

Okay, no problem!

When these situations come up... think Yogi!

Asked what he does when he comes to a fork in the road, Yogi says... "Take it!"

Translation -  Keep things simple. Make a decision. Get back on track. Keep having fun!

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.

YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN

                       YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

A Better Drill, Or Way To Train, Only Makes You Better When You're Focus Is Dedicated To Doing Something Better With It!

DEDICATION and FOCUS = BETTER RESULTS

Be the Unbeatable Man!

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PRO SCOUT 60 YARD DASH EVALUATION

        60 YARD DASH 

PRO SCOUTING EVALUATION GRADING SYSTEM

2/8 POINT SYSTEM

8 IS HIGHEST... 2 THE LOWEST

60 Yard Dash:
  8: 6.4 seconds -
  7: 6.5-6.6 seconds
  6: 6.7-6.8 seconds

  5: 6.9-7.0 seconds
  4: 7.1-7.2 seconds
  3: 7.3-7.4 seconds
  2: 7.5 seconds +

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HOW SCOUTS GRADE YOUR HOME-TO-FIRST SPEED

Speed is important!

If you're serious about playing at a high level you must work on your foot speed.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, all players can train to run faster.

The top two categories pro baseball scouts evaluate are the 60 yard dash and your home-to-first speed.

Home to first speed is timed from the hitters contact with the ball to the time his foot touches first base.

Below is a typical scout/organization 2/8 point grading system. 8 being the highest, 2 the lowest.

Not included is the scouts own 'projection' of future ability.

Home To First (Right Side):

· 8: 4.0 seconds

· 7: 4.1 seconds

· 6: 4.2 seconds

· 5: 4.3 seconds

· 4: 4.4 seconds

· 3: 4.5 seconds

· 2: 4.6 seconds

Home To First (Left Side):

· 8: 3.9 seconds

· 7: 4.0 seconds

· 6: 4.1 seconds

· 5: 4.2 seconds

· 4: 4.3 seconds

· 3: 4.4 seconds

· 2: 4.5 seconds

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TOP 3 MISTAKES WHEN HIRING AN INSTRUCTOR

 3 Most Common Mistakes 

Players And Parents Make When Hiring A Personal Instructor

Congrats! 

If you are looking to work with a personal instructor/coach, or are currently working with one, you're doing the right thing.

Your personal one-on-one sessions can be invaluable. 

What are your goals? 

Make the team? Become a top level player? An all-star? College prospect? Pro prospect?

No matter your age or level of play, a personal instructor/coach should be able to help. 

Knowing this, most players and parents make some critical mistakes when signing on to work with someone you think can help you.

Here are 3 of the MOST COMMON MISTAKES:

MISTAKE #1) Waiting until your season starts. 

Big mistake! Would you hire a piano teacher the week of the big concert? Would you expect Beethoven from 'chop sticks'?

Transferring what you learn from an instructor to competitive situations/games takes time.

MISTAKE #2) Signing up for just one session.

What! Again, would you hire a piano teacher for one session and expect to bring down the house?

Sign on for multiple sessions. One session is indicative your not serious. It's unrealistic for the player. Unfair to the instructor. There are no shortcuts. No secret sauce. No magic genie! 

If you just want some tips, read a book. If money is an issue, talk with your instructor. Try and work something out. 

MISTAKE #3) Not working on what you've learned with your instructor... on your own!

Go to school? Do homework? Sure you do.What would your grades look like if you just went to class and ignored your homework?

You absolutely must take what you learn and work on those things! On your own! 

Okay, cool... I know you get it now.

Let's sum it up... 

Do what the best players do. Get going in the off-season. Do as many sessions as possible. And, work at getting better on your own!

Make it FUN!

Do this and you can be the man! The 'UNBEATABLE MAN'!

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