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Is it individual players only that are running after a game? Or are the entire team running afterwards? I am sure that when people see our son's team running afterwards, especially after a win, they assume that they are running as punishment. When in fact, it is part of the post game conditioning. They always run...even on the scorching hot days!
What type of mental approach is the team or individual players taking into the game? If I felt that a team wasn't there mentally I might run them to "wake them up" but if it's just a physical error or part of the game then the running is wrong.

I tell my guys all the time when they make a mistake during individual position workouts they never get better going to the back of the line. When you boot a grounder or throw to the wrong base then you need to hop back in there and do it again to get it right. But a coach has to be able to realize when the focus isn't there and find a way to get it back.

Early on when I took over my team in Kentucky I had a young team that had very little discipline in their past. So we ran a lot but by the time they got to their junior and senior year they had that focus and we ran just for conditioning.

I've seen it work in cases where it helped to develop team chemistry because they all had something in common - they didn't like running so they learned to help each other out. This is a tricky one and a coach has to be careful or it could blow up in his face.

I won't say running for mistakes is wrong but it can be.
quote:
Originally posted by mstcks:
I'd say that it depends on the length/duration of running, but like others have said: all those things are part of the game. It's inevitable that humans, let alone ballplayers, make mistakes.

As for running didn't hurt anyone, see on Hiroki Kuroda. Absolutely horrendous story of his high school baseball and punishment.


When Kuroda said “It was a generation when coaches believed you should not drink water” , I had to laugh because I grew up in that era. We would run in hot summer days in 90 degree whether with 90% humidity.
We were bused to the only large hill in S Fl, then made to run the entire park, then sprint up and down that hill. No water was allowed, and you had better not falter, even if you were the best player on the team.
As strange as it sounds, you got used to it, even though today we know it was dumb and dangerous. I can tell you this much, in basketball, no team had more stamina in the 4th quarter, and I never got tired on the mound either. Once you have been pushed to the limit, it strengthens you in ways you cant imagine until you've been through it yourself.

Heck, it seems to have worked out for Kuroda. Wink

As to the OP, as long as the coach has a method to his madness and the kids respond to it, what is the harm. Some coaches motive with a carrot, others with a stick. To me the best coaches use both methods depending on the individual. Some kids need a swift kick in the rear, while others need a pat on the back. Knowing how to get the most out of your individual players is the key to successful coaching.

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This method is ridiculous. Errors, strikeouts and walks happen. To punish a person for doing such things is effectively making them hesitant to try, just to avoid punishment. Playing baseball hesitant cannot be beneficial.

Long distance running is NOT good for baseball in any way, shape or form. Baseball is a fast-twitch sport that requires quick bursts of energy at various points of the game. Long distance running serves literally no purpose in such sports as basketball, football, baseball, etc...sports that require short bursts of sprints in a short distance. The only argument I've ever heard in favor of long distance running is that it builds "stamina". In fact, it produces quite the contrary within the sport.

If I am ever a coach, I will absolutely ban long distance running at all times for my team. There is no long distance running in baseball. You need to train (or, in the case of the OP- punish) using methods that are beneficial for the game, and long distance running is the last thing you want to do.

For reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296980

http://www.ericcressey.com/a-n...etween-starts-part-1
Last edited by J H
Not to completely differ with you on this, but I believe both anaerobic and aerobic is beneficial. I say this more from a pitching perspective, and it is not just my opinion.
I had my son run cross country thru HS even though he didn't care for it. He thought I was cracked, but every time we spoke to a former major league pitcher, they all said they had either run cross country, or ran long distances for conditioning. This includes a HOF pitcher, as well as a nationally respected pitching guru. However they also stressed sprints and fast twitch exercise as beneficial as well.

Now I know modern day trainers go more for the latter, but unless we just happened to speak with the few guys who made it big in baseball despite doing long distance running, there is something to be said for it.
quote:
Originally posted by J H:
This method is ridiculous. Errors, strikeouts and walks happen. To punish a person for doing such things is effectively making them hesitant to try, just to avoid punishment. Playing baseball hesitant cannot be beneficial.

Long distance running is NOT good for baseball in any way, shape or form. Baseball is a fast-twitch sport that requires quick bursts of energy at various points of the game. Long distance running serves literally no purpose in such sports as basketball, football, baseball, etc...sports that require short bursts of sprints in a short distance. The only argument I've ever heard in favor of long distance running is that it builds "stamina". In fact, it produces quite the contrary within the sport.

If I am ever a coach, I will absolutely ban long distance running at all times for my team. There is no long distance running in baseball. You need to train (or, in the case of the OP- punish) using methods that are beneficial for the game, and long distance running is the last thing you want to do.

For reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296980

http://www.ericcressey.com/a-n...etween-starts-part-1


You don't think pitchers benefit from long distance running?
Our coaches make pitchers run (win, loss, walk, K, 1 inning or 7) right after the game - its good for them. Based on the number of innings the number of poles however usually 10 or under.

He also makes player run for mistakes....Not Errors but mental mistakes (base running, missing signs, etc).

It makes the players think more plus it gives the pitchers some company when they run their poles!

I see nothing wrong with the above as long as it fits the offense...2 or 3 poles for a Mistake..
quote:
Originally posted by daveccpa:
As for pitchers running poles, I spoke to the Stanford Conditioning coach and none of their pitchers run after pitching. He said that it is "stupid". They ride a bike for 20 min instead.


Did he say why? I don't see a difference in the two other than the bike is easier on your joints.
To address Vector in Distance Running.....

I partially agree... I too have a XC runner and pitcher. However he did plymetrics for explosive bursts along with training for XC.

I will have to agree more with the twitch muscles - at least for a pitcher. Running 2-3 miles 2x a week is a great workout and combine that with sprints and plymetrics. However running 5-7 miles 6x a week takes a toll.

when you look at a pitchers motion...full rest to 100% in less than a couple seconds, then rest again...The low and steady cross country cross country approach may help endurance, however won't benefit pitch to pitch. Son saw jump in velocity after plymetrics vs small gain on distance.

Now with that said - son did add endurance and stamina from the distance running! I'm a proponent of running kids...Poles are not distance....5K's are!
Last edited by 2013leftydad
http://megliofitness.com/5-fat...seball-players-make/

Five Fatal Mistakes Baseball Players Make

1. Running Long Distance

It amazes me that many coaches still believe that long distance running is the key in improving stamina for pitchers. Even worse some coaches make there pitchers run poles after a start or outing. Simply put, there is no science or research to prove that long distance running has a positive effect on stamina or the recovery process. What is even more staggering is that this myth has been accepted at almost every level of baseball . Baseball is a power sport. It is a game of quick, short, and explosive bursts. Compare this to long distance running which is very slow and controlled, clearly you an see that there is no correlation between the demands of a pitching and the demands of long distance runners.

Another argument is that running after pitching will break up lactic acid. Sure, maybe this would work if lactic acid actually accumulated after pitching but it doesn’t. Instead the soreness a pitcher feels 1-2 days after pitching are micro-tears in the muscles. I could write for days about why long distance running is not the answer for pitchers but hopefully by now you get the idea. If you want to check out a whole article on Why Pitchers Should Not Run Long Distance ...CLICK HERE ~

http://articles.elitefts.com/t...s-run-long-distance/
Last edited by Shelby
I am not for running for mistakes. If kids get caught up in worrying about making mistakes, they stop making plays because they are paralyzed with fear. Mistakes happen.

Now I am all for running to improve attitude. Dogging it, showboating, let'em run. I have absolutely no problem with it. At least if they dog it after a lot of running they have an excuse. Big Grin
Shelby,

Thanks for the link, but there's a problem. Just because someone says something, doesn't mean everyone should believe it. There are several statements in the linked article that offer no attribution for where the basis for the conclusion comes from.

i.e. There isn’t any lactic acid build up after pitching. Many coaches believe long distance running will increase stamina and break up lactic acid build up. This would be great if lactic acid actually accumulated after pitching, but it doesn’t.

Can you give us some research that supports this statement?

Another statement that I believe is 100% wrong, and makes me believe that the author has never coached to any significant degree, is...

These forms of conditioning are far superior to long distance running because they will increase general physical preparedness and increase work capacity. In addition, it will also build mental toughness—a key component to athletic performance.

In all my years of coaching, the one failure that I, and many coaches I have networked with, is that we have never been able to make a kid tougher mentally. Big, strong, hulking, speeding, strapping, muscle bound kids...and if they aren't mentally tough, you can't make them that way. I've been very successful taking the overly aggressive kid and toning him down, but never the other way around.
Are swinging strikeouts and walks by a pitcher mistakes? I don't believe so. They are non-positive things that happen in a baseball game.

Where is the mistake in swinging and missing at a Hallady slider or Verlander 100 mph fastball. Where is the mistake in walking a guy who fouls off 4 or 5 of your best pitches until the pitcher misses by an inch or two.

Bad coaching to me...the coach should run for making a mistake!
CPLZ~
Thanks! Just throwing an opposing opinion out there. As I already mentioned previously on here...our son's team does run after every game & practice, as part of their let down conditioning. JH had just posted being opposed to it. So, I did some very quick "research"...(Google) Wink and more seemed opposed than in favor of it. My concern would be for our son P/CF, that it would be worse for him as a Pitcher & make matters worse. But, having seen them do this as long as he started playing ball, would have to say that the running they do after games and during preseason practices, has not hurt their stamina any.

...and the mental toughness...think they either are born with that make-up or not. But, the Marine's might beg to differ. Wink
Last edited by Shelby
quote:
it builds character.



How does running several miles build more character than running a ton of sprints?

If science has proven, numerous times over, that long distance running is detrimental to the game in all aspects, why is it still being done? There is no long distance running in baseball, ever. So don't run long distance. If you want to condition players appropriately, put them through high intensity interval training. There are literally hundreds of different ways to train for a power sport such as baseball. Distance running is not one of them.
To punish a player for making an error or striking out on called strike 3 and make him run is childish and juvenile and a coach without a clue on what's part of baseball.

Punish a player for not paying attention, making mental mistakes because of it or going against the coach? Fine, make him run laps. But to make a player run laps because he strikes out or boots a ball? Get real.
My son makes a stupid mistake or isn't paying attention: Run him. If he is trying to make a play and has an error, congrats on the try but do better next time.

My son goes 2B2S and gets his knees buckled on a beautiful curveball then congrats on the strikeout. Part of the game, sometimes you guess one thing and get another. If he stands like a statue and lets three at the knees go across and then comes back complaining about how they are 'low' then run him.

Luckily this seems to be the philosphy of the coaches there. Like anything discipline like running should be to teach something. If it isn't teaching anything then it is a waste of time.
quote:
Originally posted by J H:
quote:
it builds character.



How does running several miles build more character than running a ton of sprints?

If science has proven, If science has proven, numerous times over, that long distance running is detrimental to the game in all aspects, why is it still being done? There is no long distance running in baseball, ever. So don't run long distance. If you want to condition players appropriately, put them through high intensity interval training. There are literally hundreds of different ways to train for a power sport such as baseball. Distance running is not one of them.


Define long distance.

If by long distance you are meaning a marathon I would agree. If by long distance you mean running a mile or two then I think you are wrong.

Let me give you a few benefits of running:
1) improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases),
2) improved cardiovascular fitness,
3) reduced total blood cholesterol,
4) strengthening of bones (and potentially increased bone density), 5) possible strengthening of the immune system
5) Strengthening of the legs which are critical for pitchers and catchers.

So give me your "scientific" reasoning why running would be bad for a baseball player?
What is the goal? You think if you run the players enough they will become better fielders? Better hitters? Better pitchers? Better players?

If your guys are making errors then focus on why they are making errors. Poor fielding technique? Poor mental approach? They simply lack the ability to make routine plays on a routine basis?

Spend your time working to get better at what your trying to do. If the problem is a lack of focus then simply reward those with playing time who are and sit the ones who are not. Play the players who are making plays and sit the ones who are not making plays.

I have never ran players for errors, walks, striking out or any failure when they are trying to have success. I have never had a player that wasn't trying to make plays, get a hit or throw strikes. If a player lacks focus there is a very good way to get his attention. Make sure his name is not in the line up.

Running, conditioning should be used for the proper purpose. To get players in better shape, keep them in good shape. Improve speed , etc etc. Using it as a tool to punish players for on field performance is the quickest way to force players into a negative mindset when trying to perform. Instead of thinking about making plays in games they are more worried about making mistakes.

JMO but if you have to scare kids into making plays you have a problem. Don't you think they want to make plays? Help them become better players by teaching them how to. Show them what they are or are not doing that will allow them to make more plays. Instill confidence and encourage them instead of beating them down and being an as_.

Playing time and the desire to win should be all that is needed.
quote:
Originally posted by bostonbulldogbaseball:

Define long distance.

If by long distance you are meaning a marathon I would agree. If by long distance you mean running a mile or two then I think you are wrong.

Let me give you a few benefits of running:
1) improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases),
2) improved cardiovascular fitness,
3) reduced total blood cholesterol,
4) strengthening of bones (and potentially increased bone density), 5) possible strengthening of the immune system
5) Strengthening of the legs which are critical for pitchers and catchers.

So give me your "scientific" reasoning why running would be bad for a baseball player?


  • Example #1

  • Example #2

  • Example #3

  • Example #4

  • Example #5

  • Example #6

  • Example #7

    There are plenty more.

    To address your list:

    1/2) Cardiovascular fitness and respiratory health have nothing to do with playing baseball. While no one will argue that those are beneficial things for life, long distance running is not the only way to promote these things. As an athlete who is physically fit, one should not have issues with cardiovascular or respiratory health beyond some sort of hereditary condition, which is unavoidable.
    3) Same as above.
    4) As noted by several of the studies above, long distance running in fact decreases strength of the immune system and thus does not promote any beneficial notion specifically related to immune development. Strengthening of bones is better accomplished through training that involves resistance pertaining specifically to those bones. While long distance running obviously promotes resistance on bones, many other explosive exercises in fact provide much more strenuous- and beneficial- resistance.
    5) Reality is EXACTLY the opposite of this claim, as evidenced by the research.

    Note: When attempting to accomplish all of the above, diet is the #1 element to successfully maintaining the necessary bodily parameters.

    Not only is a mile or two way too far for baseball players to run, but the speed in which they run those distances is much too slow. Baseball is a power and strength sport. So train for power and strength. Period, the end.
  • quote:
    Originally posted by J H:
    quote:
    Originally posted by bostonbulldogbaseball:

    Define long distance.

    If by long distance you are meaning a marathon I would agree. If by long distance you mean running a mile or two then I think you are wrong.

    Let me give you a few benefits of running:
    1) improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases),
    2) improved cardiovascular fitness,
    3) reduced total blood cholesterol,
    4) strengthening of bones (and potentially increased bone density), 5) possible strengthening of the immune system
    5) Strengthening of the legs which are critical for pitchers and catchers.

    So give me your "scientific" reasoning why running would be bad for a baseball player?


  • Example #1

  • Example #2

  • Example #3

  • Example #4

  • Example #5

  • Example #6

  • Example #7

    There are plenty more.

    To address your list:

    1/2) Cardiovascular fitness and respiratory health have nothing to do with playing baseball. Cardiovascular fitness and respiratory health have nothing to do with playing baseball. While no one will argue that those are beneficial things for life, long distance running is not the only way to promote these things. As an athlete who is physically fit, one should not have issues with cardiovascular or respiratory health beyond some sort of hereditary condition, which is unavoidable.
    3) Same as above.
    4) As noted by several of the studies above, long distance running in fact decreases strength of the immune system and thus does not promote any beneficial notion specifically related to immune development. Strengthening of bones is better accomplished through training that involves resistance pertaining specifically to those bones. While long distance running obviously promotes resistance on bones, many other explosive exercises in fact provide much more strenuous- and beneficial- resistance.
    5) Reality is EXACTLY the opposite of this claim Reality is EXACTLY the opposite of this claim, as evidenced by the research.

    Note: When attempting to accomplish all of the above, diet is the #1 element to successfully maintaining the necessary bodily parameters.

    Not only is a mile or two way too far for baseball players to run, but the speed in which they run those distances is much too slow. Baseball is a power and strength sport. So train for power and strength. Period, the end.


  • Well you lost any remaining credibility for me on the first assertion that I bolded above.

    If you consider 1 mile long distance then you are definitely out of shape.

    Personally, I think you could benefit from running and diet after seeing your latest pitching video.
    Coach May, typical GREAT POST. IMO, a coach who has to run players for punishment is doing so because they don't know how to coach the problem out of the player. It might be a lack of motivational skills, or knowledge or ... Running for conditioning is a seperate topic. Yes, for higher level athletes, they do, imo, need to be in good cardiovascular shape. That can be done a number of ways but I prefer doing that with a ball. If I'm doing drills with infield or outfiled, I guarantee I can get you into shape without having you run a mile or two. Coaching is tough. A former player of mine is on the outs with the coach. So, this player asked what he was doing wrong so that he could correct it. His answer, get in the dugout. GREAT COACHING. Probably typical of the coach who has to run for punishment.

    As you all know, I have admitted to running for punishment at an early age in my coaching career. However, I ran every time with my team. I loved the post asking if the coach runs for his mistakes.

    Finally, my daughter's coach was angry at the team for taking third strikes. So, he was going to punish the team by running. My daughter went in to talk to him and went through her mental process of an at bat. She is never afraid to hit with 2 strikes. So, she said that if she had to worry about striking out and being punished then she is going to have to swing at pitcher's pitches resulting in fewer hits and homeruns. My daughter plays for a very good coach. He listened and changed his mind. The fact that he is such a good coach is why she is there. Instead of running the team, he revisited having a plan as you have an at bat. Good guy!
    quote:
    Originally posted by bostonbulldogbaseball:
    ...

    Personally, I think you could benefit from running and diet after seeing your latest pitching video.


    JH has been a long time respected member of this board. How about you backing up your smack and posting video of yourself?

    Eric Cressey is one of the top Strength and Conditioning Coaches in America. He goes the extra mile making some of his stuff available. JH, nice reference to Eric!

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