College Baseball
On January 12th, 2022, the NCAA Division I Council approved a new rule that allows baseball teams to expand their roster from 35 players to 40 players.
While the new NCAA 40-man roster rule for college baseball programs may seem like a positive change at first glance, it also has its downsides.
Reduced Playing Time
While the expanded roster offers more opportunities for players to contribute, it could also mean reduced playing time for some. With more players available, coaches may feel pressured to distribute playing time more evenly, which could lead to some players seeing less playing time than they would have under the previous 35-man roster rule.
Developmental Challenges
The expanded roster could also present developmental challenges for some players. With fewer opportunities to play, some players may struggle to develop their skills and improve their game. Additionally, coaches may find it challenging to manage the development of a larger group of players, leading to some players being left behind in terms of skill development.
In conclusion, while the new NCAA 40-man roster rule for college baseball programs offers some benefits, it also has its downsides. Coaches and administrators will need to manage the expanded roster carefully to ensure that it does not negatively impact their programs.
Recruiting
Great episode for parents and High School seniors, on the impact of the rule changes on College recruiting.
Walter Beede and Dave Serrano.
Baseball Gear
ThumbPRO is changing the game for all baseball players of all levels with their one-of-a-kind performance-enhancing thumb guard.
ThumbPRO performance thumb guard is an ambidextrous accessory that protects players’ hands from painful bat sting, aligns proper bat position, and has shown to increase bat speed, for some players, up to 10-15%.
Many MLB players on teams across the USA are using the thumb guard and report that ThumbPRO’s product is superior to its competitors across the board. The ergonomic fit-and the fact that they don’t have to “fidget with it” – is one of the reasons they’ve switched to the ThumbPRO from other available models.
Sammy Abbott, Chicago White Sox Organization says:
“Using the ThumbPRO gives my hand the protection it needs while adding unrivaled comfort during my swing. In the past I used a comparable guard and could never get it to sit right between my hand and bat, but now my bat sits perfectly without any discomfort!”
Since 1909
Tools of the trade for Opening Day 1921
By: Tony Hynes
One hundred years ago on the opening day of the 1921 baseball season, April 13, manager Johnny Evers’ Chicago Cubs were set to host Branch Rickey’s St Louis Cardinals for a 4-game series. This series was followed by 150 more scheduled games, ending with pennants for neither team (the Cardinals finished third and the Cubs seventh) and a World Series victory to the New York Giants over Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees on October 13 [1]. Then, as now, there was much to be done to make this happen, both behind the scenes in the front office, and from the perspective of managers and players. Information is key to pulling it all together, but where does it come from?
For the front office, the Baseball Blue Book was an essential source for information on all things related to the professional baseball leagues and the college game. Core elements were its directories. These laid out the administrative structure, the names and addresses for the various Major and Minor leagues and administrative staff, the umpires for that year, and even the members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. It presents the start and end dates for league seasons, and their full schedules in an easy-to-read tabular format. Also found are the agreements and rules that governed the professional game, and the changes introduced for the 1921 season.
The compiler and publisher of the Blue Book was Louis Heilbroner, the former manager of the 1900 St. Louis Cardinals (with a record of 23 wins and 25 loses). Heilbroner went on to set up the Heilbroner’s Baseball Bureau Service in 1913 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, producing these and other baseball titles that were valued within the sport until his death in 1933 [2]. With the Bureau and its work, Heilbroner can be considered a key figure in the history of baseball management and in the evolution of modern sabermetrics.