Patrick Jones Baseball

If you love pitching, you're going to love this episode with Bill Hezel. Bill's coaching journey is unique. He coached college baseball for seven years, while working a full-time job, oftentimes having to sleep in his car in-between practice and work. He eventually took a job at Driveline Baseball where he is now the Director of Pitching, as well as being a pitching consultant to the Philadelphia Phillies. In this episode, Bill gives a behind-the-scenes look at what he does at Driveline, the best ways to develop pitchers, and what he looks for when hiring future employees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Data..It seems that people love it or hate it in baseball. However, I'm here to re-assure you that it's okay to use data. In this episode we have Dave Hyland, currently a Professor of Finance at Xavier University. Dave teaches a Sabermetrics course at Xavier and explains what he teaches his students, and how he got the idea to start the class. If you're someone who is interested in data in baseball, then this is going to be a great episode to listen too! Dave's email: hylandd@xavier.edu See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Head Coach at UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore - County), Liam Bowen, drops by to talk about what it's like taking over a program a D1 program. Liam explains why you need more evidence to convince players to make changes, and why he wants recruits to be curious from a developmental standpoint. Liam took over as head coach at UMBC in late 2019 during the season. He explains how he's transitioning his team's mindset, and why mindset is everything. Lastly, we get into recruiting, how is Liam recruiting in 2020 with the pandemic going on? The difference in recruiting position players vs. pitchers in 2020? Why being a mid-major D1 is actually an advantage from a recruiting standpoint, especially with the dead period going on."We're not going to recruit a conference champion, we're going to develop a conference champion" See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Currently bench coach for the Minnesota twins. Mike actually went to the same high school that I went to, Moeller High School, and now his son, Luke, is playing at Xavier University, where I graduated from as well. Small world. Mike started out as a Manager in the minor leagues for the Diamondback. He also served  as a field coordinator, and was the director of player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks for the last 7 years prior to getting the job with the Twins in 2020.In this episode Mike gives advice on what he’s looking for when interviewing candidates for a job in professional baseball. Mike has done 100s of interviews during his time with the Diamondbacks and has first hand knowledge of what an organization is looking for when hiring someone. Lastly Mike talks about some of the things he’s learned over his career in professional baseball. His Dad played 18 years in the MLB , grandfather player 15 years, and Mike’s brother David is currently the Manager for the Cincinnati Reds.&

After graduating from college Matt didn’t immediately get into coaching. He started as a car salesman. After doing that for a year he became an assistant coach at East Georgia College. After one year he was promoted to Head Coach, a title he retained for the next three. Matt then made the decision to become the volunteer at Miami, Oh. After one season he was promoted to Pitching Coach. In this episode you will learn what a D1 pitching coach is looking for when he is out recruiting, how he develops pitchers at Miami, and some ways you can individualize in a team setting.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Loved talking shop with one of the best hitting minds in the game, Darin Everson, Hitting Coordinator of the Colorado Rockies. In this episode we talk about how we as coaches can help players become their own hitting coach, home schooling his son, Jared, while he was managing for the Rockies in 2016, and the importance of teaching players to “be where your feet are at”. Marv Training Bands marvtraining.comDarin's website: www.elitebaseballacademy.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Current hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs stops by the podcast to discuss a variety of topics. Anthony has coached in the minor leagues, was a coordinator, and now a coach at the big league level. In this episode he gives advice on how help players during a season, working with players from different countries, and what he noticed watching players in the Dominican Republic train. If you're interested in having Anthony speak to your team via zoom please send him a DM on Twitter @anthonyiapoce See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mechanics, lifting, defense, and hitting are all fun things to talk about. However, one of the most overlooked things in player development is nutrition. On this episode we have Brandon Guyer, former MLB player who is now a certified nutritionist. Brandon gives example of some things that he would do to help with nutrition on the road during his career. We also talk about the mental game, and how nutrition plays a role in that, and lastly Brandon gives advice on what kinds of food and nutrients you should be consuming as a baseball player. Brandon's website is fullyequippedathlete.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Imagine getting cut from 3 different teams within 10 days?! That's what happened to Adam Rosales, former big leaguer, who is currently coaching in the Oakland Athletics organization. In this episode Adam gives tips on what helped him mentally stay in the moment throughout his career, why he sprinted around the bases after a HR, and tips for up and coming hitters who want to continue to play at a high level. Adam’s website: https://www.baseballutility.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Another route to get to the big leagues is through Independent Baseball. In this episode we have the hitting coach for the Fargo - Moorhead Redhawks, Anthony Renz. Anthony explains his experience in Independent Baseball and talks about some of the similarities and differences between it and MiLB. I personally played Independent Baseball and realized just how good the competition is. For some of these teams they have several players who will go BACK to the big leagues at some point. We also talk about player development in Indy Ball and what Anthony would like to do in the future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Colter Bostick is currently a pitching coach in San Antonio, Texas. Colter trains pitchers in all facets of the game and emphasizes a holistic training approach for his players. In this episode we talk about Colter's background as a player and how that shaped his coaching philosophy, what happens when a player starts working with Colter, arm injuries for youth players, and what he see's from a pitching perspective when watching pitchers in the World Series. Colter's Twitter: @maximized_bsb See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After embarking on a 16-year career as a professional baseball player, Andy Tracy decided to transition into a manager. He's currently the Triple-A Columbus Indians Manager in the Cleveland Indians organization. Andy not only played professionally in the United States but also spent several years playing winter ball in Latin America, as well as playing a season in Japan. In this episode, Andy talks about his journey as a hitter, what he thinks of today's game, and his coaching philosophy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Lisle has coached at various levels in baseball and softball. Along with being a private instructor, he has coached travel baseball, high school, NAIA, Div 3, Div 2, Div 1, MLB. While he was busy coaching at various levels he also amassed a big following online (over 1 million followers). In this episode, you will learn about Matt's coaching philosophy, the differences between Softball and Baseball, and some ways that amateur baseball can be better. You can follow Matt across all social media platforms @coachlisleHis website is https://thehittingvault.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ty Moore is currently the Director of Player Development at Gardner Webb University. After a great career at UCLA that included a National Championship his Freshman year, Ty was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round. In this episode Ty talks about his experience as a Bruin, what west coast baseball is all about, what pro ball is like in an organization and in Indy Ball, and we go over his role as Director of Player Development at Gardner Webb. Follow Gardner Webb on Twitter: @gwubaseball Follow Ty on Twitter: @ty29moore See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A great way to develop hitters is by providing them immediate feedback. HitTrax does exactly that. HitTrax is a data company that captures several metrics regarding every batted ball a hitter hits. In this episode we bring on the CEO and founder Mike Donfrancesco. We get into Mike's background, how he actually was able to build the system itself, and what are some of the exciting things that he has in store for the company in the near future! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catching! Arguably the most important defensive position on the diamond. However, what does it take to truly make a good catcher? Is it a strong arm? Blocking? Framing? I decided to stop guessing and bring on an expert. Tyler Goodro is the founder of Goodro Catching. A facility in Omaha, Nebraska where he works on teaching catchers of all ages the nuances about the position. In this episode he takes us through his background as a catcher, helping players with the recruiting process, pop time, arm strength, blocking, and what a typical day looks like at his facility.Axe Bat: Type in code pjbbcor20 for 20% off any BBCOR Axe BatFollow Tyler on Twitter: @goodrocatching See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tyler Jeske – Currently MiLB Hitting Coach Los Angeles Angels, Co-founder of SlugfestChase Rowe former Detroit Tigers MiLB Hitting Coach. Founder of Pittsburgh Spikes  - Travel Baseball organization. Tyler and Chase are teaming up to push player development to a new level. Tyler recently moved to Pittsburgh to join Chase in opening up a new facility called Battleground Baseball Group. They want to provide an environment where all coaches are working together to provide a better learning environment for players. They have also been putting together hitting plans for hitters from a holistic lens. Not just focusing on meaningless metrics, technology, or phrases that the player doesn’t value. Using the player’s language and having a conversation with the player to find out what’s important to them. Player Plan from Tyler and ChaseTyler Jeske: @TJeskelaaChase Rowe: @chaserowe23 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Attention all Pitchers! This week we have an outstanding pitching coach on the show! Jared Gaynor, is currently a pitching coach in the Minnesota Twins organization. He also has a business where he works with pitchers remotely to improve their mechanics, in-game strategy, and movement. In this episode we talk about different drills you can be doing to improve your pitching mechanics, how to use weighted balls, and when you should start to work on pitch tunneling. Jared Gaynor contact: Email: info@gaynorstrength-pitching.comInstagram: @gsp_trainingPivot Pickoffs Drill: https://www.instagram.com/p/CESp32lA5qY/?igshid=w5p44lotcdm1-       Continuing to throw as a coach, reminder to remember how hard it is to pitch -       Experimenting with different drills, need to feel it as a coach yourself. -       Pivot Pickoffs drill – helps arm action, allows hand to get inside 90 degrees -

We have an outstanding hitting coach on the podcast this week. Justin Dedman is currently the hitting coach at Miami OH. However, he has coached at every level of college baseball except JUCO and Played college baseball at Dennison University. He was head coach at Dennison University, Volunteer Assistant at Austin Peay University and director of baseball operations at Ole Miss University, assistant coach at Lee University, and now assistant coach at Miami (OH) University. In this episode we talk about recruiting to your home park, giving hitters autonomy, implementing mental game into everyday practices, and why mechanics shouldn't be the first thing you focus on as a coach.Axe Bat Code: PJBBCOR20Justin Dedman Twitter: @hittingmental See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We don't have many episodes with current players. However, this week was an exception. This weeks episode features Dai Dai Otaka, currently and infielder at John Hopkins University. Dai Dai may still be a player but his curiosity and internal motivation have made him a coach on the field. I enjoyed this conversation as we talked about Dai Dai's background, the infield position, and how to set up a practice so your players will develop and have fun! Make sure to check out Dai Dai on Twitter: @dai_squared See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.