Baseball & The 4th of July

Baseball and the 4th of July celebration has been a part of my entire adult life. From 1986 to 2021, I have spent 33 of those Independence Day celebrations on the baseball field. I have been a player during that time, a minor league coach, a major league coach. And this time, a coach in the newly reformed Appalachian League. This league is full of collegians from across the country. We will be involved with celebrations on three consecutive days. The Flyboys will be in Burlington, NC, Johnson City, Tn and of course, Pioneer Park in Greenville.

Lest not we forget that the fourth is Independence Day. The holiday marks the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence This signaled the official separation of the original thirteen colonies from Great Britain amid the Revolutionary War. While doing a little research it turns out that fireworks were used to celebrate the holiday in 1777. The first ever recorded Fourth of July party was held in Philadelphia, Pa., How many forefathers envisioned it, the celebration included illuminations, a parade, and explosions. President John Adams wrote that the date, (July 4,) will be celebrated by future generations with pomp, games and festivals. Early Americans brought fireworks with them to the New World and the quickly became a July 4th tradition.

Some of my best Independence Day celebrations were in Indianapolis. The AAA stadium, Victory Field, was packed each time Louisville played there. The streets were also lined with people. The fireworks, music and light show entertained thousands who come for the party. The 2021 celebrations started in Burlington, where the stadium was packed. The music with loud and lively. The crowd was entertained with on field promotions. The stadium was truly buzzing with energy. The Sock Puppet fans were loud and excited. The game cruised along for eight innings. The teams entered the final frame knotted at one run apiece. Then, the Puppets could not throw strikes. The game came to a crawl. The Boys had opened a five run lead when the skies opened up and without warning it flooded. It was a rain storm of Biblical proportions. The grounds crew raced to cover the field, the crowd hurried for cover. About the time the deluge slowed down the City made a good decision, they let the fire works loose, regardless of the end of the game. The fireworks show was spectacular and the fans enjoyed every minute of the illuminated rainy night sky. We were not able to complete the game after a long day, another good decision.

The second fireworks show was a July 3rd celebration in Johnson City. Last time we played in this stadium there weee fireworks of a different kind. Doughboys coaches were ejected, there were rowdy fans escorted from the stadium. I am hoping for a little more family and fan friendly crowd this time around. This game started out with a good pace, the Boys held an early 4-0 lead but the Doughboys fought back. Ryan Franklin, entered the game in the fifth inning with two men on base amd two others had scored. A huge strikeout ended the rally. The crowd was boisterous and and the excitement was high. But the Flyboys rolled out the dough winning the game by four. The fireworks show was stylish amd loud. The fans and players enjoyed the illuminated skies over Johnson City.

The final July 4, Independence Dsy celebration took place on the campus of historic Tusculum University. It was a great night. The crowd filled the seats like we have not witnessed before tonight. A nee attendance record was announced late in the game. The buzz of the crowd, the Star Spangled Banner, the smell of hamburgers, if this doesn’t get your blood pumping- something is definitely wrong with you. The Flyboys dominated the game, which was extremely long due to the frequency of base on balls by the City Doughboys. The game ended in odd fashion as we kicked five ground balls in the final frame. The stadium lights went out and the show began. Many Flyboys were joined on the field by close friends. The others joined arm in arm to admire the Independence Day celebration. It was a fantastic night. It is amazing how baseball brings people together,makes me proud to be involved.

Elizabethton Part Deaux

Elizabethton is a commuter trip for the Flyboys. The team boards the bus outside the home ballpark at 245 for the 50 minute trek. The walk from the clubhouse to the bus is uphill, probably 200 yards. By uphill I mean an estimated 15% grade, carrying my equipment bag, These old knees don’t appreciate it but hey, burning more calories. The team arrives one hour before the pregame routine begins. This arrival allows ample time for the players to get dressed into batting practice attire, receive treatment from the athletic trainer if needed as well. It also allows time for the staff to write and post hitting groups and to peruse the opposing team roster, stats, lineup, etc. The team caters a box lunch for the players and staff before and after the game. Without opening the box I know we are having a wrap, a bag of kettle chips, a fruit cup, tiny donut hole things and cinnamon butter dipping cup. I rarely eat it so I can’t say the quality. I am gluten intolerant and every day there is a flour tortilla staring at me. The catering group also delivers gallons of sweet tea and lemonade of sorts. The post game box meal is a variety but often has pasta so I leave mine on the table.

The pregame routine on the road is fairly consistent. Stretch, run and throw followed by batting practice. We divide the position players into three groups of four hitters. Each group hits for 12-15 before rotating back to the field. The batting practice is thrown by the coaches. The hitters have a strict daily routine, that’s announced before the hitting starts. While one group is hitting the other players are working on defense. The infielders take ground balls hit by the fungo hitter and make throws to 1st base or 2nd base. This is a great time to gauge how the infield plays, fast, slow, true or bumpy. Each park has different grass and the clay can be hard as concrete or damp and smooth. Outfielders can play balls off the bat. This is a time to test the wind, the grass , the warning track and to see how balls bounce of the outfield wall. Pitchers during this time help shag the balls. They might have bucket duty, which is where the batted balls are thrown and placed in the large plastic bucket. The bucket of balls is used to replenish the balls thrown by the coach. Generally when one gets near the bottom of throwing balls a yell of “Balls” can be heard around the diamond.

The starting pitchers and I usually head out 45 minutes before the game. Pre game routines have become more elaborate and involved than they were a decade ago. The starting pitcher generally goes through a total body warmup. We never want to use the throwing arm to warm up the back and legs. The majority of pitchers use weighted balls( heavier than a baseball) to warm up. The hurlers usually throws these against a sturdy wall. Exercise bands that clip to a chain link fence are also used and are a great way to get the throwing arm warmed up to compete. The pitchers need a good pre game routine, a precise one. Some of my guys start throwing at 20 minutes before the game and some are 22 or 17 minutes. So the coach needs to know the time of day and the scheduled time of the first pitch of the game. The pitcher warms up with the starting catcher in the outfield so the pitcher can long toss some to get maximally lubed up. Long toss means, to me, over 90 feet. Some pitchers toss to 150 feet, others out to 200 feet. The average pitcher throws for 8-9 minutes in the outfield before heading to the mound. The number of throws in that time period is 32-35 throws. The pitcher and catcher then walk to the bullpen mound to prep for the game. The pitchers works on each of his pitches from the windup as well as the stretch. Most pitchers need to be reminded to throw from the stretch but truth is 50% of pitches in a game are made with runners on base. A good bullpen routine is 30-36 pitches thrown. Most of the kids here throw much less than that but they will learn. The pitcher wants to give himself a five minute break between finishing up in the bullpen before the game starts, There is that time thing again, time management and starting pitching is a must for creating a fantastic routine. Routines lead to consistency.

Game one of this series saw the Flyboys fall in the last inning. We did battle back to tie the game in the top of the 9th. Too many wasted opportunities in the game to come out victorious. The pitching staff had no walks in this contest for the first time all season. The Flyboys also had 12 strikeouts. Two throwing errors gave the River Riders the extra bases to win, 3-2. Game two of the series was all Flyboys. The pitching staff was dominant. The Boyz from Eastern Michigan combined for 7 innings, 1 hit and 9 strikeouts. I look forward to watching the pitching future of Russo and Wagoner. Overall we allowed 3 singles in the game and 2 of those were not hits but the official score keeper loves the home town team. The Greenville Flyboys head home for a weekend series with the Turtles, who have a potent lineup. For now, it is post game shower, skip the non GF meal and drive back to Tusculum for a cerveza and gluten free chips and salsa. diggity!

Bring on the Axemen

The first home stand of the season ends with a two game set with the Kingsport Axemen. Yes, the Flyboys vs. the Axemen, sounds like a potential Netflix pilot. Kingsport is in Tennessee. It is 43 miles North, North East of Greenville. The city of Kingsport derived it’s name from the simplification of “King’s Port” which was the name given to the area by the early pioneers. The Long Island of the Holston River has a vast and rich history. It is a National Historic Landmark. It was the home of the sacred Cherokee council and a treaty site as well.

The previous night saw the Flyboys play an extremely sloppy game. We made several errors in the field and a couple of mental mistakes as well. The opposition was sloppy as well but were much sloppier. Pitching truly makes the world go around. On this night the Greenville pitching was not it’s sharpest. The staff worked behind in the count too often. Our goal for first pitch strikes is 60%. We did not come close to that expectation tonight. Early in the count, the pitcher needs to be aggressive. One of the first two pitches needs to be a strike 80% of the time. Tonight’s pitchers had several two ball and no strike counts, which is a recipe for disastrous performance. 69% of strike outs begin with strike one. Over 70% of walks begin with ball one.

Another emphasis for the Flyboys hurlers is to win the one ball, one strike counts. This is the largest swing count in baseball when it comes to offensive production. When the count moves to 2 balls and 1 strike, the hitters historically hit over .400. This a very high average, if you did not know. When the counts moves to 1 ball and 2 strikes, the hiiter’s batting average falls to under .180. This is a low output for the hitter. Those numbers make the 1-1 the largest “swing”‘count in baseball.

On this night we executed pitch after pitch. Our starting pitcher,

Conner Harris, pitched five innings and only threw 49 pitches. He averaged less than 10 pitches inning. The average pitch count per inning at this level is 19 pitches. So,’he had an absurdly efficient outing. He set the tone. We had two relief pitchers finish the game. We attacked the opposing hitters early in the count, we dominated the 1-1 counts. For the night the Flyboy pitches only threw 95 pitches in 9’innimgs. A great night for this pitching coach. We won a tightly contested game, 1-0. Game two of this series was postponed due to heavy rain. So technically we won our first series. Off to play in Johnson City tomorrow.

Home Opener in Greenville

One week after arriving at the Tusculum University campus the Flyboys of Greenville will have their home opener. The town of Greenville has a population of about 15,000 people. It was named after a civil war figure, Nathanael Greene. It is also the second oldest city in Tennessee. Pioneer Park sits on the campus of Tusculum University.

Greenville has a long history of Appalachian League baseball dating back to 1921. The team has partnered with the university for the baseball stadium which is the finest in the Appy League. The stadium was built in 2004 and is shared between the Tusculum Pioneers and the Flyboys Tusculum University is the second oldest college in the state of Tennessee( founded in 1794.The outside of the stadium is a nice brick wall facade and the concourse inside is wide, very spacious. Stadium capacity is about 2,600. There are even four luxurious rental suites to watch the game from up behind home plate. For player and fan alike. this stadium works well.

The home opener features an interdivisional game against the Doughboys of Johnson City. The initial game was a little chippy between the two collegian league teams. This was a back and forth battle with a lot of scoring opportunities early in the game. Our starting pitcher worked out of several jams and the bullpen held them down over the later innings of the game, The game was a little sloppy tonight. A constant drizzling rain did not help the quality of play. As the great Jim Hoff once stated, it generally is not the runs your starter gives up that beats you but the runs your bullpen gives up. That was the case tonight as the Flyboys out bullpenned the Doughboys. Fly Flyboys Fly. A robust fireworks show followed the game. Fans and players alike enjoyed a really good show. We go for the sweep in this two game set tomorrow night!

Flyboys – A True Story of Courage is a book written by James Bradley. This riveting book, Flyboys, is a story of war and horror but also courage and friendship. The story includes a Flyboy who escapes captivity, also a young Naval pilot named George W. Bush who later became president of The United States. The book details a World War II incident of the miserable execution and cannibalism of five of eight POWs held in the Pacific island of Chichi-jima. The author researched the Incidemt which was covered up by the Japanese government.

There is also a 2006 movie coined Flyboys. The story occurs around the time the U.S. entered World War I. Several American youths volunteered for the French military. Subsequently, they became the first fighter pilots and formed a squadron known as the Lafayette Escadrille. Their heroism and exploits have became legendary.

These Flyboys of Greenville are in reference to an old airfield at the site of the stadium where the city’s previous baseball players took the field.

Historic Plane at Greenville Municipal Airport

Rest In Peace- Justin Mallett

An amazing part of being a coach in professional baseball the last thirty years is the amount of unique people that you meet. These baseball players come from all walks of life. The kids arrive from every region of the United States and from every corner of the world. The players come from very different socio economic backgrounds as well. I feel fortunate to have met so many young men over the many years. I taught them and unknowingly, they taught me. I have a certain curiosity about people. A quality coach will always try an establish a relationship with his player. I once read “ you must know where a person has been before you can tell them where to go”, I believe that statement to be true. The only way to find out where the person has been, is to ask questions. This question and answer conversation can lead to a relationship with the player that allows for teaching, listening and it allows for the acceptance of constructive criticism. This step is a building block for getting better prepared to be a successful major league player. I could write about former players and how our player/ coach bond has continued once their careers ended. Or even how the influence of our time together impacted their lives, their careers and now their own young baseball player. But this story is dedicated to one smiling young man from the rough area of East St.Louis.

I met Justin in 2006 when I left AAA Louisville to become the minor league pitching coordinator for the Cincinnati Reds. Justin, the tall, enigmatic right handed had signed a professional contract with Reds in 2003. My first impression was a memorable one. Justin introduced himself with a large smile and a firm handshake ( he had big hands which are great for pitching) Justin was a good citizen who enjoyed minor mischief. It wasn’t uncommon to hear his last named yelled from across the training complex. This is probably about the time I asked Justin how he got here and where he has been. He educated me about ESL. The city was named America’s most dangerous and Mally’s real life descriptive account was surreal. I always found time each day in training camp to check on my new friend and I developed a soft spot for some of his fun loving mischief.

One of the big days in minor league baseball camp was the pitchers’ two mile run. It was a conditioning test. All the pitchers had to complete the run in fifteen minutes or less to be able to make a team. If one fails the test, they can be retake it after showing up at 6 a.m. for extra conditioning. The running course goes outside of the training complex, along the surrounding sidewalks and ends up on Field 4, right field line. The training complex is made up of four practice fields, the game stadium, covered batting cages, a half field, lockers rooms with administration buildings, atop. There is also a small pond. Trees or tall shrubs surround the outfield fences on the four practice fields, this not only has nice curb appeal for the fans but allows for the players too see better while hitting. If there is no dark background for the hitter, the pitch can be hard to see from the pitcher. So, the trees provide a cover for those looking out and for those trying to look in. The test begins at the gate leading out to the street. A strength coach starts the group there and meets them inside the training complex on field four, where the run ends. So, the view of the players running can be shaded or even blinded by those coaches on the inside, who are timing the conditioning test. The race can create lots of yelling, pulling for one another. I waited near the finish line and there were screams of how much time was left,the yelling for your partner to make it. Out of the shadows sloppily running through the gate was my man, Justin Mallett. He was going to make it. It was a little surprising because Justin was struggling some with the daily running leading up to the two mile test. I was happy for him, as were his teammates all of whom he had endeared himself. Later, that day the chief strength coach, creator of the grueling test came to speak to me. He was angry. He was grouchy! He told me one of my pitchers began running the two mile run, that player then ran into the shrubs, pulled out a bicycle and rode most of the run. He the disposed of the bike and ran to field four to pass the test. That player was Justin Mallett. I laughed. I also thought it was genius. He wasn’t punished if you were wondering, what ingenuity!

In late March of this year, Justin was killed in a traffic accident on US 41 in Palmetto, Florida. He was only 38 years old. Justin was fatally hit by a ticketed motorist for running a stop sign. Justin was on his motorcycle. He left behind many grieving friends. He sadly left behind a devastated family. I am thankful for having crossed paths with this smiling young man. I am saddened to know he is gone. Justin created many memories for those who knew him and he established countless relationships that will withstand this tragedy. God Bless you, Mally. RIP