Jason Middleton has been an assistant coach for the JMU baseball program since 2008. His responsibilities at JMU include being the outfield coach, first base coach, and assists in recruiting. Before coming to the JMU baseball program, Jason was a coach at Redlands Community College in Oklahoma, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and the University of North Alabama. He is a native of Blue Springs, Mo. and played collegiately for Longview Community College.
I had a chance to sit down with Jason to discuss baseball and what he looks for when he is recruiting. People often ask me about suggestions for getting recruited and I'm not positive what to tell them because recruiting is not an exact science. I covered this topic along with a few others in this interview that is the first of many interviews to come while I am training at JMU. Hope you enjoy it!
On a side note, as I mentioned in the interview JMU started their 2011 season against Bucknell. I missed the first inning, so you would assume that I didn't miss too much. However when I got to the field the Dukes led 15-0. They had hit 6 home runs during the inning including going back-to-back-back on 2 separate occasions. JMU went on to win 37-7 and set school records for runs, hits, RBIs, extra-base hits, and total bases. The Dukes went back-to-back-to-back again later in the game. Jake Lowery and David Herbek both started off the season in good fashion hitting 3 homers each. JMU plays Bucknell 3 more times this weekend. You can also see a few highlights from JMU's opening game on ESPNews.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Cross Training
I have ventured out into some cross training this offseason. I think it is really important to take advantage of the benefits of different types of workouts. Since I have relocated back to Virginia, I have been primarily working out with two other rising minor leaguers from JMU. Kevin Munson is a right-handed relief pitcher who was drafted in the 4th round in last June's draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played in South Bend, Indiana last summer in the Midwest League at the low-A level where he had a great season. There is a link to Munson's minor league stat page here: Kevin Munson Minor League Stats. Matt Browning, who was my roommate for four years at JMU, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in last year's draft. He spent time playing in the Arizona rookie league and excelled in the short-season Appalachian League, where he hit a remarkable .330 in 34 games. You can find Browning's minor league stats here: Matt Browning's Minor League Stats. I'm hoping to interview both of those guys about their baseball experiences and post the videos on this blog, so that is something cool to look forward to.
One main focus that I have this offseason outside of the usual weight training, conditioning, batting and fielding practice is to improve my flexibility. This summer I focused on stretching my hamstrings, hips, and glutes which really helped my body recover on a day-to-day basis, especially my lower back. This offseason I really wanted to continue the gains that I made, so I recently started doing yoga with my two training partners. I have to say, there was a time when I would have laughed at trying yoga, but all three of us really enjoy it. We follow along with the P90X Yoga X video that runs 90 minutes long. It is a true full body workout that has my legs and shoulders burning throughout. It helps loosen the muscles and also builds muscular endurance, but leaves the body feeling refreshed. I plan on continuing to do these yoga workouts at least twice a week and possibly during the season as well. I would definitely recommend yoga to anyone, especially athletes.
There is one other recommendation that I have to younger athletes and that is to warm up properly before you start practices or workouts. Here at JMU, our trio of workout partners have been cross training and warming up on the basketball court with some intense games of HORSE. Some of these trick shots are shown in the videos below. Enjoy!
One main focus that I have this offseason outside of the usual weight training, conditioning, batting and fielding practice is to improve my flexibility. This summer I focused on stretching my hamstrings, hips, and glutes which really helped my body recover on a day-to-day basis, especially my lower back. This offseason I really wanted to continue the gains that I made, so I recently started doing yoga with my two training partners. I have to say, there was a time when I would have laughed at trying yoga, but all three of us really enjoy it. We follow along with the P90X Yoga X video that runs 90 minutes long. It is a true full body workout that has my legs and shoulders burning throughout. It helps loosen the muscles and also builds muscular endurance, but leaves the body feeling refreshed. I plan on continuing to do these yoga workouts at least twice a week and possibly during the season as well. I would definitely recommend yoga to anyone, especially athletes.
There is one other recommendation that I have to younger athletes and that is to warm up properly before you start practices or workouts. Here at JMU, our trio of workout partners have been cross training and warming up on the basketball court with some intense games of HORSE. Some of these trick shots are shown in the videos below. Enjoy!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Impact Freshman: JB
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that helps children with brain tumors. The foundation matches young children with a nearby college or high school sports team in order to pick up the spirit of the child and their family. The team essentially adopts the young child and he/she becomes part of the team; they are present at team picnics, practices, games, etc. as often as possible. This is clearly beneficial to both parties, the family receives 30 (or more) new friends, who are there to pick up their spirits and give them something to look forward to, while the team gets to meet special young people who are courageous beyond their years.
The Start
Jaclyn Murphy was ten years old when she developed a malignant brain tumor. Jaclyn's parents reached out to the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team because Jaclyn was a huge lacrosse fan. When the Northwestern team heard of her condition they immediately sent back autographed media guides and other souvenirs. This very easily could have been the end of the story, but it was only the beginning. Jaclyn went on to meet the team and was eventually "adopted" by the team. They were in constant communication, whether it was email, talking on the phone, text messages, or seeing each other in person whenever Jaclyn could make it to a game. This relationship has only grown in the years to follow, as Jaclyn is as much a part of the team as any of their star players. Both parties were greatly effected, Northwestern women's lacrosse, who had not previously won a national championship, went on to win the national title five consecutive years from 2005-2009. They were the national runners-up in 2010. More importantly, Jaclyn has friends to lift up her spirits and help her in her ongoing fight. After her diagnosis Jaclyn underwent surgery, radiation, and chemo. She made progress through the treatment and started heading in the right direction...Fast forward about five years and I heard that Jaclyn had a clean MRI at the end of 2010 and is cancer free. But she is scheduled for another in March because of the possibilities of the re-growth of a tumor.
Justin Brown
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2010 JMU baseball team that adopted 7-year old Justin Brown of Haymarket, Virginia through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. In February 2005, then 2-year old Justin was diagnosed with a Craniopharyngioma brain tumor. He underwent surgery shortly after and had the lemon-sized tumor removed. The tumor left him legally blind in his right eye along with other medical complications. Justin would have two more surgeries about a year later to remove a re-growth of the tumor; Craniopharyngioma tumors have a high rate of recurrences. Justin also underwent six weeks of radiation treatments in order to help his condition...Fast forward to present day and Justin is in remission. This guy is clearly a fighter and is an inspiration to all who are lucky enough to meet him.
Justin and his family first met the team at our annual end of fall cookout. He and his brother Josh had a catch, threw around a football, and played basketball with all of the players on the team. In February 2010 the Browns visited JMU for a practice that Justin and Josh participated in. Later that day, Justin was formally introduced as the newest member of the JMU baseball team at an annual preseason baseball barbecue. He signed his letter of intent like any other recruit would, received his own customized jersey (as seen in the photo), and received his own locker with his name plate. Justin threw out the first pitch at two games during the season, one of them on Justin Brown Day, where all children were admitted free of charge and had the opportunity to run the bases on the field after the game. JB and his family were also able to attend many other games during the season. On those days, Justin and Josh would be out on the field doing their pregame warm-up, stretching, and running with the rest of the team. In 2010, the JMU baseball team was the regular season champions in the CAA. JB will continue to be a part of the JMU baseball family in the years to come, as I was lucky enough to see the Browns at the preseason barbecue about a week ago. Justin was called up in front of a crowd of 75 people and given a standing ovation as head coach McFarland shared a little bit about JB's story.
Justin is a tough kid, how can he not be after everything he has been through. He has undergone more in his short life than most people will in their entire lives. It is clear to all those around him that Justin loves to be around the team; he loves to run around and play baseball like any other child. He is always smiling and most importantly, he loves life. I can only hope to have half of the strength and courage that JB has. His story and my experiences with him, I cherish and will never forget. The biggest lesson that I have learned from Justin is to enjoy life everyday and to be thankful for all the blessings that I have. The team has benefited tremendously from meeting this special person because no matter how difficult things seem to be with baseball, we think about Justin and remember how fortunate we are. As I mentioned earlier Justin is in remission, but the possibility of re-growth is always there, so your thoughts and prayers are always appreciated. Special thanks to David (Spider Monkey) Warner, the JMU baseball team manager because he was crucial in getting our team involved with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
Quotes from other JMU baseball players:
The Start
Jaclyn Murphy was ten years old when she developed a malignant brain tumor. Jaclyn's parents reached out to the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team because Jaclyn was a huge lacrosse fan. When the Northwestern team heard of her condition they immediately sent back autographed media guides and other souvenirs. This very easily could have been the end of the story, but it was only the beginning. Jaclyn went on to meet the team and was eventually "adopted" by the team. They were in constant communication, whether it was email, talking on the phone, text messages, or seeing each other in person whenever Jaclyn could make it to a game. This relationship has only grown in the years to follow, as Jaclyn is as much a part of the team as any of their star players. Both parties were greatly effected, Northwestern women's lacrosse, who had not previously won a national championship, went on to win the national title five consecutive years from 2005-2009. They were the national runners-up in 2010. More importantly, Jaclyn has friends to lift up her spirits and help her in her ongoing fight. After her diagnosis Jaclyn underwent surgery, radiation, and chemo. She made progress through the treatment and started heading in the right direction...Fast forward about five years and I heard that Jaclyn had a clean MRI at the end of 2010 and is cancer free. But she is scheduled for another in March because of the possibilities of the re-growth of a tumor. Justin Brown
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2010 JMU baseball team that adopted 7-year old Justin Brown of Haymarket, Virginia through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. In February 2005, then 2-year old Justin was diagnosed with a Craniopharyngioma brain tumor. He underwent surgery shortly after and had the lemon-sized tumor removed. The tumor left him legally blind in his right eye along with other medical complications. Justin would have two more surgeries about a year later to remove a re-growth of the tumor; Craniopharyngioma tumors have a high rate of recurrences. Justin also underwent six weeks of radiation treatments in order to help his condition...Fast forward to present day and Justin is in remission. This guy is clearly a fighter and is an inspiration to all who are lucky enough to meet him.
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| Justin and his brother Josh taking part in a pregame prayer |
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| Playing catch with Justin, Josh before a game |
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| Justin high-fiving after a win |
Jake Lowery: “Justin has shown us that we can get through anything. Getting through a tough workout is nothing compared to him fighting for his life. We are so fortunate to have the presence of Justin in our lives.”
Trevor Knight: "Justin has been a great inspiration to us and great motivation for us to take advantage of the opportunities that we have as Division I athletes."
Evan Scott: “Justin has provided us with inspiration by showing us how to never give up even when faced with great adversity. We all admire his courage.”
McKinnon Langston: “Justin’s experiences and victories in his life have been an eye-opener for me. We often take the things we have and can do for granted. Justin has made me appreciate life’s journeys and he has helped me to be more thankful.”
David Warner: “Justin is a superhero. He is incredibly brave and it is an absolute honor to have him as a part of the JMU baseball family.”
Trevor Knight: "Justin has been a great inspiration to us and great motivation for us to take advantage of the opportunities that we have as Division I athletes."
Evan Scott: “Justin has provided us with inspiration by showing us how to never give up even when faced with great adversity. We all admire his courage.”
McKinnon Langston: “Justin’s experiences and victories in his life have been an eye-opener for me. We often take the things we have and can do for granted. Justin has made me appreciate life’s journeys and he has helped me to be more thankful.”
David Warner: “Justin is a superhero. He is incredibly brave and it is an absolute honor to have him as a part of the JMU baseball family.”
Great video about Justin and the JMU baseball program.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Swing Like a Big Leaguer
There are many, many theories about the proper swing mechanics. The reason for this is because a baseball swing is a very complex, unique motion. It really is unlike any other movement involved in sports. You can watch a major league game on television and everyone's swing will look different because they know what works for them. That's why every coach, player, instructor, etc. has their own philosophy on the mechanics of the swing. As a simple way to look at the baseball swing the sequence should be load, stride and swing. The load and stride need to be comfortable for each hitter. Some people feel comfortable with a big leg kick, while others prefer a simple small stride forward. Either way, the load and stride should act as timing devices that allow you to generate power. But, my focus is on what happens after the load and stride, the actual swing. Some people focus on "staying inside the ball" or "squish the bug" or "hit the ball deep," but within the last year I've realized that most great hitters do one thing in common.
Great hitters start there swing with their back knee driving forward. The focus is that the back knee drive should be the first thing to fire after your load and stride. When your back knee starts the swing it puts the rest of your body in a great position to deliver the bat to the ball. One big problem that people have when they try this is that their front shoulder will fly open which will decrease power, plate coverage, and consistency. As we look at this video of A-Rod posted below you will see his big leg kick followed by his back knee driving forward, but his shoulders stay on the ball. You will see when he makes contact his back knee is fully engaged and driven forward which allows him to maximize his power.
Now I want to look at a different type of hitter, Joe Mauer, who hits to all fields for average and can hit the ball out of the park. As we see in this video of Mauer's swing, his back leg starts the swing and when this happens his hands slide forward into the slot position. This allows him to deliver the bat to the ball with ease, staying inside the ball and getting great extension. Mauer gets his bat on path with the ball so early in his swing and that is why he can hit the ball deep and drive the ball to all fields.
Albert Pujols is probably the best hitter in baseball (Mauer and Rodriguez are also in consideration). His set-up is much different than Rodriguez and Jeter's, as Pujols has a very wide stance, but we will see that he generates his power from his strong base. We see Pujols has a compact load and stride. As you could have guessed, the first thing to fire is his back knee. You will see Pujols' bat angle change as he starts his swing. As he starts his load and stride his bat is angled at that catcher, but when his back knee starts his swing, his hands stay back, but his bat angle changes and starts to get on the proper swing plane. He even drives his backside so well that his back foot slides forward ever so slightly. Again his back knee is fully driven forward on contact.
Great hitters start there swing with their back knee driving forward. The focus is that the back knee drive should be the first thing to fire after your load and stride. When your back knee starts the swing it puts the rest of your body in a great position to deliver the bat to the ball. One big problem that people have when they try this is that their front shoulder will fly open which will decrease power, plate coverage, and consistency. As we look at this video of A-Rod posted below you will see his big leg kick followed by his back knee driving forward, but his shoulders stay on the ball. You will see when he makes contact his back knee is fully engaged and driven forward which allows him to maximize his power.
Now I want to look at a different type of hitter, Joe Mauer, who hits to all fields for average and can hit the ball out of the park. As we see in this video of Mauer's swing, his back leg starts the swing and when this happens his hands slide forward into the slot position. This allows him to deliver the bat to the ball with ease, staying inside the ball and getting great extension. Mauer gets his bat on path with the ball so early in his swing and that is why he can hit the ball deep and drive the ball to all fields.
Albert Pujols is probably the best hitter in baseball (Mauer and Rodriguez are also in consideration). His set-up is much different than Rodriguez and Jeter's, as Pujols has a very wide stance, but we will see that he generates his power from his strong base. We see Pujols has a compact load and stride. As you could have guessed, the first thing to fire is his back knee. You will see Pujols' bat angle change as he starts his swing. As he starts his load and stride his bat is angled at that catcher, but when his back knee starts his swing, his hands stay back, but his bat angle changes and starts to get on the proper swing plane. He even drives his backside so well that his back foot slides forward ever so slightly. Again his back knee is fully driven forward on contact.
Now, some people will do this in their swing and not realize, which is great. Some people's back knee doesn't drive forward and start the swing like it should, but you can change that. In the video below I am hitting off a tee working on driving my back knee. As you see I load and stride, fire my back knee forward while keeping my hands back. This puts my body into the correct position and will hopefully train my body to do this when I take a full swing. This is a good drill to do off a tee or with side/front toss.
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