Spring! Flowers, birds, mowing grass, short sleeves and BASEBALL. This is the “perfect storm” for baseball enthusiasts; college baseball is in full swing, high school baseball is cranking up and the major leaguers are embracing the beginning of the 162-game marathon we all know and love as "baseball season".
With spring comes our exciting “Drills Issue” of Inside Pitch. In this issue we will hear from a few of the unsung heroes of the college game…assistant coaches. Associate editor Adam Revelette has spent time with some of the top assistant coaches in baseball talking about drills, career moves and the love of the game. You will love it.
Speaking of assistant coaches, I can’t help but take this opportunity to thank the guys who I had on my staff at Kentucky throughout the years. These guys taught the game, recruited, prepared scouting reports, showed up early and stayed late at practice, played the role of big brother and friend to my players, scheduled buses and hotel rooms, planned meals and raked the field. So, John Butler, Bob Smith, Jim Hinerman, Lee Rogers, Kenny Dominguez, Tim Luginbuhl, Dan Sehlhorst, John Schaly, John Mugarian, Woody Hunt, Gary Key, Scott Mitchell, Mitch Knox, Curtis Whitney, Jeff Young, Travis Hayes, Chuck Bartlett, Jan Weisberg, Tony Vittorio, Daron Schoenrock, Greg Goff (pictured), Brian Schaefer, Scott Malone, Austin Madison and Cory Whitby…thank you for the thousands of unnoticed details and the countless hours you worked. I know that it was a labor of love.
We will also take you “inside” what it is like playing baseball in the Dominican Republic. As we’ve evidenced in 2013 World Baseball Classic, it’s more than a pastime down there!
In this issue you will also hear from one of the true legends of college baseball, Mike Martin. Few have experienced more victories and heartbreaks. His perspective on baseball and life is insightful.
Former major leaguer Chris Burke continues to give great insight in our Frame-by-Frame section; this may be our most popular feature in each issue. We’re also excited to welcome a newcomer to our lineup – Lee Gordon, a long-time television anchor in Florida and an accomplished writer. Look for his work in our Inside Interview and Hot Corner sections.
On that note, I would also like to thank our other contributors that have made Inside Pitch a success – Rick Allen, Chris Burke, Dr. Ed Comeaux, Jeff Zurcher and many others. They are truly our 'heart of the order' and we're glad to have them aboard!
It’s spring, it’s baseball season, it’s Inside Pitch…enjoy!