Inside Pitch Magazine, January/February 2019

From the Publisher: Name Dropping

By Keith Madison, Publisher of Inside Pitch Magazine and Chairman of the ABCA Board of Directors

Keith MadisonPat Casey, Andy Pettitte, Adam Thomas, Dan McDonnell, Nick Mingione and Mark Johnson…yes, I’m “name-dropping,” but why not! This issue of Inside Pitch magazine is loaded with knowledge, encouragement and inspiration from an All-Star lineup. All of us at IP are excited for you to read this special, ABCA Clinic edition of amateur baseball’s most complete magazine.

For those of you attending the ABCA Convention and Clinic, we hope to see you!

A few things I like about the American Baseball Coaches Association’s annual convention and clinics:

  • Talking with like-minded friends that I only see once or twice each year
  • Cruising the exhibit space…and hearing a coach spot another coach he hasn’t seen since last spring and yelling, “coach,” only to see 12-15 people respond with a look
  • Learning and growing with five or six thousand other men who share a special passion for baseball
  • Reliving that special excitement I sense during the first clinic session…it’s been the same for 42 years
  • Hearing inspirational remarks heard coming from the hearts of the ABCA Hall of Fame inductees at our annual Hall of Fame Banquet
  • Enjoying the very early Saturday morning FCA Breakfast
  • Seeing a coach you haven’t seen for ten years and temporarily forgetting his name…it’s OK, because you can just say, “Hey, coach, it’s great to see you,” or “Happy New Year!”
  • Watching coaches partake in impromptu “mini-clinics” in the lobby of the hotel, the exhibit area and in the restaurants
  • Observing young coaches networking
  • Being a part of the largest and the best coaching fraternity in the world
I’m not quite finished with the name-dropping. I would like to share an abbreviated list of the baseball icons that I met for the first time at the ABCA Clinics: Augie Garrido, Ron Polk, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre, Tommy John, John Scolinos, John Smoltz, Rod Dedeaux, Jerry Kindall, John Winkin, Ron Fraser, Mike Martin, Mark Marques and John Grisham…yes, John Grisham! You just never know who you may bump into at the world’s greatest baseball convention. If you have never attended, put it on your bucket list.

Whether you are in Dallas, or preparing for the 2019 season back home, our team at Inside Pitch wishes you a Happy New Year!
Inside Pitch Magazine is published six times per year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt association founded in 1945. Copyright American Baseball Coaches Association. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without prior written permission. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, it is impossible to make such a guarantee. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writers.