"Ask Sam" - More Of Your Baseball Questions Answered By Sam Perlozzo

Philadelphia Phillies 1B coach and PBI advisor Sam Perlozzo answers your baseball-related questions. Do you have a question for Sam? Ask it here - AskSam@baseballclinics.com.

Here's the latest from the "Ask Sam" mailbag:

Q - Sam, this question may be too soon because my son Chase is only 7. But he is a Lefty and he likes playing SS or 3B. I am trying to guide him to a pitcher hopefully but also 1st base. Should I get him a first baseman's glove and keep guiding him towards that or just let him play wherever he like for now? If it is too soon now, when will it be the right time to specialize in a specific position? - Michael

A - Mike,

It is good your son likes to play those action spots in the infield but the reality is that it is not going to happen at a somewhat higher level..so it looks like 3rd base, shortstop, and 2nd base will not be somewhere he will play, probably even in Little League. If he can play those positions that is a good sign. There is alot of action and it seems like he digs that. Realistically, another position is going to be his spot. But let's not limit him to first base. Maybe he can be an outfielder or even a pitcher. So there are other options that could fit him as well. Three outfield spots, 1st base, & pitcher gives him some options.

Until he plays in a higher organized league he will be fine doing what he is doing. Good for him!! - Sam


Q - Sam - my son is 15 years old, he has been playing varsity baseball since his freshman year. He is a 5'10, 210 lb catcher, arm velocity 88 mph pop-time bet 1.87- 1.93, 60- 7.1. I am aware that these numbers are great for a kid that's 15. Although we have played in several national tournaments (Ft. Myers, Perfect Game, etc.) I have not taken him to an individual Perfect Game
showcase so that he can be rated because I feel that it should be done as a junior. I am a disabled vet on a fixed income and it's hard for me to take him to these big events. My son clearly has alot of talent and I feel that he is losing out because I cannot do these events that clearly I know he would stand out in.

Please advise me in what I should do thats cost effective, so he can be seen. I think we have taken the first step this week; he was selected to the Bobby Valentine All-American national team. - Jose


A - Jose - Thanks for writing and let's see what we can come up with. It sounds like your son is doing all the right things at his age. You are probably right on getting him in to be rated at a little later time. It is great that he is playing in some showcase leagues!! One thing I can vouch for is the fact that major league scouts don't miss very many players. Those showcases usually are well scouted so I would say your son is being properly exposed at his development. What you want out of the showcases of ratings is mainly for college level ball. My son went to a showcase once and it helped him find a school and expose him to college baseball.

So at the right time,as a jJunior or even a senior, I would try and find a way to get him to a showcase if possible. It all depends on what his desires are. Getting a good college education is always a great way to go, and playing baseball along the way is awesome. Just remember, if it's pro ball your son is leaning to, rest assured that some scout somewhere will get a look at him.

One last thing that is free are tryout camps for kids of all ages. You can probably find out from the Major League Scouting Bureau when camps are being held in and around your area. If at all possible, go to them! They will have a record of your son throughout the rest of high school and college. So enjoy the ride, stay positive and take care of yourself because it sounds like your son is on the right course to take care of you!!!

Best of Luck - Sam


Q - Sam - My 12 year old son plays ball on a travel team. A few years ago, he had a really nice coach that he liked, hanging on every word in training sessions. Everything this coach said, my son remembers. But, there is one thing that I don't agree with, that drives me crazy at his games.

When up at bat, my son always lets the first pitch go by - good or bad. When I asked him why he doesn't swing at good pitches, he says his past coach said to let the first one go by. Is there something I'm missing? Is there a strategy to letting the first one go by? Or, should my son swing if he knows he can get a solid hit?

Thanks - Rich

A - Rich - There is something to taking the first pitch and there is something to swinging at the first pitch (and we are going to assume that we are talking about strikes). Like anything else in your everyday life, we need to use common sense. The thoughts behind taking the first pitch is, one, to see as many pitches as you can so you will be better able to hit them, and two, to make the pitcher throw as many pitches as your can to get him out of the game. Like I said, use common sense. If there is a pitcher that is wild, you want to make him throw more and not swing at his wild pitches. And the more pitches you see from someone the better you know him and supposedly be able to hit him better. These have their merits.

On the other hand, I used to be a lead-off hitter so I had that decision to make every game. If I didn't know a pitcher too well and didn't feel that comfortable against him yet, I would take some pitches to get to know him better and be a better hitter later in the game. If I knew a pitcher and felt comfortable, I would swing at the first good strike. Now when your son gets into higher ball where pitchers can command the ball very well, that first pitch may be the best pitch you get all night! Therefore, swinging at the first pitch and getting a hit was a good thing. It sounds like your son's coach is trying to teach discipline at the plate and that's not a bad thing. Some of the best hitters in the major leagues like to hit with two strikes on them. Get to know your son, see how he reacts, and then try and make some adjustments and let'er fly sometimes!! Tie game, bottom of ninth, if you are a singles hitter, take a strike and try to get on base....if you can hit the ball out of the park, jump on the first good one!

Hope that answers your fears and thoughts. There really is no right way or wrong way all the time. The game you are playing that day will dictate the style for the night.

Best of Luck - Sam

"Ask Sam" - More Of Your Baseball Questions Answered By Sam Perlozzo

Philadelphia Phillies 1B coach and PBI advisor Sam Perlozzo answers your baseball-related questions. Do you have a question for Sam? Ask it here - AskSam@baseballclinics.com.

Here's the latest from the "Ask Sam" mailbag:

Q - Sam - I'm a Phillies fan here in central New Jersey and VERY excited about the Cliff Lee deal! Everyone had Lee penciled into the Yankees rotation. Did you have any sense that the Phils were going to get involved? And how much of a difference do you think he'll make this season? - Eric, Somerset NJ

A - Eric, I never put anything past our organization. In the short two years I have been with Philly I have seen the desire, brains, and guts to go out and make this team a winner. Ruben Amaro is not afraid to pull the trigger and our group of investors give him the resources to make it happen.

I was not surprised that we ended up in the deal for Cliff Lee. All the players and coaches expressed how much we had missed him this year. And a tribute to the organization and all the city of Philadelphia that he liked it so much in just a short period of time. His family had fallen in love with the Phillies and that's easy to do. They have the knack of knowing what makes it click for not only the players & coaches , but also to the fans.

There is always a period of time when you feel you can win and they are giving us every opportunity to cash in on it....Go Phils!! - Sam

Q - Sam , My name is Ahmed. I'm 18 years old and a freshman at college in Providence, Rhode Island however my home is Fair Lawn, New Jersey. I'm 5 foot 10 and 210 lbs. I have been playing baseball all my life with hopes of making it to the major leagues someday. I'm open to all criticism and I learn from my mistakes. Due to injuries during my high school career (that have been surgically repaired successfully) I don't have any stats worth looking at. All I have is my heart, love, and dedication for the game.

Unfortunately after I had what I believed the best tryout of my life, I was cut from my college team, simply because I wasn't going to beat anyone one out especially the recruited players according to the coach. I was devastated. I've battled back from my 3 surgeries, and physical therapy just to hopefully play competitively again, and I'm still in the gym 3 times a week and working on my swing so that I can be ready for my next tryout. I have emailed so many coaches in and around Rhode Island and unfortunately, they either have not gotten back to me, or they are asking for ridiculous prices that I simply can't afford. I have found 0 club teams for 18 years and older and nothing for spring baseball that I wish to play. I want to play competitvely, and I want to showcase my talent to scouts because I know I have talent to back myself up.

My main question is....Is this the end of my baseball dream? It'll be a hard pill to swallow but I need an answer from a true professional....truth is I simply don't think I have a chance with the already recruited players at my college, and I don't know how much money I can pay to play for training or club teams. Please, if there is anything, any information or advice that you can give me, any league, club, training, ANYTHING that can help me get any closer to my dream, i'll be greatly greatly thankful.

A - Ahmad, it sounds as though you certainly have the desire, the next question is do you have the talent. I am at a disadvantage from that standpoint but I'll see if any of what I have to say may help. You are most definitely not too old to play baseball and think it is over for you. You just need to find someone or something that allows you to showcase your talents. One thing I would certainly do is contact Major League Baseball and find out about any and all tryout camps they may be holding in your area. They are free and scouts with be there to see what you have. I know how it works at certain places that have already made a commitment to their recruiting class so you should not take that as a barometer of your skills. The 2011 dates have not been announced yet, but you can check out last year's information here - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/tryout_us.jsp

I do know this, Ahmad - you must have at least one good skill to progress to pro sports (strong arm, running speed, power,fielding skills, good hitter, etc). Most teams will take a second look at you if they see one of those skills. They always feel they can help you get better in the other areas. So I would suggest you evaluate yourself, and then if you know you have it, then do everything possible to get seen. Keep your head up, there is time. Best of Luck! - Sam

Q - Sam, I'm running a baseball camp for 5th-8th grades for my senior project. The project is supposed to help me with my future goals, and since I want to be a baseball coach one day I would like to run a camp. So I was wondering what general information I need to know to run a camp and what drills would be good for these young kids? - Carow

A - Carow, that is a nice idea to hold a camp for kids. Since there is a limited amount of time in a camp and you want to cover everything, then you should stick to the basics of the game. By that I mean baseball is made up of hitting,fielding,throwing, & running. So I would set up four stations with each one of these areas being covered and rotate the kids through the stations. Give each station a time limit, and at the end of the program, have a question & answer session for whatever they feel the need to ask. Keep everything basic since they are so young and don't make the time at each station too long as to lose their attention. And just as importantly, try to keep them involved as much as possible.

This is not an easy project and you will need some help. If you are the only person, then you can run the whole group through the stations yourself and you may have to give them a short break after you are halfway through. Like I said, stay basic and let the Q & A at the end be your venue for individual problems. Best of Luck in your clinic!!

Drill ideas:

Hitting - Tee hitting, soft toss hitting into a net

Running - Have kids run to bases and make turns

Fielding - Usually rolling balls to them can do the trick

Throwing - Playing catch with each other, covering proper arm angles and grip on the ball

Sam