Baseball The Pro Way Guidebook One Learning To Throw, Field, And Play

This guidebook is the first of a series of five how to (teaching) books written by two lifelong baseball veterans who saw a need and wanted to fill it. Directed at coaches, managers, players and their parents in youth baseball programs, these books provide information, inspiration and hands on instructional training workouts.
Until the 1940s everyone followed one rule book and that was the book used by the professional leagues. Through the middle of the 20th century it was one coach or manager per team. All communities had one semipro and one high school team. Youth teams under age 15 did not get their start until after World War II. Clinics and camps were non existent as well.
Major League baseball players were unable to get into the coaching and teaching at these lower levels. Teaching skills were seldom passed on. At the 5 to 8 age level expertise at the kindergarten age had not even set into schools. Today, it is difficult to find good teachers at this level let alone someone who can coach.
A practice session until 1960 was primarily hitting and outfield/infield practice. Players who came early to practice would form into groups and play various versions of pepper. There was little time for individual pre game conditioning.
Coaches usually came from the local semipro team or a high school with a teacher who might have played or had a P.E. class in college.
We are in an entirely new era. Now one has to be a wise parent to point their child to the proper team, recognize a quality coach, the cost out of pocket to play on a team, etc. There are many other instructional variables that will be covered in this guidebook and those to follow in the series, Baseball the Pro Way.
The 11 innings (chapters) comprise a full year. They all have targets and topics. Some of the teaching evolution of baseball since World War I is seen through co-author Dale Parker’s eyes in the prologue.