Much more than a book on skills, strategies, or drills, The Baseball Coaching Bible represents a landmark work for the sport. Many of the greatest coaches the game has ever known—including Coaches of the Century at the high school, junior college, NAIA, and Division I, II, III levels, as named by Collegiate Baseball—combine to cover all aspects of coaching. The 27 contributing coaches share their keys to championship baseball, something they know well, having won 50 national titles and nearly 25,000 games. The Baseball Coaching Bible covers every facet of coaching, with each coach addressing the subject he knows best. From Bobby Winkles’ chapter on instilling hustle and Ron Polk’s chapter on organizing a winning program, to Ed Cheff’s chapter on innovative practices and Rod Dedeaux’s chapter on establishing pride and tradition, The Baseball Coaching Bible transcends the Xs and Os. The book’s varied and vast amount of information allows you to pick and choose what you implement in your program in any particular season, but you will learn from and be entertained by it all. The wit and wisdom of baseball’s sharpest minds shine through in their memorable stories and valuable insights. Jerry Kindall and John Winkin organized and edited the contents. “The Impact of a Coach” by Dave Keilitz is a strong and fitting introduction. From there the book flows logically and swiftly through six sections: • "Coaching Priorities and Principles" with chapters from John Scolinos, Chuck “Bobo” Brayton, Hal Smeltzly, Bob Smith, and Winkles. • "Program Building and Management" with entries from Ken Schreiber, Mark Marquess, Ron Fraser, and Polk. • "Creative and Effective Practice Sessions" composed of works by Ed Cheff, Danny Litwhiler, Winkin, Gary Pullins, and Tom House. • "Individual Skills and Team Strategies" taught by Charlie Greene, Gary Ward, Jack Stallings, Bob Bennett, and Cliff Gustafson. • "Player Motivation and Leadership" includes Skip Bertman, Gordie Gillespie, Andy Lopez, and Dedeaux. • "Off-the-Field Opportunities, Challenges, and Pressures," includes chapters from Glen Tuckett, Richard “Itch” Jones, and Kindall. Endorsed by the American Baseball Coaches Association, The Baseball Coaching Bible is sure to be a staple in every serious baseball coach’s library. And like coaching and the game itself, the book’s appeal will keep drawing you back again and again. About the Author Bob Bennett has amassed a 1190-685 coaching record in his 31 years at Fresno State University. Coach Bennett has been selected conference coach of the year 13 times and Regional and National Coach of the Year once each. Bennett is a Lefty Gomez Award recipient (2000) and is a member of four halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. Skip Bertman, Louisiana State University’s all-time winningest coach, has guided the Tigers to a 774-288-2 record in 16 seasons. He has won four NCAA Championships in the 1990s (1991, 93, 96, and 97) and made 10 College World Series appearances in 14 years. Under Bertman, LSU has compiled the highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.733) with a 77-28 record. Coach Bertman has received five National Coach of the Year awards. Chuck “Bobo” Brayton coached for 44 years at the collegiate level. At Washington State University (1962-1994) he racked up a 1162-523 record. Brayton received the Lefty Gomez Award in 1983 and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Washington State University halls of fame. Ed Cheff has won 10 NAIA Championships (1984, 85, 87-92, 96, and 99) in his 24 seasons at Lewis-Clark State College (ID). His success prompted Collegiate Baseball to name him NAIA Coach of the Decade of the 1980s, and he has been selected as the NAIA Coach of the Year five times. Altogether he has compiled a win-loss mark of 1153-316 (.784), and is only the third coach in NAIA history to win 1,000 baseball games. Rod Dedeaux is widely regarded as the most successful college baseball coach ever, leading the Trojans to 11 National Championships from 1948 to 1978. He posted an overall record of 1,332-571. Dedeaux was named Coach of the Year six times, was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1970, and received the Lefty Gomez Award in 1980. Dedeaux was named Division I Coach of the Century by Collegiate Baseball in 1999, and head coach of the All-Time College World Series team in 1996. Ron Fraser spent 29 of his 35-year coaching career at the University of Miami (1963-92), where he achieved a 1274-438 record and won two Division I National Championships (1982, 1985). Fraser was named National Coach of the Year three times, was named Collegiate Baseball’s Division I Coach of the Decade for the 1980s, won the Lefty Gomez Award in 1989, and was the second coach on Baseball America’s list of the Greatest Coaches of the 20th Century. Gordon Gillespie has been coaching college baseball for 46 years and is the winningest coach ever with a 1520-788 career record. His teams have won four NAIA Championships. He has received countless awards and honors, including the Lefty Gomez Award in 1991, membership in 13 halls of fame, and NAIA Coach of the Century. Gillespie is currently head baseball coach at Ripon College in Wisconsin. Charlie Greene coached at Miami-Dade Community College from 1968 to 1997, leading the school to three State Championship titles (1970, 78, and 81) and one NJCAA National Championship Title (1981), for which he received the National Coach of the Year Award. Coach Greene posted a career record of 1,047-548 and is a member of three halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. Cliff Gustafson coached 29 years at University of Texas, amassing a 1427-373 record, and becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I baseball history. In addition, Gustafson took his teams to more College World Series than any other coach in history (17) and won two National Championships (1975, 1983). Coach Gus is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame. Tom House played at USC under Coach Rod Dedeaux, then advanced to the major leagues where he pitched for the Atlanta Braves (1967-75), Boston Red Sox (1976-77), and Seattle Mariners (1977-79). He has coached major league pitchers since 1980 for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers, where he helped pitching great Nolan Ryan add years to his career. Richard "Itch" Jones has been coaching baseball for 33 years at the collegiate level, compiling a career record of 1056-600 at MacMurray College, Southern Illinois University, and currently the University of Illinois. He was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1990 and Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1978. Jones is a member of the ABCA, Southern Illinois University, and IHSA Coaches halls of fame. Dave Keilitz is Executive Director of the American Baseball Coaches Association. Keilitz enjoyed a highly successful coaching career at Central Michigan University, leading the Chippewas to a 456-208 record in 14 seasons. He is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame. Danny Litwhiler coached for 36 years, 30 of which were spent at the collegiate level at Florida State (1955-1963) and Michigan State (1963-1982) universities. His career collegiate record of 677-444 included three College World Series appearances. He received the Lefty Gomez Award in 1976 and is a member of six halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. Andy Lopez has coached at the collegiate level for 16 years, amassing a record of 630-346 at California State University, Pepperdine University, and the University of Florida—his current post. Lopez guided his 1992 Pepperdine team to a NCAA Division I National Championship. Coach Lopez has twice been named National Coach of the Year (1992, 1996). Mark Marquess has guided the Stanford baseball program for the past 22 years and posted an 853-453 record. His Stanford teams have captured two NCAA Championships and advanced to the College World Series eight times. The all-time winningest coach in Stanford history, Marquess has been selected NCAA Coach of the Year three times (1985, 87 and 88) and was the 1996 Lefty Gomez Award recipient. Ron Polk has a career record of 1243-555 over 31 years, and is one of only three coaches to take three different schools to the College World Series: Arizona (1966), Georgia Southern (1973), and Mississippi State (1979, 81, 85, 90, and 97). Polk was selected as the sixth Greatest College Baseball Coach in History by Baseball America in 1999, has received the Lefty Gomez Award (1988), and is a member of four halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. He is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Georgia. Gary Pullins coached for 28 years at the collegiate level and compiled a 1014-524 career record. At Brigham Young University, Pullins led the Cougars to seven WAC Conference Championship titles. He was awarded nine conference, four division, and four regional coach of the year awards. Pullins is also a former president of the ABCA. Ken Schreiber is one of four high school coaches to have won more than 1,000 games (1,010-217). In 39 years at LaPorte High School, Schreiber’s teams have won a record seven Indiana state championships (1967, 71, 76, 82, 87, 90 and 92). He has been named Indiana Coach of the Year nine times and National Coach of the Year three times. He is a member of seven halls of fame and was selected as Collegiate Baseball’s High School Coach of the Century. John Scolinos is a 45-year coaching veteran, famous for his performance at Cal Poly-Pomona University. His career record is 1198-949, which includes three NCAA Division II National Championships and three National Coach of the Year awards. Scolinos was named Division II Coach of the Century and Coach of the Decade (1970s) by Collegiate Baseball. He is a member of four halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame, and won the Lefty Gomez Award in 1987. Hal Smeltzly coached for 34 years at the collegiate (391-166) and international (31-4) levels. Smeltzly piloted Florida Southern College to six NCAA South Regional Championships and three NCAA Division II National Titles (1971, 72 and 75). The ABCA recognized Smeltzly as National Coach of the Year in 1972. He is a member of four halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. Bob Smith coached at Taylor University (Indiana) and Greenville College (Illinois) from 1958 to 1976, compiling a 243-149 record and capturing seven conference titles. Smith was president of the United States Baseball Federation from 1977 to 1990 and played an instrumental role in making baseball an Olympic sport. Smith won the Lefty Gomez Award in 1984 and is a member of four halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame. Jack Stallings compiled a 1258-796 record in his 39 years as a collegiate coach. Stallings coached at Wake Forest (1960-68), Florida State (1969-1974), and Georgia Southern (1976-1999). He led GSU to five NCAA Regionals and one College World Series appearance (1990). Stallings received the Lefty Gomez Award in 1979 and was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1988. Glen Tuckett coached at Brigham Young University for 17 years (1960-1976), where he compiled a record of 498-251 and led the Cougars to two College World Series. Tuckett has served as president of the ABCA and as the Director of Athletics for BYU and the University of Alabama. He is a member of five halls of fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame, and was a Lefty Gomez Award recipient in 1990. Gary Ward is currently the head coach of New Mexico State university. Prior to assuming this role he coached for 19 seasons at Oklahoma State University, posting a 953-313 record. Ward led OSU to 10 College World Series appearances, including seven straight from 1981 to 1987. His teams dominated what was then the Big Eight Conference, winning 16 consecutive titles. Ward was named Conference Coach of the Year four times. Bobby Winkles coached for 24 years at the collegiate, international, and professional levels. Thirteen of those years were spent at Arizona State University, where Winkles’ teams played to a 524-173 record and won three NCAA Division I Championships (1965, 67 and 69). He was named National Coach of the Year twice. Winkles was inducted into the Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995. About the Editor Jerry Kindall coached 24 years and posted a 860-580 record at the University of Arizona, where he was the winningest coach in the university’s history. He led the Wildcats to three NCAA Division I National Championship titles (1976, ’80, and ’86), and was named National Coach of the Year after each of those seasons. He was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1991. Kindall is currently USA Baseball’s Senior Advisor to the National Team. Kindall played eight years in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Minnesota Twins. John Winkin coached for 42 years in Maine, first at Colby College (1954-1974) and then at the University of Maine (1974-1996). He amassed a 943-670 career record and appeared in 12 NCAA Regional Tournaments and 6 College World Series. Winkin received the College Division Coach of the Year award in 1965 and the prestigious Lefty Gomez award in 1986. He is a member of the ABCA Coaching Hall of Fame, Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. He currently has a fellowship in sports leadership at Husson College. Table of Contents Foreword: Tony LaRussa Introduction: The Impact of a Coach by Dave Keilitz PART I: Coaching Priorities and Principles Chapter 1. Sharing a Love for the Game - John Scolinos Chapter 2. Making Baseball Fun - Bobo Brayton Chapter 3. Competing With Class - Hal Smeltzly Chapter 4. Hustling Should Be a Habit - Bobby Winkles Chapter 5. Coaching With Integrity - Bob Smith PART II: Program Building and Management Chapter 6. Organizing and Orchestrating a Winning Program - Ron Polk Chapter 7. Establishing a Successful High School Program - Ken Schreiber Chapter 8. Building a Recruiting Network - Mark Marquess Chapter 9. Marketing and Promoting Your Program - Ron Fraser PART III: Creative and Effective Practice Sessions Chapter 10. Conducting Innovative Practices - Ed Cheff Chapter 11. Using Practice Drills Effectively - Danny Litwhiler Chapter 12. Maximizing the Value of Indoor Practice - John Winkin Chapter 13. Putting Science Into Practice - Gary Pullins and Tom House PART IV: Individual Skills and Team Strategies Chapter 14. Handling Your Pitching Staff - Charlie Greene Chapter 15. Developing High-Production Hitters - Gary Ward Chapter 16. Stopping Opponents With Solid Defense - Jack Stallings Chapter 17. Playing Percentage Baseball - Bob Bennett Chapter 18. Competing in Tournaments and Playoffs - Cliff Gustafson PART V: Player Motivation and Leadership Chapter 19. Establishing Pride and Tradition - Rod Dedeaux Chapter 20. Inspiring Today’s Players - Skip Bertman Chapter 21. Developing Responsible Decision-Making Athletes - Gordie Gillespie Chapter 22. Building Character and Loyalty in Players - Andy Lopez PART VI: Off-the-Field Opportunities, Challenges, and Pressures Chapter 23. Learning and Developing as a Professional - Glen Tuckett Chapter 24. Hitting the Clinic Circuit - Itch Jones Chapter 25. Beating the Burnout Factor - Jerry Kindall Words of Praise “The Baseball Coaching Bible is a must read for any person serious about the game of baseball. I especially found the pitching section to be outstanding and informative.” Ed Lynch Chicago Cubs General Manager “The years of experience assembled in one book is simply an invaluable asset for coaches, players, and parents.” Marty Bystrom Former National League pitcher Philadelphia Phillies New York Yankees |
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