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Baseball Instruction/Questions Answered by Expert Steve Nicollerat
| Subject | Date Asked |
| switch hitting | 10/15/2011 |
| Q: Mr. Nicollerat, My son is a natural right hander does every thing right handed. He is 9. Last year ... A: Find a team that will allow him to hit from both sides. To find a kid that works this hard and wants ... | |
| retreating back to first to avoid pickoff | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: 14U playing Dizzy Dean rules. While retreating back to first during a pick off attempt the runner ... A: I am not an expert on Dizzy Dean rules. However, when the ball is in fielder's glove and the player ... | |
| switch hitting | 8/10/2011 |
| Q: My son has recently started switch hitting at the age of 12. He is a natural righty. I actually have ... A: Keep him switch hitting. That is great. He might have better mechanics from the left side than ... | |
| Coach Pitch vs. Machine Pitch | 7/5/2011 |
| Q: My son has been playing coach pitch baseball for the last two years and just turned 8. I am ... A: Both are fine, depending on when you would use them. When the kids are real young, I like coach ... | |
| Hitting Mechanics | 6/15/2011 |
| Q: Hey Steve, i have a question regarding my hitting mechanics and my swing. Recently, i have been ... A: Sure. When the hitter rotates to the point that his bell button is at the pitcher, his back elbow is ... | |
| Hitting Mechanics | 6/15/2011 |
| Q: Hey Steve, i have a question regarding my hitting mechanics and my swing. Recently, i have been ... A: Sounds like you need to keep your hands inside the ball, so you can hit an inside pitch and keep it ... | |
| swing/shift | 6/12/2011 |
| Q: Steve, Why is it that left handed hitters pull the ball more then righties, and a shift is put on ... A: I really don't know if they pull the ball more. I have no data on that. However, I do know that ... | |
| Foul ball | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: If a ball bounces in fair territory before passing third base and then crosses the foul line and is ... A: I am assuming the ball did not pass the base, and when the fielder touched the ball it was in foul ... | |
| little league baseball | 4/26/2011 |
| Q: First of all thanks for your help. My son just started little league and has trouble with his ... A: Sounds like 2 issues here: hands staying inside the ball back elbow needs to stay tight and hand ... | |
| touching home plate | 4/16/2011 |
| Q: the runner inadvertently misses home plate and continues to the dugout, the plate ump calls him out ... A: Yes. As much as I hate to say this, umpires at various levels are instructed to call a runner out ... | |
| Shortstop | 4/14/2011 |
| Q: I'm a utility player and i recently picked up ss more than anything else. my question is what is a ... A: Making the off balance play starts with understanding some basic points: go hard and break down a ... | |
| Baseball Catching The Ball | 4/12/2011 |
| Q: THX A: You need to play lots of catch. As you play make sure you throw to your target. Also, you need to ... | |
| Too many foul ball (Under the ball) | 4/1/2011 |
| Q: My kid is 8 years old and he has a good stand on home plate and his swing is very good (that is what ... A: Sounds like he is right on the pitch, just slightly off. Sometimes this happens because the ... | |
| My baseball improving | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: My name is Emanuele, I'm 21 years old and I'm playing college Baseball in a Junior College. In may ... A: the swing looks good. the angle was tough for me to see how much you were behind your axis, but it ... | |
| Cut from Baseball | 3/7/2011 |
| Q: My son was cut from baseball yesterday and he is devastated. He came to the sport later than most ... A: Yes, this is a good way for your son to stay involved in the game. However, he should do this for ... | |
| Getting Cut from Highschool tryouts | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: Today I got cut from my high schools JV tryouts, I got cut last year because I had tendonitis in my ... A: getting cut is one of the most difficult things a player (or coach) can go thru. a coach looks for ... | |
| Scared of ball | 1/18/2011 |
| Q: My son just turned 9 and is playing on a traveling team that has seen some success. I am one of the ... A: this sounds like a familiar story. always start off and work on a gym floor or cement surface ... | |
| my velocity/height | 1/7/2011 |
| Q: I'm a 13 3/4 yr old who is 5.1 ft 90 lbs, but I have a 68-72 4 seamer with a 59-63 curve, and a ... A: i am not sure what your velocity will be when you grow. the one thing i can say is that you will ... | |
| Youth hitting | 1/7/2011 |
| Q: My son, who will turn 11 in March, set his New Years resolution to be a better hitter. He's a very ... A: you have put a lot of time on this question. i can help you with both questions. however, this forum ... | |
| Correction of sidearm throwing | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: My 7 year old son has developed a bad habit of throwing sidearm (not pitching). This is impacting ... A: i will list a couple of things to do, but keep in mind, you must make it fun for your son to be ... | |
| Baseball Situation | 10/25/2010 |
| Q: If a batter hits a ball to the infield, and the infielder bobbles the ball several times... the ... A: sorry for the delay in response. allexperts just notified me and said your question was pending. ... | |
| pitching | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: i am Ross,14 years old and i can throw a 67mph fastball (4-seam). I have a really good slow ... A: at your age, the big breaking ball is not important. to be a great pitcher you need the following: ... | |
| Lost batting confidence | 10/19/2010 |
| Q: My 8-year-old son is finishing up the fall season, his first season in kid pitch. Hitting has always ... A: this is a pretty normal development. the child has some skill at hitting a ball with a parent or ... | |
| Throwing power | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: my son is 10 yrs old and his throw needs more power. He can just barely throw to 1st base from short ... A: the only way to generate more throwing power is to throw more often. your son needs to play catch, ... | |
| baserunning | 9/25/2010 |
| Q: runners on 1st & 2nd. Pop up, infield fly called. both runners try to advance, runner on 2nd decides ... A: i have read the question and followed it. you are correct. 2nd base belonged to the forward runner. ... | |
| scoring on sacrifice fly | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: with runners on first and third and one out a batter hits a fly ball to the outfield with the ... A: the run counts. take a look at the last 5 lines below. this is taken from the rule book on ... | |
| determining the winning pitcher | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: The 5-inning rule in the major leagues might lead (at least in theory) to a bizarre result. If ... A: the starting pitcher can not be given credit for the win. the pitcher who was most effective (not ... | |
| Velocity and velocity projections | 8/21/2010 |
| Q: I have a 65-70 mph fastball, 51-55 mph change-up, 55- 58 curveball at age 13. In letter grade A-F ... A: at age 13 you are doing well. no one can predict what you will be like at 18 because kids grow at ... | |
| Throwing | 8/18/2010 |
| Q: My 15 yr. old son has developed a weird throwing motion,where he seems to throw almost off his front ... A: there is no quick fix or cure for throwing. i would take your son to a coach/pitching or throwing ... | |
| asa rules ground rule triple? | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: In a tournament this weekend the umpire allowed a runner third base on a ball that went under the ... A: i can not answer with an asa official ruling. however, i can say that anytime the ball goes under ... | |
| Pitches | 8/5/2010 |
| Q: With a 65 -68 mph fastball at age 13 and a change-up at 54 - 56 mph how hard should i throw my curve ... A: at 13 i would have you use nothing but your fastball and change. the difference in speed is fine. ... | |
| Scoring on the 3rd out | 7/25/2010 |
| Q: You have a runner on 3rd base and the batter hits a ball between 3rd base and the shortstop. The ... A: since the runner started the play at 3b at the time of the pitch, and the 3rd out was recorded as a ... | |
| pitcher re-entry | 7/15/2010 |
| Q: what is the official rule on re-entering a pitcher after taking him out as pitcher? he was taken out ... A: sorry about the delay, but i have been away for the last 2 days. this is an interesting question ... | |
| pitching rule | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: Our league does not allow pitchers, once removed from the mound,to re-enter the game as a pitcher. ... A: when a pitcher is in the game he is throwing 12-25+ pitches per inning on a regular basis. maybe he ... | |
| Balks | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: Runner on 2nd only takes a lead, pitcher steps toward 3rd with no throw. Is this a balk or no call. ... A: this is a fun question. i am going to ask a friend for some help on this. however, i don't know of a ... | |
| arm | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: hey ive been playin baseball since i was a lil kid now im playing baseball at college an i allwayz ... A: i try and answer every question on this site. however, this is the type that can not be answered. ... | |
| Interference/Obstruction to 1st Base | 6/19/2010 |
| Q: What is the call if the 1st baseman drops the incoming throw and then collides with the ... A: the runner can not interfere with the 1b on a thrown ball, only a batted ball. the 1b has the right ... | |
| is he realy as good as they say? | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: my son is 12, he will turn 13 in july. right now he is pitching on an average of 67 mph. he has ... A: sounds like your son has some skill. at this point in his development, he seems to be above the ... | |
| T-Ball Batting | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: My son just started playing t-ball and now coaches are pitching without the tee.My son is almost ... A: at this age i would let him use whatever bat he wants. he will probably use both bats going back and ... | |
| Cant Bat-Out or not? | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: Final inning, score is 11-10, 2 outs...we are in the outfield. (winning) Coach on the other team ... A: this is a rule that different organizations handle differently. in fact, the same organization may ... | |
| recording an out | 6/5/2010 |
| Q: A ball is hit directly to the first baseman, he cathes it and steps on the first base. How is that ... A: just a line 3 in the book. 3 being the number associated with the 1b. a fielder's choice is a play ... | |
| Pivot Foot in Windup | 6/1/2010 |
| Q: Once your pivot foot makes contact with the rubber in the windup, does it have to remain in contact ... A: in theory, the pitcher's pivot foot should remain in contact with the rubber during the whole ... | |
| throwing out runner stealing second | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: when a runner takes off from first to steal second, who should call it out to warn catcher and ... A: when a runner is staling 2nd base, the 1b should give a verbal that the runner is going. however, ... | |
| Swing speed | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: How can i train my swing speed whit simple drills without to mutch tools? I got a Batting tee. ... A: videos and books are written about this. i will attempt to answer in a short paragraph. 1. starting ... | |
| Defense | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: Runners at second and third two outs.runner on second takes off and is in a rundown. Runner on third ... A: if you have 2nd and 3rd and pick the guy off at 2nd (say the ss get ball from pitcher), run the ... | |
| batting out of order | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: We had a slow pitch girls game and the last batter of the inning got a triple. She just so happened ... A: check out b and c below. if you made the appeal after one pitch was thrown to the next hitter, the ... | |
| calling time out | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I coach little league baseball. Minor league 9 & 10, and Major league 11 & 12. At what point can an ... A: sorry about the delay in answering. i thought i did, but the system just sent me a note asking me to ... | |
| You make the Call | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: I see alot of people asking about the pitched ball hitting the ground and bouncing before crossing ... A: different organizations have different rulings: even if the position is not legal--it is not a ... | |
| sliding into first base | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: 1If a runner trips running home and touches home plate before being tagged, is he safe or out? . On ... A: i am not sure i understand the first question, but if a runner trips or not, touches home plate ... | |
| balk | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: how much of the base can the fielder block while trying to tag the runner on a pick off move from ... A: a balk is an illegal action (almost always by the pitcher) that results in runners being awarded a ... | |
| first base pick off move | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: how much of the base can the fielder block while trying to tag the runner on a pick off move from ... A: the umpire should have made sure he had 9 guys hitting, when the lineup cards were exchanged. that ... | |
| first base pick off move | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: how much of the base can the fielder block while trying to tag the runner on a pick off move from ... A: if you have the ball, you can block the entire base. but, if you don't have the ball, or you are ... | |
| batter strikes out | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: When a batter strikes out and the catcher drops the ball, but the batter turns and walks toward his ... A: the hitter has time to run provided he has not got to the dugout. 6.09 The batter becomes a runner ... | |
| balk ruling | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: Runner on 1st and 2nd base,pitcher is off the stretch,1st base is not holding runner on .Pitcher ... A: i just checked the rule again (though very quickly) and it says the ball must be thrown to the base. ... | |
| crow hopping for infielders | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: Is it imperative or mandatory for infielders to crow hop before throwing the ball. I do not see the ... A: great question. there are times to crow hop and times where it is not needed. but, i really like the ... | |
| Baseball Swing and Catching | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: I have been trying to improve my swing everyday. My hands and hips are going together which is not ... A: as far as the catching goes: work your 1 knee drill trying to improve transfer ball from glove work ... | |
| Combines | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: I am 13 and I am trying to find combines or GOOD training camps to get my name out there so some ... A: i am not aware of combines for players your age. my best advice is to find a team that does a little ... | |
| balk ruling | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: Runner on 1st and 2nd base,pitcher is off the stretch,1st base is not holding runner on .Pitcher ... A: the throw must be to 1st base. what is first base? the answer is in the eye of the umpire. i think 5 ... | |
| HS Baseball Coaches | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: My son is a sophomore in HS. Played JV as a Freshman and back this year as a 10th grader. Easily ... A: this is not an easy situation for an outsider to talk about. you care/love your son and want the ... | |
| Foul Ball To Catcher | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: Babe Ruth baseball: ages 12-15 yrs. Batter hits a pitch that goes back towards the catcher and has ... A: a foul tip is defined as a ball that goes from the bat directly to the catcher's glove or meat hand. ... | |
| balk ruling | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: Runner on 1st and 2nd base,pitcher is off the stretch,1st base is not holding runner on .Pitcher ... A: this should be a balk call, but there is some gray. if the 1b is 5 feet from the bag, this might not ... | |
| pitching | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I am a high school pitcher at the jv level next year I would like to be a varsity pitcher and throw ... A: i am sending you our pitching plan. go thru it and pay attention to day 5 of the document. this is ... | |
| sore elbow | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: My son is 13, playing in 13-14 yo division. He is our primary catcher, and one of our pitchers. ... A: give him some time off. if the pain is still there after 2 days, take him to see an expert. when ... | |
| senior varsity player not playing | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: My son has been playing for his high school team since he was a freshman. He was brought to the ... A: i would ask your son to talk with the coach about the status of his position. in the discussion, ... | |
| Pitching | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: I am a 16 year old left handed pitcher I can throw a changeup a knuckle a curve and 2 seam and 4 ... A: while there is a place for supervised weight program, i will not include that in my answer. ... | |
| How to get my little leaguer son (age 8) to be more aggressive at the plate? | 4/3/2010 |
| Q: (PLEASE NOTE - You are the second expert I am submitting this same question to just in case one of ... A: when teaching a young player to hit, there are the mechanical issues of the swing and then the ... | |
| Throwing | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: Hey. I play shortstop and my arm used to be in good condition. How can i throw faster and further. I ... A: Throwing faster and further can be done but not in a hurry. 1. make sure throwing fundamentals are ... | |
| baseball strategy | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: our 10u travel team starts the season in 2 weeks.the schedule has us play 1 game on Thursday and a ... A: i think i would catch the boy on thursday, pitch him first on sunday, and rest him in the afternoon ... | |
| Baseball Teaching System | 2/25/2010 |
| Q: Could you provide any insight on where I can find youth baseball instruction or a youth baseball ... A: I have done a lot of research online, and I have found that Baseball From the Ground Up! ... | |
Baseball Instruction
Answers by Expert:
Steve Nicollerat
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer any questions on the following topics: Pitching, Fielding, Hitting, Youth Instruction, Base Running, Infield, Outfield, Pitcher Fielding Practice, Rotational Hitting Instruction, Hitting Mechanics, Pitching Mechanics, Sportsmanship, Coaching, Baseball Situations, Baseball From the Ground Up, umpiring.
Experience
I have been a head varsity high school baseball coach for over 30 years. I have also been a Division one basketball referee. Lastly, I played collegiate baseball.
Organizations
I am the founder of Baseball From the Ground Up, LLC - www.bftgu.com Visit http://www.bftgu.com for more baseball help and advice!
Education/Credentials
I am a Computer Science teacher for high school and at Webster University and Fontbonne University. I have a Masters Degree in Computer Education and Science.
Awards and Honors
I was just inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this past January.
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