ASBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK... Ryan Donovan

Ryan Donovan
Pennington School Star

Ryan Donovan, star first baseman, outfielder and pitcher for Pennington School in NJ, has been named the All Star Baseball Player of the Week.  Ryan hit over .430 last year for Pennington and was named All-Central New Jersey and All New Jersey State Prep for the second year in a row.

This past week, Ryan signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Division I Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.  He will be a valuable player for the Stags as a first baseman, and could contribute at other positions as well.

Ryan has played for Coach Mike Manning on ASBA Elite Teams and has been a consistent, top performer.  For more details on Ryan Donovan's commitment to play at Fairfield, see the link below.
 http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2010/11/10/pennington_post/sports/doc4cdadfc43749a254676642.tx

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ALL STAR BASEBALL TIP OF THE WEEK

The Phillies' Shane Victorino runs the bases quickly!

This week's Tip is from Ryan Gilmore, Manager of our Warminster-Hatboro location, and a former star player at Audubon High School (NJ) and at Rowan University.  To book a lesson package with Ryan, contact our Warminster staff at 215-672-1826 today.

When Running the Bases, Remember the "3 Looks"

After putting the ball in play, the batter needs to take three looks to see exactly where the ball is in play.  The first look is from the batter's box, after you have made contact. Check to see if the ball is fair and where it was hit.  The second look occurs on the runner's 4th stride out of the box, to see if the ball went into the outfield or stayed in the infield.  

If the ball went to the outfield, the runner will start to make his turn to round first base properly.  If the ball stays in the infield, the runner will continue to sprint hard through first base.  

The third and final look is after the base-runner hits first base-- he will look over his right shoulder to see if the ball was over-thrown and he can possibly advance to second base. 

 This "3 looks" process will help base-runners become aware of the ball at all times. This is very important in being a speedy and also a smart base-runner!

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THE IN BOX…… Testimonial Letter received by ASBA

To Jake King and Brian Walker, ASBA West Chester:

You guys are a great team.

Outside of being ASBA customers, Patricia and I want to thank you for coaching, mentoring, and putting (our son) Eric through rigorous instructional workouts. He loves it!  He is getting it. He realizes he needs to work and practice even harder.

He is working hard to continue your work-out drills at the house with his drills and other exercises you have given to him.

Thank you for the extra investment you are all making with Eric.

 John and Patricia Cosgrove

West Chester, PA

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WARMINSTER WALLOPS ITS WAY TO 2-1 RECORD AT RIPKEN CLASSIC!

Celebrating another RBI for
ASBA

Good solid swing for a line drive.

13U ASBA Warminster-Hatboro Team Scores 37 Runs in 3 Games At Ripken Tourney, Oct. 23-24.

 

The team is coached by Phil Kelly and they did a super job with an offensive explosion at the Ripken Fall Classic in Aberdeen, MD.

The Warminster-Hatboro squad averaged over 12 runs per game and earned a 2-1 record in the Classic.

"I'm very proud of our team and how we improved throughout the Fall season," said Coach Kelly.  "We really started to believe in ourselves and to play the game with confidence.  Our hitting was great at the Ripken Fall Classic as everything started to come together for us, from hitting to baserunning to our confidence level.  It was a great season."

The Catcher controlling the game.

Tagging out at home.

Sliding in.

"High Fives" for Another Run Score

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THE HOT CORNER.... Sports Shorts with Ken Leidheiser

Open House at our new Warminster Academy, November 20th

Come out and join us to celebrate the Grand Opening of our new Warminster-Hatboro facility on Saturday, November 20th, from 11 am to 2 pm!  We look forward to hosting both parents and players at this Open House celebration, complete with food, beverages, raffles, free player evaluations and instruction from ASBA coaches.  "We're very excited about our new location, which has new turf, great lighting, and 5 more tunnels than our former location," said ASBA Manager Ryan Gilmore. "Our customers are really enjoying the new facility and our players love it.  All of our instructors will be here on November 20th so come out and join us."  The newest ASBA facility is located at 1537 Campus Drive, Warminster, PA 18974.  Call for directions and full details, 215-672-1826.

 

Meanwhile in West Chester, popular ASBA instructor Mike McGuire is back giving pitching and hitting lessons to area players after working out at the Phillies Instructional League in Clearwater, FL. Mike hopes to get a shot at Class AA ball next spring.  McGuire was signed by the Phillies as a relief pitcher this summer and assigned to Class A Lakewood (NJ), where he helped the Blue Claws win their league title.  McGuire is a tall 6-7 righthander and he compiled a 2.67 ERA with 6 saves for the Blue Claws...... 

In the independent Atlantic League this summer, Kennett Square's Scott Grimes had a super season and was named Co-MVP of the League at the end of the playoffs.  He played for the York (PA) Revolution and starred as an outfielder, hitter and baserunner.  ASBA Downingtown Manager Keith Falcone reports that Scott will be playing pro ball this fall and winter in Colombia, South America, with a 55 game schedule.  Grimes hopes to get noticed by a major league team this winter after setting the all-time Independent League record for runs scored in a season with 138.  He also compiled a slugging pct. of .502 and was honored in October as a First Team All Independent League player by Baseball America...... Yes, Scott will be back at ASBA Downingtown, giving lessons in early to mid-January.....

 

Keep Your Skills Sharp Dept:  On the updated ASBA website, check out the great list of indoor College Coaches Camps coming soon!  First up is the Western PA Coaches Camp at the White Township Athletic Complex in Indiana, PA on Saturday, November 20th.  Cost for each session is just $175, and morning and afternoon Camps are available..... Colleges coming to this area to run local Coaches Camps include:  Coastal Carolina, Virginia, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Penn State....  Call All Star at 610-399-8050 and ask for full details....... For the first time, All Star Baseball is offering Youth College Coaches Camps for players 10 to 12 years of age.  Go to the ASBA website under "Youth Collegiate Camps" for a full list of the indoor camps offered, including Western PA and Central NJ!  The Youth Camps will help younger players take their games to the next level and star in the spring.  There are Youth Camps in West Chester (12/27), Robbinsville, NJ (12/29), Long Island (12/30) and ASBA Warminster (1/15/11) so check out the ASBA website for complete information and sign up today.....

 

Brand new turf and great facilities at ASBA Warminster

TRIVIA TIME:   We had several winners from our last Trivia Test...  Here was the recent Trivia Test of the Week:  Who holds the all-time record for MOST no-hitters in a career and how many years was it from the first to the last no-hitter for this power pitcher?  Hint: This pitcher is also the oldest to ever throw a no-hitter.  BONUS to really test your Baseball IQ:  Who has second most no-hitters all-time?  And who is the catcher who has caught the most no-hitters all-time??   First with all of the right answers was the family team of Ryan and Colin Hanmond.  Nolan Ryan has 7 total no-hitters and they were an amazing 18 years apart, from first to last.  The "Ryan Express" tossed his last no-hitter at age 44 in May, 1991..... Sandy Koufax has the second most no-hitters all-time with four and Jason Varitek of the Red Sox has caught the most no-hitters...
This week's Trivia Test:  Who is the pitcher with the best all-time post-season ERA going into the 2010 playoffs?  Which pitchers are second and third all-time in post-season ERA??  Hint, the second and third place record-holders are no longer active......Send your answers token@allstarbaseballacademy.com.  Winners to be announced on the Blog in the next Sports Shorts.......

 

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ALL STAR BASEBALL TIP OF THE WEEK.....

Control The Baserunners, But Focus On The Batter!!

Mike McGuire

This weeks's tip is from Mike McGuire, star reliever on the champion Lakewood Blueclaws (Phillies Class A) team.  Mike is a top instructor at ASBA West Chester during the off-season.  He hopes to make the Reading Phillies roster (Class AA) next year in spring training.

As a pitcher, controlling the opponent's running game is very important.  Keeping those baserunners in check and off balance can save your team a lot of runs against.  The key to controlling the running game is varying your times to the plate.  Never sacrifice your mechanics to throw off the runner-- the hitter is always the most important player for you to focus on.

Keep an eye on the baserunners and change your pick-off moves and your timing to the plate.  But concentrate on the hitter as the number one priority for you to get out of innings.

To schedule lessons with Mike McGuire, call our West Chester staff at 610-399-8050 and book a package today!

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ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Players of the Week, as we recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:

ALL STAR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:


Gardner Nutter, ASBA 16U Elite Team— Gardner threw a complete game no-hitter for the 16U Elite Team at the Impact Tournament in Durham, NC last weekend. He was dominating during the game, with 9 K’s and only 1 walk allowed.


Michael Friedrich, ASBA 16U Elite Team—Michael caught all 4 games in Durham, NC at the Impact tourney, and went 6 for 9 at the plate with 2 RBI’s and 4 runs scored. He did a super job of catching Gardner’s no-hit masterpiece.


Casey O’Donnell, ASBA Warminster Showcase Team—A junior lefty from Hatboro-Horsham HS, Casey threw 5 innings of 1-hit ball for the winning Warminster squad in the first game of the All-ASBA Showcase Tournament at Campbell's Field in Camden, NJ.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:


ASBA Warminster Showcase Team


The All Star Team of the Week is the Warminster Showcase Team coached by John Bellis. The Warminster squad won the All-ASBA Showcase Tournament held last weekend at Campbell's Field in Camden, NJ, where the professional Riversharks play. Warminster went 2-0 in the intra-company tourney, with wins of 10-1 and 10-6 over the ASBA Futures Team and the ASBA South Jersey Showcase Team.


“Overall, the whole team hit well and we played well offensively,” said Bellis. “Casey O’Donnell did a super job on the mound in the first game with a very solid pitching performance for us.”

RUNNER UP:


ASBA 16U Elite Team


The West Chester 16U Elite Team coached by Brian Walker is the runner-up Team of the Week, with an excellent performance at the Impact Tournament in Durham, NC last weekend. The team went 2-2 against top competition with the highlight being the no-hitter thrown by Gardner Nutter.


Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! And keep those photos coming! Parents, if you have taken action photos of your favorite ASBA team, send them to ken@allstarbaseballacademy.com. Thank you!

 

 

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ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Warminster 13U Team scored 37 runs and went 2-1 at the Ripken Fall Classic in Aberdeen, MD last weekend.  The team is coached by Phil Kelly (top right), who was pleased with the hot bats and good play in the field.

The team won the ASBA "Team of the Week" award this week.

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Players of the Week, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:

ALL STAR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:


Trevor Roberson, 12U Broomall Team— Trevor blasted 2 HR’s in the Sports At The Beach Tournament in DE and also made nice plays in the infield for the Broomall squad.


Bobby Watters, 15U Downingtown Team—Bobby was hot at the plate in the ECTB Wood Bat “Bases Loaded” Tournament in Palmyra, PA. He went 5 for 9 with 4 RBI’s and 2 doubles and also contributed on the mound, with a save.


Justin Rounick, 13U Warminster Team—Justin helped his team earn a 2-1 record at the Ripken Fall Classic with 6 strong innings pitched. He got a win with only 2 earned runs allowed and a total of 7 K’s.


Also Nominated:


Patrick Meenan, 13U Warminster Team— Patrick went 5 for 8 with 5 RBI’s and 4 stolen bases.


Gabe Hofferman, 13U Warminster Team—Gabe was hot with 5 for 8 hitting, 4 RBI’s and 5 stolen bases.


Pierce Greenleaf, 15U Downingtown Team—Pierce tossed 6 good innings in his team’s 7-5 win at the ECTB Wood Bat Tournament near Hershey, PA.


Matt Timoney, 17U West Chester Showcase Team—Matt fired 3 excellent innings with 7 K’s at the Wood Bat World Championships in Jupiter, FL last weekend.



ALL STAR BASEBALL TEAM OF THE WEEK:

13U WARMINSTER TEAM

The All Star Team of the Week is the 13U Warminster squad that went 2-1 with an offensive explosion at the Ripken Fall Classic in Aberdeen, MD last weekend. The team scored 37 runs in the 3 games at Ripken, an average of more than 12 per game! These “Warminster Wallopers” are coached by Phil Kelly.


RUNNER-UP TEAMS OF THE WEEK:


ASBA 15U DOWNINGTOWN TEAM AND 17U WEST CHESTER SHOWCASE TEAM


The Downingtown team was led at the ECTB Tourney by hitters Bobby Watters, David Gibb, and Nick Bulisky and pitcher Pierce Greenleaf. The Showcase Team of Coach Mike Manning was paced by pitchers Matt Timoney, Tony Urban, and Jake Drossner, and also by hitters Andrew Amaro, AJ Koscelansky, and Thomas Spitz. The Showcase squad went 2-1-1 at Jupiter, FL.


Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! Look for Player and Team of the Week updates each week on our ASBA Blog as the Fall Tournament season nears the end of the year….. And keep those photos coming! Send to ken@allstarbaseballacademy.com.

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ALL STAR BASEBALL TIP OF THE WEEK.......

Pitcher Ryan Madsen Throws a Mean Circle Change

This week's Tip is from Ken Brown, Assistant Manager and popular coach of tournament teams at our Broomall Academy.  To schedule a series of lessons with Ken or another of our top instructors at Broomall, call 610-355-2411 or e mail Ken at kenb@allstarbaseballacademy.com.  We look forward to helping your All Star develop his skills over the Fall and Winter so he can star on the field in the Spring!

KEEP THE ADVANTAGE BY KEEPING HITTERS OFF BALANCE!

An important factor of being a successful pitcher is the ability to change speeds well.  If you can effectively change speeds, then you can deceive hitters and keep them off balance!

The best pitch that achieves this is the "changeup."  The changeup is the most effective pitch against hitters at any age. This is because the spin of the ball on a changeup looks just like a fast ball, but comes in much slower.  This change of speed causes the batters to be off balance, thus putting the advantage in the pitcher's favor. 

The most effective changeup is the "circle" change.  To throw a circle changeup, make a circle with your throwing hand (using your thumb & index fingers). You then center the baseball between your three other fingers. The baseball should be tucked comfortably against the circle.  In order for this pitch to be effective, we must throw it with the same arm speed and body mechanics as a fastball.  A great way to develop the fastball mechanics, but at changeup speed, is to practice throwing your changeup as you long toss (throwing beyond 90 feet). Alternate between throwing fastballs and changeups for about 20-30 throws.  Do this a couple of times per week.

 If you focus on mixing your pitches and keeping hitters guessing, you will have greater success on the mound.

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ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Players of the Week, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:

ALL STAR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK—


Ethan Rode, ASBA 16U Warminster Team—Ethan pitched very well at the Berkshire Tournament for the 16U Warminster squad, tossing 9 strong innings with 10 K’s. He allowed only 2 hits and took a perfect game into the 6th inning!


Patrick Pitman, 18U ASBA Downingtown Team—Patrick had a great weekend on the mound and at the plate for the 18U Downingtown team. He threw 7 innings with 10 K’s and only 3 hits and 3 runs allowed. At bat, he was 6 for 8 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI’s.


Also Nominated:


Kevin Devine, 16U Warminster Team—Kevin threw 7 excellent innings in the Berkshire Tournament and got a win for the Warminster squad, which finished 1-1-1 in the tourney.


Trevor Roberson, 12U Broomall Team—Trevor did a super job at third base for the Broomall squad last weekend at the Sports At The Beach Tournament, and he also had two hits including his first HR of the year!

TEAM OF THE WEEK – ASBA 18U DOWNINGTOWN TEAM


The All Star Team of the Week is the 18U Prospect Team from Downingtown, coached by Keith Falcone. The squad went 2-1 at the Berkshire Rhino “Pink Ribbon” Classic. Patrick Pitman starred on the mound and at the plate and many other team members contributed too.


RUNNER-UP TEAM OF THE WEEK—ASBA 16U Warminster Team


The 16U squad coached by Phil Kelly was 1-1-1 at the Berkshire Tournament, with a 2-0 win and a 0-0 tie in 10 innings. Their only loss was 8-0 to the eventual tourney champion.


Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! Look for Player and Team of the Week updates every week on our ASBA Blog!!

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