What It Takes To Be A Pro Baseball Player

Playing pro baseball is a dream job, but it's not all fun and games. This book is a frank and fascinating look at what it takes to get there, from starting young to staying fit, following rules set by the team, and spending time away from family and friends. Chapters cover the history of the game, a day in the life of a pro baseball player, the gear players wear, the physical risks, and honors players can hope to achieve, like being elected to the Hall of Fame. Each chapter features attention-grabbing photos and examples from the lives of well-known players. A Fun Facts section includes more facts, plus anecdotes and lore unique to America's favorite pastime.

Baseball players can make their careers look effortless. They lob balls into the stands and sprint around the bases easily. But behind these actions are years and years of practice honing the skills that got them into the major leagues. This high-interest volume is an insider's guide of the path to the big leagues, from Little League to the MLB. Easy-to-follow drills and essential pro tips will interest the beginner and the seasoned ball player. Photographs of famous players as well as amateurs will further interest and enlighten young athletes.

Being a professional baseball player is no walk in the park?it's a physically and mentally demanding job. When you're on the field, millions of people are expecting you to record base hits as a batter or strikeouts as a pitcher. And the work continues beyond game time; you need to practice, work out, and scout your competition. Aches and pains are a given. And on top of everything else, you must perform amidst constant travel, media attention, and high expectations. Baseball has been America's pastime for more than a century. And for those who uphold the tradition in the major leagues today, there's nothing else like it. This book, which was reviewed by 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) veteran and World Series champion Gabe Kapler, offers an authentic look at what life is like as a pro baseball player. You'll learn: ? What kinds of skills it takes to play in the major leagues ? What daily life is like for an MLB player ? How MLB players prevent and treat injuries Go behind the scenes and see what it's really like to be an MLB star!

The way to becoming a professional ballplayer is not an easy one. So many factors are out of a player's control. He must concern himself with the things he can control and the things he can do to improve his play, and thus give himself at least the chance to succeed. The author of this work draws from his personal experiences and his former teammates' experiences to help the average player make the most of the talent he has and to make smart decisions on and off the field. The book covers the fundamentals and finer points of pitching, fielding, hitting, catching, base running, and playing the outfield. It also covers strength training and conditioning, the importance of good grades to high school and college baseball, catching the attention of coaches and scouts, selecting the right college, playing at the college level, dealing with coaches, parental involvement and support, the draft, and the world of professional baseball.

"Explores all the things professional baseball players do beyond playing baseball"--

Year-round conditioning plan, exercises and drills.

Advice for the would-be major league baseball player.

This book examines Japan’s Heisei era through the lens of the crisis in Japanese professional baseball of 2004, challenging the narrative of decline which dominates the discourse on the period. The story of this crisis reveals much about the Japanese psyche during the “Lost Decade,” about the nature of change during Heisei Japan and of the nation’s resilience. The business of professional baseball provides crucial insights as it achieved its basic form at the same time as Japan's post-war political economy, and shared many characteristics with it, including systemic inefficiencies which post “bubble” Japan could no longer sustain. The book traces how the crisis unfolded and the cast of characters who appeared during it (including team owners, players, IT entrepreneurs, and ordinary fans) revealing much about the push and pull of continuity and change in Japan. Featuring an in-depth analysis or the key participants and developments of the crisis in baseball this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of sports management, Japanese history, and Japanese culture, particularly of the Heisei era.