Coaches Corner

With summer youth baseball seasons winding down, I tip my cap to the best baseball coaches I was lucky to play for in my youth. Let�s also revisit the lessons they taught about life and how to play the game well.

First, my dad, Howard Bock � my first baseball coach. He could be a polarizing figure to some with his competitive spirit and attention to detail, but if you understood and appreciated him, he would go the extra mile for you with his time and encouragement. Dad coached softball at May Greene School in the early 1950s, but football was his main sport while he was growing up. So when he agreed to take over as manager of a Boys Minor League team in 1962, in his usual methodical way, he researched the fundamentals and fine points of baseball. He then used his teaching skills to pass these fundamentals along to his novice 8-year-old son and teammates.

A second memorable coach was his knowledgeable assistant, ex-Cape Capahas pitcher Richard Hildebrand, a fine third base coach and pitching coach. As it turned out, he lived just two houses up the street, a block or so from the Capaha Park north ball diamond. By summer�s end, our work and fun had made �Howard�s Hawks� city champions.

Next in this hall of great coaches come the leaders of the Little League Tigers, Frank Rayburn and Don Hopper. In the mid-1960s they were both in their early twenties and enthusiastic positive examples. We called them by their first names, and they offered us a great mix of encouragement, discipline and confidence-building. They also taught strategy and baseball fundamentals. Playing for them was fun.

The last great coach in our spotlight is the best known, one who coached many a fine player down through the years. Leon Brinkopf was a winner, an intense competitor. He was more intense than my dad even, and that�s saying something. �Brink� was a professional player, as well as coach. He was a home-run leader in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for several years before his rookie year with the Chicago Cubs in 1952.

As good a player as he was, his path to shortstop stardom was blocked by a young phenom you may have heard of: Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, aka �Mr. Cub.� Then a serious injury ended Coach Brink�s playing career.

That loss became our gain as high schoolers who played for him in the �50s, �60s and �70s at Cape Central High School. Under his intense leadership, we learned tips and techniques taken straight from Major League locker rooms, dugouts, spring training drills and conditioning drills. These lessons led to a state championship in 1962. When Coach Brinkopf led the Cape Central Tigers, they were hard to beat.

Now, in honor of these top coaches, here is a short list of basic baseball fundamentals, taken from their tutelage:

1. To generate bat speed when you swing, get the barrel of the bat out over the plate just before the pitch reaches it. As Coach Brink put it, �Throw the end of the bat at the ball.� But be sure to hold onto the bat, of course!

2. When you are in the field, ask yourself as each batter steps up to the plate, �What should I do if the ball is hit to me? Or to other fielders?� Think ahead.

3. When fielding a ground ball, keep your bare hand ready to knock the ball down if it takes a bad hop. Protect your face, head, neck. Bend your knees and get down low. I can still hear Brink�s authoritative bass voice as he showed us how to �Get the tailgate down!�

4. Catchers, to prevent a pitch or foul tip from injuring your throwing hand, keep your fingers relaxed and only slightly clenched behind the catcher�s mitt so they can better deflect the ball without injury. This tip cam from longtime Cape chiropractor, ex-minor league pro catcher, Cape Capahas coach and manager, and later a scout for the New York Yankees, Dr. H.T. Miles, a venerable baseball man who gets late honorable mention on this list.

5. Finally, strive for confidence, but don�t get too full of yourself when you�re up, or too down on yourself when you strike out. Try to put yourself in the other player�s cleats. Treat others with respect.

And have fun!