Matt Mondok

Be what you speak, never speak on what you be

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

@JC643DP @batcluberik Never mind, saw the other post about it being abolished in October. Still sounds like a written offer should be in place but that’s a wildcard.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

@JC643DP @batcluberik Why wouldn’t the NLI offer contractual protections on this?

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

@JC643DP @batcluberik If he’s a senior and it’s April, wasn’t the NLI and scholarship agreement signed?

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Glove pops save runs.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

The depth of your leadoff matters as much as the length. It’s angles and depth perception for the D. Great baserunners understand this.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Nobody wants to watch a movie about someone who is the best at everything and always perfect.

Embrace adversity and imperfection. It makes your story interesting.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Plenty of ways to practice outfield, but working on all three separately can be valuable (blind drills).

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Judging fly balls requires 3 reads. Off the bat includes trajectory, direction, and speed judgment. Second read is against the sky/clouds and is where a route is determined. Third is the descent which includes a size-distance illusion. The ball is falling and getting larger.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Travel season is upon us. If you think the 82-year old umpire behind the plate is favoring the other team, then you're not mad. You're jealous. I can only hope to be sharp enough to make sub-second decisions in favor of a team when I'm that old.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Also consider your team on defense. Are your corners in position to defend a bunt? What’s first doing? Is second covering first? Is SS covering a bag at all or preparing to take a decoy throw? The complexity of a bunt can easily lead to a bases loaded situation.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

If you’re on offense and have 1st and 3rd, weigh your options. There are lots of ways to create chaos. Very few teams prepare for anything but a steal. Worst case, a fake steal/hard lead will get defense to show their hand.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Generally, small, incremental improvements are more likely to be permanent than sweeping modifications.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Let kids coach first base. Little League and youth travel - esp 12U and younger - should do this all the time. It's an invaluable learning experience, and the kids will love it.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

My favorite bench coach was in travel, Rich Bodnar (RIP “Bods”). If we were having an off day on offense, we all knew what was coming. He’d put all the bats in a pile, pick them up, and throw them while yelling, “wake up bats!”

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Bench coaches are undervalued. Players love them, and they tend to see everything in a game - including player emotion - because they aren’t overly focused on strategy. A good bench coach can talk a player off the ledge before they ever get to the ledge.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

My dad never told me I had to fix anything in baseball. Baseball was what we did as a father and son, and between us, it always felt like a journey that could only move forward. Coaches shouldn’t make kids feel broken, but rather help them refine ability and grow.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

“Be great at the things the opponent isn’t even calculating into the equation.” - Dan Blank

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Or this was my dad's version of "mother lifts car off her child"

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

Christmas ~1990. Parents didn't have much money but dropped about $300 on the worst bat ever produced, the Easton J-Series graphite. I can still feel it in my hands with that green grip.

[Matt Mondok @mattmondok]

I'd like to believe my dad summoned some magic on that second swing, but I'm pretty sure the bat just sucked.