Chris Colabello

Baseballer #BEaHITTER

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

Over the course of my career, it became abundantly clear to me that I was really passionate about helping the next generation of athletes.

Watch this video. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

It will explain everything…

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

It's a good one...

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

🚨New Podcast

First one in a long time!! @TewksHitting @CC20rake

https://t.co/ukrvlTyXMP

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

Special guest...

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

Who remembers our podcast? 👀

Tomorrow. 10 AM ET. @CC20rake, @TewksHitting , and a special guest. Might wanna check the Pelotero podcast feed…

We have so many problems with the way amateur baseball/softball are structured. And we are ready to get loud.

Sneak peek:

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

@ladsdeev @KeeganMatheson who wouldn't be proud when someone chooses the greatest walkout song of all time?

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

🎥 Why You Need to Be Able to Hit the Fastball

That is the base of your timing. When that disappears the pitcher owns you @cc20rake

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

A lot of the responses I got to my last few messages had to do with:

1. Volume of practice/play
2. A “better” brand of baseball

My follow up question is… how are those things being achieved/guaranteed.

I can certainly understand having more scheduled practices and games, but how is “better” baseball being delivered?

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

@coach_scottdj haha that's a good question

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

It’s exciting for me to think about how many young people are playing baseball, and more so, how many families are contributing time, money, and energy to it.

However - l’m fascinated by the state of the amateur game and I don’t mean that in a good way. The reason why I feel this way is because I’m more curious than anything else, as to the actual WHY, behind people’s choice to participate in it.

The question of the day for me is (if you are a family who participates in some form of travel or pay-to-play baseball): why do you play travel baseball?

All answers welcome!

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

@tBriggsy I get it, and it makes sense. I'm not denying that it's even obvious in some scenarios.

I'm more concerned with - how do we assure that level of competition is actually appropriate for each player who is participating?

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

That's awesome that you're creating that opportunity. I completely agree with the additional volume of games and practices.

My questions would be these...
1. If Josh Hamilton (HS version) lived in your town and didn't play travel, would he make the team?
2. How are you assuring that they are playing "the best" competition in travel baseball?

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

@tBriggsy Not pushing back, but just wondering... where is the assurance that they will be playing against "the best competition for them" in travel ball?

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

I need to understand how these things happen at amateur games...

Am I crazy to think that there is nothing that could happen in a kids baseball game, whether it be a blown call from an umpire, or anything else for that matter, that could warrant this behavior from two adults?

The purpose of that baseball game was strictly development - whether anyone understands that or not - regardless of whether there was a championship on the line, or anything else for that matter. How do we get to this point?

[Robbie Faulk @robbiefaulk1878]

This happened at a 14 year old travel ball game in Starkville yesterday between a coach and an umpire.

What are some of you adults doing? What kind of example are you setting for kids? Pathetic and embarrassing by everyone involved. Grow up.

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

Car in front of me just through a banana peel into the grass on the side of the road. Caught me off guard because I didn’t know what it was at first.

It begs the question - how should you feel when you see someone throw a banana peel on the ground? I’m welcoming all answers…

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

🎥 How do you hit breaking balls @cc20rake

Recognition is your first priority. The more you can see the pitches and identify the spin the better.

Put the machine on and start practicing finding the identifiers.

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

🎥 Being good isn’t being on the best travel team or going to the best tournaments or beating up players less physically developed when they’re 12.

Players need to be shown where they are in the grand scheme of things. And it needs to happen early. #playerintelligence

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

We tracked a full Jordan Walker series with Pelotero. @cc20rake sees a player committed to executing a plan.

When players have the backing to execute their plan with conviction some really cool things can happen. #playerintelligence

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

For everyone talking about his swing…

[Motor Preferences Experts, LLC @MotorPreference]

After assessment, we found Chase prefers to rotate around his front leg.

Spending more time on the front side helps him stay balanced and coordinate the swing more efficiently.

He doesn’t generate balance and power from the back heel. It comes more from the front forefoot.

With this type of profile, you’ll often see less grounded movement through the back foot.

Think of MP’s as the body’s own language.
Natural ranges of motion we each prefer to work within.

Motor Preferences are the body’s most efficient solutions for conserving energy and achieving a task.

#MotorPreferences

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

Anybody ever gotten shushed at a concert? I’m not talking a solo violin concert… I’m talking a full on band production with bass and drums…

In the middle of a casino no less…

Anyone?!? Cause that happened

[Hitting Performance Lab @HPL_Lex]

“Player Intelligence”

Thru our partnership with @PeloteroApp we now offer At-Bat tracking! Not every 0-3 or 3-3 is created equal…was I on time? Did I swing at the best pitch? Am I recognizing the pitch type? These questions and more are things hitters need to answer after games in order to continue their pursuit in becoming a Complete Hitter!

Interested in working with us? Click the link in the bio to learn more and get started with us today!

#playerintelligence #hitting #baseball #mlbopeningday #reels

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

When I was a kid (and even when I was a pro), I would get so tied up emotionally in the results of my day. These types of snapshots would’ve helped me immensely in the early years of my development, and exposed me to lessons I needed to learn, much sooner

If you care about hitting, study these examples. Study your own at-bats. This is what hitting is really about.

[Pelotero @PeloteroApp]

🚨 Introducing Pelotero Game Reports

These are personalized post game report cards generated from game data.

Every athlete with our partners orgs gets one of these for every single game they play.

Check them out here👇

https://t.co/5RKueSTW2e

#playerintelligence

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

I was talking more holistically. What is Blaser's miss tendency historically. For example this game from May 20th of last year (credit @UmpScorecards) shows that his missed calls are top of zone balls and bottom of zone strikes. Would be curious to see if this is a trend for him because I imagine it would be...

[Chris Colabello @CC20rake]

Reading tons of stuff on Perdomo's take in the USA/DR semifinal.

Literally people who are vehemently arguing that taking the pitch is... was... and will always be, what should have happened in that moment. Equally there are people on the other side of the argument who are saying there's no scenario in which he could take, because the pitch was entirely too close.

Here is my two cents (for what it's worth):
When we look back at moments in time, everything matters. It's incredibly easy to second guess the outcome, and talk about all the reasons why something should/could have happened versus what actually did.

People reference data models all the time to defend their positions. In this case specifically... (apologies if my numbers are incorrect as my research was limited and ultimately will have nothing to do with the theme)

- The pitch had a .5% chance of being called a strike
- Swinging at the pitch results in a 63% whiff rate

Those two points alone make an incredibly compelling argument for why taking the pitch was the right decision (that all goes without mentioning what incredible plate discipline and vision to not swing at a 3-2 strike/ball slider from a dude throwing 100).

Those two data points - however - rely on big data sets and casually lack tons of context that could make the argument sway the other way. For example:

- What percentage of pitches did Corey Blaser call strikes that were below the zone? If you recall he called a similar pitch a strike on Soto the inning prior.
- What are Perdomo's individual percentage chances of fouling off 2-strike pitches below the zone? Getting a hit?

I have no idea what those numbers look like, but I'm willing to bet that they would certainly lean more in favor of making a swing at the pitch.

The only thing we know for certain is that the moment created a singular outcome. The pitch was called strike 3, and the game ended. A heartbreaking feeling for the player I'm sure.

That being said, I would have had a really hard time not swinging at the pitch, personally. I say that with full understanding that I might have swung and missed 90 times out of 100. But that 1 time... that 1 time where something great happens is why we play.

See the thing about sports is, we can talk about all the could of's, should of's and would have's until we're blue in the face, but what happened will forever be what actually happened.

I guess the point of what I'm getting at is that big data can always tell compelling stories. Stories that are easy to explain, and also very easy to understand.

But individual moments have different context that we tend to overlook when we're making arguments that validate our own opinions. In this case specifically, I've heard people discussing the fact that if hitters tried to protect against everything, that they would wind up "chasing" way more pitches. Is the point of hitting to minimize your chase rate or TO NOT MAKE OUTS? As a player, when everything is said and done, you get judged on your production, and not what percentage of pitches out of the zone you swung at. Go ask Vlad Guerrero if he's ever thought about his chase rate.

I can think of dozens of examples off the top of my head where chasing a pitch led to moments that changed the outcomes of games, lives and careers. I don't hear arguments being made for why players shouldn't have swung at those pitches...

In closing, the game is over. We'll never know what would have happened if he swung. I sure would like to know what would have happened if he had.