Book Description
Baseball Skills & Drills is both a comprehensive instructional guide and a useful practice tool for coaches and players at all levels. Written by three of baseball’s top teaching coaches-Pat McMahon of Mississippi State University, Mark Johnson of Texas A&M University, and Jack Leggett from Clemson University-and developed in cooperation with the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), this is a book that you’ll use as often as your favorite bat. Master all the fundamentals through the book’s expert instruction, numerous photographs, and essential drills. The 17 chapters cover all the bases in teaching the best techniques for • hitting,
• baserunning,
• fielding,
• pitching, and
• catching. Winning baseball teams are solid in all facets of the game, whether at bat, on the mound, or in the field. Use Baseball Skills & Drills to develop the consistent, proper execution of the fundamentals needed to be a winner.


About the Author
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has undertaken the mission of helping to improve the level of baseball coaching worldwide. The ABCA assists in the promotion of baseball and acts as a sounding board and advocate on issues concerning the various levels of baseball. Furthermore, the ABCA promotes camaraderie and rapport among all baseball coachesfrom the amatuer to professional levels. The ABCA also gives recognition to deserving players and coaches through several special sponsorship programs. The ABCA has more than 5,000 members, including coaches from every state in the country and over 200 international members. Quarterly mailings sent to members each year include newsletters, coaching digests, an ABCA coaches directory, and various website information. Members serve on a variety of committees essential to the functions of the ABCA. An elected executive committee and board of directors govern the ABCA. The ABCA remains true to the intentions of its founders in its strides to further its members' knowledge and awareness of the game of baseball. The association assists with the development and promotion of the game at all levels. The ABCA’s headquarters are located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

SYNOPSIS

Baseball Skills and Drills is both a comprehensive instructional guide and a useful practice tool for coaches and players at all levels. Written by three of baseball's top teaching coaches-Pat McMahon of Mississippi State University, Mark Johnson of Texas A&M University, and Jack Leggett from Clemson University-and developed in cooperation with the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), this is a book that you'll use as often as your favorite bat.

Master all the fundamentals through the book's expert instruction, numerous photographs, and essential drills. The 17 chapters cover all the bases in teaching the best techniques for

hitting, baserunning, fielding, pitching, and catching.

Winning baseball teams are solid in all facets of the game, whether at bat, on the mound, or in the field. Use Baseball Skills and Drills to develop the consistent, proper execution of the fundamentals needed to be a winner.

About the Author

Three of the most prolific and successful baseball coaches contribute their expertise on behalf of the American Baseball Coaches Association. Each coach has established himself as a top instructor of a specific area of the game.

Mark Johnson is one of the most respected collegiate coaches in the country and was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January 2001.

Since 1985, Johnson has been head coach of the Texas A&M University baseball program, where he has averaged 45 wins a year and ranks among the top 10 winningest coaches in the country. In his 15 seasons, Johnson has a record of 668-279 with two Big 12 championships, one NCAA regional championship, one NCAA super regional championship, and two Big 12 Coach of the Year awards for the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Johnson and his wife, Linda, have two sons, both of whom played baseball at Texas A&M and were each awarded the GTE/Texas A&M Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award as seniors. They reside in College Station, Texas.

Jack Leggett runs one of the top baseball programs in the country at Clemson University, where he has been head coach since 1994. In his first six seasons he led Clemson to 288 wins and averaged 48 wins per season-giving him the distinction of having the fifth-winningest program in college baseball. Under Leggett, Clemson has had six NCAA Tournament berths and two College World Series appearances. In 1994, Coach Leggett had the nation's winningest team with 57 victories in a single season (second in ACC history). Before taking over the top spot at Clemson, Leggett served as recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach under Bill Wilhelm during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. He was a major contributor to the teams that ranked in the top 20 and advanced to two NCAA regional championships and won the ACC championship in 1993. Leggett has a total of 665 career wins under his belt. Leggett and his wife, Stephanie, have two children, son Tanner and daughter Colby. Leggett resides in Clemson, South Carolina.

Pat McMahon's Mississippi State University teams have consistently ranked at the top of the SouthEastern Conference (SEC) and in the top 25 nationally. McMahon became only the second coach in the SEC's history to take a team to the College World Series in his first season. His seven-year record of 273-130 ranks him among the nation's most successful collegiate baseball coaches.

In 1998, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) selected him as the South Region Coach of the Year. And in 1994, McMahon was designated the Coach of the Year for both the Colonial Athletic Association and the state of Virginia.

During his 18 years of coaching on a variety of levels at Mississippi State University and Old Dominion, Coach McMahon has developed a host of players who went on to success in major league baseball, including Jeff Brantley, Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, and Bobby Thigpen.

McMahon and his wife, Cheri, have two children, daughter Logan and son John. McMahon resides in Starkville, Mississippi.

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has undertaken the mission of helping to improve the level of baseball coaching worldwide. The ABCA assists in the promotion of baseball and acts as a sounding board and advocate on issues concerning the various levels of baseball. Furthermore, the ABCA promotes camaraderie and rapport among all baseball coaches from the amateur to professional levels. The ABCA also gives recognition to deserving players and coaches through several special sponsorship programs.

The ABCA has more than 5,000 members, including coaches from every state in the country and over 200 international members. Quarterly mailings sent to members each year include newsletters, coaching digests, an ABCA coaches directory, and various website information. Members serve on a variety of committees essential to the functions of the ABCA. An elected executive committee and board of directors govern the ABCA.

The ABCA remains true to the intentions of its founders in its strides to further its members' knowledge and awareness of the game of baseball. The association assists with the development and promotion of the game at all levels. The ABCA's headquarters are located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

For more information about the ABCA and the membership opportunities available, visit www.abca.org.