Some baseball manager are tacticians, whereas others are ego-juggling players’ coaches. Some skippers turned to managing after successful baseball careers, whereas others never even made the major league. There is no formula for what makes a successful baseball manager. We can, however, analyze results and determine what baseball managers have been the most successful. Read on for our list of the ten greatest baseball managers of all-time.

Number 10: Billy Martin
Billy Martin’s first year as a big league manager pretty much encapsulated his entire managerial career. In 1969 he led the Minnesota Twins, who had had a losing record in 1968, to ninety-seven wins and a division. Nevertheless Martin was fired after the seasons for his behavior, which included a high profile fistfight with his ace pitcher Dave Boswell. Martin would go on to coach parts of eighteen seasons with the Tigers, As and most prominently the Yankees, who hired and fired him five times over a fourteen year period. Almost all of Martin’s managerial stints were the same: he quickly made the team better and then quickly wore out his welcome by fighting — often physically — with his players, ownership and the odd marshmallow salesman. Martin, who battled alcohol addiction, died on Christmas Day of 1989 as a passenger in a one car crash. The sixty-one year old had been preparing to managing the Yankees for a sixth time when he passed away.

Record: 1253 and 1013, .553 pct. four division titles, two pennants, one World Series title.

Number 9: Casey Stengel
Between 1949 and 1960 Casey Stengel managed the New York Yankees to seven World Series titles and ten pennants. It is without a doubt the greatest managerial run in the history of baseball. So why is Stengel only ninth on this list? Well, for one, he was blessed with a steady parade of Hall of Famers such as Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. And he operated in a pre free-agency era, meaning his roster was pretty set from year to year. Then there is the matter of the other twelve years Stengel spent as manager on teams other than the Yankees. The “Old Professor” only posted one winning record during thosen seasons managing the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves and the New York Mets. Some of Stengel’s Mets teams were among the worst in baseball history. Stengel was clearly a great manager with great players, but he isn’t higher on this list because he consistently failed to elevate mediocre players out of their mediocrity.

Record:1,905 and 1,842, .508 pct. ten pennants, seven World Series titles.

Number 8: Earl Weaver
Known for his love of the three run home run and his contentious relationship with umpires, all seventeen years of Earl Weaver’s managerial career were spent with the Baltimore Orioles. He was only thirty-seven when he took over the Birds in 1968 and then led them to three straight World Series between ‘69 and ‘71, winning the ‘70 Fall Classic. During his first stint with the Orioles, which ended in 1982, Weaver never had a losing season and bested a hundred wins five times in fifteen years. He was also ejected from ninety-eight games, including three times getting tossed from both frames of a doubleheader. Weaver retired in 1982 after losing out an America East title in a one-game play off. He was brought back to the Orioles’ mid season of 1985 and saw some initial success, however he posted his only ever losing season in 1986 and retired for good after that. While Weaver was as fine a regular season manager as there’s ever been, but his legacy is somewhat held back by his postseason record and the fact that the Orioles won a World Series two years before he took over the team and another the year after he retired the first time.

Record: 1,480 and 1,060 .583 pct. six division titles, four pennants, one World Series title.

Number 7: Sparky Anderson
After a cup of coffee as a Major League second baseman, Anderson transitioned to minor ;eague manager at age 30. In 1970, the thirty-six year old was named skipper of the Cincinnati Reds. “Sparky Who?” was the local paper’s reaction to the more. They would learn soon enough as Anderson led to the Reds to 102 wins and a National League Pennant in his first year. Three more pennants and World Series titles in 1975 and 1976 would follow as Anderson’s “Big Red Machine” would dominant baseball throughout the seventies. However Anderson was fired after the 1979 season despite having finished 92 and 78. He immediately got a new job with the Detroit Tigers and declared he would led the young team to World Series title within five years and make the Reds pay for letting him go. It actually took Anderson six years, but the 1984 Tigers were a team for the ages, starting the season 35-5 on their way to a 104 win season and a world championship. The Tigers would remain contenders for most of the eighties.But the last seven of Anderson seventeen years in Detroit weren’t particularly good and detract somewhat from his otherwise sterling resume.

Record: 2194 and 1834, .545 pct seven division titles, five pennants, three World Series titles.

Number 6: Joe Torre
Before he found Joe Torre in 1996, George Steinbrenner went through managers like Elizabeth Taylor went through husbands. In fact, when Torre was hired by the Yankees the over/under on his tenure had to somewhere around one season, given Steinbrenner’s legendary impatience and Torre’s fourteen year record of fairly average results as skipper of the Mets, Braves and Cardinals. But Torre, a former league MVP with a laid back style, clicked with the Yankees’s star-studded roster and he won a World Series in his first season. He would add World Series wins in 1998,1999 and 2000. Torre never missed the playoffs during his twelve years with the Yankees. In fact, he only won less than ninety four regular seasons games twice. (And won the World Series both those years!) Steinbrenner refused to renew Toree’s contract after the 2007 season and seven years without a title so Torre moved onto to the Dodgers. In Los Angeles he extended his personal post-season streak to fourteen straight years by leading his new team to two straight division titles. However he couldn’t get the Dodgers to the World Series either, and Torre retired after a 80 and 82 season in 2010, handing the reigns to his protege Don Mattingly.

Record: 2326 and 1997, .538 pct. thirteen division titles, six pennants, four World Series titles.

Number 5 Bobby Cox
During Bobby Cox’s first managerial stint with the Braves, which began in 1978, he turned what had been the worst team in the National League into a competitive club. Nevertheless he was fired by team owner Ted Turner in 1981. He picked up immediately with the Toronto Blue Jays and did another quick turnaround job, this time culminating in a 99 win season and the franchise’s first ever postseason appearance in 1985. A tough playoff loss burned Cox out on managing and he returned to the Braves as the club’s GM in 1986. After struggling to find the right manager for the club, Cox inserted himself in the position in 1990 and the rest is history, as the Braves rattled off a record fourteen straight division titles. The knock on Cox, of course, will always be that he only won one World Series and benefited greatly from an amazing pitching staff. However such consistency during the free-agent age — and with a mid-market team like the Braves — cannot be ignored. Cox, a four time Manager of the Year winner, retired in 2010 after a ninety-one win season.

Record: 2,504 and 2,001 .556 pct. fifteen division titles, five pennants one World Series title.

Number 4: Walter Alston
Walter Alston major league career lasted exactly one game. His managerial career would last twenty-three years, all with the Dodger franchise. Nicknamed the “Quiet Man” for his calm and reticent demeanor, Alston never signed a managerial contract for more than one year. But with only three losing seasons during his career as skipper, there was really never a point in which the Dodgers thought about not bringing him back. Alston won his first World Series — and the first and only in the Brooklyn portion of the Dodgers’ history — in 1953, his second year as manager. He would oversees the team’s successful move to Los Angeles and add World Series wins in 1959, 1963 and 1965. Alston would go through the only lean period of his career with back-to-back losing season in 1967 and 1968 but had the Dodgers back on track as perennial contenders by the 1969. Alston won his final pennant and had a 102 win season in 1974. The six time Manager of the Year retired in 1976 after a ninety win season, declaring it was time to “give somebody else a chance.”

Record: 2,040 and 1,613, .558 pct. one division title, seven pennants, four World Series titles.

Number 3: John McGraw
Although it has been long overshadowed by his managerial career, McGraw was one of the better players of the deadball era, known for his speed on the basepaths and questionable tactics when the umpire wasn’t looking. (In fact, it was largely because of McGraw that baseball moved from one ump to four.) He was also also always looking for an edge as a manager and among his innovation were using relief pitchers as closers in “save” situations. After three fairly successful seasons as player manager for the Baltimore Orioles, McGraw joined the New York Giants as a full time manager in 1903 and would only have three losing seasons over the next thirty seasons. He would also ten pennant, three World Series titles and would become part owner of the club in 1919. Known to be a players’ coach, despite a sometimes gruff exterior, McGraw was no friend of umpires and was ejected 131 times. He finished his career with 2,763 wins, a figure only eclipsed by contemporary Connie Mack. However Mack, who coached for 53 years, actually had a losing record for his career.

Record: 2,763-1,948 (.586), ten pennants, three World Series titles.

Number 2: Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa has always been a smug fellow, with his sunglasses at night and his law degree. But he’s also been a helluva a manger, from when the Chicago White Sox made him their skipper as a thirty-four year old in 1979 to when he retired after his St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2011. La Russa spent nine years with the White Sox, turning the struggling franchise to contenders and 1983 division winners. He joined the As in the middle of the 1986 season and led Oakland to three straight World Series between 1988 and 1990, taking the the 1989 title. It was with Oakland that his managerial style, including the use of platoons and a highly specialized bullpen, began to come to the forefront. After a decade in Oakland he moved to St. Louis and enjoyed an even more successful run. La Russa won seven division titles and two World Series with the Redbirds and always seemed to maximize his team’s talent. He retired with the third most wins in Major League baseball history.

Record: 2,728 and 2,365 .536 pct., twelve division titles, six pennants, three World Series titles.

Number 1: Joe McCarthy
The knock on Joe McCarthy, who has the best regular season and postseason winning percentage in major league history, is that he was a “push button” manager who was weak on baseball strategy and benefited from all the all the great players he skippered. And it’s true that during sixteen years he coached the Yankees, between 1931 and 1946, McGraw was able to write names such as Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio into his lineup card. But “Marse Joe” also won eight pennants and seven championships during that time period and seamless transitioned the Bronx Bombers from the Ruth era to the Gehrig era to the DiMaggio era. Plus McCarthy was no slouch in his other two managerial stops, snagging a pennant and posting a .579 winning percentage during his five seasons with the Cubs, which preceded his Yankee run, and winning 96 games in each of his two full seasons with the Red Sox. Like any competition, baseball is ultimately about results and no skipper in Major League history has achieved the results McCarthy was able to. That is why he was the greatest baseball manager of all-time.

Record: 2,125 and 1,333 .615 pct. nine pennants, seven World Series titles.

Managers typically get to pick their own coaching staffs, and they often select former teammates or those who they have worked with when they were coaches. Some coaches — in particular pitching coaches — become sought after commodities and command large salaries.

Learn more about each baseball coaching position and what they do in the article below.

Bench coach
A bench coach acts as a second in command and advises the manager. His responsibilities typically include setting up the team’s practice and stretching routines before games and in spring training. Then during the game, he is there to bounce strategy off of the manager. If the manager is ejected from the game the bench coach takes over. Bench coaches have often been managers in the past and they will usually take over if the current manager is fired or resigns. Don Zimmer and Alan Trammell are examples of bench coaches.

First Base Coach
The first base coach is situated in the coach’s box on the first base line. His main responsibility is advising the runner on first base on base running and relaying signals from the dugout. You will often see a first base coach with a stopwatch, which he uses to time the pitcher’s move to first. When his team is in the field a first base coach is often responsibility for the positioning of the infield or the outfield. Davey Lopes and Rusty Kuntz are examples of first base coaches.

Third Base Coach
The third base coach is situated in the coach’s box on the third base line. He has one of the most stressful coaching job in sports, as it is his job to decide whether a runner heading toward third base should be sent home. In just a split second, the third base coach has to make his choice to send the runner based on the runner’s speed, the outfielder’s arm and the position of the baseball. The third base coach is also responsible for helping a running decide if he should advance from second to third on a batted ball and also for relaying signals from the dugout. Tim Wallach and Larry Bowa are examples of third base coaches.

Hitting Coach
A hitting coach works to improve the player’s hitting skills and techniques. He does this during practices, cage sessions and during games between at-bats. The hitting coach also keeps tabs on opposing pitchers and their tendencies, which he discusses with the players. Increasingly, the job of hitting coach involves analyzing video. There has been a movement lately among major league teams to have two hitting coaches, often one for right handed and one for left handed hitters. Mark McGwire and Charley Lau are examples of hitting coaches.

Pitching Coach

A pitching coach works to improve a pitcher’s mechanics and techniques. He also advises the manager during the game on the state of the pitcher, in particular how their arm strength is holding up. During the game the pitching coach will also visit his pitchers on the mound to give advice, although if the pitcher is going to be removed it would be manager who makes the mound visit. The modern pitching coach needs to schooled in video analysis and batter tendencies. Many pitcher coaches are experts in teaching one pitch, like a changeup or cutter. Dave Duncan and Leo Mazzone are examples of pitching coaches.

Bullpen Coach
The bullpen coach helps the pitching coach with the team’s relief pitchers. He doesn’t make mound visits, however, instead staying in the bullpen the entire game where he advises the relievers and helps them in their warm ups and preparation. Like most coaches, the modern bullpen coach has to be up-to-date on video technology. Bobby Thigpen and Ricky Bones are examples of bullpen coaches.

Strength and Conditioning Coach
A fairly new position, now all Major League Baseball teams have a strength and conditioning coach. It is his responsibility to advise the players in their training techniques. He also needs to stay abreast of all the latest Major League regulations on banned substances and keep his players informed of them. Dong Lien and Phil Falco are examples of strength and conditioning coaches.

Bullpen Catcher
The primary duty of a bullpen catcher is to warm up the relief pitchers in the bullpen. Other duties of a bullpen catcher include working with the pitchers in spring training and pre-game drills, pitching batting practice and playing catch with one of the outfielders between innings. Twenty five Major League teams have an officially designated bullpen catcher. Scott Cursi and Alan Buts are examples of bullpen catchers.

Hitters baseball is a youth baseball organization based in Racine, Wisconsin. It has been run by R.J. Fergus for the last 18 years. Hitters Baseball operate out of the Hitters Center and Hitters Baseball Academy in Racine, but they also hold tournaments in other locations in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Hitters Baseball has youth teams from the 12 and under to 18 and under division. They operate on three competitive levels. First is their BLUE level, which is their most senior level. These are traveling teams which play on elite summer and fall schedules. The next level is GREY, their junior level, and WHITE, their sophomore level. GREY and WHITE only play fall schedules. Players tryout for these teams in August, for the upcoming fall season and then the following summer season. Tryouts take place at their Racine facility and also Carthage College in Kenosha. The Hitters Baseball Academy is a member of both Premier Baseball and Mid-America Baseball.

The Hitters Baseball Academy, a 20,000 indoor facility with 11 batting cages and four pitchers mounds, offers camp sessions all year round. Camps include velocity program, hitting camp, fall speed and conditioning, infield/throwing camp, high school throwing and fielding camp and high school hitting camp. Campers can also purchase an hour of individual lessons from R.J. Fergus and the other instructors for $70. (Or $35 for the half hour.) Their camps tend to be reasonably priced. Some are as inexpensive as $60 for an entire camp and the longer camps typically come to less than $20 an hour. You can also rent out the cages at Hitters baseball Academy for $35 an hour between 3 PM and 9 PM on summer weekdays and for most of the day on summer weekends.

One of the features of The Hitter’s academy website is that it keeps statistics on all of its current players. Each name on the statistical table is hyperlinked to player page which includes information such as age, height, weight, position and team. There is also a game-by-game log of all of the player’s statistics that season. Yes, these youth players get the Big League treatment when it comes to their statistics.

Since 2000, 29 Hitters Baseball alumni have signed professional baseball contracts. Well over a hundred have gone on to play college baseball.

The Hitters baseball organization prides itself on the ability to get campers and players exposure to college coaches and pro scouts, who attend their games and camps.

There are many positive testimonials for both Hitters Baseball and the Hitters Baseball Academy posted on their respective webpages. If you are interested in learning more about high level youth baseball in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois you should definitely check Hitters Baseball out.

The Stanford Cardinal baseball program offers some of the best youth baseball camps in the country. They are organized into three programs: Kids Camps for age seven to twelve; Development camps for thirteen to eight year olds: and Summer Prospect Camps for incoming high school juniors and seniors.

The camps are held at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond which is where the Stanford Cardinal play their home baseball games.

Stanford’s big winter camp in 2013 will be its Elite Pitching Academy and Winter Catcher’s camp. Not only will this program feature Stanford coach Rusty Filter but Stephen Strasburg, who played with Filter when he was the pitching coach at San Diego State. Strasburg will offer instruction and do a Q&A session during the camp, which runs between December 28 and December 29.

Each day of the camp will feature three and a half hours of on field instruction. Besides Filter, the rest of the Stanford coaching staff, and Strasburg there will be other college coaches aiding with the camp during the sessions. Last year there were nine division one baseball coaches at the camp. The camps organizers make sure to have coaches from all over California to make sure the campers have exposure to other schools besides Stanford.

The cost of the camp is five hundred dollars for pitchers and four hundred for catchers. Per NCAA rules, any applicant will be part of a lottery which decides who can attend. (Otherwise the camp would be illegal “recruiting.”)This camp is only recommended for the serious baseball prospect who needs advanced and elite instruction.

Stanford hopes Houston Astros catcher and Stanford alum Jason Castro will be among those instructing the catchers in the winter camp. However he is rehabbing an injury this offseason and there is chance he won’t be able to make it. If that’s the case Stanford promises another high profile catcher will be brought in to take his place.

The Strasburg Q&A session will take place on Saturday night and is open to the parents of the campers as well as the campers. The camp has also blocked a room of hotels for $119 at the Sheraton Palo Alto, which is in walking distance of Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. However the camp warns not to make travel plans until your applicant has won the lottery, which will take place on November 8.

Don’t worry about bad weather, if you sign up for the Stanford Baseball’s Elite Pitching Academy and Winter Catcher’s camp. The camp feature a massive covered practice facility that is well-lit and turfed. There was a major rainstorm in 2010 and the camp went on exactly as planned. All cancellations are subject to a twenty dollar fee.

Who said camp is just for the kids? Twenty four major league baseball teams offer annual fantasy camps that are not only geared towards adults, but actually require attendees to be a minimum age, usually 25 or 30.

The structure of these camps is basically the same: they generally take place in the team’s spring training facility in January or February; they are usually about a week long and feature instructions and game action and players get their very own team uniforms which they can keep.

One of the big draws of the fantasy camps is the former major leaguers that take part in the camp as either instructors or lecturers. The quality of these big leaguers varies from fantasy camp to fantasy camp, but tend to be big names in at least the host franchise’s team history.

Other variations in Fantasy camp include cost (although they are all in the $3500 to $6,000 range) and inclusiveness (some packages include airfare and dinner, while these will be extras in others.)

The average age of a fantasy camper is between 40 and 50, and just about every camp says you don’t need much baseball experience to participate. However hey do recommend you be in good enough shape to not drop dead from some calisthenics.

We’ve listed information about all the 24 active fantasy camps below, alphabetically by team. Additionally most fantasy camps allow for a reduced price a spouse or companion to come to the camp but not participate in the baseball exercises  While most camp base their price on double occupancy hotels, you can usually upgrade to a single occupancy room for between $300 and $500 more. Some camps also offer VIP packages, which typically involve more time and a golf outing with the former player. Make sure to book as soon as possible as most camps will sell out.

Arizona Diamondbacks Fantasy Camp
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona
When: January
How long: Six days and nights
Cost $4000 with a $500 deposit
Minimum age: 30
Special features:Authentic home and batting practice jersey. Reunion party during home game.
Scheduled to appear: Matt Williams, Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez Joe Garagiola Sr.
Contact: 602-462-3710 http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ari/fan_forum/academy/fantasycamp.jsp

Atlanta Braves Fantasy Camp
Where: Kissimmee, Florida. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort.
When: January
How long: Five days and five nights
Cost: $4,299 with a $500
Minimum age: 25
Special features: Rates for spouses. Welcome party
Scheduled to appear: Javy Lopez, Steve Avery, Sid Bream, Zane Smith
Contact: 404-614-1526

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/fan_forum/fantasycamp.jsp?c_id=atl

Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Camp
Where: Sarasota, Florida. Lido Beach Resort Hotel
When: January
How long: Seven days six nights
Cost: $4.299
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Airfare from Baltimore included. Fantasy camp video.
Scheduled to appear: Mike Bodicker, Rich Dempsey, Chris Hoiles, Boog Powell
Contact: 410-547-6063

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/fan_forum/dream_week.jsp

Where: Fort Myers, Florida. Holiday Inn at Gulf Coast Town Center.
When: January
How long: Eight days, seven nights
Cost: $4,799
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Unlimited food and beverage happy hour every day. Pre camp golf tourney
Scheduled to appear: Luis Tiant, Rich Gedman, Trot Nixon, Mike Timlin
Contact: 617-226-6400 http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fan_forum/fantasy_camp.jsp

Chicago Cubs Fantasy Camp
Where: Mesa, Arizona. Dobson Inn Ranch
When: January
How long: Seven days, seven nights
Cost: $4,195
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Personalized baseball card. Engraved Louisville Slugger bat.
Scheduled to appear: Ferguson Jenkins, Billy Williams, Randy Hundley.
Contact: http://www.cubsfantasycamp.com/html/imagine.html

Chicago White Sox Fantasy Camp
Where: Glendale, Arizona. Residence Inn.
When: January
How long: Seven days, seven nights
Cost: $4,195
Minimum age: 21
Special features: Personalized baseball card. Guaranteed game on main field.
Scheduled to appear: White Sox greats.
Contact: 312-674-5398. http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/cws/fan_forum/fantasy_camp.jsp

Cincinnati Reds Fantasy Camp
Where: Avondale, Arizona. Hilton Garden Inn
When: February
How long: Eight days, seven nights
Cost: $4,600 first time, $4,200 veterans
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Certified umpires. Campers vs. Pros game.
Scheduled to appear: Johnny Bench, Eric Davis, Chris Sabo, Tom Browning
Contact: 800-755-REDS http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/fan_forum/fantasy_camp.jsp

Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp
Where: Goodyear, Arizona. Renaissance Courtyard.
When: January
How long: Eight days, seven nights
Cost: $4,800 first time, $4.400 veterans.
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Daily camp newspaper. Seven game schedule.
Scheduled to appear: Mike Hargrove, Corey Snyder, Pat Tabler, Mike Jackson
Contact: 216-420-HITS http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/fan_forum/fantasycamp_main.jsp

Colorado Rockies Fantasy Camp
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona. Scottsdale Plaza Resort
When: February
How long:
Cost: $4,350
Minimum age: 21
Special features: Airfare included. Championship game
Scheduled to appear:Rockies greats.
Contact: 303-312-camp http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/fan_forum/fantasycamp.jsp

Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp
Where: Lakeland, Florida.
When: January
How long: 8 days, seven nights
Cost: $3,595 first time, $3,295 veteran.
Minimum age: 21
Special features: Airfare included. Games under the lights. Match up against Yankee campers.
Scheduled to appear: MIckey Lolich, Mike Heath, Frank Tanana, Willie Hernandez
Contact: 313-471-2550. http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/fan_forum/fantasy_camp.jsp

Houston Astros Fantasy Camp (none)
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Kansas City Royals Fantasy Camp
Where: Sunrise Florida
When: January
How long:
Cost: 3,995
Minimum age:
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Scheduled to appear: George Brett, Hal McRae, Brian Montgomery
Contact:

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Where: Tucson, Arizona. Doubletree Suites
When: January
How long: Seven Days, six nights
Cost: $4,250, $500 deposit
Minimum age: 30
Special features: All meals paid for. Coaches vs. Campers game.
Scheduled to appear: Rod Carew, Tim Salmon, Mickey Hatcher, Dave Frost
Contact: 818-585-3179 http://www.ladabc.com/index.php

Los Angeles Dodgers Fantasy Camp
Where: Tucson, Arizona. Doubletree Suites
When: January
How long: Seven Days, six nights
Cost: $4,250, $500 deposit
Minimum age: 30
Special features: All meals paid for. Coaches vs. Campers game.
Scheduled to appear: Rick Monday, Bill Russell, Jerry Reuss, Paul LoDuca
Contact: 818-585-3179 http://www.ladabc.com/index.php

Miami Marlins Fantasy Camp (None Offered)
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Milwaukee Brewers Fantasy Camp
Where: Phoenix Arizona.
When: February
How long: Eight days, seven nights
Cost: $4199
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Includes round trip airfare from Milwaukee. Reunion game at Miller Park during the season.
Scheduled to appear: Gorman Thomas, Jim Gantner, Cecil Cooper, Rob Deer
Contact: 414-321-8605 https://secure.mlb.com/mil/fan_forum/fantasy_camp_form.jsp

Minnesota Twins Fantasy Camp
Where: Fort Myers, Florida. Crowne Plaza Hotel.
When: January
How long: seven days, seven nights
Cost: $4195 first year, $3695 veterans
Minimum age: 30. 25 with an older parent.
Special features: Reunion game at Target Field. Cy Young, MVP and other awards
Scheduled to appear: Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola, Tom Brunansky
Contact: 888-446-TWIN http://yuratwin.com/twins-fantasy-camp-info/register-now.php

New York Mets Fantasy Camp
Where: Port St. Lucie, Florida. PGA Village Resort.
When: January
How long: six days, five nights
Cost: $4395
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Airfare included. Personalized videos.
Scheduled to appear: Mookie Wilson, Bobby Wine, Rodney McCray
Contact: 718-559-3035 http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/fan_forum/fantasycamp.jsp

New York Yankees Fantasy Camp
Where: Tampa, Florida. Sheraton Suits.
When: November, January
How long: Six days, five nights
Cost: $4,995 (1950 for women’s mini camp)
Minimum age 30 (21 for women’s mini camp)
Special features: Full authentic uniform
Scheduled to appear: David Wells, Lou Piniella, Luis Tiant, Bucky Dent
Contact: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/fan_forum/fantasycamp_testimonials.jsp

Oakland A’s Fantasy Camp
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
When: January
How long: seven days, six nights
Cost: $3,500 regular, $4975 VIP
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Golf with major Leaguers, custom maple bat. (VIP)
Scheduled to appear: Dave Henderson and other Oakland greats
Contact: 877-993-7338 http://hendersonbaseball.com/As1.html

Where: Philadelphia Phillies Phantasy Camp
When: January
How long: Five days/four nights
Cost: 4,895 player 3,890 GM
Minimum age. 30 for player, 21 for GM
Special features: Can go as player or GM. Game against legends
Scheduled to appear: Mike Schmidt,Greg Luzinski, John Kruk, Larry Anderson
Contact: 610-42-3400 http://www.philliescamps.com/PhantasyCamp/pages/experiences_player.html

Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Camp
Where: Bradenton Florida.
When: January
How long: Seven days, six nights
Cost:
Special features:
Scheduled to appear: Steve Blass, Richie Hebner, Bob Walk, Zane Smith
Contact: 1-800-BUY-BUCS

San Diego Padres Fantasy Camp
Where: Tucson, Arizona. Doubletree Suites
When: January
How long: Seven Days, six nights
Cost: $4,250, $500 deposit
Minimum age: 30
Special features: All meals paid for. Coaches vs. Campers game.
Scheduled to appear: Randy Jones, Derrell Thomas, Garry Templeton
Contact: 818-585-3179 http://www.ladabc.com/index.php

San Francisco Giants Fantasy Camp
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona. Marriott Suites
When: January
How long: Eight days, seven nights
Cost: $4,400
Minimum age: 25
Special features: Airfare included. Three nights of dinner.
Scheduled to appear: Robb Nen, Gaylord Perry, J.T. Snow, Vida Blue
Contact: 1-800-411-1919 http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/fan_forum/fantasycamp/package.jsp

Seattle Mariners Fantasy Camp
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
When: January
How long: seven days, six nights
Cost: $3,500 regular, $4975 VIP
Minimum age: 30
Special features: Golf with major Leaguers, custom maple bat. (VIP)
Scheduled to appear: Dave Henderson and other Seattle greats
Contact: 877-993-7338 http://hendersonbaseball.com/As1.html

St. Louis Cardinals Legends Camp
Where: Jupiter, Florida. Marriott Palm Beach Gardens.
When: January
How long: Five days, four nights
Cost: $5,000, $6500 VIP
Minimum age: 30
Special features: VIP’s get gold with players. Proceeds benefit Hire Heros.
Scheduled to appear: Ozzie Smith, Dave LaPoint, Tom Pagnozzi
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Pitchers are always looking for any edge in their timeless battle against hitters. to get the upper-hand, so to speak, hurlers use a variety of different pitches. Learn more about the different pitches of baseball below.

Four-seam fastball
The four-seam fast is the most traditional fastball, and can be thrown harder than any other pitch. It is also the most natural of all overhand pitches, and the pitch most young pitchers first master. To grip a four-seam fastball, the index and the middle finger go directly on the perpendicular seam of the baseball. Then the thumb goes on the bottom of the baseball, resting comfortably in the middle of the horseshoe shaped part of the seams.

When throwing the pitch there should be a small space between the ball and the palm. The pitcher should hold the ball like he is holding an egg — firm enough so he won’t drop it, but not too tightly. When thrown with a straight forward motion the ball should leave the thumb first, and the backspin created by all four seams stabilize the ball’s flight and maximizes its speed. The downside to a four-seam fastball is that the stabilizing backspin also makes it straight and potentially easier to hit than a ball with movement.

Pitchers with great four-seam fastball: Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Matt Cain, Matt Harvey, Aroldis Chapman.

Two-seam fastball
While some pitchers can throw a two-seam fastball almost as hard as a four-seam fastball it is a pitch, when mastered, that can be effective at lower speeds than a four-seamer. To grip a two-seam fastball the pitcher places his thumb and index finger over the point at which the seams are closest together. The thumb is below, just touching the bottom near a seem. The pitch can be placed deep in the hand during delivery. Because the ball comes out of the hand with an off-center spin it will dip toward the right for right hand pitchers, and to the left for left handed pitchers.

The two-seamer is a harder pitch to control than the four seamer, and it can result in the dreaded batting practice speed fastball if you don’t properly master it. It is unusual for a Major League pitcher not to have a two-seam fastball. The break of the pitch is further determined by velocity, arm slot, and the pressure points of the fingers.

Pitchers with great two-seam fastball: David Price, Greg Maddux, Felix Hernandez, Bartolo Calon, Tim Lincecum.

Cutter
A cutter, or cut fastball, is a hybrid of a four-seam fastball and a slider. Its grip is the same as a four-seam fastball but the pitcher sets the baseball off center in his hand upon delivery, which creates an eventually tail toward the pitcher’s glove side. A cutter typically comes out of a pitcher’s hand about 3 to 4 miles slower than a four-seam fastball would. However its late breaking movement makes it very difficult to make solid contact with — especially when paired with a traditional fastball. Because it breaks away from the pitcher’s arm it is a very effective pitch to use against opposite handed hitters — who generally have the upper hand during an at-bat. The cutter is the the pitch most like to induce soft contact and to to break the hitter’s bat. The cutter is a relatively new pitch and there are concerns on what its throwing motion will do for young arms, with some MLB franchises encouraging their minor leaguers to stay away from the pitch. However it is no doubt a great pitch for hurlers who might be getting a bit older and have lost a big of the velocity.

Pitchers with great cutters: Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Dan Haren, Andy Pettite.

Forkball
The forkball is gripped between the index and middle finger and held back toward the palm. It is thrown by snapping the wrist. Instead of having backspin, like most pitches, the forkball has a forward spin which cases it to tumble toward the plate as it crosses the strike zone. It had been a fairly popular pitch before the 80s but got pushed aside for the split-finger fastball, which is a forkall variation. Pirates relief pitcher Roy Face, who pitched in the ‘50s, was the first prominent pitcher to feature the forkball.

Pitchers with great fork balls: Jack Morris, Sandy Koufax, Hideo Nomo, Jose Contreras.

Split-finger fastball
The split-finger fastball is a variation of the forkball. During the pitch the ball is balanced between the index and the middle finger. It isn’t held as far back to the palm as the forkball, and it doesn’t use as much wrist motion as the pitch it evolved from. The pitch was huge in the ‘80s — much like the cutter is now — with journeyman hurlers such as 1986 Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott becoming stars once they mastered the new pitch.

When the split finger fastball is executed correctly it appears to be a fastball before suddenly dipping toward home plate. The split-finger grip also takes about 5 to 7 MPH off of the pitch. As such it can be essentially used as a change up. The split finger fastball isn’t as popular as it once was due to injury concerns. In fact very few starting pitchers still use it. Like the cutter, however, it’s a good pitch for a late in a hurler’s career when he has lost velocity. It is also a very effective when paired with a fastball for a two-pitch relief pitcher.

Pitchers with great split finger fastballs: Jose Velerde, Jonathan Papelbon, Ubaldo Jiménez, Hiroki Kuroda, Ryan Dempster.

Sinker

Even though there have always been major league pitchers who achieved success by having a sinking fastball, it wasn’t until the 50s that anybody figured out how to do this purposely. 50’s era Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Curt Simmons is credited with being the first pitcher who could control whether he was throwing a sinker or a “rising” fastball. The sinker grip is basically the same as a two-finger fastball and the “sink” comes from either a snapping downward motion with the wrist and/or a quick wrist move to the right for a right-handed pitcher. (The sinker is almost exclusively used by right handed pitchers.)

The tilted backspin of a sinker drops it 3 to 6 inches more during its journey to the plate than gravity would sink four-seam fastball. When this extra dip is achieved the batter is more likely to make contact with the top half of the ball, which induces weak grounders. The downside to the sinker is that it can be hard to control and on days the pitcher’s mechanics are a bit off it produces a flat, very hittable fastball.

Pitchers with great sinkers: Justin Masterson, Carlos Zambrano, Sonny Grey, Tim Hudson, Jake Westbrook.

Curveball
The most common way to throw a curveball is to hold the baseball like you would a glass of water, with the middle finger along the bottom seam, the thumb, pointed upward, along the back seam and the index finger resting above the middle finger. During the delivery of the curve ball the pitcher will snap the wrist and arm downward at the top of his arm’s arc. This creates a top spin which is the opposite of fastball’s backspin. The amount of break a curveball achieves has primarily to do with how hard the pitcher snaps the wrist and arm.

A traditional curveball is thrown completely overhand and features a “12 to 6” break. It is among the slowest pitches, and can be effective at the Major League level at speeds as low as 70 mph.

Tests have suggested a curveball does curve and is not an optical illusion, as was once widely thought. However there is also evidence to suggest the break of a curve ball is exaggerated by how the eyes shift from normal vision to peripheral vision on a ball with front spin.

It is not recommended children throw curveballs, because of the strain it puts on their arm.

Pitchers with great curveballs: Adam Wainwright, Barry Zito, Bronson Arroyo, Doc Gooden, Bob Feller.

Knuckle curveball
The knuckle curveball is a variation of the curve ball. The difference is in the grip, with the index finger tucked back, so the knuckle is facing the batter, but the middle finger still straight along the ball. A knuckle curve is also called a spike curve.

The knuckle curve behaves very similarly to the traditional curve ball. However those who use it would argue it gives them a little extra break and little more control.

Pitchers with great knuckle curveballs: Mike Mussina, A.J Burnett, Cliff Lee, Brandon Morrow, Phil Hughes.

Slider
The slider is a pitch right between a fastball and breaking pitches in terms of both speed and break. It is gripped in the same way as a two-seam fastball. The difference is when thrown the pitch comes off of the thumb side of the hurler’s index fingers, rather than from the index and middle fingers. The is no downward arm or wrist snap like there would be on a pure breaking pitch. Ted Williams once said the slider is the hardest pitch to hit in all of baseball.

If executed correctly, the pitch appears as a fastball out of the hand, but then fools the batter with a break downwards and across the plot. A properly executed and placed slider can seem like it is unhittable, especially when paired with good fastball. Tall pitchers tend to get better results with a slider than shorter ones.

Pitchers with great sliders: CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw, Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, Brad Lidge.

Screwball
In many ways, the screwball is the opposite of curveball. To throw it, the pitcher uses the curveball grip. He begins by mimicking the delivery of a fastball. But the key is pronating the wrist the opposite direction as you would with a curveball (counterclockwise for a righthanded pitcher), which will ultimately make the pitcher break back toward the pitcher’s throwing hand. The pitch is released with the same arm snap of a curveball.

Because of the opposite break, the screwball is particularly effective against different handed hitters and ties them up similar to how a slider does to same handed pitchers.

The perception is that a screwball is bad for a pitcher’s arm, which is why it isn’t a more popular pitch. However research suggests it’s not really any harder on the arm than other breaking pitches. Some pitchers, like Pedro Martinez, use a screwball as a change up to opposite handed pitchers.

Pitcher’s with great curveballs: Carl Hubbell, Fernando Valenzuela, Warren Spahn, Mike Cuellar, Tom Browning.

Straight change
The key to a change up is disguising it to look like a fastball. Then when it arrives at the plate 10 to 15 MPH slower than the speedball the hitter will swing way out in front of it. Meaning if the batter doesn’t miss it completely he will foul it off or hit a weak grounder The lower velocity of change up comes from its grip. The straightchange  grip has had all three middle fingers on top of the ball, instead of two like a fastball, and is held closer to the palm. The increased pressure, on the ball slows it at the release point. The straight change, and its cousin the circle change have become increasingly popular over the last couple decades. While a change up is best paired with an above average fastball some relief pitchers, such as Trevor Hoffman, can get away with it as their primary pitch.

Pitchers with great straight change ups: Hoffman, Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez, Ervin Santana, Pedro Martinez, Stephen Strasburg.

Circle change
The principal of the circle change is the same as the straight change. The grip is slightly different, with the thumb and the index finger touching, creating the “circle.” The circle change can be a devastating pitch, as when executed properly it creates an almost screwball effect, swinging in toward different handed batters. However when it is left high in the zone the circle change is very hittable and should only be used by a pitcher who has mastered the pitch. The pitch came into prominence during the eighties, thanks to Jon Franco and Charlie Leibrandt.

Pitchers with great circle changes: Cole Hamels, Johan Santana, Zack Greinke, Ryan Madson, Tom Glavine

Palm ball
The palm ball is another variation of the change up. It rarely used on the Major League level these days, but had been a very effective pitch for some of the best pitchers of yesterday. The palm ball grip has all four fingers on the top half of the ball and the ball set deep in the pall. The ball centered between the ring and index finger. Roy Halladay was probably the last prominent pitcher to use it, but he no longer features it.

Pitchers with great palm balls: Jim Palmer, Satchel Paige, Jim Konstanty, Trevor Hoffman, Ray Culp.

Vulcan change
The grip of a vulcan change is similar to a forkball. But instead of the ball resting between the index and middle finger it goes between the middle and the ring fingers, creating what looks like a star trek Vulcan symbol. The pitch is thrown at fastball arm speed, but the nature of the grip shaves off MPH and also give it a downward motion. It is a fairly rare pitch in Major League Baseball, but has been quite effective for certain pitchers.

Pitchers with great vulcan changes: Eric Gagne, Joe Nelson, Roy Oswalt, Randy Tomlin

Knuckleball
The knuckleball is baseball’s most mysterious pitch. While all the other pitches use spin for their effectiveness it is the knuckleballs lack of spin that makes so perplexing.

Most major league knuckleballer actually use their fingernails and fingertips to grip the pitch. There are many ways to do this, but they generally involve placing between two and four of the finger (tips) right up against the horseshoe seam of the baseball. The pitcher is then delivered like a fastball.

Without spin (or actually, knuckleballs are most effective if there is a very slight amount of spin) the knuckleball is profoundly affected by the difference in airflow over the smooth part of the ball and the ball’s seams. This creates a fluttering effect which is somewhat of optical illusion because the eyes will exaggerate any seemingly random moves an object makes while moving through the air.

While a knuckleball can be extremely hard to hit, if thrown properly, it is also a very difficult pitch to catch and it is difficult for the umpire to rule on, because it appears to flutter about the strike zoen.

It is also a difficult pitch to master, and for all these reasons only about 75 pitchers in Major League history have regularly thrown the knuckleball. Since the knuckleball is easy on the arm and doesn’t require great velocity some knuckleballers have been effective well into their 40s.

Pitchers with great knuckleballs: R.A Dickey, Tim Wakefield, Tom Candiotti, Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro.

Gyroball
The gyroball is the only pitch developed in a computer lab. The pitch was first identified Ryutaro Himeno and then developed, with the help of computer simulations, by coach Kazushi Tezuka. The gyroball is thrown with a spiral-like forward spin — think a quarterback throwing a football or a speeding bullet. The grip is the same as a fastball, and the pitch is delivered somewhat like a screwball but instead of the ball spinning off the middle finger it spins off the index finger. To properly execute and achieve the the bullet like action the hips and shoulders need to be aligned in a certain way with just about no margin to error. This makes it an extraordinarily difficult pitch to master.

What makes it a difficult pitch to hit is that it can be delivered like a fastball, but it comes at lesser speed. Then, since the unique spin obscures the seams of the ball from the batter’s view, it’s almost impossible for the hitter to realize the pitch isn’t a fastball until its too late. The gyroball is to be used as a strikeout pitch after a succession of other pitches. All of the pitchers who have mastered the gyroball play in Japan. Japanese import Daisuke Matsui and Angels pitcher CJ Wilson claim they can execute the pitch, but both concede they don’t have enough control over it to use it regularly, if it all. Some suggest Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens may have developed gyroballs organically.

Eephus pitch
The Eephus pitch is trick pitch designed to fool the batter. It is basically just a pitch with a slow-pitch softball type arch that approaches the plate at speeds as low as 40 MPH. Rip Sewell “invented” the pitch and he rode it to four straight All-Stars games between 1943 and 1946. (Ted Williams was the only man to ever hit a homer against Sewell’s Eephus, doing so in the 1946 All-Star Game.) While other pitchers have utilized the Eephus nobody has ever used it as regularly as Sewell.

Pitcher who had good eephus pitches: Rip Sewell, Bill Lee, Pascual Perez, Dave LaRoche, Orlando Hernandez.

Here are five popular hitting drills that require no more than a bat and a tee and can improve any hitter’s technique at the plate:

Stride Drill
This drill requires a tee and will help a hitter work on striking balls in all locations of the plate

First set up the ball in the middle of the plate, thigh high. Take a few swings. Move the ball to the outside of the plate. Repeat. Then do the same with tee and ball moved the inside of the plate. The key is that the hitter always stays in exactly the same part of the batter’s box. He should also be visualizing a pitcher and his wind up and watching an imaginary bar through the air before swinging. The exercise should be repeated with with balls placed at different heights. This drill allows a hitter to hone his stride while working on hit pitches in all locations.

The “Shine a Light” Drill
This is easy drill that will help a player develop a short stride.

Youth players in particular tend to over swing. Joe Brockhoff, a the former head coach at Tulane University, has developed a simple, word-association technique to fix that. When players practice their swing, he encourage them to “shine a light” toward the pitch, with the “light” emulating from the knob of their bat.

By positioning their bat that way it is almost impossible to have a looping or sweeping swing. If a hitter gets comfortable swinging with his “light” trained on the pitch he will always have a short and compact swing.

Coil Drill
This drill requires a bat and help a hitter develop a consistent routine for getting into the batter’s box, setting his stance, and coiling his bat.

The execution of this drill is simple enough. The hitter gets into the batter’s box (real or imaginary) goes into his regular stand. The coach will throw him an imaginary ball and the player will coil in preparation, freezing at the apex of his coil. This will give the coach the chance to analyze the coil technique.

Things the coach should be looking for is a proper grip, a correct weight shift, eyes on the ball, and hands up, not dropped. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, the hitter should just look comfortable and ready to strike.

Hip Rotation Drill
This drill requires a bat and will help a hitter work on his proper hip rotation.

To start the drill the player puts the bat behind his back and then balances it between his biceps and forearms with the barrel of the bat pointing wear the catcher would be. The coach will throw the batter imaginary pitchers, yelling inside or outside when he does. The player while then respond to the pitch like he would if it was really coming, taking his normal stride coil and hip rotation.

Because of the way the bat is positioned against the body, this will give the coach a good look at the players hip rotation and he can determine whether the players hip rotation is on point. Things for a coach to look for is more hip rotation on inside pitches, a strong back foot pivot, a stiff front leg, the front shoulder opening first and a head that remains steady through the swing.

Sacrifice Form Drill
This drill will help hitters develop a good form for bunting. It is best performed in a group.

In the drill players with a bat in hand line up facing a coach, who is standing about 20 feet away from them. The coach will through an imaginary pitcher and the players will go into the bunting position. Since there is a natural freeze point to the pose the coach can then observe each player’s technique and offer criticisms and recommendations. Among the things the coach should be checking for is if the player looks balanced, if they have stepped too close to the plate in their setup and if the bat is at the proper angle and the top of the strike zone.

Baseball is simple game. Pitch the ball. Hit the ball. Catch the ball. Throw the ball. But mastering baseball is not as simple as it seems. It is a competitive sport and everybody is trying to be the best so they can make their high school team, then snag a college scholarship and finally live the dream of being a millionaire pro athlete with their face on a baseball card.

Which means the aspiring ball player needs to get any edge he can. Baseball training aids can improve a player’s chance at greatness by honing their skills. Here is a list of baseball training aids that have proven to be beneficial in player development. Some you will recognize and others you may be learning about for the first time. They should all be available for purchase either online or at your local sporting goods store. (Make sure to comparison shop for price before you buy.)

Baseball nets
Baseball netting — netting inside a solid frame — is used for various practice purposes. Batters can hit balls into them, either from soft toss or from a tee. Pitchers can pitch into them to hone their technique and location. Fielders can use “return” netting to practice their fielding. They can also be used as portable backstops during live pitching practice. While some baseball nets serve all of these purposes, others are more specialized.

Baseball Tee
No tees aren’t just for tee-ball. The are also an important baseball training aid. By having older hitters use a tee coaches can work on their swing in a controlled environment.

Pitching machines
These automated ball throwing devices allow players to train without a coach or pitching. The more advanced ones can also throw the type of pitches a player might face in games but are difficult to produce on demand in practice. Pitching machines can be quite expensive although you can find more rudimentary models for less than 100 bucks.

Fielding machines
Cousin to pitching machines. (In fact most pitching machines can be used as fielding machines.) They fire off grounders, line drives and pop ups for players to practice their fielding.

Fungo Bats
A fungo bat is a specially designed bat for a coach to use as he self hits balls to fielders during defensive drills and warm ups. Because it’s lightweight the fungo bat has excellent control. Nobody really knows why it has such a ridiculous name.

Reaction ball
A reaction ball is a six sided rubber ball that bounces unpredictably when thrown against the ground. This helps baseball players with their defensive reactions and develops hand-to-eye coordination.

Batting trainer
A batting trainer is a tee-like base with an arm coming off of it. A baseball ix connected at the end of the arm. With the baseball hanging over the plate the batter swings at it with his bat. Batting trainers can be adjusted to different resistance levels and some can simulate pitches. They are mainly used to work on bat speed.

Radar guns
Used to record pitching speeds. There are also baseball with built in radar records but they tend not to be as accurate.

Bungee based hitting tools.
This is a ball with straps through the middle that is propelled toward the batter while the strap is both anchored to the ground and being held by the coach. Since the ball remains attached it it stays close after the batter strikes it. It can also be easily manipulated to “throw” pitches like curveballs.

Arm resistance trainer
A baseball attached to a bungee with a hooking device on the other end. Used to develop wrist, rotator cuff, shoulder and forearm strength in pitchers.

One handed training bat
At about two-thirds the length and weight of a full-sized bat, this training aid can be used to work exclusively on either your top or bottom hand during soft toss drills.

Agility ladders/trainers
Not baseball exclusive, but a useful hardball training aid.

Pitch counter
Device used to count pitches. Usually comes with more than one counter to track multiple pitchers (or home and away) at once.

Did you know that over 100 college baseball programs offer baseball camps for high school and youth players? The close to 50,000 baseball players each year who attend college baseball camps do. Just about wherever you are in the country you should be able to find a college baseball camp where campers will receive instructions from college coaches and players.

At these camps younger players will be drilled in the fundamentals of the game by trained experts who already have them down pat. Older players will have their game tweaked and refined and prepared for the challenges of high school and then college ball.

College Baseball camps go on during the college baseball off season. Besides the late summer, when many camps are offered, most potential campers will be in school during this time period. So college baseball camps are often held over the weekend or during the week at night. Thanksgiving and the time between Christmas and New Years are also popular times to have college baseball camps.

The college camps coaching staff will be made up of the coaches from the host college as well as coaches from smaller college programs and junior college programs in the area. College players from the host school as well as other area college players will also assist as coaches and counselors.

Now the purpose of a college baseball camp isn’t just to learn new baseball skills, although that’s what they all advertise. For older players it is an opportunity to showcase their talents to the coaches in hopes of receiving a college baseball scholarship. (This is why going to a camp which has coaches from multiple schools is a good idea.) Some of the more prestigious college baseball camps will also have pro baseball scouts in attendance looking to check in on high school baseball players they might want to recommend to their team for Major League Baseball’s 40 round entry draft.

College camps can big pretty big, with some hoarding in 400 to 500 campers a session. Before picking a college camp you should inquire upon the coach to player ratio. Big camps are fine if they are well staffed.  But since the name of the game is getting instruction and exposure there will be plenty of campers who get lost in shuffle if there are not enough coaches.

There are all different types of college baseball camps, including some that are just for hitters or pitchers. They also have quite a price range. Some camps from top college’s like Arizona State can run $1000 for a two day seasons. However you might get a three or four day camp at your local community college for less than half of that.

Choosing a college baseball camp, particularly for older players who want to showcase their talents, should have a lot to do with the player’s skill level. If the teenager has no chance of playing college ball at a top Division 1 school they would probably be better off attending a camp at a Division 3 or NAIA school. Not only will the camp likely be cheaper but by meeting the coaches at a college the camper has the skill set to attend it builds the kind of relationships that may actually led to them playing college ball and even getting a scholarship to do so.

If you are interested in a college baseball camp the first step should be to check to see if the colleges in the area offer them. If they have baseball programs, the chances are they do.

The chances are you are never going to be paid to play professional baseball. This is especially true if you are in your mid-20s and you haven’t been paid yet. But there are still ways to make your living in America’s pastime. Coaching for one.

It wasn’t so long ago that most Division 1 college baseball coaches made less money than the school’s assistant professors. That started to change during the last few decades when college baseball stopped being an afterthought and began to evolve into an important cog in the development of a good chunk of the players who end up in the Major Leagues.

Granted baseball is rarely a big revenue sport for a university, like football and basketball are. So there are no college baseball coaches with Nick Saban-like five plus million dollars a year compensation packages. In fact, the average four-year college baseball coach makes around $55,000. However top college coaches like the University of Texas’s Augie Garrido and Miami (Fl.)’s Jim Morris can pull in close to a cool million a year.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Reaching that level on the college coaching chain takes years of hard work and is even more unlikely than reaching the majors as a player. If you want to get a job in college coaching you have to start at the bottom as an assistant coach at a not particularly prestigious program.

To be an assistant coach on the college level you first have to be a college graduate. The school will also likely require that you have at least a year of coaching on the high school level, although experience with a competitive youth baseball team may suffice. It would also help greatly if you had played baseball at the college level.

The duties of an assistant coach are to help the head coach in preparing, organizing and conducting individual and team practices, training, and competitions. The AC will provide guidance to student-athletes and perform any miscellaneous duty assigned to them by the head coach. Assistant coaches are also typically very involved in the recruiting process and they will be dispatched around the area, if not the country, to connect with potential recruits.

Of course the question is how much do assistant coaches make. Well, the answer is not an easy one. And obviously there is a big difference between what Garrido’s number one assistant at Texas makes and what the assistant coach at the local community college pulls in.

The website Simply Hired, which compiles salaries using data from their jobs available board, has the average salary of any college coach — including the head coach — at just 36,000 a year.

Our own research suggests that unless you are working in Division-1 the assistant college baseball coach barely makes minimum wage and some even make what would amount to be a sub-minimum wage stipend. (And some are just volunteer position.)

If that hasn’t ruined your assistant college baseball coach job dream, the best places to find college baseball coach jobs are on general job boards, such as Monster.com, or specialty job boards, like the NCAA’s site or jobsinsports.com.