How to Become a Professional Baseball Player

The way to becoming a professional ballplayer is not an easy one. So many factors are out of a player’s control. He must concern himself with the things he can control and the things he can do to improve his play, and thus give himself at least the chance to succeed.
The author of this work draws from his personal experiences and his former teammates’ experiences to help the average player make the most of the talent he has and to make smart decisions on and off the field. The book covers the fundamentals and finer points of pitching, fielding, hitting, catching, base running, and playing the outfield. It also covers strength training and conditioning, the importance of good grades to high school and college baseball, catching the attention of coaches and scouts, selecting the right college, playing at the college level, dealing with coaches, parental involvement and support, the draft, and the world of professional baseball.

Bo Durkac is an assistant baseball coach at Illinois State University. Previously, he played professional baseball for seven years, including two years in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, and was an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte.

Bo Durkac
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 205
Bibliographic Info: glossary, index
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1587-8
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8048-7
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction      1

Prologue      5

1. Pitching      9

2. Fielding      27

3. Hitting      41

4. Catching by Josh McAffee      68

5. Baserunning      93

6. In the Outfield      112

7. Strength and Conditioning      121

8. Making the Grade      128

9. Being Seen      132

10. Selecting the Right College      138

11. The College Experience      144

12. Dealing with Coaches      150

13. The Draft      158

14. For the Parents      168

15. The World of Professional Baseball      177

Glossary      193

Index      197

“clear”—True Review.