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New York Yankee Doug Bernier describes how to throw a baseball. What are the proper mechanics for throwing a baseball?

NY Yankee Doug Bernier. 2011 Spring Training. Image by Ed Wolfstein

Hi, my name is Doug Bernier and welcome to Baseball-Insider.com. This is a website BY baseball players FOR baseball players, as well as for coaches, parents of players and fans.

Our goal is to teach players the right way to play the game, and to give fans insight into what’s happening behind the scenes from the players perspective.

This site has been created with the influence of over a hundred professional baseball players and coaches, most with major league experience.

For Baseball Players & Coaches:

For Fans:

  • Hear from the players through our Blog
  • Learn more about the game through our Baseball Basics articles.
Other resources on this website include:

  • Product recommendations - MLB and MiLB players recommend their favorite gear - gloves, bats, tees, catcher's gear and more.
  • Product guides - What size glove do you need?  How much should your bat weigh?  These and more common questions are answered in our product guides.
  • Baseball Lessons - Submit a video of you (or your son or daughter) playing baseball and receive a custom video with critiques and instruction created just for you by a professional baseball player.
  • Baseball Charities - Get connected with charities that use baseball to change lives and improve the community.  Also, find out what foundations, charities, and causes are supported by your favorite baseball player.

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Most Recent Articles

Give yourself a chance, stay healthy

Give yourself a chance, stay healthy

Posted by on May 18, 2012 in Low Liners Blog | 0 comments

Too many baseball careers have been cut short, too many opportunities missed, due to injury. This post is a reminder to focus on keeping your body healthy

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5 Cold Weather Baseball Essentials

5 Cold Weather Baseball Essentials

Posted by on Apr 18, 2012 in Low Liners Blog | 1 comment

Top 5 things you need to keep warm and help you perform your best in cold weather baseball games.

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How to be a better baseball hitter – Seeing the Baseball

How to be a better baseball hitter – Seeing the Baseball

Posted by on Apr 18, 2012 in Baseball Instruction, Low Liners Blog | 1 comment

It's so easy to over complicate the process of hitting a baseball. How to be a better baseball hitter starts with seeing the baseball. Here are 4 tips to help you see the baseball and hit it better.

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10 life lessons learned from baseball

10 life lessons learned from baseball

Posted by on Mar 22, 2012 in Low Liners Blog | 5 comments

Are sports a worthy investment of your time? Does baseball teach you important life lessons? The answer according to us is yes. Here are 10 life lessons learned from playing baseball.

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Advantages of Being a Left Handed Hitter

Advantages of Being a Left Handed Hitter

Posted by on Mar 7, 2012 in Low Liners Blog | 1 comment

Statistically, left handed batters have a batting average that is 7 points higher than right handed batters. From the hitter's perspective, there are 3 reasons why lefty batters have an advantage over righties

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Should there be losers in Youth Baseball? Winning vs Having Fun

Should there be losers in Youth Baseball? Winning vs Having Fun

Posted by on Feb 22, 2012 in Low Liners Blog, youth baseball | 3 comments

Should there be losers in youth baseball? Is the emphasis on "winning" or "having fun" more important for baseball players? A professional player's take on the subject.

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Fan Safety in Baseball

Posted by on Feb 13, 2012 in Low Liners Blog | 3 comments

A pro player's perspective on baseball safety and some tips for staying safe. Everyone goes to a game hoping to get a foul ball, but sometimes it can be extremely dangerous.

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Free Baseball Instruction from ProBaseballinsider.com

Learn Technique, Strategy, and Drills from Pro Baseball Players

What you'll find:

On these pages you'll find instruction for technique, strategy and drills - all written by MLB or MiLB players and coaches -and all designed to help you take your game to the next level.

  1. Position-Specific Skills - Whether its footwork for first basemen, tips for turning double plays, tips for pitchers, and more.
  2. Drills - Improve your skills using the same drills used by the pros.
  3. Situational Positioning  - Understand game situations and how that dictates positioning. From double play depth, to no doubles, to double cuts, and more. Learn how to think ahead and try to anticipate where the ball may be put in play.
  4. Defensive Strategy - Holding runners on, to pre game preparation, and just knowing what your pitcher throws in certain counts. This is the chess match between an offense and defense. It's exciting and rewarding when your preparation outplays the offense.
  5. On-field Communication - Learn verbal and non-verbal signs for a variety of on-field scenarios, including pop-up priorities, communicating for bunt plays, and avoiding on-field collisions.
Just click on the red links below to find loads of pro baseball instruction articles, videos, illustrations, and more.

Hitting Fundamentals

Learn hitting fundamentals from the true baseball insiders. MLB and MiLB players share their years of experience you in these free pro baseball instruction articles.

Also includes:

  • Bunting - Learn the mechanics of bunting, as well as situational strategy for sacrifice bunting, best bunting placement for hits, and more.
  • Offensive Strategy - Strategies for advancing runners, when to steal a base, scoring runners, hitting approach, knowing the pitcher's tendencies, and more.
  • Situational Hitting - Understanding which game factors can - and should - influence your strategy at the plate. In other words, be a team player by recognizing what needs to get done and knowing how to do it.

Base running

You don't have to be as fast as Juan Pierre to be a good base runner. Professional baseball players explain how situational awareness, good habits, and a little strategy can take you a long way.

Catching

How to handle your pitching staff, proper technique for blocking, throwing, proper setup, and why it's the most challenging position on the field.  Pro baseball instruction for catchers.

Pitching - COMING SOON

Learn how the best pitchers stay strong and durable, use proper mechanics, and attack the strike zone. See how they think through situations, control the running game, and keep their defense playing well behind them.

1st base

An underrated but very important defensive position. Tips on how positioning, fielding, and footwork at 1st base can be monumental in a teams success. A good 1st baseman makes everyone on the field better.  Pro baseball instruction for first basemen.

2nd base

A position that gets a lot of action. From double plays to double cuts and everything in between. Middle infielders have a tremendous amount of responsibility.  Pro baseball instruction for second basemen.

3rd base

Being able to sense situations and have proper alignment. Why positioning is so important. Fundamental and not so fundamental ways to field ground balls to give you the best chance to knock down any type of rocket hit your way.  Pro baseball instruction for third basemen.

Shortstop

As the captain of the infield, know how to keep the entire defense in proper alignment. Why the backhand is so important. Learn the essentials and responsibilities of how to play the most challenging position in the infield.

Outfield

Learn the separators between an average and a great outfielder. Know where to be on every ball that is put in play. Why communication is so vital. Get better around the fence and getting the most out of your throws.  Pro baseball instruction for outfielders.

Drills are COMING SOON!

Drills for Pitchers

Better body position and mechanics, more command of off speed pitches. Pick off moves, fielding and throwing to bases. Velocity, extension, and proper maintenance.

Drills for Catchers

Agility drills for quicker feet, blocking and receiving, more efficient pop times to 2nd. Throws from outfielders, and stealing strikes from the hitter.

Drills for 1st Basemen

Short hops, different flips and tosses to a pitcher covering 1st base. Softer hands, footwork, and glove work.

Drills for 2nd Basemen

Softer hands, feeds to 2nd base, along with double plays, and footwork. Glove work, awkward throws from all angles and body positions. Bare hand drills.

Drills for 3rd Basemen

For short hops, softer hands, footwork, and glove work. Awkward throws from all angles, and body positions. Bare hand drills.

Drills for Shortstops

Softer hands, feeds to 2nd base, along with double plays, and footwork. Glove work, awkward throws from all angles and body positions. Bare hand drills.

Drills for Outfielders

Getting behind balls to make strong accurate throws. Working around the fence, beating the sun, taking better routes, and glove transfer.

Drills for Hitting

Tee work, front and side toss. Drills with a partner and by yourself, and for all types of problems that can happen at the plate.

Drills for Base running

Working on leads, more efficient running, sliding, and reading balls off the bat.

Drills for Bunting

Drills for bunting for hits and for sacrificing. How to be more consistent in the lost art of bunting.

Drills for Mental Exercises

Being stronger upstairs to attain goals and redirect poor performances into positive lessons learned. Belief in yourself and effectively visualizing.

About Doug

"Doug Bernier is one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball today. He has a strong accurate arm, excellent range, and can play all infield position's at the highest level. He has one of the best work ethics that I know about. A great club house attitude, and as a plus, has ability to instruct. He's a gamer!" -- Albie Pearson, Former American League Rookie of the Year, Former American League All-star, Former Scout New York Yankee's

"I personally played with Doug and not only is he an excellent ball player, but an incredibly hard worker and genuinely a great guy. His attitude and skill in the game is what makes him so successful both in playing and teaching baseball."      -- David Robertson, Pitcher for the NY Yankees

"Doug is a slick fielding infielder that can make all the plays with ease and brings it on a daily basis. he is the pitchers best friend." -- Scott Aldred, MLB pitcher for ten years and current pitching coach for NY Yankees triple A affiliate

"I have played with or against Doug Bernier for over 10 years now. I've also been fortunate enough to play alongside a few Hall of Famers as well. There's no doubt Doug Bernier is as fundamentally sound as anyone I've ever played with. But more importantly he's one of the best people you will find in the game!" -- Steve Holm, Catcher for the Minnesota Twins, formerly with the SF Giants

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New York Yankee, Doug Bernier, 2009 Spring Training. Photo by Ed Wolfstein

Doug Bernier, founder of Baseball-Insider.com, has been been playing baseball professionally for ten years now, and an avid student of baseball for his entire life. He has played with some of the best baseball players in the world, including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Matt Holiday, Todd Helton, and more.

After two years as the short stop for Oral Roberts University, Doug signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2002 and had his Major League debut in 2008. He stayed with the Rockies until signing with the New York Yankees for the 2009 season. After attending the Yankees 2009 Major League spring training, Doug played for the Yankee's triple A team. For the 2010 season, Doug was invited to camp with the Pirates and played during regular season with the Pirate's triple A team, the Indianapolis Indians.  He was back with the Yankees for the 2011 campaign.

For the 2011 season, Doug attended spring training with the New York Yankees, and spent the regular season with the Yankees triple-A affiliate, the Scranton-Wilkesbarre Yankees.  In June 2011, the New York Yankees named him the organization's Defensive Player of the Month.

Bernier's defensive stats rank at the top of the league nearly every year, with a career .971 fielding average. He has played every position on the field professionally, and is proficient at second base, shortstop, and third base.

Among his many coaches and mentors are , Mike Gallego, Albie Pearson, Clint Hurdle, Joe Girardi, Kevin Long, Wally Horsman, Carney Lanceford, Tom Runnells, Mike Krukow, and many more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGvaljFCpnY

Doug Bernier, founder of baseball-insider.com, with wife Sarah and new baby Kinsley. Baseball-Insider.com offers free baseball instruction and baseball product reviews by MLB and MiLB players, coaches and trainers

Originally from California, Doug and his wife Sarah currently spend off-seasons in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. They celebrated the birth of their baby girl, Kinsley, this past October

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