by Dave DeMars
“Oh, put me in coach, I’m ready to play today
Put me in coach, I’m ready to play today
Look at me, gotta be, centerfield”
Lyrics from “Centerfield” by John Fogerty
School is out in St. Joseph and the kids are home. Well, some kids are home. Others are off to baseball camp to hone their skills. It’s a camp Pat Schneider has been putting on – well, it seems like forever.
Schneider is Mister Baseball in St. Joseph, and this year there was a special treat in store for all the kids who came to the camp.
Each player received an autographed baseball from retired Twins’ utility infielder Al Newman who played with the Twins from 1985 to 1992 and who was also part of the World Series 1987 and 1991 Twins championship teams. Whenever someone got hurt or tired or tossed out because he gave the umpire too much lip, Newman was ready to play – any position. He simply loved the game of baseball. Even in the dugout he found ways to support his team. He wore the rally cap when the Twins were down and looking for a way to win. And he is still involved with the game of baseball, holding camps of his own and helping teen-agers to master the game. It’s called the Acceleration Clinic and is held in the Industrial Park in Waite Park.
So Schneider brought Newman to his ball park to provide the inspiration for kids to try hard and hang tough. Take the time to practice the game. Hit the ball off the tee, Newman told the kids in the audience. Even professional baseball players take time to hit off the tee – some do it every day. Find a concrete wall and a tennis ball and practice your fielding. Practice as much as you can. But most of all, he said, they should learn to enjoy the game.
“Have fun,” Newman said. “I know everybody says in baseball you are supposed to have fun, and it’s pretty easy. Blue sky, green grass and you are out of school. So have fun today.”
After signing a few more baseballs and posing for pictures, Newman left the field, and the real work for Schneider and his crew of coaches began. During a break, Schneider talked about the camp and baseball in general.
This year he and his staff had 26 kids, ages 6 to 14, signed up for the camp.
“Numbers are down a lot,” Schneider said. “Not just here but other little-league programs, too. Everybody seems to have so many other things they could be doing besides baseball. Lots of opportunities, and families are busy, and sometimes the parents are both working and they can’t get here.”
Despite the smaller numbers, Schneider seemed satisfied because the coaches were able to handle the smaller groups better and do a better job of instruction. Other years he had as many as 50 youngsters in camp and he says he had groups posted all over the field.
The lack of interest raises the question of how long baseball will be considered the “national pastime,” and whether it will survive.
Schneider is confident it will. There is such an interest internationally and the major leagues have a pipeline of players from all over the world. He has no concerns about baseball losing its popularity.
“Any time you have a lot of competition, that’s always good, although our community colleges in Minnesota are 30 to 40 percent international players now,” Schneider said.
He said the reason kids from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic play baseball is to escape the brutal economic conditions in their home countries. And it was true of youngsters in the 40s and 50s in this country. What has changed is the commitment level.
“That’s what this instructional camp is for,” Schneider said. “For kids to learn things they don’t get standing around playing a Babe Ruth game. Here we drill, drill, drill over and over how to swing a bat, how to throw a baseball, how to run the bases. All those things.”
Schneider said he believes the part of a kid’s upbringing in today’s society is the backyard playing – the backyard pick-up ballgame. The culture provides coaching in the form of adults hovering over the kid rather than letting the kid work things out for him/herself.
“The beauty of pick-up games in the summer is the kids decide who is safe or out,” Schneider said. “They pick teams, they learn where they fit and what the pecking order is. And they move up the pecking order if they work at it and try hard.”
Schneider tells the kids they don’t have to be on a team to learn to play. If they swing a bat 50 times a day at home every day or if they play catch with themselves or bounce the tennis ball off the garage door and attempt to field it, they will get better and they will learn fielding and hitting. It teaches and improves the eye-hand coordination that is so vital in baseball or just about any sport.
“Parents can grow grass all their life but don’t worry about the kids wearing out the grass if they are playing sports,” Schneider said. “That’s more important.”
For three days, Schneider and his staff will work on trying to improve the skill of their ball players and on the last day they will put those skills to the test with a pick-up game.
“We’ll get them all together and try to keep it fun,” he said.
After they attend his clinic and they reach the age of 14, they are ready to go on to the Acceleration Clinic, Schneider said. It’s an excellent next step and kids can take plenty of swings and get some additional training and coaching.
Asked about success stories of kids who attended his camp and went on to greater challenges, Schneider smiled and launched into a story.
“I umpire a lot of high school and college baseball,” he said. “I was working the plate at Putz Field in St. Cloud and the catcher was warming up the pitcher. He was a senior in high school. He turned around and looked at me and said, ‘You don’t know who I am do you?’ I said ‘No, who are you?’ He gave me his name and said, ‘I was in your baseball camp when I was seven.’ Now that’s what it’s all about.”
Looking at the kids warming up and getting ready to do some drills, Schneider said he can usually spot the kids who are going to be high school ball players and the ones who may not have all the skills but put in the extra work to gain the skills. It also helps when a dad or uncle or big brother takes an interest and takes the kid out to play catch or shag fly balls.
“It takes time,” Schneider said, “and it takes a village to help kids and give them opportunities like this and enjoy the game of baseball.”