MLB Archives - Journey of My Mother's Son

Tracy Tanguay – Time to Rethink Youth Sports

by Dan Clouser | Apr 23, 2024 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

Tracy is also passionate about changing the current culture that has developed throughout youth sports. This is something that really resonates with me because I saw firsthand how the approach to youth sports has changed over the 30 years that I had been involved. Sadly, that culture shift has not been for the better. We have shifted from a team mentality to an individual focus. Sport specialization at a young age is becoming more and more prevalent, which is leading to more injuries at younger ages. The increase in injuries early the current MLB season could arguably be attributed to early sport specialization, too many pitches on too little rest at a younger age, and max-effort performance.

Tracy is an expert in her field, so she is speaking from a professional perspective as well as a concerned mom. Our shared opinion is that we need to focus more on teaching the fundamentals, letting the kids have fun playing the game, and falling in love the sport as opposed to chasing weekend trophies, and a win at all cost approach. We also agree on the fact that kids should multiple sports for as long as they possibly can.

Sports have a wonderful way of teaching us life lessons, the key is that we have let the game teach those lessons.

Rachel Folden – Using a Coaching Mindset of Love

by Dan Clouser | Feb 18, 2022 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

Rachel Folden is a minor league Hitting Coach in professional baseball, the first female to hold such a position in her organization. Folden also launched EliteFastpitch.tv, the most comprehensive hitting drill library available for softball players. Now players from around the world can train with Rachel Folden and her team at Folden Fastpitch. Folden Fastpitch also partners with Elite Baseball Training to provide hitting consultation for baseball and softball teams at the professional, college, high school and travel ball level. Folden and her team put on numerous camps and clinics across the country, primarily in the skills of hitting and catching.

A former professional softball player in the NPF (National Pro Fastpitch), Folden retired after the 2012 season, after 5 years in the NPF. Folden played for two professional teams, the Carolina Diamonds in 2012, and the Chicago Bandits from 2008-2012. She finished her career with 41 home runs, 122 RBI, 101 walks, and 28 doubles, which are all-time top 10 marks. She was the Rookie of the Year in 2008, a 4-time All-NPF Catcher, and the 2011 Offensive Player of the Year. She won two NPF Championships with the Bandits in 2008 and 2011.

Joe Barth – Teaching Life Lessons through the Game

by Dan Clouser | Nov 19, 2021 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

Joe and I have known each other since the early 2000’s. For over twenty years, we were competitors on the field and friends off of the field. Joe and I share the same coaching philosophy of teaching life lessons through the game of baseball.

Joe coached MLB All-Star, Mike Trout from the time that he was 13 years old throughout his high school career. He not only remembers the quality of player that Mike was and his incredible work ethic, but more importantly, he remembers the quality human beings that he and his family were.

Shea Hillenbrand – An Incredible Comeback Story

by Dan Clouser | Nov 12, 2021 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

In this episode of “The Journey of My Mother’s Son” podcast, I sit down to talk with two-time MLB All-Star, Shea Hillenbrand.

Isaac Wenrich – Bigger than Baseball

by Dan Clouser | Oct 29, 2021 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

Isaac played for me in the Berkshire Baseball organization when he was 15 and 16 years old. He spent a total of five years in the Berkshire organization and came back as a guest speaker at the Berkshire Baseball and Softball Awards banquet in 2017.

We talk about his experience in the Berkshire organization and the impact that the organization had on his life both on and off of the baseball field.

One of the best things that Sandy and I have been able to do on this journey is reconnect to old friends and family. However, when those connections are with my former players, I must admit, they are extremely special for me.

It Might not have been Heaven, but it was Magical

by Dan Clouser | Sep 2, 2021 | Many Little People, Sports, The Journey | 0 |

Anyone who knows me, knows that baseball is in my blood, so to get to visit the Field of Dreams site was pretty exciting for me to say the least.

Ever since I can remember, baseball has been a part of my life. For me, it was always about more than just the game itself. It was the entire experience. From seeing a perfectly groomed field before the game begins, the smell of the fresh cut grass, the sight of the perfectly straight white lines which have been applied with mastery. Those lines and their perfect 90-degree angles. Their contrast on the brown infield dirt and bright green outfield grass. It is truly about as perfect of a scene that a human could create.

The hustle and bustle of the crowd, the smell of the hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn. All of it combined makes it so much more than just a game for me.

Jack Graham – An Attitude of Gratitude

by Dan Clouser | Aug 31, 2021 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports | 0 |

Jack is now the General Manager of the Aberdeen Ironbirds minor league baseball team.

The Ironbirds are a division of Ripken Baseball. Jack and I first met back in 2015 when he was fresh out of his professional baseball career and working in sales on the amateur side of Ripken Baseball. His hard work and dedication moved him up through the ranks and he was promoted to General Manager of the Ironbirds in September of 2019.

Jack and I have stayed connected through social media.

Anna Kimbrell – A Trailblazer Starting to Give Back

by Dan Clouser | May 21, 2021 | Many Little People, Podcasts, Sports | 0 |

As we were mapping out our route on this leg of our journey, I realized that we’d be going through Anna Kimbrell’s neck of the woods. I had seen on Facebook that she had just started conducting some baseball clinics for girls at K3 Sports Academy in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

I reached out to her to see if she’d be ok with us stopping by the clinic and then doing a podcast together. She quickly agreed to the podcast and I was excited to finally get a chance to meet her in person and hear her story.

Kimbrell, a catcher for Team USA Women’s baseball has been affiliated with the organization since she was only 15 years old.