For starters, John Scolinas, great Cal-Poly Pamona trainer. He had a unique way of teaching using a combination of examples that were both instructive and entertaining. He always knew when he was speaking at coaching conventions. The room would be full.

Another of the best was Jerry Kindall, the great fundamental baseball coach from Arizona.

Skip Bertman is certainly on that list. The fact that LSU is in the College World Series again this year is a great testament to their hard work and team development. Paul Mainieri has picked up where Skip left off and continues the winning tradition.

Hill Denson was the patron saint of southern Mississippi for many years. His enthusiasm was a major factor in the success of the Golden Eagles. Coach Corky Palmer brought the team to Omaha this year so it’s

USM’s first appearance on CWS. Hill Denson laid the bricks. And Corky took it to the next level.

While Rick Jones’ Tulane University Green Wave missed the playoffs this year, he achieved a personal milestone by surpassing the record he had set at Tulane as the winningest coach in Tulane Athletics history. He is a great trainer, organizer and worker. This was recognized by his selection as coach of the United States Olympic Baseball Team.

Mike Martin, longtime coach at Florida State, a great fundamentalist, teaches the game as well or better than anyone. His teams are always ready to play. I’ve heard that this year could have been Mike’s best coaching year. The achievements of his very young team are due in large part to his leadership.

And who could forget Ron Polk. This great Hall of Fame coach has left a mark that will be difficult to overcome. His Baseball Playbook is the best fundamentals book to be found. When we talk about fundamental details, we are talking about Ron Polk.

There are many that I am leaving out and I have not even mentioned any of the great professionals. But here is the point. I was able to get a lot of information over the years from some of the best in the world, and I was also able to give back. I was privileged to be a part of that great college baseball coaching fraternity and spoke at many of the same NCAA conventions, usually about hitting.

We now have the privilege of making this information available to anyone who loves the game of baseball and wants to play or train to the fullest.