The Baseball Handbook

256 pages. Published 2002

About the Book

Arm yourself for every practice, every game, and every situation! This book is your one-stop source for expert nuts-and-bolts advice on every facet of baseball coaching. It’s the all-inclusive, instructionally sound handbook every baseball coach has been waiting for.

Written by masterful teacher and highly successful coach Bernie Walter—a three-time national coach of the year who’s sent more than 55 players to the big leagues—The Baseball Handbook gives you practical instruction on everything from double plays and pop flies to pitching drills, bunting sequences, and tips for baserunning. The book’s tips and insights guarantee you an edge over the opposing coach—one that will pay off with more wins!

The Baseball Handbook is easy to use and packed full of photos, diagrams, and advanced strategies to show you the way to greater success on the field. You’ll find progressive, educationally sound sequences to help you teach successfully, plus a generous number of accompanying photos and diagrams to augment and clarify the in-text instruction.

The Baseball Handbook gives you solid recommendations on how to execute every play, position every player, and make every tough decision. You’ll learn how to

• expertly evaluate each player’s talent—then develop it; • conduct better, more productive practices; • get your players in top shape, physically and mentally; and • prepare your team for top performance in every game.

Field a winning team this year with help from nine-time Maryland champ Bernie Walter. If you want to be a better coach, you need this book.

About the Author

Bernard P. Walter, Jr., has been the head coach at Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland, since 1974. With Coach Walter at the helm, Arundel has won a record-setting nine Maryland State Baseball Championships and is a three-time national coach of the year.

Walter has coached 55 former or current major leaguers, including Denny Neagle, Mike Mussina, and John Smoltz. He has been named National High School Baseball Coach of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (1993), the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association (1996), and the American Baseball Coaches Association (1998). He’s the only baseball coach to have been recognized by Disney’s American Teacher Awards. He was the head coach for the USA Baseball Junior National Team in 1988 and 1990, and he has been a frequent clinician at national coaching clinics. He is one of only seven U.S. coaches to ever win a World Championship. He also wrote USA Baseball’s Coaches Education Program, and he’s the educational consultant for MLB Productions’ “This Week in Baseball.”

Walter holds a bachelor of science degree in physical education from the University of Maryland at College Park. A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association, he is certified as an athletic administrator with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators’ Association (NIAAA) and as a leader level instructor with the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches’ Education Program (NFICEP). In his free time, he enjoys gardening, going to the movies, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Barbara, are residents of Linthicum, Maryland.

Words of Praise

"Bernie’s coaching gave me a jump start to a professional career. For coaches, reading this book will be a guide to help you teach the game. For the player, this book will be a guide to enhance your skill level and the ability to play the game the right way." John Smoltz Atlanta Braves

"I have known Bernie Walter for more than four decades; he has been deeply involved with baseball as a player and coach. His unique perspective on baseball instruction comes from his consistent success as a coach and his in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of baseball. For those who play or teach baseball, The Baseball Handbook is your guide." John Schuerholz Executive vice president and general manager, Atlanta Braves

"Coach Bernie Walter understands that a vast knowledge of all facets of baseball is of immense importance. However, knowledge is of little value if you cannot teach it. The key to coaching is the ability to transmit information properly so that players can transfer what they learn to the field. Bernie Walter is the consummate coach because he is first and foremost a great teacher of the game of baseball." Roland Hemond Executive advisor to the general manager, Chicago White Sox