Here is a recent question from a fan: "Is Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays the best pitcher on the planet?" He is for my money!

For those of you that don't know the story, Roy was sent back to the Minor Leagues several years ago but with the help of Mel Queen, his pitching coach, he found his way back to the Majors. Halladay discovered that by changing his arm angle, he became more effective.

Use it but don't abuse it was my philosophy with throwing. I can say without hesitation that I probably threw more and with greater variety than any pitcher considering I pitched for the third-most seasons in the history of the game. Nolan Ryan went 27 seasons and didn't pitch in relief and Tommy John went 26 seasons as a starter his entire career. Bragging? No! Just pointing out that I had a good data base of throwing and how the pitching angles affected my arm. I learned over time what was beneficial and what wasn't.

I continue to impress upon pitchers that the way to find your natural way of pitching or proper arm angle with a consistent release is to 'play catch' or 'field a ground ball and throw to first base' as often as you can. This practice develops good foot work and helps the player find his personal arm angle and natural path.

Because I pitched some of each, here's the difference in training: Starters warm up slowly over a 15-20 minute period and relievers need to learn to warm up a little faster. The way to do that is to throw a little every day and then you'll be able to be 'game ready' in 10-15 pitches.

Trying to 'create' a perfect motion as opposed to allowing your arm to find it's natural path can cause injury and not allow you to throw as free and easy - and as a result, more accurately. Again, the route to a better pitching arm angle is relatively simple: field the ball, hop, step and throw!

I had an interesting Memorial Day weekend and watched a lot of Little League baseball. My grandson, Brendan, and his Ridgewood Rebels were playing in the Bergen County Charity Classic.

Several teams from Bergen County play an elimination tournament and unfortunately Brendan's team did not advance to the playoff round, but it gave me a chance to see him and his teammates play three games.

There were a lot of things that impressed me about being around the Little Leaguers and some things that caused me to reflect on my youth baseball days growing up in Zeeland, Michigan, before organized little league was born. I think Joey Jay, who went on to be a successful pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves and Cincinnati Reds in the 1950s and early 60s, was the first Little Leaguer to become a big leaguer. Not 100 percent sure but I do recall he got some publicity for that.
 
One thing that impressed me in a positive way was the interest the kids had in the current Major Leaguers. So much has been written and spoken about kids in our country not being interested in baseball. Recently, the Yankees staged another of their last inning comeback wins and the Red Sox lost in the last inning to the Mets. The buzz around the dugout went like this, "Did the Yankees win or lose?...They won! Melky Cabrera got a walk off single! And the Red Sox lost, we're tied with them now!" It was reassuring to know that kids today still live, eat and breathe baseball.

As they took infield and outfield practice before the game, they were diligent about hitting the cutoff man and throwing to the right base as the coach hollered out the instructions, "Cut 3, Cut 2, Cut home." I was struck by how good their form was in making the throws and catches and whipping the ball around the diamond. I don't recall being able to do that as well when I was their age. Of course, we had no games on TV where we could see our favorite players perform and emulate them. We just did what seemed natural. When they came to bat a lot of them looked like little Derek Jeters, extending their right arm toward the home plate umpire to ask him to wait until they were ready to hit. Yes, we do mimic our heroes. When I was Brendan's age I mimicked Bobby Shantz, a little lefty pitcher in the 50s by listening to radio announcers describe his motion. That was the only formal training I had as a kid!

The quality of Little League play was very good but the kids were at the mercy of the condition of the field. Because of the dryness it was hard and they had to deal with a lot of irregular hops and, as a result, there were a lot of errors. This solidified my thinking about the important things that determine which team wins or loses. If you never made an error, hit every cutoff man, always threw to the proper base, never issued a walk unintentionally, and always drove the runner in from third base with less than two outs, your team would win most of the games. Contrary to what baseball players think is important, winning is not about who has the highest batting average, hits the most home runs , or a pitcher that strikes out the most batters. It's the simple fundamentals about not making mistakes and doing the ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

I believe the one thing that caused me to realize how fortunate I was during my youth was the solitude in which I was able to play and make mistakes. Even though my form was not as good as the current youth, I wasn't as big or strong as some of the other kids, and didn't have an equipment bag with all the latest gear and a metal bat, I still managed to excel in baseball. No coaches hollering or calling me aside to remind me of things to do that I probably wasn't capable of doing anyway, no parents yelling, "Oh Jimmy, why did you swing at that pitch?" We just got six or eight kids and played for hours. We didn't keep batting averages, no scoreboards or organized games and no uniforms -- just good fun with our playmates.

And you know what? I think we turned out okay. I believe kids from my era were more mature, grounded, and self taught. We didn't have to look for a coach or parent to tell us what to do, because right or wrong, we figured it out ourselves. Maybe kids today need to spend a little more time on their own figuring out the game, their swing and the simple fundamentals. I don't know which way is best, there is good and not as good in each era. But, one thing is for sure, I'm glad I was a kid in the 40s and 50s. 

It was an uplifting day today in spite of all the negative news that seems to dominate the headlines today pertaining to baseball, the game we all love and owe so much to for bringing us a lot of joy and enabling many to earn a nice living. I received two of the most heartwarming and yet heart wrenching emails; stories that brought memories back from 25-40 years ago about youngsters who were touched by the charm of the game. Here is an excerpt from one of them: "

....I wasn't into baseball very much at six yrs old when I met you. But, after spending time at your farm and my dad spending that very brief time with you, I just fell in love with the game. That is only the beginning, however. When I was 12 yrs old, I was diagnosed with leukemia and not given much of a chance to make it. The treatments were painful and intense, as you might imagine.

But, I believe along with the help of God and my family, baseball was instrumental in beating the cancer. Every day I sat in that hospital just waiting for the treatments to end so I could get outside and play on my little league team and then later on, my high school team.

So, Jim, thank you for being so kind to my dad and to me as well. I don't know what I would have done without baseball to focus on while I was fighting through that time in my life."
- Chuck from Leola, PA

If you have a chance, please go to my website, JimKaat.com, and click on Fan Letters to read these wonderful letters written by real baseball fans. Wow! They are stories that brought tears to my eyes because I remember both events like they happened yesterday. I hope today's players never lose sight of the fact that the fans and their love of baseball keeps the game alive.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank all of those who have written me over the past 40 years. The letters I've received are inspirational, touching, and chicken soup for the soul. For those who I've been blessed to meet at the stadiums, on the street, and during scheduled appearances, it was an honor to meet you. Thank you for taking the time to visit with me.

Speaking of appearances, I'm getting ready to launch my 'summer tour' next week. If I'm coming to your town (I'm covering a lot of ground this summer!) and you have the time, come out and say hello! My summer schedule can be found here: Jim's Schedule. To start my journey, I plan to watch my 11-year-old grandson, Brendan, play a couple games in Ridgewood, N.J., and then head to New England to announce the NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game on June 11 at Fenway Park. It's always an exciting opportunity to cover those games; it's 4-5 hours of trauma and drama for the players and managers, and usually a roller coaster ride for the fans as well!

Shortly after that, I'm heading to Cooperstown, NY, to participate in the National Baseball Hall of Fame game on Father's Day, June 21. The game was originally played between current Major League teams but this year it will be played by former star players. Even Bob Feller, at age 90, is hoping to throw a few pitches. I can't wait to see that!

Then I'll head to Fargo, ND, to play in the Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament. Billy Crystal will be there to show the film he did, 61*, about the great battle for the home run record between Roger and Mickey Mantle. Then I'm off to sign autographs at the Bob Feller Museum in Bob's hometown of Van Meter, Iowa. In early July, I'm heading to Hannibal, Missouri, to work with the pitchers on the Hannibal Cavemen baseball team and attend the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame induction ceremonies; Brad Radke, one of the Twins stalwart pitchers for many years will be inducted along with George Brophy, a friend and baseball executive who was a part of the Twins player development department that produced a lot of good major leaguers. Then I'm off to the MLB's All Star game in St. Louis on July 14.

Some of you may know, I started a memorial fund in memory of my late wife, MaryAnn Kaat, after she succumbed to cancer last year. The funds were used to erect lights at the Jim Kaat Baseball Park in Zeeland, Michigan. We are proud to announce that the lights are up and the first game under them was last week! In honor of MaryAnn, I will unveil and erect a plaque with her name on it at the baseball park when I am there in late July for the Jim Kaat Invitational Little League Tournament. Whew! I'm getting tired just thinking about all the miles I'll be logging in my new Roadtrek RV!

In August, I will attend the Philadelphia Phillies Alumni Weekend from August 7-10, and on the 22nd, deliver a speech at the Jockey Club Chairmen's Dinner in Saratoga during racing week. As an avid horse fan, this is one of my favorite summer stops. October 18-19, I will finally get back to my home in Florida and on the golf course to play in the 14th Annual Tim Mara Celebrity Golf Classic at the PGA National Resort & Spa, in West Palm Beach, Fla., to benefit The Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope.

As you can see, semi-retirement is keeping me active and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I'm looking forward to an exciting summer and I'd love to see you on one of my many stops! Thanks for your continued interest and valued comments on my website and on Kaat's Korner.

I watched the Red Sox-Yankees game Tuesday night. It seems one has to drink a 50-gallon drum of Starbucks to hang with these games for nine innings. A Red Sox vs. Yankees game today is like watching Ali & Frazier box a 15-round fight, painfully slow and lacking the drama you expect when they start. I know all too well one of the reasons.

I distinctly remember a few entertaining conversations about pitching that I had on the veranda of the magnificent Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown with the late, great Warren Spahn and another Hall of Fame pitcher and friend, Robin Roberts. Comments they made to me years ago explain the length of today's games and the reason we get cheated out of what could be more exciting finishes, and, likely, could save some teams money. 'Spahnie' would say, "Kid, when it's 2-2 in the seventh, the game is just starting." When I asked Robin, "How do you pitch to Willie Mays?" he would answer, "Tell me the inning, the score and the count."

Watching Joba Chamberlain and Josh Beckett duel reminded me of both of those comments. Chamberlain was dominant after the three-run home run he gave up to Jason Bay. Beckett labored but was gritty and got big outs when he needed them. But, what fun it would have been if both of these power pitchers could have gone toe-to-toe in the eighth and ninth innings. They each threw 108 pitches in six innings or less, whereas if pitching effectively, a nine-inning complete game should take about 115 if you're throwing a high percentage of strikes.

Here's the catch (or the pitch!), someone needs to teach pitchers to pitch to the scoreboard and to the count. Early in the game, pitchers tend to be afraid of the bat and hitters making contact. Why? It has always been my strategy to gamble early in the play and early in the game. I wanted to try to knock out every hitter in three or less pitches and/or try to make him get hits on all of them. The great Sandy Koufax, a good friend of mine, said he was the most successful pitcher because he tried to get hitters to hit the ball, not miss the ball. Let's face it; the best hitters get three hits out of 10 at-bats. I remember times when I used to tell the catcher to call just fastball after fastball, and get as many out as possible in the early innings. Then when it came down to the last few innings, I could use my other weapons more effectively. Curveballs, sliders, and everything else I had in my arsenal. That was when it really counted.

Pitchers today should be less cautious early on, and try to throw as many strikes as possible to avoid long counts and keep hitters from seeing and deciphering too many pitches. When it's tied in the seventh, and the pitcher has not been more economical and the pitch count stands at108, managers are forced to take him out. However, if it's the sixth inning and he's only thrown 75, he's got enough to finish the game.

Here's an example: Let's say a pitcher gives up a solo HR to David Ortiz on the second pitch thrown, a fastball right down Broadway. The pitcher is behind now 1-0. Then Ortiz comes up in a tie game in the seventh and you've only thrown him six or seven pitches in his two previous at-bats. Now, you're still fresh enough to stay in the game, you can go to your other pitches that you haven't shown him yet and 'work him' differently than you did in the previous at-bats.

Pitching is tougher these days. With smaller stadiums, a smaller strike zone, a tighter wound ball, and lighter, laminated, harder bats, there is little opportunity to keep hitters from diving into the ball without a fight, a warning or an ejection. And hitters are bigger and stronger than ever. Watch some of the World Series highlights on the MLB Network and check out the size difference in the players then and now. But, even with that said, sooner or later you have to throw it over the plate.

There's plenty of data out there to support throwing aggressively early on.  If the hitter is behind in the count 0-1, 1-2, 0-2, he likely hits under .200. If it's 1-0, 2-0, 3-1, he's usually over .300. Today's pitchers need to challenge hitters early in the game and trust their stuff and maybe they'll pop a few up or hit them at one of the fielders. Only then will the pitcher be around to enjoy the thrill of trying to get hitters out with the game on the line in the eighth or ninth---and, as an added bonus, teams won't have to carry 12 pitchers on a staff and use four or five pitchers a game.

It costs a lot of money to win a game today. Pitching costs alone can run a staggering $10-15 million for the 'starter', a couple million bucks for the 'set-up' pitcher to then get to the big money 'closer'. I was pleasantly surprised when Pat Ruesse, a columnist from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, wrote a recent column pointing out that the 1967 Minnesota Twins staff, of which I was a member, had eight pitchers pitch all but 34 innings during that season. We missed winning the pennant by only one game. It can be done today. Pitchers are bigger, stronger and, quite frankly, have better technique than we had in days past. They just need to be taught to pay attention to the scoreboard and pitch to the inning, the score, and the count.

I know I've said this before, but it really is ringing true this season. The Yankees don't have the bullpen strength that they had during the dynasty years. Is it any coincidence that those teams won four championships in five season, and the team has not won since 2000? Obviously a team needs to have a good starting staff to be successful, but it's getting those tough outs in the seventh and eighth inning to bridge to a quality closer that separates the pretenders from the contenders.
 
I was watching highlights of the 1996 World Series winning Yankees on the MLB Network and saw that Mariano Rivera and Jeff Nelson set up John Wetteland. Then when Wetteland left, it was Ramiro Mendoza, Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton getting those tough outs to get to Mariano Rivera. Now the Yankees still have Mariano Rivera, but the bridge in front of him leaves a lot to be desired. My evaluation of this team so far is that the starting pitching, inconsistent at times, has been good and will continue to get better. I see the rotation as being a strength of this team. The offense -- with the addition of A-Rod and Mark Teixeira coming around -- will be potent. It's just those tough outs to get to Rivera that should make Yankees fans a little nervous.
 
Brian Bruney really has been terrific thus far, but he is injured right now. Past Mariano and Bruney, the bullpen has a lot of question marks. I always say build a staff from the back end to the front. Again, you need to have quality starters to give quality outings. Quality outings in baseball these days is six innings leading or at least being in the game. If a team has that and has a bullpen that can get to a good closer in the end, that is a team that can go far this season. The Yankees have the starters, I just hope the bullpen can get the tough outs.
 
One thing that I've said from the beginning is that I really do think that Joba Chamberlain really has the look of an unstoppable reliever. I would absolutely put him in the bullpen, especially if Phil Hughes pitches well and, this is a big if, if Chien-Ming Wang can return to the form of the 19-game winner that we saw a couple of years ago. If that can be the case, then you have Bruney and Joba bridging the gap to Mariano, and that might compete with some of the best bullpens in baseball. I don't know if that's the route the Yankees are going to go, but with Marte and Bruney hurt right now, Joe Girardi is going to really try and piece this thing together, which may cost this team some very important games early in the season.

Let's get right down to business. Before we cover anything else in this blog entry, I have to make my Kentucky Derby prediction. I have a great interest in horse racing and have done a lot of studying before this first leg of the Triple Crown. I'm not going to give you a surprise pick because I honestly like the odds-on favorite, I Want Revenge.

Alright now that I've taken care of my pick, I want to talk about a neat experience I had at the beginning of the week. My friend Bob Fishman is a director for CBS and used to direct baseball on the network. His sports television experience is endless. He's done the Final Four, the U.S. Open, the Daytona 500 and of course the NFL on CBS. I auditioned for CBS Sports back in 1989 and at about the same time he was diagnosed with cancer. A large tumor was removed from his chest and then they did a bone marrow transplant. He made it through that experience, living a normal life and is cancer free. After going through what he went through, he started The Bone Marrow Foundation, providing funds for families that don't have insurance, can't afford to find a match or actually have the bone marrow transplant.

I attended his Sports Legends Golf Classic on April 26 and the 27 trying to raise money for his foundation. That being said, his connections in the sports world and the respect people have for him make this event a tough ticket to come by. Jerry Bailey, Joe Namath, Villanova head coach Jay Wright, Mike Jarvis, Mike Schmidt, Dick Stockton and Lesley Visser were some of the many personalities that were in attendance. Rick Pitino was the honored guest at the event. They had quite a video presentation and Pitino said some really great things to the crowd. Legendary basketball coach Chuck Daly, who is currently battling pancreatic cancer, was in everyone's thoughts and prayers.

It was really cool to see all of these personalities, former athletes and coaches at this event. We see so many negative things in sports these days that an event like this is what really brings to life the good that sports fame can bring. At this event, I believe almost $100,000 was raised between donations and an auction that they held.

With all of the attention of tickets being out of price range for the common man and players' salaries being as high as they are, there really is a flip side to the story that sports personalities can turn around and use their stature, money and time to do something good by raising money for good causes.You can learn more at Bob Fishman's Bone Marrow Transplant Web site.

Speaking of doing good for people, this horrible economy has really hit home with a lot of people in this country. People have lost their jobs and can't even afford their mortgage. I'm wondering with a lot of the empty seats in a lot of these ballparks all over baseball this season if these clubs will try and reach out and make tickets available families that are depressed financially. It would be a wonderful public relations move for baseball and all of its clubs, and would provide entertainment for those that really need it right now.

Maybe there are some private companies already doing it, but when I see 16,000 people in attendance at a Red Sox-Indians game, it just makes me think that a lot of these teams can do the right thing and make great use of those seats. It's not much to ask to put a little joy in the lives of people that have fallen on hard times.

That's just my opinion. Check out my Web site and I hope to hear some great feedback from the heart and soul of baseball, you the fans.