Creating a Season to Remember: The New Youth-Sports-Coaching Leadership Handbook by Jack Perconte

Following is an excerpt from my new book, Creating a Season to Remember: The New Youth-Sports-Coaching Leadership Handbook. I am not sure there was an old handbook but I do know that the current state of youth sports coaching needs a makeover. In this segment, I show a common complaint from people about their coach. […]

Touring the Bases with Bart Zeller

Bart Zeller is a former major leaguer, who recently coached the Joliet Slammers to their first ever Frontier League championship. Bart is a great baseball man who obviously loves managing and actually still plays himself, all of which you will read about. I believe you will enjoy the great insight Bart gives about independent baseball, […]

Touring the Bases with Italian Baseball Coach Andrea D’Auria

If you ever wondered about baseball in Italy, and if it is even played there, you will love this interview. Andrea sounds like a great guy and I am sure he is and displays the passion for baseball that is like the great coaches here in America. This year was especially rewarding and momentous for Italian baseball, as […]

Touring The Bases With…Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman is an actor, sports writer, inspirational speaker, humorist and photographer. He lives in Half Moon Bay, California. Jack Perconte:  When did your love of baseball begin? Norm Coleman: It began when I was ten years old living in Brooklyn. The year was 1946. My sister Louise, seven years older then me took me […]

Touring The Bases With…Bob Lazzari

Bob Lazzari and I have become friends over the internet and he is one of those guys that you just immediately know that you would like. He is very thorough and interesting with his reporting and is a great writer. Bob has a way of writing that touches you and makes you reflect on your […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days – What to Do When the Lights Go Out

Although I had a few more major league at-bats than “Moonlight Graham” did, I know just how he felt in the movie Field of Dreams – maybe I could have kept playing, but I may have missed my life’s passion, and missed making a difference for some kid. I guess I am one of the […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Rambling & Wondering

I often get the comment from people, “I bet you wished you played now with the money players make these days.” It makes me dream, of course, but I really wonder if I would have even gotten a chance to play professional baseball in today”s game. I have attended quite a few minor league baseball […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – If Only Every Day Could Have Been Opening Day

Wondering what you would do in this situation? Within a couple of hours I had two calls from friends. “Jack I have a ticket for you for the Monday White Sox/Indians opener,” and “Jack, I have a ticket for you for the Monday night final four basketball game.” No brainer for me – baseball any […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Ballplayers (Kids) Say the Darndest Things

One never knows when a ballplayer, young or old, will say something that makes your head spin, creates a comment that you don”t forget and teaches a valuable life lesson for the future. My second book was written because I believe sports provide many opportunities for parents to teach life lessons to their kids. Sometimes, […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Greatness Comes in Big and Little Sizes

I usually get these questions from my students “Who did you play for?” or “What position did you play?” Adults usually follow up with “Who was the best pitcher you ever faced?” and “Who was the best player you ever played with or against?” I assume all former major league players get the same questions. […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Spring Training: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

“Jack, you are like a son to me, but we have to send you down.” If I heard those words from manager Tommy Lasorda once, it seemed like I heard them a thousand times. I wanted to respond with, “Could you consider me a distant cousin or something instead, and keep me on the team?” […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Joe, You are Remembered

Curt Flood took a stance to help players and teammates and made his mark on baseball history. Some guys make their mark with great statistics, whereas others are remembered for other things. Players often take stances day in and day out for their teammates that are not as momentous or reported, but they are never […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – How I Became a Lifetime .380 Hitter – No Thanks to Nolan Ryan

Now that I have your attention and before you think of me as a liar, let me explain.

Rambling on About My Glory Days – The Night and Day of Professional Baseball

Sure, playing in the big leagues is everything it is cracked up to be. Along with unbelievable salaries, players are given everything – free equipment, more than adequate per-day meal money, great clubhouse spreads after the game and the obvious adulation. The hotels are five star hotels with first class treatment. Major league players cruise […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Immortality

You may recall my last post when I wrote about how I ended up attending Murray State University, tried out and made the baseball team. While there, I was part of a most remarkable experience. It all began with one of my teammate’s box score: 3 At Bats 0 Hits 0 Runs 0 RBI and […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Here’s to You J.D. Salinger

As many of you probably heard, J.D. Salinger, the author of the “Catcher in the Rye” died a few days ago. That was my favorite book, especially the part where he wrote about the person who could really whistle. He writes about how every person has at least one thing that they do very well […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Leave It to Lasorda on A Night to Remember

Of course, we all know of great rivalries in sports. Yankees vs. Red Sox, Michigan vs. Ohio State, and Celtics vs. Lakers all come to mind when I think about great rivalries.  I had the opportunity to be part of one of those in my playing days and it all came to a violent, crazy […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Riding the Roller Coaster

Last post I mentioned that I hoped that the good memories of my professional playing career never end so I could keep writing about the happy times. Then of course, I couldn’t think of another good memory that I haven’t already written about. I hope that is only a case of temporary amnesia. Below is […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Earning Respect

This is one of my most often used comments when talking with my baseball students, “Remember the good at-bats and forget the bad ones, or this game will drive you crazy.”

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Game Within a Game

Baseball fans see teams competing against each other and batters battling against pitchers. What they have no way of knowing about is the personal battles that often develop between two players, or even sometimes between a player and the opposing manager.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: April Fool’s Day

As baseball people know, April fools day lands near the end of spring training each year. The end of spring training is a very nervous time for most players. Obviously, this is when major league teams have to cut down to the twenty five man roster for the beginning of the regular season. Players, who […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Where’s Waldo, I mean Johnstone?

So many of my crazy, memorable baseball experiences happened when I played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is kind of ironic because I was only with the big league Dodger team for a short while. I guess it makes sense though, because after all, it is Hollywood. The following story is quite famous, told […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Tiger Woods

Just wanted to get your attention in case you were in a cave for the last week and were not tired of Tiger tales. Anyway, this story does involve my wife and a possible separation (sort of), so I figured I could hop on the Tiger story band wagon.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Peace of Mind at Thanksgiving

Of course, Thanksgiving is the time of year when one looks back, thinks of and thanks the people who they are most grateful for. In my professional career, there is one person that fits that bill every Thanksgiving.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: From Yaz to Perco to Ochocinco

Whenever I have a baseball coach’s clinic, I begin with a trivia question, “Who caught the last ball that Carl Yastrzemski ever hit in a major league game?” Not one person has ever answered correctly; until I gave them the hint, “The answer is so obvious, like it is right in front of you.” Every […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: A Higher Calling

Things were looking up for me and the 1982 Cleveland Indians, literally.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: From Mariano to A-Rod; World Series Thoughts

It is always sad to see the season end. I love watching the playoffs/World Series and wish they continued all winter. I would not mind if they shortened the regular season and had an extended playoff system, either. Otherwise, here are some random thoughts about this year’s World Series.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Welcome to Professional Baseball Moment

You may recall my previous post about being drafted and the joy my family and I felt when I was chosen in the 16th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. To celebrate Dodger Blue, I went out and spent my whole bonus on a shiny, metallic Green Buick Century?

Rambling On about My Post Glory Days: Bring on the Red Flags

I am not usually a bandwagon jumper, but it has been very difficult to watch the game I love during these baseball playoffs.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: The Sociological Effects of Baseball

Don’t worry baseball fans, a college degree is not necessary for this article.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Cheer Up Matt Holliday

by Joe Baseball – Note to readers, I am writing this article under an alias to protect the innocent.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Making the “Show” is Not Enough

After reading Seamheads leader Mike Lynch’s article about Ed “Irish” Conwell, it reminded me of a question I often receive about players who make it to the major leagues.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: The True Measure of a Ballpark

One of the signs that you are getting old is that most of the ballparks that you played in are no longer in existence.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: The Key to Mental Toughness Quiz

I have had this debate with friends before. It all started with a question from a friend about how important mental toughness is in an athlete and if it could be taught. I set out to find what I thought was the key to mental toughness for athletes. Before coming to my conclusion I would […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: A Win That Did Not Feel Like a Win

Following up on my previous post about an awesome experience our Triple-A level Albuquerque Dukes team had when we played our parent team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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