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Fundamentals in Photos

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

St. Louis Cardinals First Baseman Albert Pujols fields a ground ball

What should I be looking at?

Head positioning: As with everything in sports, the eyes are supremely important in fielding a baseball. Albert Pujols, known for his light-tower-power, shows perfect form as he watches a ground ball into his glove.

Base: Pujols' feet are square, a little more than shoulder width apart, and bent at the knees. Notice that he is not straight-legged and bent over trying to make a play. The solid, athletic base allows for the fielder to react to an unexpected hop and never be off guard!

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Fundamentals in Photos

(Photo courtesy of Reuters)

Alex Rodriguez fires across the diamond.

What should I be looking at?

Arm Angle: The most important thing to keep in mind when throwing a baseball is the positioning of the elbow as compared to the shoulder. The ideal position is shown here as A-Rod attempts to throw a baserunner out at first base in a game in Detroit in May of this year. Positioning your elbow ABOVE the shoulder alleviates pressure on the elbow. When the elbow drops BELOW the shoulder, the elbow strains and, if done consistently, can result in injury.

Link of the Day

Over at on of my personal favorite baseball blogs, River Ave Blues, they took the time to break down the amazing success that Curtis Granderson has enjoyed since making the adjustments that I talked about in an "Major Leaguers You Can Learn From" post. Be sure to check it out!

Fundamentals in Photos

(Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

This is a great photo of James McDonald of the Pirates during his gem last night against the Reds.

What should I be looking at?
Grip: By looking at McDonald's right hand, you will see a text book grip for a circle change. Although the positioning of the ball may vary from pitcher to pitcher on this pitch, two things remain constant: first, as you can see, the fingers are kept OFF of the seams, which automatically cuts down on velocity. Without the leverage created from your fingertips pulling on the lacing, the ball will inevitably slow down. Second, the grip is LOOSE. A changeup must be held like an egg. Choking this pitch will invariably result in the pitcher spiking it into the ground.

Reader Poll

Tonight, I am looking to keep my finger pulse of the public, so I am turning the tables and asking my readers to write a post for me by answering the following question:

Which Major League pitcher, past or present, would you qualify as having "perfect" mechanics?

Leave your answer in the comments section, and I will break the answers down tomorrow!