July 22, 2007: Go to Book for Hitting – Daily Herald Whether you play tee ball or master’s league softball, whether you’re a coach or a parent, if the goal is hitting a ball with a bat there’s a gold mine of information in "The Making of a Hitter," a new book by former major leaguer Jack Perconte. Perconte, who gave all those lessons at his baseball academy in Naperville, hit .270 in seven seasons in the big leagues, ending with the White Sox in 1986. Though he admits in his 185-page book to being "an average player at best" — Perconte once told a banquet audience he combined with Ernie Banks for 514 home runs, supplying 2 to the total — he’s gained respect for his hitting instruction.In a foreward to "The Making of a Hitter," Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Perconte’s teammate with the Dodgers in 1980 and ’81, called the book "the best I’ve seen to help coaches (and dads like me) understand the swing and teach proper mechanics to help a young hitter reach his potential."Interspersed throughout chapters that include "Fundamentals," "Having Fun" and "Mental Side of Hitting," along with are 52 hitting drills. Regardless of the level of play, it’s guaranteed a hitter or coach can find something of worth in Perconte’s book, even just by looking at the loads of pictures he uses to illustrate the lessons."When the hitter puts all this together," Perconte concludes, "there is no better feeling of accomplisment.""The Making of a Hitter" (Second Base Publishing; $19.95) may be ordered at www.baseballhittinglessons.com.
Jack's book a sure hit - Herald News
July 7, 2007
So what do you think of Mike Scioscia?
If you're like most observers, you have the skipper of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pegged as one of the most knowledgeable and very best managers in all of baseball.
A book -- "The Making of a Hitter" -- has hit the market, with a forward written by Scioscia. He calls it "the best I've seen to help coaches (and dads like me) understand the swing and teach proper mechanics to help a young hitter reach his potential."
The opportunity to plug books, lots and lots of books, comes across my desk and/or computer on a regular basis. Most are not mentioned on our pages.
The reason this one is different? Not only does Scioscia's endorsement mean so much, but the book was written by one of our favorite sons, none other than Jack Perconte, the Joliet native who played seven seasons at second base in the major leagues.
Perconte, an excellent baserunner and glove man, did not have much power, but he always could hit. Ask the guys who played with and against him in the Rivals Park Little League about his prowess at the plate.
His lifetime major league average was .270 in 1,441 at-bats. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him out of Murray State University in the 16th round of the 1976 draft. He made his major league debut with the Dodgers, where he was a teammate of Scioscia, in 1980. Then came stints with Cleveland, Seattle and the White Sox, his career finishing in 1986.
Perconte hit .294 with the Mariners in 1984 and stole 29 bases, .264 the next year with 31 steals.
After retiring from baseball, Perconte returned to this area and opened the Jack Perconte Baseball Academy in Naperville, which he recently sold. He still teaches hitting, of course, but he concentrated on finishing his book as well.
It is written for parents and coaches who feel helpless when their son or daughter is struggling to hit a baseball or softball. It details the hitting techniques and coaching methods that he used teaching thousands of hitters of all ages at his academy.
The books is hands-on, explaining how coaches and parents should guide young baseball players to hit and fix their hitting problems. For parents and coaches who feel helpless when their players struggle with hitting, the book can help avoid the frustration that a lack of confidence and knowledge can cause.
On a card plugging the book, Perconte says, "I'm sorry I could not get my book out sooner, to help for this past season. But I'm sure it will help in the future."
Jack, I just wish I had it for all those years when my daughter Sarah and son Matt were young, and I tried to teach them and their teammates a little bit about hitting.
Perconte Publishes Hitting How-To Book
Courtesy: Murray State Media Relations
Release: 07/16/2007
Courtesy: Murray State Media Relations Jack Perconte shows hitting techniques at his hitting academy (left), which includes lessons learned in the Major Leagues.
Murray State Hall of Fame infielder and former Major League player Jack Perconte has published a book designed for anyone who wants to help young players with their baseball or softball hitting training.
"The Making of a Hitter" is Perconte's first published work, and comes from a player who still holds several Murray State offensive records, despite leaving Murray State in 1976. Perconte continued his offensive prowess in the Major Leagues with such teams as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox. He played seven years in the majors (1980-86), finishing with a career batting average of .270, with a single-season high of .294 in 1984 with Seattle.
Following his career in professional baseball, Perconte opened the Jack Perconte Baseball Academy in Naperville, Ill.,which he recently sold. The title of the book comes from Perconte's estimate of the number of hitting lessons he gave through the Academy.
"Basically, I wanted to help parents and coaches of baseball and softball players to be able to help their sons and daughters become better hitters," Perconte said of the book, "and, at the same time, help the adults become better communicators and role models for the players. Also, the book is for hitters who are looking to improve their hitting skills and their mental approach to hitting.
"I had a passion for the game at a very young age, and I had coaches all along the way who were very supportive, encouraging and influential to keep me moving towards the big leagues. It goes without saying that one of those who meant so much to my development was coach Johnny Reagan at Murray State University. I enjoyed working hard at the game, and enjoyed the journey to the big leagues as much as playing in the big leagues."
The chapters read like a list of batting classes, from "The Fundamentals" and "Drill Work" to "Advanced Hitting Drills," "Teaching the Strike Zone" and "Problem Solving."
"Hitting consistently well is so much harder than it appears on TV," Perconte said. "Another misunderstanding is that just because it came easy for the coach or parent doesn't mean it will come easy to the young player. Most coaches and parents say they want their kids to 'have fun' without really understanding what that means to kids."
Perconte said that several current Major Leaguers went through his hitting academy, but his focus was always helping the average or below-average player reach his potential.
Although "The Making of a Hitter" is Perconte's first published work, he said that writing the book came easily.
"It's all original stuff, except for the foreword by Angels manager (and former Dodger teammate) Mike Scioscia," he said. "Writing this book was easy because it was all information that was in my head; no research was necessary!"
"The book is hands-on," said Chicago Suburban News sports editor Dick Goss in his review, "explaining how coaches and parents should guide young baseball players to hit and fix their hitting problems. For parents and coaches who feel helpless when their players struggle with hitting, the book can help avoid the frustration that a lack of confidence and knowledge can cause."
Perconte is the father of current Murray State Thoroughbreds pitcher Mike Perconte.
