Cage Rat: Lessons from a Life in Baseball by the Yankees Hitting Coach

by Kevin Long

Overview

The Hitting Coach for the New York Yankees, Kevin Long trains power-hitters in the fine art of hitting a baseball well—a talent the legendary Ted Williams once called, “the most difficult skill in sport.” In Cage Rat, the man who helps sharpen the mechanics of such superstars as Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Alex Rodriguez shares the expertise he honed over his more than two decades in the game as both player and coach. With an introduction by Alex Rodriguez and an Afterword by Robinson Cano, Cage Rat is an indispensable guide to hitting, filled with practical advice, fascinating behind-the-scenes action, and an enduring, inspiring love for the Great American Pastime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061994999
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/26/2011
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Kevin Long was named the hitting coach of the New York Yankees in 2007 after three seasons in that capacity with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Columbus (2004-06). Before that, he served as the hitting coach of the Triple-A Omaha Royals (2002-03) and the Double-A Wichita Wranglers (2000-01), the top two farm clubs of the Kansas City Royals. He made his professional coaching debut at Single-A Wilmington in 1997 after eight seasons in the minors (1989-96). Drafted by the Royals in 1989, Long played college ball at the University of Arizona, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 1989. He resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife, Marcey, and their three children, Britney, Tracy, and Jaron.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Thanks, Coach by Alex Rodriguez xiii

1 Great Expectations 1

2 Next Stop: The Big Leagues 14

3 The Gypsy Life 23

4 My Dream Changes Shape 40

5 Now Coining to the Plate, Marcey Long 51

6 "Hitting Coach, Number 54, Kevin Long..." 62

7 Getting Down to Business 73

8 Work, Work, Work and Then Work Some More 82

9 Welcome to My Office 98

10 Addition by Subtraction 117

11 The Hardest Thing 123

12 A Long Day 147

13 Meet the Other A-Team 158

14 Pleased to Meet You, Mr. President 171

Afterword: Gracias, Entrenador Robinson Cano 195