Murray State University Athletics
Perconte Publishes Hitting How-To Book
7/16/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
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.
"60,000 Hitting Lessons" 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 "60,000 Hitting Lessons" 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.
For more information about the book or to place an order, visit the book's Web site at www.baseballhittinglessons.com or call (630) 913-8666.
