ARTICLES
The Player's Edge had 4 players in the EAST v. WEST All-Star Game at Comerica Park: D.J. LeMahieu (Brother Rice), Bryan Robinson (Troy High), Garrett Stephens (Davison) and Collin Kaline (Groves). Congrats and best of luck in college!
The Player's Edge Players in the Pros!
The Player's Edge is proud to announce that 7 players were drafted professionally in the 2004 Ameteur Draft and one signed as a free agent . The players include:
- *Travis Gulick (Michigan State University) - Arizona Diamond Backs - 23rd Round
- *Will Jostock - Kansas City Royals - 39th Round
- *Sean Dobson (University of Toledo) - St. Louis Cardinals- 40th Round
- *Brad Morenko (Oakland University) - Cincinatti Reds - 40th Round
- *Kyle Boehm (Oakland University) - Baltimore Orioles - 17th Round
- *Dominic Carmosino (Oakland University) - Detroit Tigers - 24th Round
- *Eric Morris (Michigan State University) - Philadelphia Phillies - 44th Round *Son of Jack Morris - former Tiger star.
- *John Sullivan (Oakland University) - Seattle Mariners
- Ryan Freiburger - (Oakland University) - Kansas City T-Bones
- David Barkholz - (Bowling Green) - Kalamazoo Kings
- Peter Varon - (Oakland University) - Kalamazoo Kings, Mid-Missouri Mavericks and Ohio Valley Redcoats
- Ty Herriott - (Oakland University) - Richmond Roosters
- Chris Carter - (Coastal Carolina University) - Baltimore Orioles
- Rick Court - (Michigan State University) - Gateway Grizzlies
- Jim McMahon - (Lake Orion H.S.) - Baltimore Orioles
- B.J. Brown - (Oakland University) - Anaheim Angels
- Mike Cervenak - (University of Michigan) - San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees
- Sam Flamont - (Western Michigan University) - Detroit Tigers/Windy City Thunderbolts
- Adam Fazio - (Purdue University) - River City Rascals
- Nick DiPonio - (Oakland Univeristy) - Kalamazoo Kings
- Paul Phillips - (Oakland University) - Toronto Blue Jays
* Indicates 2004 draft (John Sullivan signed as a free agent)
The Player's Edge Winter Team Training
The Player's Edge was fortunate to work with several teams over the winter to help prepare them for their seasons. The teams included the Huntington Woods Cats, The Player's Edge Cats, Hi-White Indians, Clarkston River Dogs (All age groups), and the Avondale Jr. Jackets . We hope your seasons go well and look forward to working with you again next winter.
The Player's Edge Coach/Parent Clinics Successful
The Player's Edge Staff put on two clinics over the winter. They included the Berkley Dad's Xlub and the Troy Baseball Boosters (TBB). We hope your seasons go well and look forward to working with you again next winter.
Gold Glove Press Release
Newell's Niche is Training Players
Baseball facility draws Oakland County kids
November 13, 2003 - MARK SNYDER - FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Drive into the industrial complex and look around. There's not much there. There's a few doors with signs on them, but they all look ther same. But, you're in the right place.
You have found The Player's Edge baseball training facility, in its new location in Auburn Hills. Owner, Chris Newell, a 30-year-old former pro baseball player, is still working on the space, hanging netting, drilling holes and laying a foam pad to protect the floor. Despite the modest furnishings, The Player's Edge has become Oakland County's hot baseball training spot.
Have a high school baseball player who needs year-round training? Newell's your man. "I heard about it from teammates of mine at Notre Dame Prep, Mark Urbanski," said Steve Taglione, a senior at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep who lives in Troy. "I came in for a lesson on day with a friend and we split the time, and I really enjoyed it. So, I've been coming here for three-and-a-half years." Such dedication is common among Newell's students. A typical $40 lesson lasts 30 minutes and Newell runs them whenever clients want, but since most of his clients are high school students, that boils down to 3-9p.m. window on weekdays and most of the days on weekends. There's also a good-grade incentive; Newell offers lower prices for students who receive a report card with all A's and B's.
Newell grew up in Waterford and dreamed of a career in baseball. Though he always envisioned a career as a player, Newell had to find another niche when he realized in 1998 he would not have a playing career. All he knew was baseball and figured that by sharing his skills, he could assist kids in the area while running his own business.
The Player's Edge facility started in Walled Lake and made a brief stop in Ferndale before Newell settled in Auburn Hills earlier this fall. He has two indoor batting cages - the mesh netting that hangs in most high school gyms - one for hitting and a longer cage, next to it, for pitfching and hitting.
Newell's background enhances his credibility nearly as much as the increasing word-of-mouth. He played with four minor league teams (mostly independent ball) before earning a shot to attend spring training with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998. But, once he found out he was going to become a father, Newell shifted his priorities from traveling as a minor leaguer to trying to earn steady income. He enrolled at the University of Michigan and finished the sports management degree he started at Northwester Missouri State, where he played college baseball.
Late in 1999, he returned to the game and spent three years scounting for the Tampa Rays as The Player's Edge began to grow. His reputation in the community grew enough that he joined the Oakland University baseball coaching staff in 2002, which ended his professional affiliation with the Devil Rays. His work as Oakland's hitting coach rolled into a job this past summer as the interim manager with a Kalamazoo minor league team.
In the past four years, Newell has coached 42 platers that have gone on to play Division I baseball. Former Detroit Tigers first baseman, Dave Bergman - who runs a similar training center in Macomb County called the Hitting Zone - has endorsed Newell's "open-minded approach" to hitting, because Newell does not force clients to adopt a standard style. Newell works with a hitting through a three-part process that begins with warm-ups off a tee, then soft todd where he watches their form and throwing batting practice while he makes suggestions after nearly every swing.
Newell rarely videotapes swings. He takes notes after each sessions and will even give clients a quick reminder over the phone.
With winter upon us, the phone may be the only change to get near Newell as his appointments should be booked solid-six hours per day from January through April.
"Living in Michigan, there's too much downtime," Taglione said. "This is keeping the rust off."
