Featuring Major League technology
At first, it looked like any other indoor baseball program. Players took turns walloping baseballs into a net that separated them from the spectators. The sound of bat meeting ball was a welcome contrast to the cold weather outside.
It was the spectators, parents of the batters, who made me realize what was different. “Make sure he shows you the technology,” they all said.
They were referring to Kadeem Octave, who has become a player development coach since graduating from Cornwall in 2011. His credentials are impressive. He started at West Point and Virginia Tech, before landing jobs with the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals.
During the off season, he and his brother are working with young players in a spacious indoor setting on Route 9W in New Windsor. The kids, as well as their parents, have been hooked on the technology.
For each hit, their bat speed, exit velocity, ball rotation and attack angle are displayed on a screen. The players have learned the significance of each number. For example, a drive with back-to-front rotation will result in a ground ball. A blast with back spin is going to be airborne.
One of the graphic displays shows where a ball might land on an actual baseball field. Kadeem considers that important, because many impressive shots into the net will yield nothing more than a ground ball to shortstop on a regular field.
In one drill, Kadeem stands on a chair and drops a ball in front of the batter. Later his brother Steve soft tosses underhand pitches to the kids. Steve was a catcher on Cornwall’s state championship team in 2012. After that, he was a cleanup hitter for Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire and then played pro ball in Australia.
Since the Australian summer starts in December, Steve was able to return to the United States before the pandemic closed our borders. At the end of the Wednesday night session, he and his brother held a contest to keep the participants motivated. The winning hit had an exit velocity in the high-50s and met all the other criteria.
At any time during the night players can watch a replay of their turn at bat to see if they are following the coaches’ instructions. The technology is impressive, but it’s not the only thing that’s different.
The KS Octave Foundation is hosting the clinic. The brothers are using the money they raise to buy equipment and provide scholarships for players with limited funds. Kadeem believes that many of these youngsters turn to other sports that require less of an investment.
He also sees a disadvantage for athletes from the Northeast, where the playing season is shorter than it is in the south or west. That makes the indoor sessions important. He limits them to just a few people per group so no one is idle for very long.
On Sunday, Dec. 13, he was due to start a catching clinic. Steve Octave, with years of experience at the position, will work with the young players. His brother will introduce some of the drills used by Yadier Molina, an All Star backstop for the St. Louis Cardinals.
For information or to sign up, visit ksoctavefoundation on Facebook or Instagram.
