California Pitching Academy is the brain child of former pro
scout Rich Taylor
He’s been a Major League scout, a minor league prospect, and a
pitching instructor and coach for most of his adult life. In
November, Rich Taylor is going to bring his slew of baseball
knowledge to a new California Pitching Academy site in Morgan Hill
where he can teach, coach, lecture on the art of pitching and arm
strengthening, and offer programs to area youth that are looking to
hone their skills on the mound.
California Pitching Academy is the brain child of former pro scout Rich Taylor
He’s been a Major League scout, a minor league prospect, and a pitching instructor and coach for most of his adult life. In November, Rich Taylor is going to bring his slew of baseball knowledge to a new California Pitching Academy site in Morgan Hill where he can teach, coach, lecture on the art of pitching and arm strengthening, and offer programs to area youth that are looking to hone their skills on the mound.
“The biggest thing I do is teach the complete package of pitching, both the physical and mental aspects,” said Taylor, the academy’s CEO. “I’d say more than half of the people I see are not using the right technique. Even more are using improper throwing mechanics. That’s the major things I see, people short-arming the ball, guiding the ball, pushing the ball or having their body too far out in front. A lot are just afraid to cut loose.”
When completed, the facility will also include instruction for softball pitchers as well.
The California Pitching Academy will operate in conjunction with a larger baseball and softball complex that will also include indoor batting cages. In all, the entire facility will include 25,000 square foot of space.
“We’ll have four indoor mounds, one of them will be dirt,” Taylor said. “We’ll have a small weight training room, an area to work on pick-off moves, defense, and a state-of-the-art video system so that we can film the players and analyze their pitching motion.”
The site is expected to be located in an industrial complex building on Cochrane Road.
“We’re extremely excited about this opportunity,” said Taylor, 49. “We’ve waited a long time for this to happen. Everyone involved has been working diligently and we look forward to working with more players in a bigger instructional facility with a better atmosphere for pitching and throwing instruction. And we’re very happy our main site will be right here in Morgan Hill. The people in this area deserve it.”
A resident of Morgan Hill, Taylor originally called his company Taylor Made Baseball when it first opened in 2002 out of his small warehouse space in Morgan Hill.
This year, Taylor opted to change the name to the California Pitching Academy after trademark attorneys voiced concerns that the name could result in infringement problems with Taylor Made, the giant Southern California based golf club manufacturer.
In addition to opening a new state-of-the-art facility Taylor also brings with him an abundance of knowledge on the game.
After graduating from Pepperdine University in 1979, he played a few seasons in the Chicago White Sox farm system before becoming Pepperdine’s pitching coach from 1980 to 1986. At the time of his hire, he was the youngest Division I pitching coach in the nation.
After leaving his alma mater, Taylor became a scout for the Chicago White Sox from 1986 to 1990. During that period he also worked as an instructor with the team’s fall ball program.
During his stint with the White Sox, Taylor also opened the West Coast Baseball School in Southern California where he partnered up with former Kansas City Royals pitcher Bret Saberhagen as well as a handful of other players.
In 1991, he left the game to work as a general manager for American Golf Corporation where he managed several different golf facilities in Northern California.
After going through a divorce in 1998, Taylor decided to get back into baseball again and began working as a freelance instructor at the Hardtke World of Baseball in Campbell before breaking away and opening his current operation in 2002.
The California Pitching Academy is open to anyone ranging in age from 8 through college.
“We give private instruction. We have camps, clinics, seminars and demonstrations,” Taylor said.
As a result of using proper throwing techniques and arm strengthening exercises, most athletes that attend the academy will see a noticeable increase in their overall velocity, according to Taylor.
“With arm strengthening and proper mechanics, I’ve seen people add anywhere from 5 to 10 mph on their fastball,” Taylor said. “In high school, that is a big difference. I’ve had many high school kids come in throwing 77-78 and get it up to 82-83. That is pretty typical for us.”
Former Tri County Athletic League Pitcher of the Year Eric Abbott, a Live Oak graduate, was a student of Taylor’s as was Mike Paresa the former Monterey Bay League Pitcher of the Year two years ago.
Taylor has also worked with six players that went on to compete in the Major League system.
Since the California Pitching Academy was formed more than 250 private clients and more than 2,500 players have participated in arm strengthening classes, clinics, camps or demonstration programs throughout Northern California.
“A healthy arm year-round is what we stress,” Taylor said. “A lot of people are playing year-round ball now and we want to make sure that they stay healthy.”
In January of 2007 the California Pitching Academy will also be opening a facility in Davis that will serve the entire Sacramento region.
“Expansion is a part of our success,” Taylor said. “As we move forward into 2007 we have more major programs to roll out, one of which is specifically designed in connection with the All-Star Game in San Francisco.”
For additional information on the academy, go to www.californiapitchingacademy.com Rich Taylor can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
