Picture Perfect fun at Practice

The Blue Jays had lots of fun at practice Saturday, May 19, at Burning Tree Elementary School.

Braden Poon, Sam Berman, Justin Conner, Jeremy Robertson, Ethan Yu, Charlie Knowles, John Wyatt, Ryan Groban, Dylan Edwards, Dylan Yoon, George Roggie and Gavin Ferguson started early and stayed late on a perfect late spring afternoon.

May 19 Practice Review

Once again, turnout for early batting practice was fantastic!  Nearly the entire team took advantage of the opportunity to get some extra plate work with the Blue Flame pitching machine.

At five o'clock, we turned our attention to defense and base running.  The entire team worked for about a half hour on recognizing force plays, making the easy play, and getting three outs in order to get off the field.

The players then indicated that they wanted to scrimmage.  We were happy to oblige.  The game was competitive and lots of fun.  We even broke out the catching equipment at practice for the first time this season!

The Blue Jays finished with a team-building backwards run around the base paths.  We'll probably do that again.

Coach Steve then had the bright idea to have the kids run two full acres backward and then return running forward.  We will probably NOT do that again.

Thanks to Tom Yu, Chuck Edwards, Brian Ferguson, Steve Berman, Fred Knowles, James Yoon and Kevin Conner for helping out at practice.  And thanks to everyone who helped the kids with the catching equipment!

Game - Sunday, May 20

The game day forecast is sublime.

The Blue Jays will play the Astros Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Westland Middle School.  We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's celebrate a perfect day with a great effort and lots of fun in our final game before Memorial Day Weekend!

Coach Steve

Great Practice!

The Blue Jays put in some extra work and had some extra fun at practice Saturday, May 12, at Burning Tree Elementary School.

John Wyatt, Braden Poon, Justin Conner, Sam Berman, Jeremy Robertson, Ethan Yu, Ryan Groban, Charlie Knowles, Jack Raymond, George Roggie and Gavin Ferguson looked great as they prepared for Sunday's game with the Tigers (black).

May 12 Practice Review

The entire team continued to show improvement during the highly challenging ground ball drill.  It seems that fewer balls make their way to the outfield grass each week.  That's the idea!

The squad split into two groups for the fly ball drill.  Some worked on catching infield pop-ups.  Others worked on outfield fly balls - judging where the ball is going, moving their feet to get in position, and then completing the catch.

Finally, everybody participated in an intra squad scrimmage that featured lots of big hits, some very good catches, and no shortage of heads-up fielding and base running plays.

Thanks to Tom Yu, Derrick Raymond, Torsdon Poon, Steve Berman, Fred Knowles and Brian Ferguson for helping out at practice!

Game - Sunday, May 13

The game day forecast remains favorable.

The Blue Jays will play the Tigers (black) Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Westland Middle School.  We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

Go Blue Jays!

Thanks to all of the Blue Jays Moms who will spend a portion of their Mothers Day at a dusty baseball field!  Let's make them proud by having fun, doing our best, and demonstrating great teamwork and sportsmanship.

Coach Steve

Blue Jays go all in on Defense!

After putting in a lot of hard work on defense, the Blue Jays concluded practice with a team cheer that quickly became a flesh pile of epic proportions!

Somewhere in there you will find Gavin Ferguson, Sam Berman, Dylan Yoon, John Wyatt, Braden Poon, George Roggie, Ethan Yu, Ryan Groban, Dylan Edwards, Justin Conner, and Jack Raymond.

May 5 Practice Review

The Blue Jays accomplished much in 90 minutes, including:

• Stopping very difficult ground balls
• Moving and setting their feet to catch fly balls
• Recognizing force outs during infield practice with base runners
• Making three outs to get off the field and come in and hit

Improvement was evident throughout practice.  Even better, we had fun while working to get better!

Thanks to Tom Yu, Brian Ferguson, Chuck Edwards and James Yoon for carrying equipment and helping out at practice.  Parent participation is key to the Blue Jays' success!

Game - Sunday, May 6

The game day forecast is nearly perfect!

The Blue Jays will play the Cardinals Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at Westland Middle School.  We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

Go Blue Jays!

This game gives the Blue Jays a great opportunity to show what they can do.  We won't see another team like the Cardinals this season.  Let's have fun, do our very best, and continue to demonstrate terrific teamwork and sportsmanship!

Go Blue Jays!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays beat the rain at Practice

Starting early made the Blue Jays look really smart!

We had a great turnout for the optional batting session prior to practice Saturday, April 28, at Burning Tree Elementary School.

Charlie Knowles, George Roggie, Justin Conner, Ryan Groban, Ethan Yu, Jeremy Robertson, Sam Berman, John Wyatt, Gavin Ferguson, Dylan Yoon and Jack Raymond did an awesome job until the rain showers arrived and ended practice early.

April 28 Practice Review

The Blue Jays worked on:

• Being ready to hit as soon as they step to the plate
• Stopping difficult grounders before the ball gets to the outfield
• Moving their feet to catch fly balls

Unfortunately, we did not get to scrimmage due to weather.  But we tried!

Thanks to everyone who helped at practice, including Tom Yu, Brian Ferguson, Derrick Raymond, Kevin Conner, Fred Knowles, and James Yoon.

Game - Sunday, April 29

Despite this evening's rain, there is reason to be optimistic about our chances of playing the game tomorrow.

The Blue Jays are scheduled to play the Phillies Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Westland Middle School.  We will bat first because we are the visiting team.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's continue to have fun, do our best, and demonstrate great teamwork and sportsmanship in tomorrow's game!

Coach Steve

Fun begins with Practice

The Blue Jays made their official practice debut Saturday, April 14 at Burning Tree Elementary School.

George Roggie, Dylan Edwards, Dylan Yoon, Ethan Yu, Justin Conner, Charlie Knowles, Braden Poon, Ryan Groban, John Wyatt, Jack Raymond and Jeremy Robertson had fun as they worked on the skills that will allow them to do their best this season.

April 14 Practice Review

The Blue Jays worked on:

• READY position
• Running as fast as possible and not watching their hits
• Listening to the 1B and 3B coaches and doing what they say
• Getting the ball in from the outfield on defense
• Getting ARMS UP to stop the opponent from running

They practiced making outs in the field, talked about the importance of great sportsmanship, and did the grueling "bunny hop" around the bases.

The Blue Jays ended practice with a fantastic Minor League Scrimmage between the Flying Squirrels and the Iron Pigs.

Game - Sunday, April 15

The Blue Jays will play the Tigers (orange) Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at Westland Middle School. We will bat first because we are the visiting team.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's have fun and do our best in our season opening game tomorrow!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays get back to the Ballpark!

The Blue Jays started the preseason with a fun Spring Training session Sunday, March 11 at Avenel Park.

Dylan Yoon, Jack Raymond, Gavin Ferguson, Jeremy Robertson, Braden Poon, Ethan Yu, Jake Schuman, George Roggie, Sam Berman, Charlie Knowles and Dylan Edwards worked hard and enjoyed the warm weather and abundant sunshine!

The intra-squad scrimmage provided many highlights, including great hits, smart base running plays, and outstanding catches.

We hope that you'll join us again for more Spring Training next week!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays enjoy final practice of the Season

Nine Blue Jays had fun and played until darkness fell upon the field Saturday, October 22 at Whittier Woods Center.

Jake Schuman, Jeremy Robertson, William Amorosi, Ryan Groban, Ethan Yu, Sam Berman, Gavin Ferguson, Braden Poon and George Roggie prepared at the plate and in the field for Sunday's season-ending game with the Tigers.

They warmed up with the ten-throw drill, practiced getting the ball in from the outfield, and made some spectacular outs during infield practice.


They endured the coach's unorthodox methods during the six-pitch hit-and-run exercise. In the photo above, courtesy of Mark Amorosi, the players crab-walk from 1st base to 2nd base.

They also ran the bases backward and enjoyed a team relay race. After each exercise, they returned to the batter's box for another round of hitting.

Strange?

Yes, but it seems as if it's working.

The Blue Jays completed their final practice with an intra-squad World Series scrimmage between the Rangers and the Cardinals.

Game - Sunday, October 23

The Blue Jays will play the Tigers Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Avenel (Persimmon Tree) Park.

Please arrive at 12:30 so that we can warm up, establish the batting order, and exchange lineups with the other team. We will bat first because we are the visitors.

We will have a brief postseason celebration after the game. We will also share our plans regarding the spring 2012 BCC season.

Thanks to The Poon Family for volunteering to bring the post game drinks. We will provide the postseason treats.

Go Blue Jays!

We have one more opportunity to have fun, do our best, and demonstrate great teamwork and sportsmanship. Let's make the most of it!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays practice at Warp Speed

Ten Blue Jays had fun and worked hard throughout a fast-moving practice Saturday, October 15 at Whittier Woods Center.

Jake Schuman, Gavin Ferguson, Ryan Groban, George Roggie, Jeremy Robertson, Sam Berman, Jack Raymond, Ethan Yu, Braden Poon and William Amorosi (not pictured) exercised mind and body in preparation for Sunday's game with the Padres.

They began with the ten-throw warm-up, moved on to the outfield-in drill, and performed admirably during infield practice.

And that was just the first 40 minutes!

The coach put the Blue Jays through the grueling six-pitch hit-and-run exercise. The team concluded practice with a compelling scrimmage that pitted Austria against Australia.

Game - Sunday, October 16

The Blue Jays will play the Padres Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at Bethesda Elementary School.

Please arrive at 12:00 noon so that we can warm up, establish the batting order, and exchange lineups with the other team. We will bat first because we are the visitors.

Thanks to the Berman Family for volunteering to bring the post game snacks and drinks.

Go Blue Jays!

We have just two games left to play this season. Let's focus on having fun, doing our best, and demonstrating great teamwork and sportsmanship!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays run ragged in Practice

Six Blue Jays and one sister had quite a workout at practice Saturday, October 8 at Whittier Woods Center. George Roggie, John Wyatt, William Amorosi, and Ethan Yu ran until their legs simply gave out. Braden Poon and Gavin Ferguson managed to remain on their feet. Lily Wyatt was exhausted after watching the grueling display.

This might have been the toughest practice we've ever had. The players took extra batting practice at 4:00 p.m. and then seemed to be ready to run.

So run they did... for the better part of an hour and a half!

They chased baseballs, ran the bases, participated in relay races, jogged the property line, and even ran backwards!

They tested their endurance by stepping up to the plate after each exercise. We were pleased to learn that the Blue Jays can still hit when they're tired.

Game - Sunday, October 9

The Blue Jays will play the Giants Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Bethesda Elementary School.

Please arrive at 4:00 p.m. so that we can warm up, establish the batting order, and take our fielding positions for the first inning. We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

Thanks to the Yu Family for picking up the baton and supplying the post game snacks and drinks!

Go Blue Jays!

Let's enjoy the great weather, have a lot of fun, do our best, and demonstrate great teamwork and sportsmanship in our game with the Giants!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays flex muscles at Practice

It was a tough crew of nine Blue Jays that practiced in the mud Saturday, September 24 at Whittier Woods Center.

Gavin Ferguson, Jake Schuman, John Wyatt, Ryan Groban, Ethan Yu, George Roggie, Sam Berman, Jeremy Robertson and Braden Poon proved that they do not require great field conditions to have a great practice!

They started with the ten-throw warm-up that is designed to improve throwing accuracy. They worked on hitting the cut-off man during the outfield-in drill. They used the hitting stick to practice making contact with pitches at the belt, shoulders, and knees. They inhaled high pop-ups during the fly ball drill.

We ended practice with a presidential scrimmage. The Washingtons topped the Adams in a hard-fought contest.

Game - Sunday, September 25

The game with the Athletics is Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Glen Hills Park. The league indicated that the location is in Potomac. However, it appears that the official address is 12511 Circle Drive, Rockville. Click this link for a map.

Please arrive at 12:30 so that we can warm up, establish the batting order, and get set in our positions for the first inning. We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

Thanks again to the Groban Family and the Schuman Family for signing up to bring the snacks and drinks, respectively.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's hope that we don't get any more rain and that we have a fun and exciting game with the Athletics!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays ready to Play Ball!

Ten Blue Jays enjoyed a fun and productive practice Saturday, September 17, in preparation for Sunday's season opener with the White Sox.

George Roggie, Jeremy Robertson, Ryan Groban, John Wyatt, William Amorosi, Ethan Yu, Jake Schuman, Sam Berman, Braden Poon and Gavin Ferguson worked hard to improve their skills and develop teamwork that will serve them well throughout the season!

We warmed up with grounders, worked on picking up the ball and throwing to 1st base, and practiced getting the ball in quickly from the outfield. The 2nd basemen covered the bag when the ball was hit to the left; the shortstops covered 2nd base when the ball was hit to the right.

We finished practice with an entertaining and closely matched intra-squad scrimmage.

Well done, Blue Jays!

Game Day - Sunday, September 18

The game with the White Sox is Sunday, September 18, at 2:30 p.m. at Bethesda Elementary School. The address is 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda. Click on the link for a map.

Please arrive at 2:00 p.m. so that we can warm up, establish the batting order, and line up in our fielding positions for the first inning.

Thanks again to Gavin's parents, Brian Ferguson and Audrey Sugimura, for volunteering to bring the post game snacks and drinks this week.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's have fun, do our best, and demonstrate outstanding teamwork and sportsmanship in the season opener!

Coach Steve

Fun in the sun at Blue Jays Scrimmage

Ten Blue Jays had lots of fun and played some high quality baseball during Sunday's scrimmage at an undisclosed location.

Jake Schuman, Ethan Yu, Jeremy Robertson, John Wyatt, Braden Poon, Andre Schnider, George Roggie, Sam Berman and Gavin Ferguson did a terrific job at the plate and in the field.

Special thanks to Jack Raymond for coming even though he's on the disabled list with a broken arm.


The Blue Jays learned a lot about the new rules and how to play now that they've moved up to the American League. Coach Steve learned a lot, too!

Thanks to everyone for coming!

We'll see everyone at practice next Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at Whittier Woods.

Our game with the White Sox is Sunday, September 18, at 2:30 p.m. at Bethesda Elementary School.

The entire season schedule is available here.

Go Blue Jays!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays fly through first Practice!

Eight Blue Jays soared to great heights at the first practice of the new season Saturday, September 3, at Whittier Woods Center.

Braden Poon, George Roggie, Gavin Ferguson, Ethan Yu, Jake Schuman, John Wyatt, Jeremy Robertson and Sam Berman had fun and demonstrated outstanding teamwork on the practice field!

September 3 Practice Summary

After warming up with the ten-throw drill, the Blue Jays met at the red bag and endured Coach Steve's first speech of the year. Everyone did an admirable job paying attention.

Jeremy Robertson put on his game face for the triangle drill. We do this to work on being ready, fielding ground balls, and catching thrown balls.

The triangle also enables us to work on delivering accurate throws to our teammates. In the photo above, John Wyatt demonstrates his outstanding throwing technique.

The Blue Jays are very excited to welcome Gavin Ferguson to the team! Above, Gavin reacts after his throw was caught by a teammate.

Here, Jake Schuman cleanly fields a grounder during the triangle drill. Notice how Jake keeps his feet apart and bends at the knees so that he can make the play.

We talked about how important it will be this season to return balls that are hit to the outfield back to the infield. The Blue Jays then did a great job in the outfield-in drill.

We simulated in-game at-bats during the six-pitch drill. Above, Sam Berman sizes up a pitch from the Blue Flame pitching machine before air mailing the ball to left field!

Always a fundamentally sound hitter, Braden Poon showed that he can make contact with good pitches and with bad pitches.

We finished practice with the always popular fly ball drill. Ethan Yu, who worked hard on his catching all summer, proved to be an outstanding glove man, hauling in three tough fly balls at 2nd base.

Ever dependable with the glove, George Roggie put a bow on the first practice of the season when he nabbed a sky-high rainmaker at 1st base.

Player Development

Just 18 days removed from the womb, Clark Roggie took in his first Blue Jays' practice. We think that he is a tremendous prospect!

Great practice, Blue Jays!

Thanks for having fun, doing your best, and demonstrating great teamwork and sportsmanship.

We're excited to see everyone again at practice Saturday, September 10, when we'll get ready for our season opening game with the Tigers the following day.

Go Blue Jays!

Coach Steve

Three for the show at final Practice

Three Blue Jays used the season's last practice to prepare for Sunday's final game and to work on hitting against the pitching machine in anticipation of the move up to the BCC American League next season.

George Roggie, Sam Berman and Ethan Yu took turns whacking pitches from the Blue Flame.

George made consistent contact and worked on swinging hard at every pitch.

Sam applied what he learned last week at Home Run Baseball Camp, turning his hips to generate more power.

Ethan increased his bat speed by moving his hands more quickly through the strike zone.

All three players had fun and did a great job!


Tom Yu helped out in a variety of ways at Saturday's practice. He carried equipment, shagged balls, and added a reliable glove in the infield.

Thank you, Tom!

The Last Hurrah

The Blue Jays will complete the spring season Sunday, June 19 with a makeup game with the Baseball Factory. Game time is 5:00 p.m. Please arrive at 4:30.

Go Blue Jays!

Let's finish the season with lots of fun, great teamwork, terrific sportsmanship, and dry weather!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays feel the heat in Practice

Five Blue Jays had fun and delivered great hits against the pitching machine at practice Saturday, June 11 at Westbrook Elementary School.

William Amorosi, Jeremy Robertson, George Roggie, Ethan Yu and Braden Poon showed off some hot bats on a hot day!


Ethan clearly understood that hydration would be key on this day.


George gave a big thumbs-up for cold water.


William demonstrated the bottoms-up technique.


Coach Steve brought out the Blue Flame pitching machine. It was time to hit.


Braden Poon delivered scorching hits to all portions of the field! He chopped grounders past the shortstop and smacked line drives to left center field.


Jeremy Robertson ripped smoking grounders to 2nd base and clubbed a line drive to center field.


George Roggie sizzled at the plate, pounding fly balls to left field and hot grounders to right field.


Ethan Yu wielded a hot bat, slapping ground balls past 1st base and 2nd base.


William Amorosi brought the heat to his first batting practice with the pitching machine. He slapped grounders up the middle and bouncing balls to the right side of the infield.


We're proud of these guys for doing their best on a sweltering day. They demonstrated that they were ready to play in Sunday's game with the Dodgers.

Great practice, Blue Jays!

Coach Steve

Lucky Seven Blue Jays prepare for Cubs

Seven Blue Jays had fun and did their best at practice Saturday, June 4 at Westbrook Elementary School.

Allen Tousi, Justin Conner, Jeremy Robertson, John Wyatt, George Roggie, Ethan Yu and William Amorosi worked hard on hitting, fielding and base running.

These guys are ready to play the Cubs Sunday, June 5.

The game starts at 3:30 p.m. Please arrive at Pyle Middle School at 3:00. We will be in the field first because we are the home team.

As usual, the game day weather forecast is iffy. We will contact you via email if the game is canceled.

Otherwise, please assume that we will play.

Go Blue Jays!

Coach Steve

Blue Jays prepare to blast off against Astros

Seven Blue Jays had fun and learned a lot at practice Saturday, May 21 at Westbrook Elementary School.

Jeremy Robertson, Ethan Yu, Braden Poon, Sam Berman, Jake Schuman, John Wyatt and George Roggie honed their skills in preparation for Sunday's game with the Astros.

May 21 Practice Report


The Blue Jays worked a lot on catching and throwing. Above, Sam Berman delivers an accurate throw to his teammate during the new 10-catch drill.


Here, Sam does a great job, keeping his mitt up as he prepares to catch the ball. That's the best way to be safe and to catch the ball consistently.


Batting practice was brief because we worked primarily on fielding. Nevertheless, Sam needed little time to make good contact with the ball.

Sam is ready for the Astros!


George Roggie was Sam's partner during the 10-catch drill. Above, George prepares to make another great catch! He also caught two fly balls during fielding practice.


George delivered fantastic throws throughout practice. He and Sam we so good during the 10-catch drill that they ended up playing catch while standing about 70 feet apart!


George also enjoyed a successful turn at bat. His final hit was a towering line drive to left field that probably would have been a double if he had hit it in a game.


John Wyatt improved his catching by leaps and bounds because he focused on keeping his mitt up. John then took what he had learned in drills and applied it during fielding practice. John's stint at 1st base was outstanding!


John consistently delivered accurate throws, too! Above, he prepares to toss a perfect strike to his partner during the 10-catch drill.


John's heads-up base running helped his teammates learn how to get the ball back to the infield as quickly as possible whenever it's hit to the outfield.


John blasted three great hits during batting practice. Two line drives, one to left field and the other to right field, were particularly impressive.


Jeremy Robertson was John's partner for the 10-catch drill. Above, Jeremy demonstrates great form while throwing the ball.


Jeremy improved his fielding skills quite a bit during Saturday's practice. Here, he keeps his mitt up as he prepares to catch a throw from John.

Jeremy has improved all of his baseball skills this season because he has come to practice and worked hard every week.

Great job, Jeremy!


Jeremy has made a habit of clobbering the ball in batting practice. He continued that trend, smacking hard hits to shortstop and left field.


Braden Poon has always demonstrated solid fundamentals with the glove. Here, he prepares to catch a throw from his partner during the 10-catch drill.

Braden also did a good job at 1st base during fielding practice.


Here, Braden delivers another accurate toss. Braden worked on making throws that can be caught by his teammates at close range.


Braden demonstrated good power during batting practice. He slammed two grounders to the shortstop and blasted a towering shot to left field.

The Astros need to look out for this guy!


Jake Schuman has a very strong arm. He learned in practice that he doesn't need to use it on every throw.

Jake did a great job adjusting his release point and developing greater accuracy on different types of throws.


Jake has really improved his consistency in the field by catching the ball with his mitt up. Above, Jake demonstrates the proper technique.

He also does a great job using his long arms to catch throws that are not quite on target.


We were very impressed with the way that Jake identified the force outs during fielding practice.


Jake's hitting is getting better every week. He pounded two line drives to center field in Saturday's practice.


Ethan Yu arrived in time to put in some quality work during fielding practice. Above, Ethan listens as Coach Steve explains why it is important to get the ball from the outfield back to the infield as quickly as possible.

Ethan also made a terrific unassisted put-out at 3rd base!


Ethan made a nice adjustment during batting practice, choking up on the bat to give himself a better chance to make contact.

The results were outstanding. Ethan delivered three solid hits after he choked up.

Value Added


Unfortunately, we did not get a photo of Torsdon Poon at this week's practice. However, we assure you that his appearance has not changed all that much since last week, when we took this photo.

This week, Torsdon caught during batting practice, ran the bases (much more swiftly than Coach Steve) during fielding practice, and pitched in wherever and whenever he was needed.

Thanks, Torsdon!

Blue Jays bring the Heat


For the first time this season, practice was hot!


Fortunately, we have some cool customers on this team!


The Blue Jays hope to heat up again Sunday, May 22 in their game with the Astros.

Go Blue Jays!

Coach Steve