Synopsis
Growing up in sunny Southern California, Steve Springer was always told that he was too small and would never make it as a baseball player. Just 4 feet, 11 inches when he entered high school, Steve barely made his freshman team, getting only a few at-bats the entire season. The rest of the time he coached first base. Steve only played in a handful of games during four years of high school, even though he started to grow after he turned sixteen. He hoped to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Gary, and play baseball at a local community college, but he was cut from the team after trying out. Believing that his competitive baseball career was over, Steve wondered what he was going to do in life. What follows is a remarkable story of overcoming disappointment and persistent obstacles on a journey that would lead Steve to the pinnacle of baseball—the major leagues.
About the Author
Steve Springer is a former major league baseball player who spent eleven years at the Triple-A level, collecting 1,283 hits in 4,695 at-bats for a career batting average of .269. He also reached the major leagues on two separate occasions in 1990 and 1992 with the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets, respectively. He played sparingly in the big leagues, going to bat 17 times and getting two hits in each league. Steve moved into scouting following retirement and scouted for the Arizona Diamondbacks for five years and then became a baseball agent. One day, he recorded a CD on the mental side of hitting to give to his clients. His homey-yet-direct talk was so well-received that college and high school baseball coaches asked him to address their teams, which led to more speaking requests. In addition to his speaking career, Steve was hired as a “performance coach” with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008, working mainly with their minor league teams. As demand grew for his insights on hitting, Steve started Quality at-Bats. He produced DVDs and CDs on his philosophy of hitting that sold like proverbial hotcakes and started traveled around the country speaking before baseball audiences. He also made himself available for private hitting lessons known as “Spend the Day with Spring.” Steve also launched subscription-based online baseball academy, where young ballplayers can upload video of their swings for critiquing. Subscribers can also watch videos of a 12-year-old and an 18-year-old batter receiving instruction on how to better hit a baseball as well as improve their mental approach to hitting. For more information on Steve Springer and tips on becoming a better hitter, please visit his website at www.qualityatbats.com.
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