Mitch Messer Talks to Jake Nordbye About New Beginnings
Posted 5:03 p.m.
Jake Nordbye: What is the state of the Post 22 baseball program as you begin as the new head coach?
Mitch Messer: The tradition and foundation is here, but there is a lot of work to be done in terms of moving the program forward. It is still one of the top Legion baseball programs in the country. But we need to evaluate the program in an honest way. The vision for this program is always going to remain the same and that is to be one of the premier programs in the country. That doesn’t change, but the way we going about reaching our goals will need some tweaking.
Nordbye: You coached three different teams in Montana before coming back to Rapid City, what will be your approach as the head coach here? Will it be similar to the approach you took in Montana?
Messer: Every year I learn new things as a coach. In the last two programs (Bozeman, Mont and Bitterroot, Mont.) we had to come in and revamp or restore. But in both the Bitterroot and in Bozeman it was two totally different circumstances. By-and-large teenagers are teenagers, but the kids in the Bitterroot Valley were a little different than the kids in Bozeman just as the kids in Rapid City are a little bit different. So, it isn’t a cookie cutter approach. You have to take a unique approach to each situation.
For me, I think it has more to do with the culture you create. If you’re doing a good job of creating that drive and determination for each individual athlete, good things are going to happen. It’s not a matter of me wanting it as a head coach. It is a matter of the player wanting it more than anyone else. If you create that culture and everyone up and down the program is on the same page, then it becomes more of a matter of keeping the train on the tracks.
Nordbye: What is your response to those who are skeptical about the future of Post 22 baseball under new leadership? What is your response to those who don’t think Post 22 can maintain its tradition?
Messer: That’s crazy. I wore the hardhat too. I have just as much pride in this program as anyone. In terms of who we are, that won’t change. In terms of how we go about our business, some things will change. The foundation and the core of what Post 22 has always been about will continue.
Nordbye: Some of the traditions that Coach Ploof had, like players taking their hats off in the restaurant and the discipline he insisted on, how much of that is still necessary and how much will you change?
Messer: That stuff is who we are. It may not be as important that the kids are wearing kaki shorts, for example, but the behavior expectations and the discipline are going to remain.
Nordbye: Will you play 320?
Messer: We’re going to sit down as a board and as a coaching staff and decide what is best for Post 22 and our fans. Then, I will communicate with Paul Poole (Post 320 head coach) and we will decide what is best for both of our programs.
Nordbye: The decision about whether to play Post 320, or not, will be made by the board then, not by you as the head coach?
Messer: That depends on what issue you’re talking about. From a scheduling stand point, that issue will most likely be handled by the two head coaches. Anything beyond that will be handled by the two boards.
Nordbye: What has this process been like? I know it’s been, should we say, difficult at times. How challenging has the last several months been for you and the family?
Messer: I think the finality of it will be a relief for all parties involved. But, I don’t really want to focus on the past. I’m just ready to get going. We’re focused and ready for 2012.
Nordbye: How much does talent matter, and how do you currently assess the talent in the Post 22 program?
Messer: Talent is huge. I think we have a lot of players with quite a bit of potential. In other words, they are not yet playing to their capabilities. That’s our job as a coaching staff. I think we have to focus on player development from day one. That has to continue through the season and into the off-season. Player development, we have to make sure these guys are reaching their potential.
Nordbye: Last season, you coached both the Expos and the Post 22 varsity. What does this group of players need to improve on after failing to win the state championship last season?
Messer: Maturity. Mentally we need to learn how to deal with failure and how to deal with success. In my opinion, we weren’t prepared. We need to do a better job in practice of getting these guys ready. If we expect them to play at a high tempo in the game then we need to practice at a high tempo and that’s something we’re going to do this year. I like to run all my practices basically going at game speed or above. Every practice will be two hours of game speed and I think they will make a difference.
Nordbye: There are two schools of thought right now about player development. Some people think baseball has changed and there are others who think it will always be the same. Rapid City has such a great Legion tradition and the traveling teams or elite teams haven’t caught on here. You seem to have found a balance with Big Sky baseball in the fall, how does Big Sky Baseball fit into your plans?
Messer: Big Sky allows the best of both worlds. The commitment to Legion baseball and the summer team will stay the same, but the kids can continue playing baseball in the fall if they choose. That allows them to get out and participate in different showcase events.
Nordbye: Tanner Chleborad (now at Washington State) is a good example of the opportunity that Big Sky baseball can provide for a player. How important is it to have this option available in the fall?
Messer: This is a big deal in that players have the option to attend showcases with a traveling team. In larger communities this is the norm. This opportunity wasn’t available before but it is now. The players will get 100 more at bats and pitchers get 30 more innings on the mound. They get exposed to consistent, good baseball. Now, we can play good teams all summer, and all fall. It’s great exposure for the kids, not just from a scouting standpoint, but also from a player development standpoint too.
Nordbye: You have 13-year olds coming up to the Post 22 program now, unlike when we played. Is Fitzgerald Stadium too big for a 13-year old?
Messer: Pony baseball has worked for a long time in Rapid City. Like almost anything, it has had its ups and downs. I think for most 13-year olds, Pony offers an opportunity to get on an intermediate field (between Little League and Legion) and learn some of the basics that they are going to need to know when they come into the program. When you’re evaluating whether a player should move up or down, I think it is on a case-by-case basis. Generally though, for most 13-year olds, I think it is a good idea for them to get used to new playing distances (Pony) for at least a year.
Nordbye: Does Pony have to improve? Is there anything the Legion baseball programs can do to help Pony?
Messer: We’re going to reach out to them. That’s part of the discussion that we are going to have with Pony. We’re going to find out how we can be more involved and help them out.
Nordbye: You have many multi-sport athletes in the program. How do you get them to put in the important time in the off-season?
Messer: That has to be a personal choice on their end. If they want to be a baseball player in college then they are going to need to put in the time. This is more of a commitment issue than anything. We’re going to change some of our off-season routines, but ultimately it is going to come down to our athletes. It will be a personal decision on their part. It depends on what they want to get accomplished during the summer and what they want their playing career to look like.
Nordbye: Does the hitting approach need to change? The power numbers have been down over the last few years.
Messer: When you talk about hitting, coaches immediately want to talk about mechanics. Generally, our mechanics are fine. Our approach at the plate needs to change. I want to become a more aggressive program, up and down, in all phases of the game. But with that in mind, we have to know when to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive, and that is the process that a younger player has to go through.
Vision research is also another thing that I am looking at. Learning how to train a baseball players eyes to better see and react, that’s the next phase. If there are going to be any changes to technology in the game of baseball it is going to be on the side of vision research. It’s the least studied and the most important part of hitting. Without good eyes, a hitter isn’t very good.
Nordbye: How much value to you put on weightlifting and players getting bigger? What makes a good hitter?
Messer: You can have the greatest mechanics in the world and bench 400 pounds but if you can’t see the ball then you are not going to be good hitter. We are actively looking at different ways for our players to become bigger, stronger and faster and weightlifting is definitely one of the things that can help us to that.
Speaking personally, I’m a numbers guy. Because numbers are consistent, they don’t lie, and human emotions go up and down. We need to switch our walk to strike out ratio. Last season, struck out nearly twice as much as we walked and it should be the other way around. I would like to see us have a better understanding of the strike zone.
Nordbye: You’re always looking for new ways to do things, and modern tools for teaching. Do you believe individual hitters should be taught differently or is it a uniform approach? In other words, do you look at things like Bio-Kinetics?
Messer: Just like every player throws differently, every hitter is going to hit differently as well. It’s learning how to work with what an athlete brings to the table, looking at his genetics, and finding a way to make his body work in the most efficient way as possible. But that goes back to the whole mechanical issue. We talk about it, but that is kind of an in house deal. On a broader scope, we need to focus on our approach and teaching these kids how to hit, and what that means. Teaching a player to hit isn’t always teaching him to go from A to B. It is teaching him how to handle the pre-at bat and the post-at bat.
Nordbye: Why did you come back to Rapid City after the success you had in Montana as a head coach?
Messer: My wife and I moved the family back because we always thought in the back of our heads that it would be nice to move back home and live closer to family. Family is always first, and then the opportunity arose to come back and coach baseball.
Nordbye: Did you have in mind that you wanted to be the Post 22 head coach? I mean you came from Bozeman where you had built a great program and you had a winning record against Post 22 as a coach there.
Messer: I have said from the day I got here that I didn’t have an expectation, but I knew in my own mind if the opportunity ever came about I would be interested.
Jake Nordbye: So, what does it feel like now that you are the head coach of Post 22?
Mitch Messer: It’s humbling. When I started out coaching ten years ago I certainly never would have imagined being in this spot. So, it’s a bit humbling. At the same time, it’s still baseball and I know how to do this. At the end of the day, when I walk through the gate at Fitzgerald Stadium it’s business as usual.
There are so many positive potentials for the Post 22 program and its future. I think you’ll see fans, players and parents unite around Mitch. I’m sure of one thing, there will be no lack of effort from Mitch and all his staff and supporters….Can’t wait for the new season….
Post 22 has clearly made the right choice. I am excited for what Messer and the athletes will bring this year.
Jake why didn’t you ask him the real question…..how the hell did you get the job before Dave Collins.
Messer’s a great pick to head-up the baseball program… Collins hasn’t been a part of the program in decades. Although, I can see the layperson’s confusion, the program might need a coach that can grow with the program; Collins is no doubt close to retirement, himself. Why go through this process again in 5 years? Collins meant a lot to Rapid City baseball — He was a legend to those of us kids involved in RC baseball — but probably not the best choice, long-term, for this position. Congrats Mitch! You’re going to do well!
Don’t you think that the coaches would benefit from coaching under someone with Collins’ experience if even for 5 years? Then it might be the best choice for the program.
Well according to Anna and Lake Orion High Schools baseball records for the years Collins coached there, the combined records are 17-21. Not really a solid High School coaching record. He also hasn’t kept a job longer than 3 years since his coaching debut in 1992. All of his MLB coaching experience has been as a first base coach, not involved in daily player development. His biggest success as a coach was a league championship in Salem for the single A team the Avalanche in 2001. His last coaching position was as first base coach for the Florida Marlins in 2010, where he “resigned” half way through the season. Not to mention this guy has had nothing to do with this community or baseball here since he was 18 years old. So if Dave Ploof did these background checks that he so desperately wanted to do, he himself should have realized that Dave Collins has already proven a failure at the HS level and has a serious issue in keeping a job. But this was Ploofs plan all along. Since he was “let go” (lets quit acting like he retired), he has done everything he can to try to destroy this baseball program. From bringing lawyers into board meetings with false documents to then pleading for them to inform the media that he was retiring instead of losing his contract to save him from being embarrassed, to this whole Dave Collins joke. October 31st will be the sad and pitiful end to COACH Ploof as his contract expires and his made up position as Board of Directors no longer exists and he returns to the community as just DAVE Ploof. So to answer your question “huh”, Mitch Messer brings community respect and wins, while Dave Collins only brings a name that he desperately wants to force back into importance.
so 3 years of winning legion baseball in montana is a better resume than a professional resume made up of 3 year stints. Why don’t you hit the internet again and let me know what the average time is between professional coaches switching jobs. He is not an abnormal.
It is funny to hear people say what has he done for the community since he was 18. Maybe that is why he applied for the job, he has finished his professional career and wanted to “give” baseball knowledge back to the community. That is not a reason to not hire him.
All I want to know is why was he not hired.
you are apparently a ploof hater. That is fine. But please don’t make up lies and then post them on this board. Let’s try and only use facts in our civil discourse.
Coach ploof is not trying to destroy a program he spent 47 years creating.
And i am sure he is sorry he had to cut you, but you just weren’t that good.
I don’t doubt Mitch’s ability to coach, i just doubt his ability is better than a professional coach’s.
3 years of winning at the HS level vs. a losing record at the HS level and a stint as a first base coach in MLB is easy to compare. Me stating that Ploof was attempting to destroy the program was an opinion, and there are plenty of things he has done in the last few months that would point in my favor. Nothing else I posted was a lie.
I for one was never a Ploof hater. I had nothing but respect for him as a coach and still do today. It’s Dave Ploof as a man outside of the lines that I and many others have come to have an issue with. And I was a Post 22 player, Ploof never had the privilege of cut me.
Being a professional baseball player doesn’t make you a successful coach. He has obviously not succeeded at the high school level. The environment in Michigan and Ohio where he coached may have been different, but in the end it was a failure. Maybe Collins isn’t pleasant to work with? Maybe none of the current staff wanted to work with him?
Dave Ploof wasn’t a professional baseball player, or much of baseball player for that matter. He seemed to do pretty good taking Post 22 to where it is today. Post 22′s new connection to Big Sky baseball puts kids in front of hundreds of scouts and coaches every year. It helped Chleberad get drafted and sign with Washington this past season. Check some of the players Messer has coached in the past few years and you will see he has been pretty successful sending kids to top notch schools and several being drafted. He does in fact have connections with scouts and college coaches as well.
In the end, Messer was selected by the board in a majority vote. He was seen as the best possible candidate. That’s all that really matters, and I promise you the Post 22 team will be better with him at the helm.
That’s what I am wondering. Was it because his references said he wasn’t a pleasure to work with?
Was it because the current staff didn’t want to deal with someone who would be a harder transition? thats my question.
I just find it hard to believe anyone other than you believes the first sentence of your last post.
2 years of .500 high school ball doesn’t make you a poor coach just like 2 years of winning montana legion doesn’t make you a great coach. On the other hand 47 years of winning does.
Collins played 15 seasond in the MLB and then was an assistant coach under the likes of Joe Torre, Jack McKoen and Clint Hurdle. I would imagine he picked up a few coaching tips.
Check the record, there was a certain Girls Highschool team Mr. Collins coached. No one want to talk about his reasons for leaving, let’s just leave it at that and at least save dave Collins reputation.
Will the Rapid City high school kids be allowed to play on their high school teams in the spring, and then move on to their summer Legion program? Aren’t they the only Legion program in the country that does not allow this to happen?
Dave Collins’ only coaching experience at the high school age level was coaching a high school team.