After being the center of celebration for the Cardinals' 11th World Series title last fall, Busch Stadium will host a celebration of faith and baseball this month.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the stadium will be the site of a high school baseball coaches clinic sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The program begins at 9 a.m. with a discussion of pitching mechanics - "Common Flaws and Fixes" - by former Cardinals pitcher Scott Terry. At 9:45, Vianney coach Scott Brown will discuss hitting fundamentals and drills.
At 10:40, Harrisburg (Ill.) coach Jay Thompson will talk about catching skills and drills. At 11:25, Washington University coach Steve Duncan will talk about "playing aggressively in the BBCOR age," discussing the new rules for bats that the National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted for the 2012 season.
After a lunch break, former Cardinals pitcher Todd Worrell will give testimony at 12:50 p.m. St. Louis University coach Darin Hendrickson will discuss in-game pitch use and being efficient with pitches at 1 p.m. The program concludes at 1:45 with another ex-Cardinal, Andy Slyke, talking about playing and coaching in professional baseball.
Former Cardinals pitcher and current broadcaster Rick Horton, who is area director for the FCA, will also attend the event.
"It's been a long time since we've had a clinic for coaches," said Edwardsville coach Tim Funkhouser, one of the organizers of the clinic. "It gives us a chance to get together and talk baseball and explore our faith and help it to grow.
"About eight years ago, I didn't really go to church that much, but I got invited to a baseball camp at Westminster Christian, and since then I've gotten a lot more involved with my church and with the FCA. It's made a big difference for me."
The clinic will explore baseball from both a players' and coaches' perspective on the prep, collegiate and professional levels.
"Andy Van Slyke has a wealth of baseball experience, including time spent as a coach under (manager) Jim Leyland (with the Detroit Tigers)," Funkhouser said. "He's always an entertaining speaker.
"Scott Terry is an excellent pitching instructor and he also has that major league experience. Darin Hendrickson lives in Edwardsville but coaches at St. Louis U., which won a NCAA regional two years ago.
"Steve Duncan is fairly new to the area, but he's an excellent coach and has a great program at Washington University. Scott Brown is one of the most successful coaches in the St. Louis area. Jay Thompson is a highly respected high school coach who has won state championships."
The clinic is $40 for individuals or $35 each for two or more coaches; the fee after Feb. 8 and up to the day of the event is $45. For more information, call the FCA at 636-827-7100 or go to http://www.stlfca.com.
The event is mainly geared toward high school coaches, but amateur, youth and college coaches are welcome as well.
