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Business Profile: Big Leaguer Baseball
Business Jun 07, 2016
f Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
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Coach Daniel Flores. – Courtesy photo
By Gus Herrera
Coach Daniel J. Flores, owner of Big Leaguer Baseball, is a former pro who trains clients with the professionalism of a major league staff.
Already having had an impressive career playing professionally in Sweden, Mexico, and the US, Flores is now translating his knowledge and expertise into a successful career as a coach and trainer.
His business offers high-quality coaching in both baseball and softball, with an emphasis on one-on-one attention and the overall development of the player both on and off the field.
Big Leaguer Baseball is truly a family business, Flores’ wife Cindy, co-founded the operation and is heavily involved behind-the-scenes. Recently, the Monrovia-based pair welcomed a new member to the staff/family, newborn son Bace.
Monrovia’s baseball family: Coach Flores, wife Cindy, and son Bace. – Photo by Gus Herrera
What makes Flores such a great coach is a combination of his talent as a total-package ballplayer and his compassionate, friendly approach. There is nothing like spending one-on-one time with a seasoned veteran to boost a young player’s confidence.
As a player, Flores thrived all over the diamond; not only behind the plate, but also on the mound and in the field. During his professional stint in Sweden he won the league batting title, hitting for an average of .484, with a .710 slugging percentage, and a .590 on-base percentage. As a pitcher, Flores was clocked throwing 89 miles per hour by pro scouts. He was also dubbed “Legend” by Tom House, former MLB pitcher/coach and founder of the National Pitching Association, for his endurance and ability to survive workouts that had the great Tom Brady struggling.
This mastery of all aspects of the game carries over into Big Leaguer Baseball’s mission to develop complete players. Most training sessions are two hours long (roughly equivalent to game-length) and cover “all the bases.” Coach Flores emphasizes the five tools of baseball as a position player: speed, arm strength, defense, hitting for average, and hitting for power.
Coach Flores is an active participant in all the training sessions. There is nothing like taking live pitches from a former pro, to build the confidence of a young slugger. – Photo by Gus Herrera
Many little league parents seek private coaching for the wrong reasons, “A lot of parents just want to work on hitting, they want their kid to hit the most home runs … but if you go to a tryout, they’ll never see you hit if you can’t run or field,” revealed Cindy.
“You can hit good, you can even hit great, but if you run slow, then they won’t let you hit, they’ll cut you,” continued Coach Flores.
Another important aspect of Big Leaguer Baseball is their focus on injury prevention. Many little league coaches are parents and volunteers with very little professional experience. When these coaches do not maintain proper pitch counts, young players inevitably injure their arms, “We had a kid come to us, he was 11 or 12, who had already had surgery on his arm at 8-years-old because they over-pitched him,” said Cindy.
Big Leaguer Baseball works to develop good habits at an early age. Coach Flores begins all of his sessions with “pre-hab,” by teaching clients stretching and resistance training techniques to properly develop arm strength and prevent injuries down the line. They have all the best training equipment to execute the countless, specialized drills Coach Flores has learned over the years.
Coach Flores’ “pre-hab” routine builds arm strength and develops good habits that prevent injury. – Photo courtesy BigLeaguerBaseball.com
Last, but certainly not least, Coach Flores urges all his clients to enjoy the game, “having fun is key, too. A lot of coaches are just too hard on the kids and they end up quitting. I make sure I have fun … I know what it’s like to have a coach that’s just on you, yelling at you.” All workouts are organized, high-energy, and emphasize having fun – Coach Flores even occasionally rewards some of the younger players with baseball cards.
Big Leaguer Baseball gives back to the community, working with organizations such as the MLB Urban Youth Academy, Kershaw’s Challenge, High Socks for Hope, and more. They also sponsor the Monrovia Little League.
Do not let the name fool you, Big Leaguer Baseball can also help your softball game. – Photo courtesy BigLeaguerBaseball.com
Coach Flores was recently featured by CoachUp.com, where he boasts some of the greatest reviews of any coach in the country: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a65-MjJCH_U. Currently, Coachup.com is having a special discount as one of their ambassadors, Stephen Curry, plays in the NBA Finals. For more details, visit www.coachup.com/info/stephen-curry-central.
For more information on Big Leaguer Baseball or to book a session, visit http://www.BigLeaguerBaseball.com or call (626) 386-3612.
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