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White�s role remains key to developing diamond gems By Greg Stiles John White never reached his potential on the baseball diamond. Chalk that one up to something beyond his control � the Vietnam war in which he fought. These days, the former Southern Oregon University standout is keenly interested in the development of the region�s talent as the proprietor of Rogue Valley Baseball Academy. Fred Herrmann began the school in the mid-1990s to augment his Northwest League operation at Miles Field. White begins his fourth year with the school next month. Players are generally 13-18 years old. "Miles Field dictates that we can only have kids that play on 90-foot base paths," White says. "So that means we start with kids playing 13-year-old Babe Ruth." Fall is a recovery time for pitchers, who have been throwing since early spring. "I don�t want to put them in situations where they are going to be throwing the ball really hard," White says. "We can work on fundamental skills without overworking their arms." White believes that players need to understand getting personal priorities in line is the key to development. He also expects older players to work with younger kids. "That seems to work very well," White says. He plans a new twist this year, adding fastpitch softball to the mix. "We don�t want to leave the girls out," he says. "We�re going to go two days a week in the fall." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA