Tom Emanski
Encyclopedia
Tom Emanski is the man behind Tom Emanski Instructional Videos, a set of nine video tapes which lay out the fundamental techniques of baseball
. The videos, sometimes referred to as "The Nine Commandments," have taught millions of youths worldwide how to play the sport of baseball and the commercial for this video has been running for nearly 18 years. Many viewers have memorized Emanski's commercial by heart, albeit unintentionally. Emanski is a former major league baseball associate scout and youth coach.
The Emanski videos are best known for their frequent and long-running commercials on ESPN
and during Major League Baseball
games. Featured in the commercials is former Major League Baseball star Fred McGriff
. Fred McGriff met Emanski at age 18 when he was still in the minor leagues playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico
. Emanski videotaped McGriff's swing and offered to slow it down and analyze it.
In 1991, Emanski prepared to release his first videos and filmed a short endorsement clip in Chicago
with McGriff, who was then with the San Diego Padres
. The commercial advertising Emanski's nine videos has been aired continually and relatively unchanged despite McGriff's multiple team-changes. Because of their frequent showings, Emanski's name has become synonymous with the fundamentals of baseball.
Emanski developed a "building block" approach to improve the fundamentals of hitting, running, and fielding. He tested his techniques on students at Baseball World, a youth baseball school in Fern Park, Florida
. His teams found success winning back-to-back-to-back Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
national youth championships in three divisions: 12 and under (1990), 13 and under/under '90 (1991), and 11 and under (1992). Emanski also coached the 1996 Junior Pan American team to two wins against Cuba
and the gold medal
.
The frequent commercial airings have made the Emanski Videos widely known in the sports viewing world, and the instructional tapes have become fodder for sports analysts who wish to reference a lack of fundamental play in professional baseball players. During ESPN SportsCenter
broadcasts, anchor Kenny Mayne
would frequently comment during replays of a player error that "Perhaps he should watch Tom Emanski's Defensive Fundamentals tape. They're endorsed by MLB superstar Fred "The Crime Dog" McGriff." Jayson Stark
also commented on St. Louis Cardinals
' defensive lapses in the 2002 National League Championship Series
and a 2005 New York Times article suggested that New York Yankees
third baseman
Alex Rodriguez
spend $29.95 and "buy the eminent baseball instructor Tom Emanski's DVD, 'Teaching the Mechanics of the Major League Swing II.'"
In 2003, an Internal Revenue Service
probe into unpaid back taxes revealed that Emanski's net worth exceeded $75 million, most of it derived from his instructional videos, making Emanski the nation's wealthiest instructional sports entrepreneur.
In 2006, satirical news publication The Onion
published an article about the hapless Kansas City Royals
of MLB hiring Emanski to teach the team the fundamentals of baseball. Emanski's staff of Garry Ridge, Teddy Craig, Scott Howat, and Jim Horvath are widely recognized across the country as one of the best baseball staff's.
Emanski is also a graduate of Rutgers University.
Has produced back to back to back AAU National Championships
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. The videos, sometimes referred to as "The Nine Commandments," have taught millions of youths worldwide how to play the sport of baseball and the commercial for this video has been running for nearly 18 years. Many viewers have memorized Emanski's commercial by heart, albeit unintentionally. Emanski is a former major league baseball associate scout and youth coach.
The Emanski videos are best known for their frequent and long-running commercials on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and during Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games. Featured in the commercials is former Major League Baseball star Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
. Fred McGriff met Emanski at age 18 when he was still in the minor leagues playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Emanski videotaped McGriff's swing and offered to slow it down and analyze it.
In 1991, Emanski prepared to release his first videos and filmed a short endorsement clip in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
with McGriff, who was then with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. The commercial advertising Emanski's nine videos has been aired continually and relatively unchanged despite McGriff's multiple team-changes. Because of their frequent showings, Emanski's name has become synonymous with the fundamentals of baseball.
Emanski developed a "building block" approach to improve the fundamentals of hitting, running, and fielding. He tested his techniques on students at Baseball World, a youth baseball school in Fern Park, Florida
Fern Park, Florida
Fern Park is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,318 at the 2000 census...
. His teams found success winning back-to-back-to-back Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
national youth championships in three divisions: 12 and under (1990), 13 and under/under '90 (1991), and 11 and under (1992). Emanski also coached the 1996 Junior Pan American team to two wins against Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.
The frequent commercial airings have made the Emanski Videos widely known in the sports viewing world, and the instructional tapes have become fodder for sports analysts who wish to reference a lack of fundamental play in professional baseball players. During ESPN SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
broadcasts, anchor Kenny Mayne
Kenny Mayne
Kenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
would frequently comment during replays of a player error that "Perhaps he should watch Tom Emanski's Defensive Fundamentals tape. They're endorsed by MLB superstar Fred "The Crime Dog" McGriff." Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark is an American sportswriter who mainly covers baseball. He attended Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in newspaper journalism.-Biography:...
also commented on St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' defensive lapses in the 2002 National League Championship Series
2002 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 2002 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri-Game 2:Thursday, October 10, 2002 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri-Game 3:Saturday, October 12, 2002 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California-Game 4:...
and a 2005 New York Times article suggested that New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
spend $29.95 and "buy the eminent baseball instructor Tom Emanski's DVD, 'Teaching the Mechanics of the Major League Swing II.'"
In 2003, an Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
probe into unpaid back taxes revealed that Emanski's net worth exceeded $75 million, most of it derived from his instructional videos, making Emanski the nation's wealthiest instructional sports entrepreneur.
In 2006, satirical news publication The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
published an article about the hapless Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
of MLB hiring Emanski to teach the team the fundamentals of baseball. Emanski's staff of Garry Ridge, Teddy Craig, Scott Howat, and Jim Horvath are widely recognized across the country as one of the best baseball staff's.
Emanski is also a graduate of Rutgers University.
List of Emanski Videos/DVDs
- Dynamic Practice Organization
- Defensive Drills
- Mechanics of the Major League Pitcher
- Baseball Strength & Conditioning
- Professional Bunting
- Mechanics of the Major League Swing II
Has produced back to back to back AAU National Championships