
Veteran Chicago White Sox slugger Adam LaRoche is retiring from baseball and walking away from a reported $13 million — all because team officials had asked him to stop bringing his 14-year-old son into the clubhouse every day. LaRoche, 36, officially announced his retirement, he wrote on Twitter: “Thank u Lord for the game of baseball.”
Not everyone understood or agreed with LaRoche’s decision but his love for his son and his passion for the game is clear. With the new UP17 mobile app, parents can give their kids the opportunity to train with former MLB players, all for the love of the game.
How many fathers would make LaRoche’s kind of sacrifice for their kids? Probably not many, but most parents would do whatever they could to help their kids be better players and to truly enjoy “America’s Favorite Pastime.” With spring training finally in the air, the launch of the new UP17 mobile app, young baseball players around the world now have the chance to receive personal instruction and coaching directly from a former MLB Pro. What parent wouldn’t want to give their child that rare opportunity, if they could?
Using the UP17 app, players shoot and submit videos of their hitting or pitching technique to the Up17 platform. An UP17 ProCoach (all experienced, former MLB Players) reviews the video and provides an in-depth lesson package with telestrated video performance breakdowns (with voiceover), notes and important takeaways. ProCoaches also provide players with UP17 Drills to aid in development. Each player receives a Certificate of Authenticity to illustrate that they have been coached by a Pro.
“We worked with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to assemble a powerful team of ProCoaches,” said UP17 spokesman and two-time National League MVP, Dale Murphy. “These guys have a true passion for the game and a real interest in seeing young players develop into the best they can be.”
The UP17 app removes the barrier of location, making it possible for a young baseball player anywhere to benefit from the wealth of knowledge acquired by seasoned professionals. Players can even track their progress over time by sending follow-up videos to the same ProCoach.
UP17¹s growing lineup of ProCoaches already includes a dozen former MLB Players with a combined 111 years of playing time:
John Doherty
John Frascatore
Toby Hall
Nick Green
Paul LoDuca
Denny Hocking
Desi Relaford
Joe Oliver
Tanyon Sturtze
Matt Wise
Charlie Hayes
Anthony Telford
Brian Tollberg
The UP17 application is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Lesson packages are priced at $75 (or $65/ea. when purchased in groups of 6).