Meet Your Coach:

Jack Aker spent 30 years in professional baseball - 11 of them as a major league player. With the A's, Pilots, Yankees, Cubs, Mets, and Braves, he played in 495 games, won American League Fireman of the Year honors, and compiled a 3.28 lifetime ERA with 123 saves. He managed for 10 years and twice was named league Manager of the Year in the Mets and Indians organizations. His excellence as a hitting, pitching, and fielding instructor helped him develop hundreds of pro players, and he sent more than 90 to the major leagues. In 1985-87 he coached for the Cleveland Indians. He earned a reputation as a trusted and respected leader and mentor. Since 1988 he has been bringing his major league teaching and organizational skills to young players and their coaches.

Click here for Jack Aker's Major League career stats.

WE GET LETTERS...We love hearing from and about our students and their successes. Here are some candid emails we received in just one summer:

Hi! Brian is batting .673 with 2 games left !!!! wow!!!!. But more importantly he has become a starting pitcher this year thanks to the confidence and tips Jack gave him. And the Slip Change pitch that Jack taught him has become his most devastating pitch. The parents in the bleachers all go crazy when he throws it !!!. They all start buzzing........."here it comes"........."he's gonna throw it now" !!!!!. The umps always compliment him on it and the opposing coaches all want to talk about it after the game. Needless to say it is unhittable.Please tell Jack how great that pitch is .

-- E. Hoey, Long Island, NY, June 2004

Jack, just a short note to thank you and let you know how the west middleton babe ruth team that you held a clinic for this spring did. Regular season through district tournaments undefeated. We played older legion teams and city allstar teams and didn't lose to any of them either. Won their way to state…Was a great year.
One of the parents at dinner during the state tournament said that the thing his son enjoyed the most this year was your clinic, especially the mental aspect of the game that you shared with the kids. Thanks for all the tips, I used them throughout the season and reviewed my notes regularly.

Good luck & Thanks

-- Brad Ryan (Dan's dad) head coach West Middleton Babe Ruth, July 26, 2004

Hi Jack, this is Jaremy - don't know if you remember, but a year or two ago I worked with you on my mechanics and my pitching in general. I just figured you might want to know the results of your effort.This year I pitched for Oberlin College (Ohio - D3 college) and went 3-0 with 2 saves and a 3.03 ERA as a reliever/spot starter as a Freshman. My splitter is looking nasty and dropping/cutting in on right-handed batters. And my curve is looking as devastating as ever. I rarely have control problems with my fastball, except at the start of the season due to nervousness.

Anyway, thanks for all that you did for me - I know that a lot of my success was made possible due to the work that we did together and due to what I learned from you, so thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Jaremy [Rich] June, 2004

Hi! Couldn't wait to tell Jack, Joey and Evan were so locked in tonight, that Joey threw a NO HITTER! 17Ks, 4 BBs. Evan said that it was everything that Jack taught him that day that is all fitting together and making sense now, and I dont think he had ONE passed ball all game! Evan also threw out the tying run trying to steal 3rd in the bottom of the 7th! They won 2-1! Great Night all around! The boys said to tell Jack THANKS for Everything!
:-)

-- Stephanie Milton, CT, May, 2004

Please tell Mr. Aker thank you from Paul and me. Paul said Mr. Aker was great and that Mr Aker's instructions/help/pointers were great as well. As soon as I arrived home from work, Paul was excited to show me everything he learned. I know Paul is going to have fun using the change-up.

Kind regards,

A. B., West Windsor, NJ, May 2004

Thanks, Everyone here appreciates everything Jack did. It was very informative as well enjoyable. I will recommend the experience to everyone I can. Please pass along our sincere gratitude to Jack and thanks for your help. We will work on becoming Yankee fans.

-- Jay Bruner, Middleton, Wisconsin, May, 2004

Hi there! Just wanted you to know that Joe is definitely interested in more lessons! He is learning so much, it's wonderful! Hope all is well!

-- Patti (Rampino), New York, NY June 15, 2004

Jason has worked with several other coaches the last few years - but he always says Jack has been the best.

-- John Rau, Port Washington, NY, July 19, 2004

Dear Mr. Aker, That had to be the best birthday party I have ever "thrown". And according to all the kids, that had to be the best birthday party they have ever been to. And according to all the parents, that was the best party they had ever seen. Could it be more unanimous? We had a wonderful, wonderful time. You were so fun and so terrific with the kids. Simon will never ever forget his 7th birthday party. We really appreciate all your "tips", your supervision, your generosity (with signatures especially!). You really made it very special. I just had to take a minute to thank you again for what ended up being "the best birthday party in the whole world".. p.s..Will gladly pass the name/number to all who are interested..and there were quite a few!

Thanks again! All the best,

Barbara Adler, Roslyn, NY, August 2004

PLEASE NOTE that our website IS our brochure; this way we save trees, printing costs, and postage, and keep our program costs down!

Want to be the best you can be?

Who's teaching you baseball? Is he someone with decades of major and minor league playing and coaching experience? Did your coach ever strike out Mickey Mantle? Or hit one off the ivy in Wrigley Field? Did he ever go out to the mound to give advice to Steve Carlton or Phil Niekro? Was your coach in the Atlanta bullpen when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run? You can answer "yes" to all these questions when you make Jack Aker your baseball coach.

Jack Aker provides amateur players the kind of coaching major league players get, because Jack Aker is a former major league coach who is renowned for teaching kids and adults the game. He has a simple philosophy of teaching: no mumbo-jumbo, no gimmicks -- just the correct fundamentals taught with patience and clarity.

During his years playing in the major leagues, Jack Aker learned the indisputably best baseball techniques from his own experiences and from those of his teammates, including many Hall of Famers, such as:

Pitchers Tom Seaver and Catfish Hunter.

This is what All-Star infielder JAY BELL has to say about Jack Aker: "Jack helped me become a major leaguer. He set a great example for me as a young player, both on and off the field."

League and Team Instruction

For the last 17 years, Jack Aker has been traveling around the country working with youth leagues and individual youth teams. Clinics are tailored to the group's requirements, and can run from two hours to an entire week, from tee ball to 35-and-overs. Leagues and teams can choose from all-skills clinics or specialized hitting and pitching programs. Coaches clinics are also available (some leagues require their coaches to attend Jack Aker clinics). Any number of players can be accommodated.

Rates start at $200 per clinic, and are dependent on location and duration. League officials and team coaches are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible to schedule their clinics.

Private Instruction

The ultimate baseball learning experience -- private lessons with a major leaguer. Jack Aker works with players one-on-one, from tee-ballers to over-35-league players, covering any or all aspects of the game. He'll fix your swing, teach you a curveball, show you how to turn the double-play. Often it takes just one lesson to make an appreciable difference in your game. That's because Jack's years as a pro manager and coach enable him to spot problems quickly and clearly explain how to fix them. You name it, if it's baseball, Jack can help you. Have you ever hit off a major league pitcher? Think you can? Jack will show you his best stuff. Are you the parent of a young player and want to start him off right? Jack's the man to call. Are you a high school player looking to gain an edge on the competition for college? Jack can give it to you. Are you a coach looking for ways to help his young players? This is where you can turn.

You can schedule a private lesson with Jack Aker in New York, New Jersey, or in your home town! Jack travels nationwide giving private lessons and team clinics. Schedule a lesson and just bring your glove. Jack brings the rest.

Private, semi-private, and small group lessons are available starting at $95 per hour. Contact us to schedule your lesson.

National Indian Youth Leadership Project

Since 1994, Jack Aker has been working with Native American children and coaches in Arizona and New Mexico under a grant from the National Indian Youth Leadership Project. Jack travels to the reservations and pueblos of the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and other native communities, touching the lives of America's forgotten children, teaching baseball, serving as a role model (Jack is of Citizens Band of Potawatomi descent), and talking about the importance of staying in school and staying clear of drugs. Native American youth leaders who are interested in having a Jack Aker clinic in their community, free of charge, are encouraged to contact us to be included.

Jack Aker with youngsters on the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

Summer Camps

Each summer Jack Aker teaches baseball to campers at many of this country's finest 8-week sports camps. (To participate, campers must be enrolled for 4 or 8 weeks in the camps' general programs. It is not possible to enroll through this website.) These have included:

Indian Head, Trail's End, Saginaw, Equinunk,

Island Lake, Towanda, Summit - PA

Timberlake, Scatico, Raquette Lake, Lokanda, Brookwood - NY

Ken-Mont - CT

Dinner Speaker and Autograph Guest

As many former major leaguers do, Jack Aker makes a great guest speaker at your convention, banquet, or corporate or community function. He is also available to sign autographs at card shows and shop openings.

More Info

If you have a question we have not answered somewhere on our site, e-mail JACK AKER. Please include a phone number so we can reach you in case we can't do so by e-mail. We do not mail paper brochures, as our website IS our brochure; this way we save trees, printing costs, and postage, and keep our program costs down.