The ASA Rule Changes have been announced for the 2010 season, and one of the new rules is huge. 

Listen to a discussion of how the 2010 season will shape up under the new rules.

And if you're looking for the ideal Christmas present for that softballer in the family, take a look at my book all about adult slowpitch softball.  (Or if YOU are the softballer in the family, pass the link to your main gift-giver!)

I'm going through my old magazines, hundreds of them dating back to 1969, noting what stories are in what issues because I plan on selling them.  

Old treasure magazine ads are fascinating, and they let you trace the history of the metal detector, from BFOs to TRs to TR-Discriminators to VLF to TR/VLF - each in turn being touted as the greatest detectors ever!

And the stories!  Lost mines, sunken ships, buried robbery loot, ghost towns, and lots of people dying (naturally, or by the rope) before revealing where they hid their treasures....

Who needs modern-day thriller novels when we have these (perhaps) true stories to enjoy?

Check out my stash at http://treasuremagazines.info.  I'm adding information to this this daily, and I'm guessing it will take me several weeks to get everything cataloged.

For more of my articles, see the bottom of my book page:  http://treasuremanual.com.

How to use your end-of-season team party to keep your teammates loyal, and your sponsor happy to write next year's check.

More tips in my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

Sure, it's fun to find coins - free money and all that - but most treasure hunters dream of finding a cache.  A jar of silver coins, an old tobacco tin stuffed with  five-dollar gold pieces, or a metal box full of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.

Cache hunting is unlike any other form of metal detecting, and this program has some tips to get you started in the right direction.

For more tips on cache hunting, see my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.

It's hard enough to pitch to average batters - how do you pitch to power hitters?

In this show, I discuss different ideas from different pitchers.  And a power hitter gives us his ideas on how a pitcher might give him problems.

And of course, there is one sure way you can guarantee that the power hitter doesn't hit a homer when you're on the mound.

For more articles for slowpitch softball pitchers (and fielders, and batters, and managers and coaches), scroll to the bottom of my website:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

I have just heard from another disappointed treasure hunter who finally got a chance to search an old country homesite that you'd think would be teeming with choice finds.

But aside from a couple of zinc pennies and a clad dime, he was pretty much skunked.

Sadly, this is the rule rather than the exception for old homesteads.

Why?  This podcast covers some of the basic reasons old coins are hard to come by at rural homesites.

But we all like happy endings, so this show ends with a tip about hunting one particular area of the old homestead where you might actually find several coins bunched together.

And don't forget to check out my book, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Abner Doubleday and James Naismith are names you may recognize, but George Hancock?

Softball began as a game of broomsticks and boxing gloves. Now it is the most popular participant sport in the country, with over 40 million players.

This is the story of how softball began, and grew. For more information about playing, coaching, and managing slowpitch softball, see my book.

So you've got a few hours free, and you want to go metal detecting.  Is it really worthwhile to hit that nearby park or schoolyard that is already pretty much hunted out?

This podcast discusses the secrets of hunting those "hunted-out" areas.  How to find coins that others have missed.  

Visit my website for free treasure hunting articles:
http://treasuremanual.com

It really IS the hot corner.  Balls hit to third base are moving faster than balls hit anywhere else on the field.

In this podcast, you'll learn some of the secrets of playing third base, with tips on positioning, preparedness, strategy . . . and survival.

Thanks to veteran third basemen Phil Denman and Jonathan Pinke for their help with this program.

More softball tips are available at the bottom of this page:

Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball, by Dan Hughes.

They say experience is the best teacher, but they are wrong.  Why should you make the same mistakes others have made before you? 

Philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Similarly, when it comes to treasure hunting, those who have gone before you have made the mistakes, so you don't have to.  Just listen to what they have to say!

In this program, I make some book recommendations.  Books that will help you find more coins faster, books that will give you new ideas on likely hunting places, and books that will tell you what you've found and what it's worth.

I was tempted to do a review of my own book in this show, but I decided that wouldn't be fair.  So instead, I'll let you choose whether or not to click here.

On the first anniversary of In the Softball Corner, I look back at what I did right, what I did wrong, which topics were the most popular, why my book doesn't sell as well as it could, why that's fine with me, and how I was able to combine softball with my other favorite outdoor activity and podcast subject, treasure hunting.

My Birthday Quiz and In the Collector's Corner articles mentioned in this podcast appear every month in The Active Seniors and Boomers newspaper.  You can read them online at http://theactiveseniors.com.
My online high school yearbook is at http://bdhs65.com (and I am not responsible for the hair styles).

For some free articles based on chapters in my book, go to the bottom of this page:  Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

On the first anniversary of In the Treasure Corner, I look back at what I did right, what I did wrong, which topics were the most popular, why my book doesn't sell as well as it could, why that's fine with me, and how I was able to combine my treasure hunting hobby with my other favorite sport, slowpitch softball.

My Birthday Quiz and In the Collector's Corner articles mentioned in this podcast appear every month in The Active Seniors and Boomers newspaper.  You can read them online at http://theactiveseniors.com.

For some free articles based on chapters in my book, go to the bottom of this page:  The Metal Detecting Manual.

Some softball players think pitchers aren't important in slowpitch softball, because you can't do much finessing with a pitch that floats in to the batter at fifteen miles per hour. 

This show offers some tips on how to be more than just a pitching machine.

My book, Coaching and Managing Adult Slowpitch Softball, is available here.

Twelve years ago, I came very close to getting a class ring back to its owner. 

A month ago, I began anew to try to find the girl who lost it 23 years ago.

I struck out with Classmates, and now I've stepped up my quest with five new attacks. 
Enjoy the latest episode of "How Hard Can It Be To Get Rid of a Gold Ring?"

And if you enjoy the podcasts, read my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.

Your team needs a pitcher - fast.  What do you do? 

This show gives you some shortcuts on finding the player on your team who is most likely to be trainable as a pitcher. 

It also shows you how to build a backyard pitching frame - for under two dollars - that will help your pitcher learn to throw accurate 12-foot-high strikes. 

Here's the website with photos and detailed instructions for making and setting up your pitching frame:

http://danhughesbooks.com/backyardpitching.htm

And here's the spiffy ad for my softball book:

http://softballmanual.com

Even if you're not interested in the book, the ad page has links to several free softball articles.  They're at the bottom of the page - check them out!

There was a discussion in one of the treasure forums recently about the feasibility of making a living with your metal detector by becoming a full time treasure hunter. 

Think of it!  No alarm clocks, no early-morning commutes to the office, no suits and ties, no office politics, no boss!

Can it really be done?

In this program I examine the possibilities. 

I've written a book on treasure hunting called The Metal Detecting Manual.  It's for sale here.

My last-place senior team beat the league's first-place team  - twice! - by using this unorthodox outfield formation.

This program, about my team's 2009 season, includes a description of an effective method of defense against a team that hits a lot of singles to the short outfield.

And don't forget to check out my book on managing and coaching adult
slowpitch softball.

After polling several metal detecting and treasure hunting forums about whether or not I should continue trying to return a class ring, I've reached a decision. 

Did those who responded to my question think I should keep the ring, or try again to return it?  Hear the results here, and see if you agree with my decision.

And check out my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.

Good umps, bad umps - what do you do when your ump makes a bad call, or doesn't know the rules?

The book is Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

The Clue in the Old Book!  Sounds like a Nancy Drew title, doesn't it?

Old books and newspapers can be wonderful sources of clues to treasure.  Just this week, this notice appeared in my local paper: 
--------------------------------
Area history
   In 1909, during the hot summer months, camping on the Sangamon River in Mahomet seems to be all the rage.  Last summer, nearly 300 families camped around here, and from present indications there will be twice as many this year.
--------------------------------
Mahomet is a small town ten miles west of here, and there is still a county park along the Sangamon River.  I've detected that park several times, but only in the play areas, never by the river.  You can bet where I'll be hunting next time I'm there!

This podcast discusses reading old books and other publications with the mindset of a treasure hunter.

As always, there's a lot more information in my book.

The knuckleball can be the most valuable tool in the pitcher's arsenal.

When to use the knuckleball (you'll be surprised) and how to throw it are covered here.

Much more about pitching, hitting, fielding, coaching and managing adult slowpitch softball here (see the free articles at the bottom of that page).

How far should a treasure hunter go to return lost property?  

Listen to my story of how I found a class ring and located the now-distant owner.  And then, because the owner never got back with me to make arrangements to receive the ring, I lost the owner. 

The ball is in her court now, right?  Or not?

What, if anything, should I do now?  Please hit the COMMENTS link and post your thoughts here.  Your advice will help me decide.

And, as always, I invite you to read about my book, and, if you are sufficiently intrigued, to purchase a copy.

Here are some tips and tricks for outfielders.  How to get a force-out when normally you couldn't, how to avoid collisions, who takes priority, where to play your strongest arm, and more.

Be sure to listen to more outfield tips in podcast 013.

Buy the book, available nowhere else but here.

.

Have you found your first gold ring yet?  No?

What?  You don't dig pulltabs?  That's why you're leaving those rings for me.  Pulltabs are the ringfinder's best friend!  Here's why..

A discussion of how to find gold rings by digging pulltabs, without losing your sanity.

Also - Have you found more dimes, or nickels?  You don't know?  Tips on keeping a coin logbook.

I sell a book I've written called The Metal Detecting Manual.  Available nowhere else but here:  http://treasuremanual.com.

What do you carry in your team bag?  I asked managers around the country to list the items they felt were important to have available.  Here's a list of things you should consider, including some surprises.


Here's my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.  Buy a copy so I can feed my dog Max.

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A few odds and ends on research and finding older coins, including a story on how yours truly missed a fantastic opportunity for old coins right in front of my own house.

Here's my book, The Metal Detector Manual.  Buy a copy so I can feed my dog Max.

How often do you have to turn in your starting lineup before some of your players have arrived?  Here are some tips on getting your players to the ballpark on time.

Here's the book for managing and coaching adult slowpitch softball.

Many treasure hunters read the treasure magazines cover-to-cover, but they don't use a much more profitable - and free - resource:  their local library.

This show gives you some valuable tips about what you can find in your local library.

Much more in my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, available only from this site.

Softball is fun, right?  That's why we play, right?

So what's with so many hotheads on the field, always angry about something? 

Buy the book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

Finding fifty coins in an afternoon is great, but disappointment can set in when their total value is a dollar, and none of them are old.

This show offers tips on finding the older coins, with a story of how one treasure hunter zeroed in on a locale that offered up coins dated 1850 and earlier.

Order the book here.

Major league baseball teams win .542 at home, but just .458 on the road.  Fan noise plays a major role.

In this show we'll give you some tips on how to get the crowd noise going in your favor. 

And we'll talk about bringing kids to your games, too.

Here's the book:  Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

Some people swear by alkaline batteries for their metal detectors, others use rechargeables. 

What does the manufacturer recommend? 

Hear the answers in this podcast.

Check out my book:  The Metal Detecting Manual

Books on adult slowpitch softball are hard to find, but there are a lot of videos on the topic.

Herewith, a look at some of the most popular (and some not-so-popular) softball instructional videos.

My book site:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

Is coinshooting really worth the trouble, when your finds seldom come anywhere near to earning you minimum wage? 
How to answer your skeptical friends.

More about my book here:  http://treasuremanual.com.

What do you do when players don't show up for your games?  Twenty managers give their ideas on handing no-shows.

A summary of the American Softball Association's rule changes for 2009.

Please check out my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball.

Tips on getting started correctly, gridding an area, two five-dollar gold pieces beneath a pulltab.

Tips for playing the outfield, including the natural curvature of fly balls, avoiding collisions in the outfield, how to begin your run for a ball, the best way to the make the catch, and a lot more.

The most popular type of treasure hunting is coinshooting, or using a metal detector to find coins in the ground.

In this first show of a series on coinshooting, we outline the steps a beginner should take to learn to coinshoot like a pro.

Very basic tips on playing the infield in adult slowpitch softball. 

For detailed diagrams on infield strategy, click here.

First I talk about the factors that determine how deep a metal detector can go, then I discuss those mysterious "long-distance locators" ("find gold 70 feet deep!").

Check out my book:  http://treasuremanual.com.

Tips on finding new players during the offseason - setting up a team website and internet bulletin board - keeping stats.

Find much more in my book Managing and Coaching Slowpitch Softball:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

Secrets of pulling good finds from well-hunted school playgrounds and ball fields.  How to recover what others have missed.

If you're a new softball manager, winter is the time to get started.  Here are some of the things you should be doing. 

Many more tips in my book, http://slowpitchbook.com.

Everyone knows about library and book research, but what about talking to people who have leads they don't even know about?

More on this, and on all things concerning treasure hunting, in my book.  Check it out at http://treasuremanual.com.

100mph bats, including the Freak and the Syn 2, have been banned for one year now. 

How has that ban affected batters?

Mostly for beginners - a look at the coins you might find with your metal detector, and their value.

A look at the importance of good base coaching, with suggestions for base coaches.

What are the best yards to hunt, and where are the best places in those yards?  And a word about being careful when plunging your hand into a hole you've just dug.

If you enjoy these podcasts, order The Metal Detecting Manual now and get it before Christmas!  A great gift for your treasure hunting friends (or for yourself).

Part two of a series on hitting.