- 18 January, 2001 -

"If a player plays another sport, they are going to go into the regular season behind the player that spent the off-season going to camp or playing baseball somewhere else." For those looking for more individual attention, Frozen Ropes, a state-of-the-art hitting facility that opened Saturday in Glen Burnie, could be the answer. Founder Tony Abbatine brought the national franchise to Anne Arundel County. The facility offers intense instruction on hitting, pitching or playing catcher. Abbatine, a former Bronx, N.Y., assistant district attorney, has established his own set of laws for hitting a baseball and teaches these rules at Frozen Ropes. And with a r sum that includes working with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, Abbatine's hitting theories have been tested at the highest baseball level. "They help you a lot here to find out what's wrong with your hitting and then make sure you get it right," said David Medford, 11, of Severn, one of the first youngsters to work out at the center. "Most of the time before I got here I was trying to keep my eye on the ball, but I was closing my eyes when I swung because I was scared of the ball. But I'm not scared of the baseball anymore." However, the bottom line is players and coaches feel the most successful players are the ones who make the best use of the off-season. "I know I have no chance at making the team if I do not take advantage of the time away from season," said Greg Drenning, a sophomore at Severna Park. "I'll know how well I did during the winter by what happens when I try out for my team at school."

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