Coaching legend shares baseball insight with Valencia County

LOS LUNAS — For those attending a free baseball and softball coaches’ clinic Saturday in Los Lunas, it was pretty heady company. Ray Birmingham, a member of the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame, who has the most coaching wins in University of New Mexico baseball history, was the lead clinician.

Among the others sharing baseball wisdom were former big leaguers Jordan Pacheco and Blake Swihart.

“This community is wonderful, and anything I can do to help them help the kids, I love doing it,” Birmingham said before the get-together, organized by George and Diana Trujeque at the Los Lunas Transportation Center.

When asked what the focus of the clinic would be, Birmingham responded, “The fundamentals of the game and how to teach the fundamentals of the game,” both physically and mentally.

That’s just what Nathaniel Lujan, an assistant coach for both Isleta and Yucca Little Leagues, was waiting to hear.

“Footwork, drills to practice, outfield drills,” were some of the areas Lujan was anxious to learn more about, especially when it came to improving outfield skills.

“They should be taught how to play the position properly,” said Lujan, who believes outfielders are often ignored.

Birmingham stressed ways to develop respect and responsibility among players.

“Giving them a job. How to act and how to dress. How to carry yourself and maybe bring the community together around the great game of baseball.”

Birmingham, a native of Hobbs, often travels to clinics across New Mexico to help youth coaches.

“It takes some effort, it takes some planning; it takes some direction,” to learn to coach and assemble a team or a league. “That’s what we hope to do today. I’m trying to help them with the game so they can enjoy the game. The better you play the more you enjoy it.”

Lujan, who coaches two sons, couldn’t agree more.

“To be involved,” as a parent, “I’ve tried to learn everything I could, so here I am.”

Youth baseball, Birmingham believes, is at its best when it thrives at the community level.

“It shouldn’t be expensive at all. It should be welcoming to everybody,” adding, “I find that sports build a community. It gives them pride. When you have kids together doing something they enjoy, you have a chance to influence them positively.”