Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Trainer Mike! Mike is our Fitness Trainer and his job is to make sure we work hard and stay in shape! Here is what makes Mike tick.

1.How long have you been here at JustBats.com?
February, 2012 will mark the start of my 5th year.
2.What's the story behind how you got connected here?
I donated a training package to St. Therese Elementary School for a silent auction fundraiser. Scott's children went to school there and he had taken note of my donation.Scott had been contemplating bringing a trainer up to JustBats.com to work with his management team and called me shortly after the auction.
3.When did you start getting into fitness?
I was first introduced to fitness during my high school years as part of the Athletic program. Like many, after my sports career had ended, I lifted on and off for years. I was actually 35 years old when I obtained my trainer's certification. I had helped my best friend lose 140 lbs that year and became hooked.
4.What's your number one advice for someone that has never trained before that want's to hit the gym hard?
Working smart is so much more important than working hard. There is some very basic science regarding fitness, that if applied, will allow you to reach your goals much faster.
5.What's your favorite muscle group to work?
It has changed several times over the years, but it is currently back. I use to skip this muscle group all too often. It is the largest muscle group in the upper body and after staying the course, I found it to be a very rewarding muscle group to prioritize.
6.Aside from pumping iron, what do you like to do in your free time?
Anything with my daughter. She is the love of my life and the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.
7.What's your least favorite way to work out?
Over-lifting, or trying to "max out" on how much you can lift. This is just setting yourself up for injury.
8.What's your favorite sport and team?
Baseball is my favorite sport. I grew up in Philadelphia and was a die hard Phillies fan. They are still my favorite team to this day.
9.Staying in shape can be a big challenge for a lot of people, tell us what keeps you motivated and on track?
At age 30, I felt like I was 40. At age 40, I felt like I was 25. Now that I have a daughter, my motivation is truly about health and wellness. Having knowledge and understanding how to work smart is certainly the one thing that helps me stay on track the most.
10.Read any good books lately?
I recently re-read Body 4 Life by Bill Phillips. There are some great fitness principles and tips in this book. Many of these have been incorporated into our 2012 JustBats.com Health & Wellness Challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGDYOJDRLw

The Easton Salvo Slow Pitch Softball Bat is the "Hottest Bat On The Market." This bat comes ready to go with a ridiculous amount of pop, get ready to hit the ball over the fence and who knows, it might clear some other objects too. The SRV5 is a one piece full composite bat made from Easton's IMX Composite. This bat is a 12" end loaded barrel for more power every time you swing. If you are looking for an extremely powerful swing come check out the Easton Salvo Slow Pitch Bat from JustBats.com today.

In September of 1920, after the White Sox lost the world series, Shoeless Joe along with seven other players were accused of taking $5,000 to throw the World Series. The accusations went into investigation and were brought to court. In 1921 the Chicago Jury on the case voted in favor of Jackson and thought the accusations should be dropped. Regardless of the jury however, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was given power after the Black Sox scandal, terminated Shoeless Joe and the seven other players and they were banned from the MLB. On January 19th, 1934 Shoeless Joe asked for a reinstatement but was denied by Commissioner Kenesaw. Come grab a little piece of American history from JustBallGloves.com with the line of Shoeless Joe Jackson Gloves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOQLEQAIkUE&feature=youtu.be

Those of you looking for a great bat can now get the best of both worlds. As of January 1st Louisville Slugger would like you to take part in this awesome promotion. The Sweetest Spot campaign gives you an opportunity to come away with two awesome bats. From now until March 11, 2012 if you buy the 2012 Louisville Slugger TPX Z-1000 BBCOR: BB12Z adult bat you can get the M9C271BHC Wood Bat for free! The TPX Z-1000 features great balance and feel along with a huge sweet spot. The M9 Wood Bat is one of the top bats used in the MLB and would be great for training and batting practice. Check out JustBats.com today to claim this amazing deal!

Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Jeremy! Jeremy is our Quality Assurance guy and trust us, nothing gets by him! Here is what makes Jeremy tick.

1. I hear you are a chocolate and candy lover, what's your favorite candy?
Reese's are at the top of the list; followed closely by Ferrero Rocher. Now there is one thing that beats them both, but it isn't a "candy". It's a jar full of delicious happiness known as Nutella!
2. You're pretty amazing at racquetball, mind sharing some secrets? What equipment do you use?
I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to say "amazing", but I think I'm above average! The only secrets I can think of would be to think about what shot you plan on taking, calm down, and practice. Practice practice practice. I use an E-Force racket that is 175 grams, some goggles that have vents in them, a sweat band, and ProKennex Pure 1 racquetball gloves. I don't pay a ton of attention to the brand of the stuff I use.
3. What has been your most competitive game so far in racquetball?
I've played a lot... so much that the games have really blended together. I can say that the most competitive day was a tournament that I went to a few months ago. I played six or seven competitive games that day, and by the end my legs just didn't want to support my weight. Standing was a chore.
4. Tell us a little bit about your job as Quality Assurance, it seems pretty interesting.
Whenever new features are rolled out to the websites, I get to look at them before they go live and give them the thumbs up or thumbs down. I review the changes in our most used browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE9, IE8, IE7, and IE6). The position of QA is to be the last line of defense in keeping bugs from making it into production, and being the user's advocate. I'll sometimes review and proof e-mails before they get sent out which is dependent on if someone asks me to. I also help people with Google spreadsheets from time to time.
5. Can you share the story of how you started here at JustBats.com and then ended up where you are now?
Kevin Shillingsburg, a friend of mine, worked out at Picture Hills Fitness. I believe he met Scott and Mike T. there, and was able to get a job at JustBats.com. He asked if I wanted to apply there too and I said sure. Turns out I had delivered sandwiches to them before (when I worked at Mr. Goodcents) and Armando recognized me. That helped me get my foot in the door. I was eventually hired as a DC associate. I was in that position for about a year when Mike K. sent out an e-mail to the company about JustBats.com asking for opinions. I guess I was the only person that responded, and my reply had a decent bit of detail. I was then asked if I'd like to join the development team. The rest is history.
6. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Racquetball, eating sweets, and playing video games. It's my New Year's Resolution to get a higher gamer's score on Xbox than a friend of mine.
7. Any advice for people moving into your field?
You need to have attention to detail and you have to be okay with being repetitive. I'm often looking at the same thing on different browsers. I learned this after I started the QA position, but having knowledge in SQL will be useful for confirming that data is being entered correctly. Communication is pretty big too. If you find a bug, you want to be able to give steps on how to reproduce it so that the rest of the development team can fix it. That includes saying the basic steps on how to reproduce it, as well as which browser you were using at the time. Give as much detail as you can.
8. What's your favorite memory from working here at JustBats.com?
Armando going ragdoll. Back in the DC, Dave gave Armando a surprise belly bomb which leveled him. Armando went down like a doll... made of rags.
9. What's your favorite sport and team?
Watching sports is boring to me, so I don't. The only time I really watch sports is when Top 10 is on, so whatever team is on at that time would count as my favorite sports team.
10. Favorite movie?
I've seen a ton of movies, but right now I'd say that Oldboy is probably at the top. The new Sherlock Holmes movies that have come out recently are pretty sweet too.

photo from: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we wanted to pay our respects to one of the most legendary players in baseball history, Jackie Robinson. Everything Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us Jackie Robinson believed in also and he was a walking example of what it meant to overcome barriers and break through them without hesitation. Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a single mother, Mallie Robinson, and four other siblings. The Robinson's were the only black family on their block and because of that they encountered many hardships. It was those hardships that brought them closer together as a family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbg8-C9s3AE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDQOV7nbea8&feature=youtu.be