Chip Runyon

Starting off hot with the boys 2-0 Going 4-6 with a home run, double and 2 singles as well as 4 sb and 5 runs scored in @ChipRunyon @RichmondBraves @NSAthletics

3 run 💣 today went 2 for 2 and a walk @BrandonHathaw19 @RichmondBraves @ksallday19 @JJonesPBVADC @757_Baseball1 @ChipRunyon

4 OG 2024 Braves 1 field

Nothing will humble a man quite like coaching the first night of T-ball practice.

One of the hardest lessons I learned after my baseball career ended: I had tied too much of my identity to the game. When I played, everything revolved around baseball. If I had a great game, life felt great. If I struggled, it felt like everything was wrong. My emotions followed the same rollercoaster as the game. And the truth is, when my emotions were on that rollercoaster, it did not just affect me. It affected the people I loved the most, because they were the ones who had to deal with it. And when baseball ended, I realized something that caught me completely off guard: I did not know where to find my sense of purpose. That is how powerful this game can be. It pulls you in so deeply that it’s easy to start believing baseball is who you are, not just something you do. Today when I talk with high school and college players, this is one of the main things I see. So many of them have tied their identity completely to the game. One thing I always make sure they hear from me is simple: I am proud of you. And I say that after a great game or a tough one. Because that pride has nothing to do with performance on the field. It has everything to do with the person they are becoming. Sometimes to find perspective, we need to take a step back and look at how far we have come. It is easy to get stuck in the present and focus only on what needs to happen next to advance. But when we pause and reflect on the work, growth, and experiences that brought us here, it reminds us that our worth is not tied to one moment, one game, or one season. The truth is, the game eventually ends for all of us. What matters most has to be bigger than baseball. Faith. Family. Friendships. Those are the things that carry you long after the final out. When your identity is rooted there, baseball becomes what it was always meant to be: A game to love. A place to compete. A platform to grow. Not the definition of your worth.

Baseball Players: Read This. Shane Battier once explained something every athlete needs to understand about winning. He said during his NBA career he realized 98% of the time he was on the court… he never touched the ball. Only 2% of the time did he actually have it. Yet he was a key piece on championship teams. Because the real impact happened in the 98% no one was watching. In baseball, that looks like: • Taking the extra base • Moving a runner over with a ground ball • Backing up every throw • Winning a 7-pitch at bat even if it ends in an out • Being the loudest guy in the dugout • Sprinting on and off the field • Being in the right spot on defense Everyone notices the home runs. Championship teams are built by the players who dominate the 98% of the game without the ball. Baseball is the ultimate team game. Be the guy your teammates trust when nobody is watching.

As 2025 comes to a close, I look back on everything I wrote for @SonsofSatVT and by far this is the one that stands out. Apologies if you’ve already seen this, but if you haven’t, it’s a must-read for any @HokiesFB fan. @ChipRunyon sonsofsaturday.com/vt/articles/wh…

The broadcast angle did NOT do that Anthony Joshua knockout justice HOLY SHIT 🤯

@BaseballBros @BatterUp_app Brandon Lowe

Can you name this 2x All-Star from the University of Maryland?🤔🤩 @BatterUp_app

Are you interested in becoming a part of the Braves organization? DM this account or email dustin@bravesmail.com as we look ahead to Summer 2026 and prepare for the next year of finding college homes for our Braves players! #bravesfamily❤️💙

Parents Nobody can help your kid get a baseball scholarship. Let me repeat. Nobody can help your kid get a baseball scholarship. Until he's physically similar to the players at the schools he wants to attend. Your son is his own recruiting service. He has to be physical enough (strength and speed), good enough (perform vs good competition) and driven enough (work ethic) before anyone can help him. Hint Colleges are looking for players as good or better, as strong or stronger, as athletic or more athletic, with similar or better measurables than the players they already have. No recruiting service, no high school coach, no travel ball coach or anyone else can help your son until he checks the boxes he controls.

GPA is one of the most underrated stats in recruiting: 4.0 = 94% of schools can recruit you 3.5 = 72% 3.0 = 51% 2.5 = 21% 2.0 = Only 8% Knowledge is power.

Your body language tells every coach in the park who you are — before you say a word. ⚾ Talent gets you seen. Body language decides if they keep watching. Slump after a strikeout? 📓 Coach just noticed. Coaches read it constantly: 🏃‍♂️ Hustle vs jog 👀 Eye contact vs looking away 🤝 How YOU treat teammates after failure 🚩 Bad body language = red flag Weak mind. Low compete. Me-first. 🔥 Good body language = controlled energy Calm after failure. Locked-in. Confident posture. 💯 Teammates feed off it. 😈 Opponents notice. ✅ Coaches love it. Train it: – Reset routine after failure – Control your breathing – Hustle everywhere – Speak life into teammates Talent opens the door. 🚪 Body language keeps it open — or slams it shut.

Baseball rewards the ones who keep showing up. The ones who put in the extra reps when no one’s watching. The ones who fail, adjust, and come back stronger. Hard work doesn’t always show up right away… But when it does — it’s everything you dreamed of. Keep going. The game always gives back. #BaseballDreams #HardWorkPaysOff #KeepGrinding #TrustTheProcess

This should be hanging in every locker room.

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable if you want to be successful, because obtaining and maintaining success of any kind is an uncomfortable process.” #Ap2w

@tjeberle @Boitnott I can only imagine your face if I had introduced myself that way! 😂

@Boitnott @ChipRunyon Legend indeed! What a great story!

I have know @ChipRunyon now for a couple years and he has never once said "Hey man Enter Sandman is at VT because of me" Dude That is how I would be introducing myself to people if it were me!

#Recruiting101 “Hype is created by outside sources, so don’t ever get caught up in it. Hype may gain you some irrelevant attention, but it takes hard word, discipline and dedication to get meaningful results.” #Ap2w

The real story behind ‘Enter Sandman’ is rooted in that age-old theme of ordinary people in an ordinary event that turned into something extraordinary. Now, for the first time in a quarter of a century, the public will know the truth of how and why Virginia Tech chose “Enter Sandman” as their entrance song. This is that story, told by those involved in the decision. @RichLuttVT: sonsofsaturday.com/vt/articles/wh…