Texas Baseball Ranch August 2017

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RANCH REVIEW THE

AUGUST 2017

www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762

WINDING DOWN AND GEARING UP

We have a saying at the Ranch: “No one becomes great by accident. There are no ‘part-time’ people who are exceptional. You become great on purpose. To be exceptional at anything, you must be ALL in.” The Texas Baseball Ranch® has been ALL IN in regards to our training systems and our facility development since we broke ground in 2006. This summer, our clients AVERAGED a 4.9 mph gain since June! We now stand at 310 of our clients topping 90 miles per hour, 114 above 94mph, and 14 exceeding 100 mph! Obviously, that, in and of itself, is impressive and speaks volumes as to the efficacy of the system of hyper-personalization and the power of the Ranch program. But the most impressive thing to our coaching staff was the significant improvements in command and arm health. So, in a nutshell, our average guy gained 5 mph in velocity, significantly improved his strike throwing capabilities, and drastically improved the health and durability of his arm, elbow, and shoulder. As I joke with our professional clients all the time, “Who wouldn’t sign up for THAT trifecta? Throw harder … with better accuracy and a healthier, more durable arm.” No place on the planet does a better job of creating these three things simultaneously than the Texas Baseball Ranch® . And the most impressive thing to me is that we do not stand still. Every single week, we keep improving.

While our extended summer program and our summer three-day Elite Pitchers Boot Camps are coming to a close, we now are gearing up for our fall and winter events, our local weekly training sessions conducted by Coach Massey, and our trips to Southern California, Chicago, and Italy. At the Ranch, several things stay consistent regardless of the place on the calendar. 1) We are always striving to improve every single day. 2) There is ALWAYS a “what’s next”!

Taking a Short Workout Break

We hope to see you soon!

– Ron Wolforth

Arm Care in the New Pool

Inaugural Legacy Group

Summer 2017 Session I

Session II Guys With Their Velocity Gains

Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762

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“START WITH THE PAIN

Coach Ron Wolforth coined the phrase “Start with the Pain™” to help pitchers face their issues head on. Too often, athletes are unwilling to acknowledge pain for fear of being sidelined. At the Baseball Ranch®, however, we see identifying pain in the clearest terms possible as the only way to begin the journey toward permanent improvement. If you fail to address your injury, you’ll never fully recover.

Product Highlight

In his new book, which borrows its title from Wolforth’s wisdom, Randy Sullivan, physical therapist and owner of the Florida Baseball Ranch® expounds Wolforth’s theory and provides real-life examples of why starting with the pain yields results. “No one in the baseball industry,” Coach Sullivan says, “has ever presented a clear and concise process for dealing with the epidemic of arm injuries.” That changes with the publication of “Start with the Pain™.” This book and associated video present a simple but comprehensive and highly effective process for managing arm pain or injury.

With the information provided in this material, you’ll be able to solve most episodes of injury or arm pain in just a few short weeks, or in some cases, in only a day or two. Get your copy of the book and video (which is also available in digital format) by going to: floridabaseballranch.com/shop- online. The book and video normally sell for $119, but as a Ranch Review reader, you can save $40 when you enter the promo code “TBR,” bringing your total to ONLY $79 (plus S&H).

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ARE YOU A PRO-LEVEL ATHLETE? The NFL Scouting Combine Tests

Do you ever wonder how your athleticism stacks up against the NFL players you watch on the field every Sunday? Well, it’s actually not too hard to find

The shuttle drill tests lateral quickness and acceleration. Starting in a three-point stance (one hand on the ground), sprint five yards to the right, then 10 yards to the left, placing a hand on the ground at each stopping point. Finish with a five-yard sprint back to the starting line. The bench press highlights strength and endurance. At the combine, players are tasked with lifting 225 pounds as many times as they can. You can choose a weight that you feel comfortable with, and make sure you have a spotter on hand. The vertical and broad jumps measure the height and length of your jump, respectively. To find your vertical, reach your hand as high as you can to get a baseline measurement. Jump as high as you can from a standstill, reaching your hand up again. The difference between these heights will determine your vertical. The broad jump is a standing long jump. The difference between the start line and your heels at landing will give you your score. You can perform these tests regularly to measure your progress. It’s a fun way to see how you stack up against your friends — and the pros. To see the best combine results, check out nfl.com/ combine/top-performers.

out. Every spring, the top prospects for the NFL draft participate in the scouting combine, where they perform tests in front of representatives from every team. The tests cover speed, strength, endurance, and explosiveness. You can easily replicate these tests and see how you compare to some of the world’s best athletes. The 40-yard dash, which is exactly what it sounds like, is a test of raw speed. The 40 is the headline event of the combine, and a player’s draft stock can rise and fall based on a few tenths of a second. The 3-cone drill gauges change of direction. To perform it, set up three cones in the shape of an L, each five yards apart. Run from the first to the second and back, touching the ground as you reach each cone. Run back to cone two, turn right, and weave in between cones two and three. Then turn around the last cone and sprint back to the start, making a 90-degree turn around cone two.

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THE MYTH OF PERFECT MECHANICS Forget the Cookie-Cutter Approach

”

I have a question for everyone who talks about mechanics as if it were one monolithic, universal, ideal model in which all the experts

And it is almost ALWAYS done with love and the very best of intentions. My sincere advice: Stay away from anyone who wants to place your athlete inside of a specific mold. However well-intended, it almost always ends poorly. In 2017, you can find the exact information you need to help your athlete approach their

agree: EXACTLY whose mechanics are you talking about anyway?

Bob Feller or Roger Clemens? Sandy Koufax or Randy Johnson? Pedro Martinez or Juan Marichel? Max Scherzer or Clayton Kershaw? Guess what? All of these guys were pretty darn good over a long period of time. And guess what else? None of them had the same mechanics. The truth is no two pitchers in the history of baseball have EVER thrown identically. Therefore, from our vantage point at the Texas Baseball Ranch®, insisting that there is one ideal mechanical model, or in other words, “cookie cutting” or “cloning” your pitchers is one of the very worst things one could do to a young man. Yet we see this scene play out again and again, every single day, all over the world.

God-given potential. In fact, it’s just a few clicks away. Don’t surrender responsibility to someone who doesn’t understand the innate uniqueness of your son simply because that instructor played some professional baseball or because a training facility is located very conveniently to your home and for your schedule. In my opinion, we owe our children better than that. We owe it to them to get them the very best information we possibly can. Every pitcher is unique, so why should their mechanics be any different?

UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS ALUMNI CAMP October 7-9, 2017 (Saturday-Monday) YOUTH CAMP (8-12 YR. OLDS) October 21 & 22 ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS September 2-4, 2017 (Saturday-Monday) - SOLD OUT

AN UNASSISTED MASTERPIECE Eric Bruntlett’s Triple Play From stealing home to hitting an inside-the-park home run, baseball is full of amazing plays that you only see once in a blue moon. The rarest of all plays, though, is, without question, the unassisted triple play. Since the advent of baseball records well over a century ago, only 15 players have managed to record all three outs in an inning in one fell swoop. Eric Bruntlett of the Phillies turned the most recent example, on August 23, 2009. Bruntlett’s play is even more miraculous because it ended the game that day between his Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. With the Phillies leading nine to seven and the Mets on first and second, Jeff Francoeur smacked a line drive up the middle. With the runners in motion, Bruntlett caught the ball, touched second base, and tagged Daniel Murphy. Game over. Just like that. Johnny Neum is the only other player to accomplish such a feat, all the way back in 1927. Bruntlett may not have had a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, but his unassisted triple play will go down in the annals of baseball history. Not bad for a few seconds of work.

November 18-20, 2017 (Saturday-Monday) December 16-18, 2017 (Saturday-Monday) December 27-29, 2017 (Wednesday-Friday) January, 13-15, 2018 (Saturday-Monday)

More information can be found at www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/events.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES! STRATEGIC PARTNER,

www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro

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(936) 588-6762 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Winding Down and Gearing Up PAGE 1 “Start with the Pain™” PAGE 2 Test Your Athletic Prowess PAGE 2 The Myth of Perfect Mechanics PAGE 3 This Month in Baseball History PAGE 3 They Spent How Much? PAGE 4

THEY SPENT HOW MUCH? Expensive Auctions From the Entertainment World

JAMES NAISMITH’S FOUNDING RULES OF BASKETBALL Price Paid: $4,338,500

When you’re a fan of something, it’s only natural that you’d want to broadcast your affection. People collect everything from coins to baseball cards, and some fans with deep pockets have an unlimited willingness to shell out for collectibles. Here are a few of the most expensive, extravagant auction purchases from the world of arts and entertainment.

Unlike most sports, the game of basketball has a definitive inventor in James A. Naismith. His handwritten copy of the game’s original rules, written in 1891, is the founding document of one of America’s favorite pastimes. Given the fervor sports fans show for memorabilia, it’s no surprise that these rules were a hot-ticket item.

“INTERCHANGE” BY WILLEM DE KOONING AND “NUMBER 17A” BY JACKSON POLLOCK Price Paid: $500 Million

A DRESS WORN BY MARILYN MONROE Price Paid: $1,267,500

When it comes to eyebrow-raising amounts of money, there’s no topping the world of fine art. In 2015, hedge fund investor Ken Griffin wanted to acquire two abstract expressionist masterpieces from record mogul David Geffen, and he didn’t baulk at the half-billion-dollar asking price.

There are few more iconic 20th- century pop culture stars than Marilyn Monroe, and one of her most famous moments was singing “Happy Birthday” to president John F. Kennedy. The dress she wore on that evening currently reigns as the most expensive item of clothing ever sold.

LOCKS OF ELVIS PRESLEY’S HAIR Price Paid: $115,000

While this item might not stretch into the millions, it’s certainly among the weirdest high- end auction purchases. It’s hard to believe someone would invest so much just to own a few strands of the King’s hair.