THE TRUTH ABOUT WARMUPS Part 1: Why Most Warmups Fall Way Short
2) The players run a lap or run to center field and back.
In my opinion, one of the most frequent mistakes made by pitchers today is being significantly
3) The players circle up and perform a casual stretch.
4) The players then play catch to warm up, primarily backing up to 90–120 feet away.
underprepared for the volume (total workload) or the intensity of the stress placed on them by pitching at the highest levels of competition.
5) The players then come in and take a quick infield drill and then some dry swings or cuts off a tee.
6) For ELITE teams, the team has a quick live BP.
THIS MONTH IN BASEBALL HISTORY The Mitchell Report Shines a Light on the ‘Steroid Era’ Long before Senate committees and talk of asterisks next to records, the general public knew baseball had a steroid problem. It didn’t take a degree in biology to know that players’ bodies were growing just as fast as home run numbers were. Despite the formation of the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program in 2002, the trend seemed to continue over the following years. In 2006, Commissioner Bud Selig appointed Senator George Mitchell to conduct an investigation into the problem. When the Mitchell Report was released on December 13, 2007, it shook the baseball world to its core. After 20 months of testimony and research, the Mitchell Report named nearly 100 active and former players as reported users of performance-enhancing drugs. The use was so widespread that the report concluded that “an exhaustive investigation attempting to identify every player that has used illegal substances would not be beneficial.” Household names like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Miguel Tejada were all included in the document. But from the ashes of this catastrophe rose a newly invigorated initiative to curb the use of PEDs in baseball. A decade after the Mitchell Report, the game is probably cleaner than it’s ever been. 7) Forty-five minutes prior to a game, the pitcher also does some light stretching or tubing. Thirty minutes before game time, he lightly tosses until the catcher backs up to about 120 feet or so. At the 15-minute mark, the pitcher throws a 20–30 pitch bullpen session. After that, he grabs his jacket, gets a drink of water, and sits down in the dugout. He’s obviously ready to go “blow em’ up!” Does any part of that process strike you as preparing yourself exceptionally well for throwing 100 mph or absolutely being ready for PEAK performance and dominating the opposing lineup from the first pitch? For example, if I knew later today I was going to run 100 meters for a gold medal, which would establish me as the best sprinter in the world today, would I prepare for that race in the same manner? I think the answer is obvious.
If there is one truism about us as human beings, it is that we often secretly hope the
job — any job — won’t be quite so arduous, complex, or difficult as we know deep in our subconscious that it probably will be.
As my father used to say, “Denial is not a river in Africa.”
See if you recognize this process:
1) The players arrive one hour prior to the game.
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS ALUMNI CAMP January 20 and 21, 2018 (Saturday and Sunday) ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS January, 13-15, 2018 (Saturday-Monday) OUTSIDE ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS January 26-28, 2018, Fastball USA – Chicago February 9-11, 2018, MN Blizzard – Minneapolis AMERICAN BASEBALL COACHES CONVENTION January 4-7, 2018 – Indianapolis, IN
More information can be found at www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/events.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES! STRATEGIC PARTNER,
www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro
3 Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook HTML5