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RANCH REVIEW THE
FALL 2024
www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762
FOR THE SUMMERTIME BLUES, THERE’S ONLY ONE CURE
Hyper-Personalization and Holistic Training
“… Sometimes I wonder What I’m a-gonna do But there ain’t no cure For the summertime blues ...” –Eddie Cochran, “Summertime Blues” Each May, dozens of young, aspiring, and optimistic athletes begin to filter into the Texas Baseball Ranch ® seeking to address and hopefully solve one or more of these five primary performance obstacles or constraints. THE 5 PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS • Arm pain and discomfort • Inability to gain velocity • Inability to throw strikes • Inability to create swing and misses • Inability to recover on schedule and consistently be at their best. Player development can often seem complex and convoluted. For many parents and athletes, the journey can at times feel onerous and overwhelming. At the Texas Baseball Ranch ® , we aspire to be a place that helps people find clarity and perspective. We often tell our clients that if we desire better answers, we must first ask better questions. Why me? Why do I always get the short end of the political stick? Why don’t I get better opportunities to show what I am really capable of? These are emotional questions. HYPER-PERSONALIZATION AND HOLISTIC TRAINING Instead, we suggest asking a completely different set of questions. We recommend
comparing yourself not to other people but to specific standards of performance.
important and pressing issues, keeping the athlete motivated and on track. Whether you are 8 years old and pitching for the first time or you are Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, or Barry Zito, hyper-personalization and holistic, integrated training can be the difference maker and the only cure for the summertime blues. OUR SUMMER We had an incredible summer and before we look too far ahead, I want to personally thank all the athletes and families that joined us for one of our seven Elite Pitchers Bootcamps as well as those who participated in our Summer Intensive Development Program. I also want to thank our incredible staff for the terrific instruction they provided and the energy they brought all summer. Jill and I are extremely grateful for another successful summer at The Ranch. –Coach Ron Wolforth
• Is my arm health and durability
exceptional? If not, what are my next steps in creating an exceptionally healthy and durable arm and body?
• Is my velocity at the top of my
completive peer group? If not, what are my next steps in closing that gap? • Is my command at the top of my completive peer group? If not, what are my next steps in closing that gap? • Is my “stuff” exceptional? If I’m not getting the swings and misses I want, what are the next steps in closing that gap? • Is my recovery and my consistency exceptional? If not, what are my next steps in closing that gap? For each athlete we create a simple set of objectives and priorities. This affords each athlete clarity and simplicity— two critical elements for development. It helps athletes focus on the most
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Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762
SKILL DEVELOPMENT DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLEX
We all face obstacles, challenges, distractions, or frustrations on a daily basis. At times, feeling defeated or overwhelmed is natural. However, it may help to remind ourselves of a few simple numbers:
complex or complicated. Success and happiness are truly built upon simple, essential elements and principles, and we must never stray too far from them. At the Texas Baseball Ranch ® , we excel at simplifying
On Dec. 6–8, we will be hosting our 5th Annual Elite Catchers Bootcamp . This has turned into a very special event and, just like our pitching camps, has
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become the Gold Standard of catching camps again due to the ability of the coaches to make the complex understandable.
Consider there are only:
complex skills, making them easy to understand. Don’t just take our word for it; here’s what families had to say this summer: “Coach Wolforth and the entire staff have a wealth of knowledge and are experts at communicating in practical, easy-to- understand language.” –Troy & Tammie Riemer, Fower Mound, TX “The breakdown of mechanics is impeccable. You are experts at ‘making it make sense.’” –Jodi King, Alto, TX “All I can say is wow! We were referred here by close friends. We were given unrealistic expectations. They were exceeded! This experience has been truly transformational for me and my son. We learned more about pitching in three days than we had learned in the last five years. Well done, Ron and Team. Thank you so much!” –Shawn Watkins, Frisco, TX We’re excited about the many events we’re hosting this fall and winter. This time of year allows us to do some of our specialty events that happen only one time per year.
3 COLORS ... but artists like Warhol, Picasso, Van Gogh, da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Matisse created masterpieces with them.
And last but not least, we’ll have our Annual Alumni Camp Jan. 4–5, 2025. This event is limited to past Ranch event attendees only and gives athletes an opportunity to dive a little deeper into their
pitching development. We also bring in a couple guest instructors: Brent Strom,
7 NOTES ... but composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, The Beatles, and Billy Joel used them to compose beautiful music.
Pitching Coach of the Arizona Diamondback, and Flint Wallace, Pitching Coordinator for the Colorado Rockies. And, of course, we have our five Elite
10 DIGITS ... but thinkers like Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Tesla, Gates, and Jobs used them to discover hidden mysteries.
Pitchers Bootcamps on the schedule. The offseason is a great opportunity to get in and make sure you’re prepared for the spring season. Check out the dates in our “Upcoming Events” section. There will be one each month from October through February. So, if you’re looking for someone to help you get a clear understanding of where you are and what it will take to get where you want to go, consider joining us this fall or winter at the Texas Baseball Ranch ® . For information on all these events, go to TexasBaseballRanch.com/events or call us at (936) 588-6762 .
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26 LETTERS ... but writers such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Steinbeck, Shelley, Hemingway, Emerson, Twain, Rowling, Suess, and Grisham all used them to unleash imagination.
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First, we have our Youth Elite Pitchers Bootcamps taking place Oct. 5–6. This is a great opportunity to get young, aspiring pitchers off on the right path physically and mentally.
So, as we go through our practices, training, games, and even daily lives, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves not to get too
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CHOOSING A COLLEGE The Truth About Scholarships
CLEVELAND ERASES 12-RUN DEFICIT TO BEAT SEATTLE Historic Comeback attending almost any major D1 institution, especially as an out-of-state student, you are almost certainly looking at a substantial financial investment even if you are on a 50% scholarship. The scenarios I see so often are of families making decisions based primarily on the amount of scholarship money or the perceived prestige of the program. It would be far better to choose a place for the athlete to play where he is comfortable with his teammates and coaches and advances in the academic area in which he is interested. In other words, choose a place where he can best develop as a total human being. Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander, Albert Pujols, and J.D. Martinez all played for lesser-known universities or community colleges. If you are good, someone will almost certainly find you. My advice is to choose a place where you can best grow and develop not only as a baseball player but also as a student and young man. As far as scholarships, focus on improving your numbers. If you demonstrate your throwing velocity, ball exit speed (as a hitter), POP time (as a catcher), and 60-yard dash speed, then the scholarship offers will come your way.
It bothers me greatly when I hear a parent tell me their primary interest in their son pitching is to obtain a college scholarship. In my opinion, you play baseball because you love it. If a university, college, or junior college offers to take care of some of your expenses to play for their team, that is a bonus. In my opinion, you choose a university, college, or junior college because you are interested in excelling at a specific academic interest and obtaining a degree from that institution. If this institution
happens to have a baseball program that wants you to take part in it while you attend classes, and if by being part of that program you can defer some or all of the costs, that is a blessing. If you are fortunate enough to marry the two, that is indeed a tremendous blessing. Unlike football or basketball, full rides in college baseball are few and far between. Therefore,
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS
FALL/WINTER ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS: • OCTOBER 12–14 • NOVEMBER 23–25 • DECEMBER 28–30 • JANUARY 18–20 • FEBRUARY 17–19
As the legendary Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
YOUTH PITCHERS CAMP: •
No team proved him right more resoundingly than the Cleveland Indians in a historic 12-run comeback against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 6, 2001. Cleveland was trailing 14-2 in the seventh in the Sunday night game. But the Indians rallied with three runs in the seventh, four in the eighth, and five in the ninth to tie the game at 14- 14. In the 11th inning, in the highlight of his career, a player named Jolbert Cabrera hit a broken-bat single to left, driving Kenny Lofton home from second base to nail a 15-14 victory. It took the Indians 4 hours and 11 minutes to match a comeback record set 76 years earlier, when the Philadelphia Athletics scored 13 times in the eighth, helping turn a 15-3 deficit into a 17-15 win. On the losing end of that rout? The Cleveland Indians.
OCTOBER 5–6 (FOR PLAYERS AGES 8–12)
ELITE CATCHERS BOOTCAMP: • DECEMBER 6–8
ALUMNI CAMP: • JANUARY 4–5, 2025
WWW.TEXASBASEBALLRANCH.COM/EVENTS
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,
USE PROMO CODE: TBR5
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Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow!
PHONE (936) 588-6762
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www.texasbaseballranch.com 5451 Honea-Egypt Road Montgomery, TX 77316
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PAGE 1 The Keys to the Pitching Summertime Blues PAGE 2 Skill Development Can Be Simplified PAGE 3 The Hazards of Focusing on College Scholarships
Cleveland Ties Record in Historic Comeback
PAGE 4 This Crucial Mineral Can Improve Sleep, Banish Cramps
Here’s How to Find Out — and Get More! DO YOU NEED MORE MAGNESIUM?
experience problems sleeping, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions or cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and chest pain. Luckily, adding this vital mineral back into your body is relatively simple. EAT MORE MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS The simplest way to get more magnesium is through your diet. A tasty salad filled with your favorite leafy greens, lentils, legumes, and crunchy nuts can pack quite a punch and is easily customizable to your preferences. TAKE A BATH Need an excuse to take more baths? A magnesium deficiency can serve that purpose, though the jury is still out on the science behind those claims. Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate, are
chemical compounds made of minerals that dissolve in water. While there’s not enough data to support the claims that a hot bath with a cup of Epsom salts can raise your magnesium levels, anecdotal evidence suggests it may help. USE HIGH-QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS Unfortunately, some people may not be able to absorb magnesium through food or baths and may only find relief through supplements. Remember, talking to your doctor before starting a new regimen is essential to see what’s right for you. While the only way to know for sure if your body might be a little low on this crucial mineral is through a blood test at your doctor’s office, these tips and tricks can help you spot an issue worth bringing to your primary care physician’s attention before it becomes a bigger problem.
Are you tired or weak with a loss of appetite, vomiting, or nausea? It could be a magnesium deficiency — though, according to the National Library of Medicine, you’re more likely to lack iron. Magnesium deficiencies are rare and most often seen in patients who consume excess alcohol, have certain gastrointestinal conditions, or have diabetes. The symptoms above may indicate your magnesium levels have dipped too low. If allowed to progress, people will
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