Posts Tagged ‘cornbelters’
November 5, 2010 | 
Author I talked with a father the other day and explained to him exactly what it would take for his son, or any hypothetical high school pitcher, to earn a college roster spot.
When I was in high school I remembered being extremely confused about what it took to get scouts at games. Our star pitcher was big, left-handed and threw harder than I did, but barely anyone came to watch him, either. I just felt like there was something that I didn’t understand that it took to get to the next level – something intangible, something that I didn’t have in me.
But it’s not like that. Upon getting into my college program, my coach started to break down for me what it took for high schoolers to impress him at showcases, and for our players to earn playing time. Further, he explained what pro scouts looked for. My summer ball coaches, both of whom played professionally, shed more light on the issue, and the more and more I watched other players, I started to understand. Read the rest of this entry »
*I wrote this back in ’09 as my senior year in college started to wane.*
You’ve seen him. You have probably whispered to your friends about him while he sits across the room, inhaling his food. Three burgers, three slices of pizza, a whole plate of french fries, and an army of cups filled with what combined looks like a gallon of soda. That’s probably just round one, and he is almost certainly going back for dessert.
If this person sounds familiar to you, then you are probably a college student who has witnessed this feeding ritual in your campus dining hall. Sad thing is, in the University setting this kind of eating is fairly common.
This uninhibited way of eating starts when you enter college, at which time you are thrust into an environment where, within the boundaries of the campus food system, what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat is entirely up to you. Haven’t even see a vegetable in months? You’re an adult now, and Mom will never know…
The common result of this new style of grazing? You guessed it! The “Freshman 15.” This is a slow-onset affliction, often going unnoticed until one’s parents look confused into the eyes of a round-faced teenager, wondering if it is really the same child they sent away to school.
But never fear, because eating healthy on campus is manageable if you employ some strategy. With careful attention and a little planning, it is possible to live the dream – getting others to cook the meals that make you leaner and healthier. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s great to go to the mound, fully rested, and have your entire arsenal ready and able to dice up a lineup. Unfortunately, few of us take the mound under such utopian circumstances, and we pitchers usually toe the bump with less-than-perfect stuff. Less-than-perfect is standard; however some of those days, you just plain suck. But, you just can’t give up when your curve won’t bite, your changeup doesn’t change, and your fastball has the life of a 35-year old playing World of Warcraft in his parent’s basement. So how do you go out and win when you haven’t got much? Read the rest of this entry »
This is my first season pitching within a true 5-man rotation. In college and summer ball, there often are too many off-days to make the rotation stable. Weekend series in college mean that starters generally pitch once a week, giving ample time for physical and skill work in between outings.
But in the professional season, off-days are few and far between, and the rotation gives each starter 4 days to prepare for his next outing. Everyone is different in what he needs to prepare, but I’ll share my own preparation schedule that I feel gives me the best chance to succeed and stay strong throughout the season. Read the rest of this entry »
Every kid growing up playing baseball wants to someday be a pro; a Major Leaguer, really, but I guess being a minor leaguer counts too. Aside from living the dream, playing a fun kid’s game for money, and living devoid of the job responsibilities most of the world endures, there is one other, big perk: All the PB&J your face can handle. Read the rest of this entry »
Starting pitchers are given plenty of time between outings to build a scouting report and game plan for facing their opponent. Our season started last week, which meant we had to figure out what our opposing hitters had on the fly. As an expansion team, we didn’t have scouting reports already laid out for us, so we were faced with assessing all of the hitters ourselves.
So as the pitchers leaned on the railing, watching the games, we bounced ideas off each other and our pitching coach about each hitter. Some of the things discussed were: Read the rest of this entry »