Posts Tagged ‘dan blewett’

And now for some breaking news: Baseball players are superstitious!

OK, I guess that’s not really news to anybody. Everyone knows that athletes, especially baseballers, routinely attribute their good and not-so-good performances to powers beyond. I, however, being the skeptical, disbelieving empiricist that I am, reject superstitition. It’s nonsense, plain and simple. Read the rest of this entry »

Need to get stretched out and ready to go in a hurry? Don’t have time for a big, full-body stretch? You’re in luck; I have a video for you with 5 great stretches that are ideal for baseball players, and can be done with comprehensive flow in a short time.

I don’t do a lot of videos, partly because I don’t have an omnipresent assistant and partly because I prefer to lay things out in writing. But, my friend and strength coach Nick Tumminello and I made a little how-to before I left the city for my flatter, more opportunistic midwestern town.

So check this out, and hopefully you learn a few things about the sleeper stretch, hip mobility, thoracic mobility and a few things you might have been doing incorrectly.

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 »

Some of the best philosophical and psychological writings on sport come from the ancient masters of Asian martial arts. One of my favorite books is The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman,
and it was written by a Zen monk named Takuan Soho in the 1600s. The lessons one can learn from this short (about 90 pages) book are applicable to all sports, especially those with a highly mental aspect that can cause a physical lapse in times of pressure (fighting sports, baseball pitching and hitting, golf, football kicking, etc.). While this book is short and in many parts very straightforward, it isn’t something most people would pick up and get much out of. Philosophy readings are difficult, and this is no exception, so most athletes are not going to find this an easy read while sitting in the clubhouse. But, I’m here to give you the Americanized version that you can take out onto the field with you today… 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 »

I arrived in Normal, Illinois on May 3rd for spring training for my first season of Independent professional baseball. I had pressure on me because I knew I had to perform well and outcompete a staff of more experienced pitchers, but I didn’t realize it would be maybe the two most stressful weeks of my life. Why was it so hard? Because I really, really, really didn’t want to go home, and it felt, at times, like certain things were out of my control.

Here’s how Independent ball works, and why it can be harder than affiliated ball to keep your job: Read the rest of this entry »

If you watch a major league baseball game, pay close attention to the velocity differentials of each pitcher’s offerings. As I am writing this, I am currrently watching Brian Duensing of the Twins throw a 92 mph fastball and an 80mph curve. Duensing throws what coaches would refer to as a pro curve. What is the difference between and pro and amateur curve, you ask? Speed and, subsequently, deception.  Read the rest of this entry »

If you haven’t yet seen the commercials by Gatorade bearing claims that the iconic sports drink has once again evolved, then let me fill you in: Gatorade is finally wising up and making themselves a player in the post-workout nutrition market, which is currently inhabited mostly by supplement makers. They are doing this by making their classic Gatorade just one piece in a system of three products designed to provide nutrition before, during and after a workout. They call it the G-Series. I call it a decent effort. Read the rest of this entry »