the pitcher's toolbox, fall 2012

The Left-Handed Pick-Off Move ♦ The Throwers Ten Exercise Program

The

Fall 2013

Pitcher’s Toolbox

“Changing Up” Your Mentality as a Pitcher ♦ The Release

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Bill Seamon, Executive Director

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2011 JEM Award Winners Named in honor of Jerry and Elaine Miles and sponsored by the National

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Spring 2012 Table of Contents

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© 2012 by The Pitcher’s Toolbox. The Pitcher’s Toolbox is a bi-annual publication, intended for the collaboration of sound, fundamental teaching practices for the skill of pitching. The statements and opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of The Pitcher’s Toolbox. Any advertisements in this or any other issue of The Pitcher’s Toolbox are not an endorsement of the product or company.

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The Pitcher’s Toolbox

4 “Changing Up” Your Mentality as a Pitcher By Alan Jaeger, Jaeger Sports 10 The Release By Grant Martin, 99Mental 16 The Throwers Ten Exercise Program By Dr. Allan Anderson, Tennessee Orthopedics Alliance 20 The Left-Handed Pick-Off Move By Dr. Chris Welsh, Cincinnati Reds

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Trevor Hoffman recorded most of his 601 saves with one of the most regarded changeups in Major League history.

Photo © John Horne, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum


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"Our BP pitcher would tell us that a change-up was coming and he would still dominate us." -Jim Vatcher, former major league outfielder.

When was the last time you heard a hitter say, "I can't wait to hit this guys change-up". Possibly never. The truth is hitters love fastballs. It's what they've grown up on. It's basically all they see in batting practice and it's the one pitch that they are most geared to hit. Pitchers too have grown up on fastballs. It's the pitch they've been trained to establish, command and condition their arm with. It's also the one pitch they traditionally throw more often in game situations than all other pitches combined (change, curve, slider, etc.).

Put in these terms, it's easy to understand why a hitter will often get what he's looking for, and a pitcher will often deliver it.

On the other hand, good change-ups are very annoying to hitters. They are hard to detect, and hard to predict. They are often tricky, confusing and frustrating. Besides, change-ups are not what the hitter is looking for, and not what the hitters mind is used to seeing. Let's face it -- deep down, hitters don't want any part of a change-up, even if they know it's coming.

With this said why don't pitchers throw change-ups more often? If a fastball is what the pitcher is inclined to throw and a hitter is inclined to look for it, why do so many pitchers continue to fall

into this trap? Why aren't pitchers taught to throw more change-ups when it is precisely the one pitch that can upset the hitters timing the most? After all, isn't upsetting a hitters timing one of the major goals of a pitcher?

Well, there are a number of reasons why pitchers have neglected the change-up, so let's examine them first. Then, you'll understand why the change-up has to be thrown more often if you want to raise your game to the next level. You'll also understand why "great stuff" without the threat of a change-up doesn't necessarily translate to success between the lines.

Why The Change-Up Now?

So let's put this all in perspective. Over the past century, our hitters have been working almost exclusively on hitting fastballs, and our pitchers are predominately taught to throw fastballs. Now I know what a lot of you may be thinking. Hitters should be working on the fastball because that's predominately what they are going to see, and it's what they want to hit (i.e. there are very few hitters that are known as being a great curve ball, slider, split finger or change up hitter). And I agree...hitters should be working on hitting fastballs (at least until they face a pitcher who is pitching with a changed mentality). It's the pitchers that have to make an adjustment, and this article has been written for this purpose.

“Changing Up” Your Mentality as a Pitcher

By Alan Jaeger


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Why the Change-up Has Been Neglected

The main reason the change-up has been neglected is because quite simply, it can be a very difficult pitch to throw. Because pitchers know how important speed differential is, they will often try to "slow" the change-up down by slowing their arm down, over manipulating the ball or completely altering their mechanics. This often causes the pitch to be inconsistent or get hit hard (because the hitter is tipped off). Either way, pitchers will tend to be very frustrated by not throwing a reliable change-up at the right speed. This frustration will often cause a pitcher to shelve his change-up.

Another major reason why change-ups are neglected is because pitchers learn at an early age (too early) the excitement of throwing a curve ball. Understandably so, from a very young age pitchers seem to be intrigued by seeing a pitch break. The curve ball often becomes the second pitch they learn. Again, there isn't anything wrong with throwing a curveball (at the proper age), but this often causes the change-up to be an afterthought to young pitchers.

Other reasons why the change-up seems to be discarded is because of "situational" pitching. Because starting pitchers are taught to "establish their fastball the first time through the order", and short inning relievers are taught to "focus on throwing just two pitches for strikes (usually fastball/slider or fastball/curveball)" the change-ups involvement becomes minimized. In other cases, pitchers will let their ego get in the way by seeing how hard they can throw, or not wanting to be labeled a "soft thrower".

Though, these are all "traditional" reasons why the change-up has been neglected, I will explain in the next section why, generally speaking, none of these reasons are acceptable anymore.

Why The Change-up Shouldn't Be Neglected

Shelving the change-up because it is a difficult pitch to throw is not a reason to abandon it. It must be a major part of your repertoire if you are to find out how good you can be. Yes, it may take a great deal of work to learn how to "trust" your change-up, or throw it more consistently, but make the time to do it (the best way I've found for pitchers to learn how to "trust" their change-

up is to believe that they are throwing a fastball with a different grip -- for a detailed article on the mental side of throwing the change up, go to www.jaegersports.com and look in the "monthly message" archives).

As for the excitement of throwing a curveball, though it's a very important pitch as well, it should be the 4th pitch you learn how to throw after the glove side fastball, arm side fastball and change-up. Then there's the "traditional" theory that you need to "establish" your fastball the first time through the order, and as a reliever, you need to enter the game with "two pitches you can throw for strikes". You need to enter the game ready to "pitch". That is, you need to be prepared to throw the change-up to the first hitter of the first inning, and you need to be able to throw a change-up in addition to any other pitch/pitches you can throw for strikes. The last time I checked, games are won or lost in the first inning and middle innings, not just the last inning. This also helps explain why pitchers can often have trouble in the first inning, and middle relievers often seem to be so predictable (fastball/slider, fastball/curveball) in the later innings.

Finally, the worry about being labeled a pitcher that doesn't challenge hitters is silly. Last time I checked, pitching was about getting hitters out. Do you think players in the opposing dugouts are yelling at Trevor Hoffman, Johan Santana or Pedro Martinez for not "challenging" hitters all of the time?

Though there may be a number of reasons why the change-up has been neglected, throughout this article, you will realize that it is a pitch that must be learned (if you don't already throw one), and must be thrown more often. Without it, you are ultimately giving the hitter what he is looking for and what he is conditioned to hit.

The Mind Trick -- Confusing the Muscle Memory of the Hitter

As familiar as hitters are with seeing a fastball, they are equally unfamiliar with seeing a change-up because the brain has been trained through muscle memory over many years to measure the reaction time of a fastball (this is extremely important to keep in mind). This is especially apparent once a hitter reaches high school, and dramatically more apparent once a hitter enters college or professional baseball. In either case, at


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these advanced levels a hitter’s brain has been strongly programmed to hit fastballs. It's what it wants, it what it likes and it's what it hunts.

Here's the catch -- when a pitcher throws a change up with fastball mechanics at these levels, the brain is tricked because it responds as if it is a fastball. The main reason for this is because the change up appears to be a fastball to the brain. The brain has been conditioned over so many years to recognize something "straight" as being a fastball it literally tricks the mind. Now this may sound like I'm being a bit sarcastic, but when I use the term trick, I'm using it literally. That's because the muscle memory of a hitters brain is so conditioned by something "straight" as being a fastball and something that spins as not being a fastball, it sends the message that a fastball is coming (assuming that you are throwing a four seam fastball/four seam change-up, or a two seam fastball/two seam change up). That's why hitters don't like hitting a change up in batting practice, even if they know it's coming.

This also supports the reason why hitters do make relatively good adjustments on curve balls, sliders, and to a lesser degree, split finger fastballs. They either see a change in planes relatively quickly, or a change in spin on the baseball. This alerts the mind sub-consciously that something other than a fastball is coming.

The change up may be an off-speed pitch, but it doesn't tell the brain that something "different" is coming. In fact, if a pitcher has good body language and arm speed, the brain will actually tell the hitter that a fastball is coming from past conditioning.

The Curve Ball and the Change-Up

This is why a pitcher with a great curve ball or slider (who rarely throws a change-up) will not be typically as effective as a pitcher with a great change-up. When a pitcher throws a great curve ball the mind immediately recognizes that it is not a fastball, and the fastball is not a curve ball. Though the particular curve ball may be a great pitch, and even be a "slower" pitch like the change-up, it doesn't deceive the mind in the same manner. This is because a fastball after a curve ball may still come fast, but the hitter is "assured" that it is a fastball and programmed to hit this pitch. There isn't any threat that

something other than a curve ball or fastball is coming.

The Slider and the Fastball

The case of the slider is a bit different. Where a slider after a fastball may have some deception, a fastball after a slider has little effect on the mind. This is because the slider and the fastball are "similar" speeds. Though the slider following the fastball may deceive the mind, ultimately, the mind gets used to "everything" being hard. Then, if a fastball misses its spot or a slider doesn't slide enough, the brain begins to register both at fastball speed. Again, the brain hasn't "seen" a noticeably slower pitch to create the threat that something "else" could be coming.

Integrating the Change-up into Your Performance

If you are going to throw the change up for the effect of the pitch and how it sets up all of your other pitches, than it doesn't do us a lot of good to throw it once in a while. In fact, plan on throwing it a lot more often than you've probably ever thrown it. Just as most of you have been conditioned to throw the fastball 65-70% of the time, and your change up 10-15% of the time, whether you are a power pitcher or not, you now have to think in terms of throwing your change up at least 20% of the time.

Before we talk about how to integrate your change up into your approach, let's first make a few things clear: 1) Utilizing your fastball will still play a major role in your performance, 2) Throwing "other" pitches like the curve ball, etc.. is still very important, and 3) If you don't throw a changeup, by the time you finish reading this article, I hope it's the first thing you address by tomorrow. Let's examine why.

Sequencing your change-up. As far as when to throw the change-up there are few basic rules that you can follow to see an immediate difference in your success on the mound. In no particular order:

1) Avoid throwing more than 3 "hard" pitches in a row (fastball, slider, cut fastball) at the beginning of the at-bat. When a hitter doesn't see a change-up early in the at-bat, the seed hasn't been planted and his mind hasn't been deceived yet. Remember, he's on "auto-pilot" and is


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geared to hit fastballs until his mind has been altered.

2) Get used to showing your change-up very early in the first inning and doubling up on it...especially if you are a power pitcher. Again, this will not only "upset" the hitters approach but it will plant the seed early in the game that you are a threat to throw your change up at any time...and word spreads pretty quickly to the bench, if you know what I mean.

3) While we're at it, don't hesitate to triple up on your change-up if the situation presents itself in the first few innings.

4) Throw the change-up on 3-2 counts. It is one of the most ideal times to throw it and it will give you more freedom to not "give in" on 2-2 counts.

5) Integrating your curve ball or slider doesn't have to change much, but keep in mind that, generally speaking, your curve ball/slider is not going to set your fastball up as well as your change-up, and your curve ball/slider may not be as effective after a fastball.

This is where the situation of a game and the effectiveness of a curve ball or slider factor in. There are times, of course, when it may not matter what you threw the pitch before, or what pitch you "should" throw. There are also pitchers like Mariano Rivera or Bruce Sutter, albeit rare, who can dominate with one pitch. But the reality is that the situation will dictate when it's time to throw a curve ball, cut fastball or slider instead of your change-up. This is where every pitcher needs to trust his instincts -- all "plans" need flexibility. The point is that a well thrown change-up is typically a better weapon then your curve ball or slider because it not only is harder to detect, but it is better suited to set up your fastball again.

The Infinite Change-up Theory

When thrown correctly, I believe that the change-up is so deceptive to a hitter that if a pitcher truly maintained his fastball mechanics, body language and arm action, a hitter would be fooled by an infinite amount of straight change-ups (okay, maybe only a few hundred). Here's why.

First of all, hitters are pretty much in agreement that a great change-up is almost impossible to hit (see Trevor Hoffman, Johan Santana). So if we took a pitcher with a great changeup, who sold the hitter that he was throwing a fastball, the first thing that would happen as we've discussed is the hitters brain would believe that a fastball is coming. After the first swing and miss he would probably say to himself, "look fastball and adjust change up", or "look fastball” again because that's the pitch I want to hit (in extreme cases a hitter may even look change up). When the pitcher throws the next change-up with great fastball mechanics, the hitter’s brain again would believe that a fastball is coming.

The reason I suggest that this effect would repeat itself infinitely is because after the first two change-ups, the hitter would begin to think that only one of two things can happen. Number 1, "he has to throw me a fastball at some point", or

Greg Maddux won 355 games and 4 Cy Young awards with the ability to throw a plus change-up on any count.

Photo © John Gress/Icon SMI/Zuma


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2, "I'm going to look change-up no matter what". In the first scenario, he will continue get the message from his mind that a fastball is coming. In the second scenario, he may be looking change up, but in the back of his mind, he still doesn't want to get beat on the one pitch he really wants -- the fastball (and hitters especially don't like to get beat in, right?).

Like a broken record, this same scenario would play itself out infinitely because the hitter will always, subconsciously, get the message that a fastball is coming because of the deception, and because he doesn't want to get beat by the one pitch he wants...the fastball. Finally, with each passing change-up, the percentages actually increase that the pitcher is due to throw a fastball. Even in the absolute best case scenario, where he commits with every fiber of his being to look change-up, does he really want to hit a change-up? Is he really going to hit it that well? Is it a skill that he's ever really worked on? Whether it gets to infinity or not, I hope the point is well taken. Hitter's don't want to sit on change-ups or look for change-ups. The muscle memory of the brain hasn't been programmed to respond to this pitch. In fact it's quite the contrary. It's been programmed to be fooled by this pitch.

A Final Word

You now have a choice -- continue to be like so many pitchers who are feeding hitters what they are looking for, or start becoming the pitcher that is deceptive, unpredictable and frustrating to hitters. Just remember that the hitters mind is strongly wired to react to fastballs, and to a lesser degree, sliders. For this same reason, it also sees the spin of a curveball or the tumbling of a split finger relatively quickly. But a change-up gives the mind no reason to believe that anything other than a fastball is coming. And it responds accordingly.

If you want to dramatically improve your performance, plan on throwing the change-up dramatically more often. If it is not in your repertoire, start working on it right away and make it part of your repertoire. Until you come to terms with this concept, you may never come close to realizing how good you can truly be, even if you throw 95mph or have a great curve ball. Hitters can ultimately make adjustments there. But if you throw a change-up with good arm speed, good body language and fastball

mechanics then I don't need to know how hard you throw, or how good of a curve ball you have. I already know that the hitter is in trouble.

Copyright © 2006 by Jaeger Sports and reprinted by permission from Alan Jaeger. To see more of Jaeger’s programs, go to www.jaegersports.com.

Find amazing videos of Jaeger Sports in action at YouTube.com

The release

By Grant Martin

Founder of 99Mental


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This is the last chance you have before that ball spirals out of your hand, out of your control. And with the release, you lose control of the outcome of the at-bat, game, season, or career. If you hold on too long, you’ll throw it in the dirt and come up short of your victory. If you let go too soon, there are entire books published from which you can choose a new nickname. So it has to be perfect! Or does it?

Fear has crept into the hearts of the greatest of men throughout human history. Many among the baseball ranks will proudly say there is no lonelier place on earth than the pitcher’s mound. And when everything is all about you, there’s no easier friend to find than fear. But is that really the truth?

Baseball is unique in that the defense actually has the ball. In addition, there are 8 other players on the field to actively handle your missed opportunities. Those same 8 (maybe plus 1 depending on the DH rule) will then proceed to do the same thing to the guy who will stand where you’re standing for the next 3 outs when you’re done. And if they’re excellent at their craft, they may only succeed 4 out of every 10 tries. So let’s get a little megalomania out of the way…you’re not alone and this one game does NOT all depend on you. Baseball has several instances where individual play is highlighted. But the sport you signed up for is a team game; period!

Ever seen an upset happen? I love nothing more than to watch a team who is the bottom seed knock a top seed right out in one game. That “Cinderella” just wasn’t reading the papers that day and was oblivious to how they were supposed to act at the “ball.” However, one of the most annoying things to watch is a top seed compete against themselves in a game when a bottom seed “assumes the position” like a practice dummy. Then there’s the fun of watching two top seeds go at it. A real “game” starts when the perception of who is going to win is positively undecided…in everybody’s mind but the competitor’s. One team will miss an opportunity, but bounce right back into the

game. They’ll make a play, then make another one, and another one. Miss one, but bounce right back. BOTH teams are like a lion that keeps getting bucked off the wildebeest it’s pursing, and it just acts like nothing happened and continues the tenacious pursuit.

Success is about how you look at every single little opportunity from the start. Fear creeps in when you feel an inflated sense of importance over a single opportunity. When you do that, you’ll become afraid to pounce on a wildebeest during a pursuit because you’ll be afraid to get bucked. Pretty soon, you’ll stop the pursuit altogether. In one game, if you miss an opportunity on the mound, I promise you there were plenty of missed opportunities at the plate that your team missed. That’s not to say that you should blame teammates when you just gave up a jack because they didn’t hit any. Blame yourself, own it, and enjoy it! Learn something and then build on what you learned for the next opportunity.

Here’s what MOST people do when they know they messed up during one moment that will be highly-scrutinized by everybody else. They get afraid that there’s no redemption beyond the opportunity that just slipped right over the right field wall. Now, you never see a big tough pitcher bite his fingernails on the mound once they give up a run to lose the save. No, sir! If they have no understanding, they go to fear’s next level when that happens: ANGER. Yup. Anger is simply fear that you missed the opportunity that you feared missing. And you MAY have missed it! But stay with me and we’ll explore where you missed it so you don’t miss the next one breaking your hand in the dugout while punching a concrete wall (I’ve seen it.) When you do that stupid stuff, you perpetuate that fear because, guess what…you then do indeed lose the opportunity for redemption.

Remember this formula: You get what you fear. The reason you do is because that’s what you’re thinking about when you should be thinking about what you WANT. Why DWELL on what you don’t want? Achieving great things requires

The Release

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sowing seeds, spending time watering it, and pouncing on the harvest when the fruit of that seed gets ripe. You don’t have time to worry about a drought or some kind of bug eating your lunch. Consider those threats if necessary…and then work around them and do something to mitigate that risk. But don’t sit there and only eat your fingernails! If a guy can take your fastball into the next hemisphere when you throw it low in the zone, make an adjustment. But then focus on the adjustment, not the adjusted!

Here’s the truth. Like a pitch, how you go up to the mound determines how you come down. Plain and simple. Take 5 minutes and gnaw on that…

Good to have you back. I’m not talking about whether you run or walk to the mound. Whether you step on the baseline or not. How you go up to the mound isn’t about how you warm up. It’s not about how the ball feels in your hand, your first warm up pitch or your second. This isn’t about how you slept, how you ate, how you feel right now, who you’re facing, how many innings, pitches, or balls the coach just said he’d let you go before he’s going to yank you. This isn’t about what this game, season, or girlfriend in the stands means to you. Nope. How you go up to the mound is determined by ALL of those things. This opportunity is determined by what you did in the weight room 4 years ago, 4 months ago, 4 weeks ago, and 4 days ago. This opportunity is determined by your mechanics that you didn’t change when the coach advised you to because you don’t like that he starts somebody else ahead of you. This opportunity is

about how you didn’t study for that test you failed earlier today and are now distracted by because the night before you wanted to stay up and watch somebody else’s game on TV that didn’t REALLY matter. ALL of that matters.

WOW! That’s certainly a lot to consider. And it sure is a lot to control. Yes it is. And an even bigger task than controlling it is understanding how to. The actual throwing of the ball is the easy part. It’s the RELEASE of that pressure that’s been built up by your preparation. It’s the final answer on the test that never passes dummies, slackers, or liars. How you prime the pump will all determine how much pressure you release. That’s why so few people run the gamut of life to even make it to the field to take the test in the first place.

I positively lose it inside when I hear a kid say, “I don’t really like baseball.” Or, “I don’t want to play in college (or high school).” America is the richest country in the world. To play baseball in college and get a scholarship of which they actually take advantage puts someone in the top 1% of income earners in the world. To play major league baseball can put somebody in the top 1% of the top 1%. And, please, let’s not have the, “I don’t care about money discussion.” You don’t want to play because you’re a loser and you haven’t read this article. If you’ve read this far, you need to share this with that guy you know who has taken his talents to some other sport or activity he thinks he can win. Because all this applies there as well.

Life is hard. Winning is even harder. If you watch a nature show of any sort, and there’s a water hole that’s drying up, say in Africa, animals from all over the place will come to that watering hole. And as the pool shrinks, there is less and less shoulder room around that pond.

As you grow up, that little circle called the pitcher’s mound in the middle of the field gets a little harder to occupy. The competition gets bigger, the velocity gets faster, and the hitters get smarter and quicker. As that competition increases, more and more of your classmates will get cut, burned out and quit, or just fade into


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mediocrity as they get sidetracked by life. They get sidetracked by just being a fan of somebody else when they don’t realize they have just as much potential. They get sidetracked by that game they lost in middle school. They get sidetracked by a girl that keeps them from studying. The coach who yells too much. Or that friend that keeps them from listening to the wisdom of their parents and coaches because they’ve convinced them that because authority is imperfect, that it should not be trusted at all. They get sidetracked from doing the work and the preparation and the reps that it takes to stay in the circle.

What is even better than watching the animals compete for a spot on the ever-shrinking puddle is watching the ones who don’t simply follow the traditional methods. The little wildebeests will crawl under the legs of the bigger ones to get a drink. The crocodiles use the water itself as camouflage to get a drink and something to eat. The rhinos use their horns. The lions use the water as a distraction and then come from behind. The hippos use their mass. It’s real reality TV. Nobody pre-wrote the script on who was supposed to die that day and who was supposed to eat. Nothing is guaranteed. So they all just compete with what they DO have. One doesn’t try to be like the other. But they play to WIN!

Maybe you’re getting beat playing somebody else’s game? You think it’s just genetic or fate that gave somebody a 6’4” body you don’t have. Maybe they come from money and you don’t. Maybe they just get more chances from the coach that you don’t. Again, we’re dealing with your perception of what you do and don’t control! Does being a regular old wildebeest help you get a spot on the pond? Or can you use what’s different about you to make sure you get a drink? Usually guys who are handed the most talent end up relying on just that. Ever heard the parable of the tortoise and the hare? Let’s just say the most expensive pitching lessons are worthless if given to a ball, just like a 6’4” frame

doesn’t do a tuba player any good. It’s the application of a whole box of tools that matters.

Maybe your ONLY tool is your understanding of the value of work. So use that. Catch the guy who is better than you today while he’s out partying away his talent. Take extra reps while the guy who starts in front of you whose dad is the Chairman on the league or school’s Board of Directors is playing

Nintendo. Make the decision so obvious for the coach or the scouts. Don’t blame it on the coach or the scouts. The bottom line is, you can’t practice like everybody else and get what only a few get. You can’t workout just during the team workouts and expect to lead the team. Soldiers follow orders. The elite forces complete those and search for more. Being as excellent as you can be is never a “CAN-DO” issue. That’s what absolute losers blame it on. Being as excellent as you can be a “WANT-TO” issue.

Success is about WHO you are, not WHAT you do. If you just gave up a bomb. Adjusting your sleeping habits may be answer that you weren’t expecting. If you just blew a save, maybe the offseason is to blame. If you just threw one off the net ABOVE the backstop fence, maybe your attitude toward your coach is the issue because he’s taught you the mechanics to avoid that, and you blew him off?

The thing is, you can do some breathing techniques. You can count to 10. You can stack 12 smooth stones in the dugout and wear the same socks every time you pitch. But the ONLY thing that works when you’re trying to get a handle on what went wrong is gaining an understanding of what you’re doing and WHY before you start!

So if you give up two consecutive home runs and the coach pulls you, or you sit and watch your infield implode before your eyes, consider this: the reason people look for things to punch is because what they really WANT to feel is truth. They want to feel truth because fear has gone to

The Release

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the next level and they need something else to dull the pain of that loss of control. And they think anger looks better on them than fear. That camouflaged crocodile of fear that looks like “manly” anger is about to eat YOU for lunch just when you thought you had finally gotten your turn to get a drink. The truth is the concrete wall or yelling at your teammates, coach, parents will all get you what you feared in the first place, loss of opportunity.

It’s your mound, your ball, your field and your team, even during the summer when you still have 8 months to go before the first practice! Nothing comes down to one moment. WHO you are is exhibited under pressure. Sometimes you see pressure moments developing because the lion was impatient and blew his own cover. But most of the time, they happen when you least expect them. So you have to live, and move, and walk with that awareness at ALL times. Then you can do what it takes to be prepared when that moment of surprise happens. You make decisions years, months, and weeks before based on the expectation that you will want the ball on the mound when it counts. You build the Character…istics that produce Stat…istics. You tell people NO when it counts, even if they seem important right now. You tell the TV NO, the laziness NO, and the anger NO. And when you can fend off the creeping lions of distraction, fear, peer /fan pressure, and lethargy, the ones that come bouncing up to the plate acting like they’re gonna do something will be much easier to spot. And if your shortstop throws away your success in that moment, or even the wide open lion gets a paw into you, there will still be what he didn’t get left to keep fighting and get up to get away. To live to fight another day, another pitch, or another season knowing you’ll know better next time.

My name is Grant Martin. I played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track and cross-country competitively. I graduated from Belmont University as their baseball program’s career hits, single-season hits, career doubles, single-season doubles, and career at-bats leader. I was a 4-year starter. I was the team leader in batting average the last 3 out of my 4 winning seasons which were Belmont’s first years in NCAA Division I competition.

99 Mental is a vision made of truth. It is an identity and an armor bestowed upon those who can be honest with themselves enough to know that they have nothing else. If you are fighting a personal battle that distracts you, or just trying to find a moral victory in defeat, who you are can outshine what you see at the moment. Because it is in those moments, when hope for victory seems dead, that true kings are resurrected. 99 Mental will show you how a true king thinks…

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• Variations of PFP Drills • Rehab Throwing

Routines • Issues and Concern

The Pitcher’s Toolbox reserves the right to select from submitted articles for publication, as well as refuse materials that are inappropriate for the mission of the magazine. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited content or photographs, nor for unauthorized material submitted for publishing from authors.

Provided by Dr. Allen F. Anderson

The Throwers Ten Exercise Program

Dr. Allen F. Anderson is a 1976 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He completed a residency in orthopaedics at Vanderbilt University and is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and in general orthopaedics. He also has a certificate of added qualification for Sports Medicine.


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2. External/Internal Rotation at 0° Abduction

(External) Stand with involved elbow fixed at side, elbow at 90° and involved arm across front of body. Grip tubing handle while the other end of tubing is fixed. Pull out with arm, keeping elbow at side. Return tubing slowly and controlled.

(Internal) Standing with elbow at side fixed at 90° and shoulder rotated out. Grip tubing handle while other end of tubing is fixed. Pull arm across body keeping elbow at side. Return tubing slowly and controlled.

And 90° Abduction

(External) Stand with shoulder abducted 90° and elbow flexed 90°. Grip tubing handle while the other end is fixed straight ahead, slightly lower than the shoulder. Keeping shoulder abducted, rotate shoulder back keeping elbow at 90°. Return tubing and hand to start position.

(Internal) Stand with shoulder abducted 90°, externally rotated 90° and elbow bent to 90°. Keeping shoulder abducted, rotate shoulder forward, keeping elbow bent at 90°. Return tubing and hand to start position.

1. Diagonal Pattern D2 Extension/Flexion

(Extension) Involved hand will grip tubing handle overhead and out to the side. Pull tubing down and across your body to the opposite side of leg. During the motion, lead with your thumb.

(Flexion) Gripping tubing handle in hand of involved arm, begin with arm out from side 45° and palm facing backward. After turning palm forward, proceed to flex elbow and bring arm up and over uninvolved shoulder. Turn palm down and reverse to take arm to starting position. Exercise should be performed in controlled manner.


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3. Shoulder Abduction to 90°

Stand with arm at side, elbow straight and palm against side. Raise arm to the side, palm down, until arm reaches 90° (shoulder level). Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

4. Scaption, Internal Rotation

Stand with elbow straight and thumb up. Raise arm to shoulder level at 30° angle in front of body. Do not go above shoulder height. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

5. Prone Horizontal Abduction, Neutral and Full ER, 100° ABD

(Neutral) Lie on table, face down, with involved arm hanging straight to the floor, and palm facing down. Raise arm out to the side, parallel to the floor. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

(Full ER, 100° ABD) Lie on table, face down, with involved arm hanging straight to floor, and thumb rotated up (hitchhiker). Raise arm out to the side with arm slightly in front of shoulder, parallel to the floor. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

6. Press-Ups

Seated on a chair or on a table, place both hands firmly on the sides of the chair or table, palm down and fingers pointed outward. Hands should be placed equal with shoulders. Slowly push downward through the hands to elevate your body. Hold the elevated position for two seconds and lower body slowly.

7. Prone Rowing

Lying on your stomach with your involved arm hanging over the side of the table, dumbbell in hand and elbow straight. Slowly raise arm, bending elbow, and bring dumbbell as high as possible. Hold at the top for two seconds, then slowly lower.


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8. Push-Ups

Start in the down position with arms in a comfortable position. Place hands no more than shoulder-width apart. Push up as high as possible, rolling shoulders forward after elbows are straight. Start with a push-up into a wall. Gradually progress to table top and eventually to floor as tolerable.

9. Elbow Flexion/Extension/Abduction

(Flexion) Standing with arm against side and palm facing inward, bend elbow upward turning palm up as you progress. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

(Extension/Abduction) Raise involved arm overhead. Provide support at elbow from uninvolved hand. Straighten arm overhead. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

10. Wrist Extension/Flexion/Supination/Pronation

(Extension) Supporting the forearm and with palm facing downward, raise weight in hand as far as possible. Hold two seconds and lower slowly.

(Flexion) Supporting the forearm and with palm facing upward, lower a weight in hand as far as possible and then curl it up as high as possible. Hold for two seconds and lower slowly.

(Supination) Forearm should be supported on a table with wrist in neutral position. Using a weight or hammer, roll wrist taking palm up. Hold for a two-count and return to starting position.

(Pronation) Forearm should be supported on a table with wrist in neutral position. Using a weight or a hammer, roll wrist taking palm down. Hold for a two-count and return to a starting position.

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Maybe you’ve heard the story about the left-handed pitcher whose pick-off move was so good that he once threw the over to first base, picked off the runner and the batter swung for strike three- double play! Now that’s a good move.

It’s commonly accepted that lefthanders have an advantage with runners on first base because they face first base when in the stretch position. This advantage exists only if the lefty is has a quality pick-off move. It sounds easy, but it might be one of the more challenging aspects of pitching. A good pick-off move requires muscle control, athletic ability, and the ability to seemingly move in two directions at the same time; all while being scrutinized by the umpire, baserunner and the first base coach. Most lefthanders have poor moves to first and reveal their awkwardness with their first throw over. A good baserunner makes a quick read of the poor move and is off to the races. In fact, most successful stolen bases against lefties aren’t even close plays at second. That’s why the stolen base success rate is higher against lefties than for righties. However, a left-handed pitcher with a quality move can completely shut down the running game. Here’s how.

What’s Your Goal?

Do you want to pick runners off first base? Forget it. Your goal should be to stop the running game- keep the baserunner from stealing second base on your move to the plate. This is accomplished by convincing the runner that you can throw to first base at a late stage in your delivery. From the eye of the runner, each delivery should appear as though you’re going to the plate. So, your move to first base should

mirror your move to the plate until you actually throw the ball to first base.

The Key Elements

Most left-handed pitchers can improve their move with just a few adjustments to their stretch delivery. To understand which adjustments to make we must first understand the key elements of a quality pick-off move.

The Lefthanded Pick-Off Move By Chris Welsh

The Best of The Thinking Pitcher

The Key Elements of a Quality Pick-off Move

• Balance- the ability to maintain control of the body throughout the delivery.

• Direction- the ability to look and move in one direction while throwing accurately in another.

• Follow Through- pushing off with the stride leg and following the throw to first base.

• Tempo- keep the same tempo for leg lift, arm swing and throw.


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The Breakdown

Develop a quality pick-off move by learning the movements of the body parts and then blend them together into a smooth, controlled delivery. Mike Maack, pitching coach at the University of Central Florida, has developed a teaching system for the lefty pick-off move in his book, The Move. He’s organized the pick-off move into body zones to simplify the learning process.

Zone 1

Head – Most lefties attempt to fool the runner by varying their head looks to first base. Too often the pitcher develops a pattern that is solved by the runner. A common example of this is looking to first base when throwing to the plate and looking to the plate when throwing to first base. Instead of confusing yourself with head fakes, try this sequence on each and every delivery:

• Look to the catcher to pick up the sign. • Look to the base when coming to the set

position. • Look back to the catcher when you get to

your balance point.

Glove and Shoulders – As your body begins, drive down the 45° line with your head, glove and shoulders pointed directly at the catcher. A common mistake many pitchers make is to reach with the glove somewhere between the 45° line and first base. This is a big tip-off to an astute runner.

Zone 2

Feet – At the beginning of the stretch windup, stagger the feet by placing the heel of the stride foot in line with the toe of the pivot foot. Twist the pivot heel so that it is slightly away from the rubber (about 2”). This increases the angle which the pitcher has to work within the imaginary 45° line.

Leg Lift – Maintain body control and keep the stride foot relaxed. Tempo is important- keep it the same as during a delivery to the plate. By staying in control during the leg lift, you’ll prevent the runner from running on your first move.

The Balance Position – The balance point is the most important phase in any windup. Stay in control and begin turning your head towards home plate.

Drive 45° - The pivot leg pushes the body down the imaginary 45° line. The stride foot is closed and relaxed.

Zone 3

The Throw – Accuracy, not velocity, is the key. Since you are looking towards home, pointing your shoulder and your glove towards home, you’re essentially readying yourself to throw in one direction but actually throwing in another. This takes work and practice. Many pitchers try to throw the ball too hard to first base. Fact is, most runners are picked off before the throw is made to the base.

The Follow Through - Follow through and begin to walk toward first base. This prevents umpires from getting a lasting look at your landing area and gets you into position in the event of a pick-off.

Setting Up the Runner

If your strategy includes actually picking off the runner at first base, you must learn how to set up the runner so he is vulnerable to your best move. This includes a series of “bad” moves that will give the runner a false sense of confidence in thinking he’s got you figured out. To get the most out of this setup, you need more than one “bad move”. Maack suggests three: and obvious bad move, a regular bad move, and the good-bad move. The good-bad move is the one you sell to the runner as your best. Once you feel comfortable that the runner has bought into

The Left-Handed Pick-0ff Move

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your “bad” move, you can close the door on him with your best move.

Works for Righthanders, Too!

A right-handed pitcher with a deceptive pick-off move to third base can “pick” his way out of trouble. With the runner at third base, emphasis is on picking the runner off, not slowing the running game. The move itself is the same as for lefthanders, but the third baseman breaks to the bag on the leg lift. This requires a prearranged play and, of course, eliminates the “bad” move set up procedure.

Prepare the Mound

Mound preparation is an important step in delivering a quality pick-off move. Most mounds are neatly maintained at the beginning of the game. Pitchers should mark the mound with footprints all over the first base side and then mark a heavy footprint just inside the imaginary 45° line. If, during your pick-off move to first base, your foot lands outside the 45° line, your coach can argue that you have an excellent move and point to your “heavy” footprint as your landing spot. Most amateur umpires will examine the mound and buy the coach’s theory and be more reluctant to call the balk based on a landing violation. Also, with a two-umpire crew, it’s difficult for either umpire to accurately watch where your foot lands and be in position to make a call at the base.

Warn the Umpire

Prepare the umpire for your move by quietly notifying the umpiring crew that your pitcher has an excellent move to first base. Tell them that your move might look like a balk but is within the guidelines of the Baseball Rule Book, Section 8.05.

The Quick Step

For some left-handers, it’s the only move they’ve got. The pitcher quickly steps off the back of the rubber with his left foot and makes a snap throw to first base. The speed of the throw is not as important as the quickness of the move and location of the throw. This move can be used when a runner is taking a large one-way lead and the pitcher is attempting to shorten him into a more conventional lead. It’s also effective on runners who use a crossover step when taking a lead or who are not paying attention to the pitcher.

Chris Welsh is a former pitcher for the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, and Cincinnati Reds. Currently, he is the color analyst for the Reds television broadcast team. Copyright © 1993 by Splitfinger Publications. Reprinted by permission by Chris Welsh and The Thinking Pitcher.

Most of the information from this article was contributed by Mike Maack, author of The Move.

TENNESSEE BASEBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION

Pat Swallows, Executive Director

Visit us at www.tbca.org.

The Pitcher’s Toolbox is looking for information about the following

aspects of pitching:

• Delivery Drills • Controlling the Running Game • The Mental Game • Throwing Programs (including Long

Toss principles) • Pitching Philosophies • Mechanical Terminology and Training

Practices • Conditioning Programs (including

shoulder-care exercises) • Variations of PFP drills • Rehab throwing routines • Issues and concerns • Contacts with current or former Major

League pitchers and coaches

If you wish to contribute an article about any of the topics listed above, or any other topic that is pitching related and may not be listed, please submit your writings and accompanying photographs electronically to the managing editor of The Pitcher’s Toolbox:

[email protected]

For more information, please call at (931) 279-0807

The Pitcher’s Toolbox reserves the right to select from submitted articles for publication, as well as refuse materials that are inappropriate for the mission of the magazine. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited content or photographs, nor for unauthorized material submitted for publishing by author.

the pitcher's toolbox, fall 2012

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