Pitching vs. Throwing

Great article with Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals who is coming off of Tommy John surgery.  Here are some some solid pitching thoughts by a young Major Leaguer:

"You have to go out there and pitch. You can’t just throw it by guys.” 

"He often decries the obsession with his velocity and strikeout totals, professing a preference for weak contract early in the count."  

As I get more experience I’m going to learn how to, when I’m out there in the heat of battle, to not necessarily think ‘Okay, I’m just going to rear back and throw this by him.’ 

"I’m never going to go out there and not compete. But there’s times to rear back and there’s times to take a little bit off."

“It’s location. It’s not power. He just needs to relax, start hitting his spots."

This Little Chap That Follows Me

Whether you know it or not, little eyes are watching you and little minds are wanting to be just like you.  What kind of a role model are you going to be for them?  NCAA legend, Coach John Wooden shares some thought provoking words in this video directed by Spike Lee.

This Little Chap Who Follows Me

A careful man I want to be.

A little fellow follows me.

I do not dare go astray

For fear he’ll go the self-same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes.

Whate’er he sees me do, he tries.

Like ME he says he’s going to be-

That little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go

Through summer suns and winter snow,

I am building for the years to be-

That little chap who follows me.

(Taken from All Pro Dad)

Approach at the Plate

Some solid hitting thoughts by Vernon Wells of the LA Angels:  "The more he tried to hit the ball over the fence, the worse his approach at the plate became."