What Makes an Elite Pitcher?

What Makes an Elite Pitcher? PDF Author: Warren N. Wilbert
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 9780786484560
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Elite baseball pitchers are elite for a reason. They seem to have it all: a variety of pitches that no one can lay a bat to; cool heads and confidence in their "stuff" when they get in a jam; and the kind of dexterity that makes difficult plays seem easy. Is elite status revealed through statistics? Though the author of this book considers statistics of both the traditional and sabermetric sort, he argues that the greats are proved not by broad statistical comparison with all other pitchers, but by their record against one another. In a thoughtful discussion of the evidence of head-to-head matchups, he finds the nine pitchers who make up the true elite: Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux. For each pitcher the book provides biographical information, career highlights, and a list of the feats that put him in the record books.

What Makes an Elite Pitcher?

What Makes an Elite Pitcher? PDF Author: Warren N. Wilbert
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 9780786484560
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Get Book Here

Book Description
Elite baseball pitchers are elite for a reason. They seem to have it all: a variety of pitches that no one can lay a bat to; cool heads and confidence in their "stuff" when they get in a jam; and the kind of dexterity that makes difficult plays seem easy. Is elite status revealed through statistics? Though the author of this book considers statistics of both the traditional and sabermetric sort, he argues that the greats are proved not by broad statistical comparison with all other pitchers, but by their record against one another. In a thoughtful discussion of the evidence of head-to-head matchups, he finds the nine pitchers who make up the true elite: Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux. For each pitcher the book provides biographical information, career highlights, and a list of the feats that put him in the record books.

Dear Baseball Gods: A Memoir

Dear Baseball Gods: A Memoir PDF Author: Dan Blewett
Publisher: Dan Blewett
ISBN: 1727813936
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
Dear Baseball Gods, Why didn't you look out for him? Didn't he deserve better? He hustled, competed, and played the game the right way. What happened wasn't fair. A Second Comeback Dan sat by a tree, staring at the ground trying to decide what he would do next. The doctor had just explained that everything he worked for was now ruined. A second Tommy John surgery? Does anyone come back from that? Is my career over? Is this it? A Winding Road to the Top As a walk-on in college, Dan had to earn everything. He pitched on three hours sleep, lived in the clubhouse, played for a team that collapsed mid-season, and endured more arm pain than any kid should. A Way to Move On When finally forced to hang up his cleats, Dan looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the man peering back. If no longer a ballplayer...what would he do? What had been the point of it all? Who was he? The Deeper Side of Life as an Athlete In this philosophical memoir, written as a series of letters, you'll learn that the pinstripes don't wash off so easily.

A Parent's Survival Guide for the Parent of the Elite Pitcher

A Parent's Survival Guide for the Parent of the Elite Pitcher PDF Author: Ron Wolforth
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615705286
Category : Baseball for children
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
Coach Ron Wolforth reveals truths about pitching that are rarely shared with the public. In Survival Guide for the Parent of the Elite Pitcher, you'll find straight talk from America's "Go-To-Guy" on Pitching. "Relying on first-hand experience, in this type of arena, can be quite costly. Imagine if you could avoid injury for your son's arm, or body? Would you want him to "learn the hard way"? Baseball is a game that requires a ton of perspective from a parent's viewpoint. All that matters when your son is 12, or 16, or 18 is that along the development curve he has a chance to reach his potential. Regardless of what that potential ceiling is, relying on first-hand knowledge with the possibility of injury and ineffectiveness is not secure. As a kid, I was a great reader, and from A-Z it seemed like I'd read every available book on pitching, even skimming biographies for inspiration. I never got my hands on Ron's method until I was already in the major leagues, which by that time I'd already had enough injuries to essential body parts. Perhaps if my family and myself could rewind the clock, then I might have been able to avoid some of the injuries and their lasting effects. A saying you learn in the minor leagues: nobody gets sent to the big leagues from the training room. Find a way to make yourself stronger, more stable mechanically, and mentally by working on the right program and having a bit of perspective. It's more important to improve, and if you are going for the top, you better do what you can to keep yourself in onepiece." -C.J. Wilson Major League Picher, Los Angeles Angels 2011 American League All-Star

Downright Filthy Pitching Book 1

Downright Filthy Pitching Book 1 PDF Author: Perry L. Husband
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781516994700
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Downright Filthy Pitching - The Science of Effective Velocity (EV) is the study of baseball pitch speeds and how location changes the reaction time of the hitter. This science answers why pitchers are great one day and awful the next and why hitters fall into slumps with no answers. For the first time there is scientific proof that will teach pitchers how to go from having 'Nasty Stuff' to becoming 'Downright Filthy'. This book series shows you how to maximize the effects of every pitch in your arsenal, like time management for pitch speed usage. This is the first provable explanation for why certain pitches are swung on and missed one day and hit out of the yard the next. EV gives pitchers a detailed plan to help them maximize their deception............and yes, deception is now measurable and can be practiced. The only scientific pitch calling method has been implemented by Collegiate programs in baseball and softball throughout the country and with many Major League pitchers, catchers and coaches. EV has uncovered the truth behind some longtime myths about pitching. Find out why: 'Shorter Pitchers' may actually be far more deceptive' - 'Outside fastball is not the best pitch in baseball' - 'Keeping the ball down is killing you' and many other myths explained through this new set of goggles that has changed the game. You will never look at the game of baseball the same way again.

Clean Your Cleats

Clean Your Cleats PDF Author: Dan Blewett
Publisher: Dan Blewett
ISBN:
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
What Does it Take to Have a Great Baseball Career? You daydream about one day seeing your face on a baseball card. You live for pressure and the green grass beneath your cleats. But as your career progresses, the game gets harder. You slump and struggle. You get injured and overlooked. Your confidence plummets. Can you keep improving? Are your big dreams still within reach? A Handbook for the Dedicated Player Clean Your Cleats is filled with stories and advice learned the hard way, over a long career on the diamond. Develop better routines and improve your consistency. Handle the ups and downs with confidence and resolve. Strengthen relationships with teammates, parents and coaches. Learn mindset strategies to become the best version of you. Dan Blewett, in this practical guide, helps players understand all the little things in baseball that make a huge difference over a long career. Why clean your cleats? Because every detail matters.

The Science of the Fastball

The Science of the Fastball PDF Author: William Blewett
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786471794
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
This book presents a scientific but easy to understand explanation of pitching power. Illustrated with anecdotes about baseball's greatest power pitchers, it describes how they were able to achieve phenomenal fastball velocity and record-breaking strikeout numbers. How was a 17-year-old rookie named Bob Feller able to strike out Major League batters in record numbers? How do the tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the arm and shoulder work to amplify power for greater pitch velocity? How was minor league pitcher Steve Dalkowski able to throw the most phenomenal fastball ever seen (or heard)? Why do young pitchers with exceptional velocity often issue walks at exceptional rates? Why do good pitchers occasionally pitch badly? Why is exceptional hand speed important? What is it about overhand throwing that causes elbow and shoulder injuries? How can a pitcher achieve greater endurance and durability? What is the most reliable way to increase fastball velocity? This book addresses these and other questions for pitchers, coaches, managers, trainers, and fans.

212: The Extra Degree

212: The Extra Degree PDF Author: Sam Parker
Publisher: The Walk The Talk Company
ISBN: 9781885228673
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 88

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Book Description
212° the extra degree captures the essence of excellence in an unforgettable way... At 211° water is hot. At 212°, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. The one extra degree, that one small step, makes the difference. In the original 212° the extra degree softcover, the simple 212° concept is illustrated through a clear introduction and then supported by a series of thoughts, examples, and facts that will help you absorb the 212° mindset. Its purpose is to inspire the extra level of effort that produces exponential results. Let 212° become a part of everyone's vocabulary. This book will encourage anyone who reads it to give that extra degree of effort...the extra degree that will produce extraordinary results.

Baseball's Iconic 1-0 Games

Baseball's Iconic 1-0 Games PDF Author: Warren N. Wilbert
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0810885786
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Although very few baseball games end with a final score of one to zero, and such a score line might suggest a contest devoid of drama, nothing could be further from the truth. Since the 1876 inaugural season of professional baseball, many 1-0 games have proved as compelling as those featuring a parade of pitchers and a plethora of home runs. In Baseball's Iconic 1-0 Games Warren Wilbert has chronicled the tensest 1-0 nail-biters that have occurred since baseball's first professional season. Organized thematically, Baseball's Iconic 1-0 Games starts by examining 1-0 games achieved on Opening Day, with the finest selected from the more than 50 that have occurred since 1876. Regular season games, in which less than three percent result in a 1-0 score, are then detailed, including those games pitched by such greats as John "Jocko" Flynn and Randy Johnson. Championship play, from the first inning of playoffs to the final out of the World Series, has its own share of 1-0 drama, and this, too, is covered extensively. These chapters are then followed by a look at the elusive perfect 1-0 game, of which only eight have been pitched since 1871--seven with a single pitcher. Pitching titans such as Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Bert Blyleven, Christy Mathewson, Dean Chance, Ed Walsh, Guy White, and Cy Young have had more than their fair share of 1-0 victories, and an additional chapter examines these pitchers and their 1-0 games. Appendixes include a full list of pitchers to have thrown a no-hit 1-0 game, pitching greats who have amassed ten or more career 1-0 victories, and 1-0 games in both the Negro Leagues and the Japanese Major Leagues. Featuring more than 30 photographs, Baseball's Iconic 1-0 Games is sure to fascinate all baseball fans, players, and historians.

The Shutout in Major League Baseball

The Shutout in Major League Baseball PDF Author: Warren N. Wilbert
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786491183
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
The shutout--a game in which a team prevents its opponent from scoring--remains relatively rare. Of the roughly 200,000 regular season games that have been played since the origins of the major leagues, only about 10 percent have been shutouts. Gold Glove defense, astonishing pitching talent, and the combined efforts of a team working toward baseball artistry must all come together. This work covers every shutout from the beginning of professional baseball through the 2010 World Series, including no-hitters and perfect games. With in-depth statistics and play-by-play descriptions to bring to life the action on the field, it is the definitive history of one of baseball's premier achievements.

Ninety Percent Mental

Ninety Percent Mental PDF Author: Bob Tewksbury
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 0738234931
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Former Major League pitcher and mental skills coach for two of baseball's legendary franchises (the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants) Bob Tewksbury takes fans inside the psychology of baseball. In Ninety Percent Mental, Bob Tewksbury shows readers a side of the game only he can provide, given his singular background as both a longtime MLB pitcher and a mental skills coach for two of the sport's most fabled franchises, the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants. Fans watching the game on television or even at the stadium don't have access to the mind games a pitcher must play in order to get through an at-bat, an inning, a game. Tewksbury explores the fascinating psychology behind baseball, such as how players use techniques of imagery, self-awareness, and strategic thinking to maximize performance, and how a pitcher's strategy changes throughout a game. He also offers an in-depth look into some of baseball's most monumental moments and intimate anecdotes from a "who's who" of the game, including legendary players who Tewksbury played with and against (such as Mark McGwire, Craig Biggio, and Greg Maddux), game-changing managers and executives (Joe Torre, Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean), and current star players (Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Miller, Rich Hill). With Tewksbury's esoteric knowledge as a thinking-fan's player and his expertise as a "baseball whisperer", this entertaining book is perfect for any fan who wants to see the game in a way he or she has never seen it before. Ninety Percent Mental will deliver an unprecedented look at the mound games and mind games of Major League Baseball.