-Tips for the Young Arm-

I want to touch on some areas of improvement for HS pitchers. Besides the fact I see way too many guys that pick at the zone instead of pounding the zone; here are a couple of tips for young arms out there.

 

–         Have a routine. Pre-game, running, throwing, bullpens, flat grounds, long toss, lifting, eating, rituals, etc. Get yourself accustomed to something that gets you going. Preparation is very important.

 

–         Be confident. Have a little swag that doesn’t come off as too cocky. There is fine line between the two. One of the first things colleges look for is how confident you are. That goes from how you walk, talk, body language, ability to be aggressive, etc. Being a former pitcher I can tell a lot about a kid by how he walks out to the mound and his facial expressions.

 

–          Walking out to the mound… Let’s touch on that a little. Here are a couple of ways to do it correctly. (1) Jog to the line, and then walk it out. Whether it is from the mound to the line or the dugout to the line. A nice confident jog then a confident walk is good. (2) A good walk the entire way. Usually by time you walk from the mound to the dugout, your opposite side outfielder (who should be running) will pass you, or be right behind you, as you enter the dugout and vice versus. If you are backing up a base, it will be different. (3) More than a jog. Some guys like to sprint about 80%. One thing is for sure on all of these; never step on the line. This goes back to rituals. I always had a certain way I bunny hopped the line and personally I like a confident walk.

 

     –    Mound visits are a pet peeve of mine. What to do as a pitcher on a mound visit or when you know you are getting yanked out of the game is an art. Every coach should have their own routine.  First and foremost, stay on the rubber. Don’t ever come off that rubber. Second, don’t look defeated. I hate seeing pitchers show up their coach as he is walking out of the dugout. At the next level if you do that, you might not ever be in that position again. As a coach I could still be undecided if I am pulling you or not. If you look defeated, you just answered my question. If it is a mound visit usually the coach is giving you a breather or jumping your rear-end. He might want to discuss with infielders on bunting situations, a secret pick play, or find out what everyone ate for lunch that day. If you are getting pulled, stay on the bump and wait for the coach to extend his hand for the ball. Then you have a choice, wear the boos from the crowd like a man with a confident walk or get out of dodge with a sprint. I always liked to wear it because that would motivate me to not get in that situation ever again.  If coach is pulling you due to pitch count or just wanted to get you a standing ovation, walk it out and enjoy. If you play the game long enough, you’ll learn to savor those moments because the flip side happens more than that does (or it did for me at least). Lastly, if you come out of an inning with runners on base and the reliever gets out of the jam, you better be the FIRST person out of the dugout to thank him with a fist bump, high five, or firm bottom slap (no soft stuff). Those were your runs!

 

–          Days off. If you aren’t throwing that game and you are a PO (pitcher only), it is your job to keep everyone in the game. It is your job to keep that dugout loose and relaxed. Have fun with it. Also, chase foul balls. Believe me; you are never too good to chase foul balls. Be the first guy to grab a chart, the clicker, the radar gun, etc.  

These are just some tips for I have seen over the past couple of years that really grind my gears. Stay tuned for much, much more as season progresses.

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“Over the past five years I have been trying to figure out a way to see every high school team in my area during the spring season. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful. Every year I seem to leave out a handful of schools which in essence, I am missing out on a large amount of players. I feel my job is to identify next level talent and relay it over to college/professional scouts so they can do their jobs. A collection of us have brainstormed and have come up with a way for me to try and lay eyes on as many players as possible, hence the introduction of “Barry’s Bytes”. This will be a blog that I will update daily/bi-daily for our subscribers. I will be bouncing around various high schools and instead of covering games; I will be on a talent search. The goal is to hit multiple spots on a given night. In this blog you will find everything from prospect info to my personal thoughts on an array of topics ranging from standout concession stands and peak performers to the most polite gate attendants and umpire gaffes, also any random thought that crosses through my brain will be fair game! Have an open mind and hope you guys enjoy my two cents. See you at the park!”