| If you are a serious baseball player then you | | | | You see the truth is that a committed baseball |
| should improve your game year after year just | | | | player will retain the necessary skills of hitting, |
| like any other athlete. Now I have talked about | | | | throwing, and catching by practicing on a |
| my frustrations involving misconceptions on | | | | consistent basis, but the real way to improve |
| training towards other athletes and trainees, but | | | | these is to become a better athlete! Athleticism is |
| for the sake of this article I am addressing | | | | underrated in baseball. Many of the players that I |
| baseball players. It amazes me that in this day | | | | trained for an extended few months prior to the |
| and age that a lot of baseball players still have an | | | | season went out the next year and had record |
| incorrect mindset when it comes to their | | | | numbers. Many other studies have been done to |
| off-season training. Note that I did not say "all" | | | | prove the effectiveness of strength training and |
| baseball players, just a lot of them! | | | | athletic performance training in baseball players |
| You see the one thing that amazes me is that | | | | among other athletes as well. Yes, getting bigger, |
| several baseball players do not generally put a lot | | | | faster, and stronger does apply to baseball |
| of emphasis on strength and conditioning. With the | | | | players. If you don't believe me then look at |
| MOST successful athletes it is known that their | | | | Barry Bond's numbers. Oh, and don't give me the |
| off-season strength programs are fierce. The goal | | | | whole spill about him being on steroids. He may or |
| should be to get bigger, faster, and stronger. If a | | | | may not have used a performance enhancing |
| baseball player is not concentrating on these | | | | substance, but if he did and did not apply the |
| elements, which several don't, their training is | | | | proper training it wouldn't have made a difference. |
| flawed and their priorities are mixed up. You see | | | | Trust me, had he used an anabolic steroid and |
| here are the facts. The batting averages for the | | | | spent the majority of his time in the "batting |
| entire major league baseball ranged from .292 on | | | | cage" he wouldn't have gotten a bit stronger. |
| the low end and .364 on the high end. These | | | | I would like to close by saying that if you are a |
| averages were gathered from all of major league | | | | baseball player young or old then you should be |
| baseball statistics in 2008. Now why am I showing | | | | working in an athletic performance program in the |
| you these? Well, whether or not you are a little | | | | off-season. If you are a mom and dad that is |
| league player, high school, collegiate, or in the | | | | currently throwing a lot of money out the window |
| majors more than likely you will not obtain an | | | | for batting cage time then that is your choice, but |
| average better than .364 and I don't care how | | | | if you want your kid to have a break out year |
| many hours you devote inside the batting cage. | | | | then I would recommend that you take that |
| Realistically you won't even hit around .290 | | | | money and use it on getting him professional help |
| consistently. So knowing this and knowing that | | | | to get stronger and faster! Strength means he'll |
| baseball is a multi-skilled game why do so many | | | | have greater bat speed and speed means that |
| baseball players spend so much time in the cage? | | | | he'll be better able to chase down a fly ball or |
| The problem is in a false mindset. I have trained | | | | beat out a throw to get a base hit instead of an |
| many athletes for years including baseball players | | | | out. That's the difference! |
| and I have always had to battle this old mindset. | | | | |