Grateful, Bringingdaheat, the last season.

[jdfromfla]

As of a week ago, 1 and done in the districts this year
A year and season of learning done and the senior seasons has about 360 days left before next years state championship game.

A little background not laid out previously to this...Grateful is an old nickname of mine, a last name thing but it still suits me, not because I'm a tie-dyed hippy type....way past that stage, but in all honesty I'm so completely grateful for the life I lead and the time I've spent with my children and grandchild (My eldest is 27 and doing the "one thing" in life he had a passion for....he's a wildlands fire fighter (I coached him through his 15th year), my youngest 17, the subject of this post, is pursuing the "one thing" for him...baseball, pitching in specific).

We lived a frustrating year to say the least, in Aug. he hurt his back while working on his hitting in a training session and pretty much had to stop conditioning for nearly 2 months...and then another flair up in Dec (Got a cort shot over that one).
Well his fall season could be charactorized as "promising", zero er over the fall, no one even got past second in 8 appearances (1-3 innings each time). High ratio of k to bb, contol of his breaking stuff and excellent progress on a change that has great speed difference (8-10 mph) and movement.
The regular season was nothing but positive looking...too bad the rest of his team didn't carry over in the optimism. We had one Senior who features 3 or so different arm angles and was a very fierce competitor, the whole team worked behind him and performed, the kid had the best era in the district (We have a pitcher in our district recruited and signed by U.F...so the district is somewhat competitive). But it all stopped there...Brngngdeheat faced 8 errors and a nd against a team we 10 runned later in the year, in his first outing. One solid single, a couple of walks...(Over 5 innnings) it was frustrating because he was doing what he was supposed to do, getting ground balls, k's, etc. But it just was like they just stopped playing when ever anyone, not just my son was on the bump. An approx 6-8 error per outing each time someone other than the Sr. pitched. Bringingdaheat still managed to eek out a 1-2-2 record on the entire year, with 4 nd's of which we won 3 of them later...BggDht leading in 3 when he left. I will say that at the end of this year he was locked in and dominating....So anyway, on the one and done district this Sr. that was so great, made the last out and gave up 4 in relief to get the loss also. As he saw he made the last out he fell to the ground and started crying like a baby (I am not demeaning him, it was heartbreaking and imo bad coaching that got him to that spot). 13-13 and one and done...man talk about kissing your sister...really a sad end for seven seniors on the squad.

Just two more info bits before I wait for the next time, first, as I noted in a previous post, he has picked up and started throwing a sinker with high velocity and accuracy and second, as of last night he was invited to join the premier "prospects" team in the Jacksonville area which will play under the direction of Rick Wilkins over the next 2 months...to say the least he is pumped....we'll see, I'll let you all know.

[jdfromfla]

We went to see Rick Wilkins new indoor facility and have BDHt work with Ricks new pitching development guy, Jared Payne, formally a minor league pitcher in the Toranto organization, proud owner of a biomech degree and I will add I was very impressed. State of the art facility, I thought about DM59 and wondering how many kids got a shot at a place like this? So BDHt was completely blown away, Jared talked about what the prospect team had to offer this summer, 30 games, Cobb Co. combine, working out on the UNF fields, with a crew of top players. It started sinking in as to where he's at and it was to me, one of those moments...I spent a few seconds just watching and listening to him, cool.
Jared tweaked here and there, we all agree that Ht would go back to using the 2 seamer as his sinker. SMOOTHED out his follow trough...man we're talkin extension and no violence in the delivery or follow through. He'll be working Tues, Wed and Thurs with the prospect team and doing regular summer ball.

Right after the end of last season (2 weeks ago) I started trying to get BDHt to set a goal for next year. He was resistive...I think he thought it was corny. So he comes home and says the varsity coach wants the team to set a team goal for next year (This scares me....I'm not a fan of this guy and he's always seemed to have narrow vision...now here he is thinking like me....I may develop a nervous tic).

So if anyone does actually end up reading this log, let me lay out the structure as to how I believe a seriously thinking team should approach setting a team goal;
Follow the "Kiss principle"...I use "keep it short and simple".
Make sure everyone agrees and understands, with a short term (The now) and ultimate goal (The Then).

Work together, no successful team is made up of individuals...everyone has to be working for each other (You have to love those guys so much that you refuse to let them down by giving less than your best...each and every time).

Sacrifice for each other. (Play your role and even if it means your role is sitting down, do it in a positive, help the team fashion...try to steal signals, look for weakness in the opposition etc., don't tolerate a bad attitude in your dugout)

Play for a higher purpose..(Do believe in something...be committed, know why you are there).

Adjust if the short term strategy starts vearing away from the ultimate goal.

Let people know what you are all about (The world loves to get behind a group with a stated goal...it also intimidates a weaker minded opposition).

They haven't set theirs yet and I'll bring what they sign to the log.

[jdfromfla]

So yesterday was the sports banquet and today was the Prospects teams 1st meeting. The banquet? eh...it was "nice". Woohoa the prospect team!
Lets start with the fact that it will have 22 members, Bdaht was one of the 1st 12 selected, the rest will be filled in over the next 2 weeks. The staff includes the 1st base coach from the University of Florida (Coach Fleetwood) and of course Rick and Jared Payne. They will attend over the next 60 days the following "Showcases";
Florida Cup- Leesburg Fla. 50-100 scouts attending (World Baseball Fed sponsered)
Stetson Invitational- Deland Fla. 50-100 scouts attending (World BB Fed Sponsered)
BCS Regional- Ft Meyers Fla. 200-300 scouts attending (Perfect Game Sponsered)
Osceola Independance Invitational- Kissimmee Fla. 300 scouts attending (Wld BB Fed)
BCS Finals, Ft Meyers Fla. 200-300 scouts attending (Perfect Game)
18U WWBA National Championships, Marietta Ga. 500-600 scouts (Perfect Game) Cobb Co. Combine.
30 or so games in 2 and a half months, while all the time working out and scrimmaging with UNF players.
As this all settles in I'm sure I'll have some comment...other than WOW!
The conditioning and work out routine will be Tues, Wed, Thurs. 8am, 6 pm and 8 am, they will practice on field at UNF on Wed. and scrimmage with UNF players that are attending summer school.
Bringingdaheat is apparently the youngest of the 1st 12 and the only Jr. going to Sr., the rest of the guys that already have a scholarships will be presented as pro prospects..oh man!
I just hope he understands and thanks God for the blessings he has been presented. Of course the bottom line is performance, but it was that that got him to here, so he has to start with HONEST SELF ASSESSMENT, to uncover weaknesses in his game and work on plans for over coming them.
D@%$^M this is fun! What a learning opportunity!
I'll share what I can, hope to film some and drop it in, we shall see.

[jdfromfla]

One tweek Jared had shown Bdht was he "showed" his change, by moving his index finger when he has the ball in glove...subtle but a dead give away. I suspect that I will begin to really "look" for those sorts of things regularly, just to gauge how really prevalent it is. I've always known that it exists but like all of the game it gets deeper and deeper. My mind I think, watches a pitcher for the "game" he has, which is why I'm such a Maddux junkie. The intensity of the scrutiny is one thing I find very noticable, we're talkin peoples future and livelyhood, it is immediate. I think it was the most significant factor for Bdht, I see an eagerness to go at it for him, just exactly what it has to be...I'd likely wet myself (One of those jokers is an easy 6'9" or so looks like he could "Bo Jackson" break a log...make a mistake brother and we're talkin high saprano.
Another was the smoothing out of his extension. One of my favorite peevs. I think the extension and the ease in which you release the ball is highly important but gets mostly overlooked. Whether or not you are Maddux-esque or not, matters not, it is full extension and release of the ball that will get you to hitting your spots more often and preserving the energy that is used up when having to correct a loss of balance for 105 piches or so. This isn't a researched scientific fact as explained by a bio-med engineer, or a Mike Marshall moment, just a moment of semi-lucid thought by the Grateful one...crap I could be wrong...it just seems in my experience, that the more relaxed and extensioned pitchers have less injury and better control (Always there are exceptions), it may in fact be different. Humor the old guy .

[Roger]

If I may intrude on your book-writing exercise (Hey, who let JD have his own thread? ), I will agree with your assessment about being smooth although I will say it is a smooth delivery we're after - not just smooth extension. On the two occasions I've ventured to the NPA facilities in San Diego and witnessed some of the pitchers they work with, smoothness is one of the characteristics that really stood out to me. The mechanics model they teach causes pitchers to better use their bodies. With proper mechanics and timing, everything flows smoothly.

When I've gotten my own pitchers to use their bodies more effectively, they've commented that it didn't feel like they were throwing very hard even though, in my eyes, they were. And they looked smoother too. But one thing I've come to learn is that many young pitchers will think they're not throwing hard unless they feel it in their arms. Getting them past this notion and to the point they understand it is possible to use the body to throw hard without throwing the arm out of the socket is a bit of a hurdle. But it sure is nice once they get there because then they start paying attention to and trying to do things like building momentum, getting good hip and shoulder separation, having delayed shoulder rotation, etc.

[jdfromfla]

"Hey, who let JD have his own thread?"

Why that 1st amendment, Steven Ellis, my HP laptop and a high speed gprs card did

I was kinda trolling for a little discussion of this subject...I've been standing next (Within arm reach) to Randy Meyers and a couple of other major league pitchers in their delivery process and it just takes your breath away. I personally think a major factor in injury is lack of body control or violence within the delivery motion. A smooth highly efficient delivery doen't ensure lack of injury but I think it is very assistive to longevity. Bdht has also had the similar experience of throwing at max speed and feeling like it was having no body impact at all

Well if it's a book I hope I can spread a little cheer and a little thought...in that order

[CADad]

Looking smooth and effortless can be very deceiving. For example Freddy Couples in golf looks like he has a smooth, effortless swing but he actually tends to swing out of his shoes, which probably helped cause all the back problems he had.

My son looks like he throwing effortlessly until you slow it down and see the effort on his face.

[jdfromfla]

"My son looks like he throwing effortlessly until you slow it down and see the effort on his face."

I would suggest that this is because he still has development/refinement to incorporate within his delivery (Well, he'll always show that effort grimmace that almost all pitchers show), my minds eye classifies smooth in terms of one words...Michael, Lebraun, Julius, Tiger, A-Rod, Greg, Rocket, Fergie, Bulldog, Lefty (Carlton, Lefty)..When Freddie hits a natural unforced shot I'd bet his back doesn't hurt and it goes further than the forced one.

I of course disclaim it all by saying I might be wrong....It just sure "seems" that way to me.

[jdfromfla]

Well things haven't been too exciting, Bdht just waiting for the P team and working with the group that will be the varsity squad next year.

The subject of grades have come up, it is two weeks from the end of the school year, Bdht is working on walking away with a 3.0...a frustration to his parents because he cruises (He's capable of much higher, but puts it in coast when he makes what is necessary). Well just to share, some of my brillianece about this, to play D-1 ball with out a waiver you have to have a 3.0 in the core classes and post a min. 1050 SAT, that is the requirement at UNF, Florida is more like 3.5 and a 1350. Anyway you look at it, it's no joke and something each kid who wants to play beyond High School, has to face...lots of talent and marginal grades will only get you so far, to overcome it you'd have to be within the top say 200 in the country to even have a chance. Most guys who do an honest assessment of themselves won't place themselves within the top 200 (There are only 200 ya know). Anyway, to all underclassmen who read this...GRADES MEAN SOMETHING!!!!!! Don't wait til you've hindered an opportunity by hosing it up with something as easy to maintain as grades (Big secret...Do your homework and you'll get decent grades...study and they'll even get better, and if you just don't get it get a tudor, most schools have them.

[CADad]

Fergie? What does the duchess have to... Oh! You mean Fergie Jenkins. BTW, My favorite pitcher all time.

Ditto on the grades.

[jdfromfla]

You have to admit the Duchess of York was somewhat smooth also...got her meat hooks into the richest family in Europe and got away without breeding with those inbreds...and making the big cash score..I'd say she's in what ever HOF there is for that.


Fergusen Jenkins....pitch counts...hahahahahahahahaha. One of his records is, believe it or not the most 1-0 losses in complete games. I've seen him and Bob Gibson go at it for 11 innings in 100+ degree heat soooo many times...If Leo the Lip or Red Schamdes (Sp?) would have even set foot on the top step just thinking about taking either one out they would, I believe, be met with violence.
This guy won 20 games a year for like 8 years in a row, also voted the "Greatest Pitcher Canada has ever produced", by whoever would vote for such a thing....Maybe DM had a piece of that action.

[jdfromfla]

Yesterday was the first practice for the P team...wore him out The conditioning alone is going to be worth the investment. So we get to UNF's field and look out there and are taken aback by the fact the Miami is on the field working through a practice..Huh?! It turns out they are on a road trip and were also using the facilities. He (After running timed poles and sprints) worked a five minute bullpen, change was working well...fb wasn't as hot as usual. They also did a long toss session before all the running....Pitchers were last off the field (2 hour practice went to 3.5 hrs), it is so eye opening to see how a real practice should be run, as opposed to what his HS coach has been doing. Today we get more of the same and tomorrow they hit the gym for 3 hrs....wonder how long that will actually be..
Bdht was asked by his old man if he felt that he was in the right spot and not over his head....he responded with the confidence he needs to maintain throughout this 2 months and beyond.