Don't Tell Me Nothing til You've Lived my life: road to D2

#1

So I’ve contemplated making one of these since I first saw them about a year ago, and I always pushed it further and further back in my mind. I love reading other people’s accounts and stories, so I figured I’d start including my own.

Let me set the stage (it’s slightly long, but I’ll do it in fast fact format):
-19 years old
-I was my own pitching coach til I was 18 and went to IMG academies for 3 weeks
-recruited in high school during my junior year for DII and DIII, mild DI, but start of my junior year, stress fractured my lower back and that kept me out for 95% of junior year as well as 50% of my senior year- lost it all with injuries (I had a 3.98/4.0 in high school and was ranked 11th in my class of 370)
-to walk on in college in September, I needed 85 mph, I hit 81-82, I had only been back 3 months
-playing amateur ball, and November 2010 hit 84 (I was PISSED)
-shoulder tightness kept me out from Feb 2011 til May 1st, my first rehab start a month ago in amateur ball

So this is very abbreviated and doesn’t express the pain and struggle I’ve actually gone through my entire career, the doubters, the haters, the blood, sweat, and tears that I’ve gone through, nada. But it does give you an idea of my current situation.

My goals, and now that they’re legit written publicly, they are legitimized:

-by Sept 1, 85-88 mph fastball
-better control (<2 walks/game, it can be an issue but usually isn’t)
-CONSISTENT MECHANICS USING MY LOWER HALF - I’ve posted on here asking about how to incorporate my lower half/hips into my mechanics so I can tap into my full power. I’m 6’ 190 lbs and 11-12% bodyfat, so I have tools, but without my legs, I’ll never get that potential. I try so many different things that I need something to work and click finally.
-weight ~185. I want sub 10% bodyfat (nothing to do with pitching)

Since the semester ended in early May, I have started working out 4x a week, playing games on Sundays in this league. My workouts typically consist of a portion at a nearby field and a portion in the weight room, running sprints, or in the pool, or a combo of the three.

In example, I’ll log yesterday:

No throwing, my teammate couldn’t make it.

Weight room- upper body day

hop pushups- 4x15
tricep pulldown- 3x11
single arm tricep pulldown- 2x15
tricep kickback- 2x12
dumbbell row- 3x11
rowing machine- 1x9
t bar row- 2x9
pullups 2x8
wrist curls 2x15
rotator cuff exercises- 2x15 - empty can and Ys on a swiss ball

then I stretched and went to the pool

Pool: 500 yards breast stroke, 400 yards freestyle. Done.

Let me know what you guys think of this type of routine, and what you think of my progress/if you have any suggestions at all.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLY or CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I don’t need to hear from more ignorant people who don’t understand that heart, hustle, and desire can overcome any sort of obstacle. As I keep posting, you’ll see tidbits of my life. I’m hoping y’all enjoy this, and I’ll post today’s workout later

#2

As far as your lifting goals, I don’t know that it makes sense to be trying to lose weight. I can’t say for sure, but from your current lifting routine it appears to me that you probably have a lot of room left for strength gains. Unless you are a rock solid, beast of a 190lbs, I would not limit yourself, as another 10 lbs of muscle could make a significant difference. Adding 10lbs while losing 5lbs of fat would put you at a significantly beastlier 195lbs bodyweight which I would imagine from personal experience would give you at LEAST a couple mph.

That being said, the routine you outlined is not one that is going to help you gain weight, but it’s hard for me to critique it when you never said your goal was to gain weight. Let me know what you think about all of this. Keep working hard. I can relate to the struggles you’ve been through.

#3

@lankylefty- that is an interesting thought. I’m kind of paranoid about my weight, thinking that 190 is too heavy, and I know that lots of scouts look for “projectability” in kids with 6’ 160 frames, but me being 19, I don’t know if I should be considering that or just going for strength and power. I’m in season, so I’m looking more for maintenance and smaller gains til the fall.

Today’s workout- agility.

6 L-drill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT9QMeWSSv0
8 four corner cariocas (sprint 5 yards to a cone, carioca to another cone 8 yards away, backpedal 5 yards to a cone, carioca to the start, repeat 3 times, rest, do it again)
8 figure 8s (2 cones, 8 yards apart. start on the inside of one cone, sprint to the other side of the other cone, tight turn, sprint to the oppo side of starting cone, tight turn, repeat, rest. do 3x)
mini ladders: sprint to cone 5 yards out, back to start, sprint to cone 10 yards out, back, 5 yards out, back - repeat 2x
60 yard hollow sprints- 3x
60 yard sprint - 1x
ran the bleachers 4x at my school’s soccer field- decent size, hold a couple thousand
did abs in the middle

swam 200 yards freestyle, 200 yards breast stroke. I think it was a pretty good day. bullpen tomorrow and mechanical work

#4

so today was an interesting day…

I warmed up, threw with my roommate because my teammate couldn’t make it again due to an emergency, and we went to a nearby mound. Went to the mound, and everything with my hip drive/load that I’ve been working on the past couple weeks just disintegrated. I kept falling to the side after I delivered, the ball was everywhere, and it was just ugly

disclaimer I had not picked up a baseball in a week. My shoulder (the one I rehabbed for 3 months) was very stiff. But I’m not one to make excuses

I couldn’t execute my load. At peak leg lift, I wasn’t able to make any movement to activate my hips prior to exploding forward. Any suggestions from anybody. I “fell” forward each time, although my location/command improved by the end. I threw about 25 pitches at 60%

In my frustration, I turned to the weight room, as I have for most of the past 5 years when I’m pissed.

Leg day:

3x10/side lunges
4x9 leg press
2x15 hamstring curl
2x15 leg extension
2x8/side single leg squat jumps (squat, jump at bottom)
3x15/side calf raises
rotator cuff

I sort of redeemed myself in there, but I NEED to figure out a way to ensure I ALWAYS activate my hips when I’m going off a mound. I can practice my leg lift til the cows come home on flat ground, do my mechanics dry on flat ground/mound, and be just fine. Once I pick up that ball, it all changes…

Any help is welcome, that’s why I’m at this forum

#5

Today was sort of supposed to be an off day, but not exactly…just a slower day with practice tomorrow.

Ran a quarter mile warm up, stretched out, then did sprint day.

20 total, 15 yard of different calisthenics, then 50 yard sprint.

4 High knees - 15 yards high knees/50 yard sprint after, repeat 3x
4 butt kicks
4 caricoa
4 backwards run
4 straight sprint

Ran a 7 flat 60 today with a lousy start. Personal best, I haven’t been timed in a while, and that was after I had run 16 sprints. So I’m thinking I could FINALLY crack the 7 mark. Not too shabby.

Did abs, then called it a day. I need to rest up for practice tomorrow

#6

Good practice overall today. Some guys from the team got together, and I went through a lot. Did some rounds of PFPs covering first, throwing to 2nd for a double play, etc. Took some outfield because it’s my other position.

I was very happy with my increased range, I was in right field and robbed a ball hit to short center. But it’s not pitching, so it’s not as big a deal :stuck_out_tongue:

Threw a short pen, probably about 35 pitches. My arm felt good overall thank the lord, but my location was questionable. My other teammate, who caught me and who is a pitcher too, told me I’m trying to make that transition from dry to a ball and still searching for my arm slot. Thoughts? I got my command after a while and threw some nasty sliders.

Ended with some conditioning, although minor with sprints yesterday, and am just going to relax for the next day and a half and let my body recuperate. That’s one thing I struggle with. I want to become the best possible so it’s hard for me to settle down and say no

#7

today was supposed to be the 2nd of my 2 off days for the week, although one of the two is always just a minor day, and that would be today.

Short warmup on the treadmill, then stretched out nice and easy for a while (~30 min) and then did abs and rotator cuff with the theraband from my physical therapist. Quick throwing session with my roommate, probably about 35 throws, and that is it for today. Hoping to go back on the grind tomorrow.

Any opinions on doing dry mechanics/mirror mechanics and if they help or not? I’ve heard mixed reviews and I want to keep trying to get better during down time

#8

threw a pen today, 35 pitches seems to be my number. I’d say it was overall pretty succesful, 22 strikes and decent velocity. I fell off to the side a few times, and I still don’t feel like I’m using my legs well at all, but my shoulder felt good. So far so good.

I then worked out in the weight room, upper body day.

2x15/side med ball pushups (60 total)
2x12 rows
3x12 T bar rows
2x15 pull ups (don’t question, I actually make sure my chin goes over the bar)
1xfailure- bicep curl
3x10/side tricep extension
3x11 tricep rope pulldown
2x10 tricep kickback
2x15 wrist curl/reverse wrist curl

then stretching and thats it.

Any feedback/opinions on my routine? I’d think it’s good for strength and in season maintenance but I’d like some other opinions besides my own

#9

good day today overall, went hard at the weights and had a nice long toss session with a former college catcher.

Weight room:

4x9 leg press @630
3x10/side lunges - @75/hand
2x15 leg extension @175
2x15 hamstring curls @145
2x11/side bulgarian split squats @40/hand
3x15/side calf raises, really worked on holding at the peak and nadir of the lift, @25

stretched out, then threw with my friend. got out to probably 225 on the field, felt good, but STILL not using my legs well. he started working on it with me a little, and I saw more pop with less effort. so I would hope its a step in the right direction. I can only hope… He said I’m doing exactly what I need to do, and that I’m already comparable to the players on the JV program at my school (D2, so we play Florida JCs and CCs and other JVs), which made me slightly optimistic yet frustrated because I could have played last year despite having been back only for a few months.

Hoping for a pen tomorrow, but I may rest because my shin splints are killing me

#10

frustrating day today. We had a game, and I went into it thinking I would start. When I got there, the new “interim manager”- I use the term loosely, because he has NO game management skills to save his life- decides that some other guy will start. I try to make the best of the situation, I warm up like I usually do, and my arm felt GOOD. I had make a mechanical adjustment and I was really excited to try it out.

Well it’s 15 min before gametime and the old manager who’s leaving and the new guy are watching me throw. The supposed starter hasn’t shown up yet. I’m thinking I’m going to get the start.

T-8 minutes til game time, the other guy shows up. I know in my world, if you show up late, you lose your start if you’re scheduled. It’s baseball etiquette. But this new guy lets him start. I mean he pitched alright, our defense behind him was terrible, but this guy has NO mound presence. He yells at his fielders when they make errors, he throws his glove down in frustration, etc.

I enter the game in the 3rd and play center til it’s over. Nothing spectacular. It’s my secondary position. I make the plays I’m expected to, use my arm to prevent extra bases, and it was overall fine. I was REALLY FRUSTRATED because I only have until mid July to pitch because then I go home to Wisconsin for a month and I need as many innings as I can get prior to then.

I took out my frustration after the game. not with the new manager, but with weights. It helped overall. I’ve just had so many setbacks this year that I really didn’t need this to happen and to happen now :confused:

Hopefully this week I’ll put in more work and get a start next weekend.

INPUT IS WELCOME WHENEVER

#11

I either tweaked my lower left side of my back in the game sunday or overworked myself because I lifted after. It freaked me out, because that was the side that I stress fractured in junior year of high school, knocking out all of my offers/visits/recruiting, so whenever it hurts, not only do I listen, but I pay attention. A LOT.

Either way, I was scheduled to take yesterday off, so I just stretched out and that was it. I felt better today and did HIIT training on the treadmill

2 min warmup @ 6 mph
1 min @ 9 mph
1 min @ 4 mph
1 min @ 7.7 mph
1 min @ 4 mph

repeat the 9 4 7.7 4 cycle 4 times. Then I did a 6 min cool down @ 3.5 mph. stretched out, did abs again.

should be throwing tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be totally loose and I’m pretty psyched about mound time. Kinda disgruntled about the lack of views my story gets compared to everyone elses and the lack of feedback, but this is more for me than anyone else, so I’ll keep at it

#12

workout with my teammate Jake today, and I’d say a pretty successful one overall. did covering first PFPs, then throws to 1st and 2nd from different spots in the infield and a runner going, and switched it up to cover the bags.

Then, the 50 pitch bullpen. definitely a point of frustration and angst, yet some light shines through. I am getting better at finding a consistent release point, but when it comes to repeating proper mechanics, it’s like teaching me a foreign language. I’ve been trying to make this hip load adjustment for a long time, and it doesn’t come easily at all. I used to split it into leg raise and then turn back to load my backside, and now I tried to combining that into one step and exploding forward.

Problem is, I don’t explode forward well, or the same two times in a row :? I’ll have one BEAUTIFUL pitch for a perfect outside corner strike with good velocity (and I’m a harsh critic), and then next one will be different, awful feeling mechanics and for a ball and much slower. So it’s a struggle and drives me crazy. I’m like a lego set. I have the instructions, and have the pieces, but I don’t look how it does on the outside of the box, and it hampers my performance to no end. I know what I’m capable of doing, but until I can find that feel on the mound, it won’t translate in a game.

I can do it dry, flat ground, all day long, but on the mound… :o

In positive news, most pitches were for strikes, when I had good mechanics, they went where I wanted, and my shoulder overall felt good. so there’s a few good things.

Finished up with 9 sprints and stretched out. Going to stay on the grind and lifting tomorrow

#13

Been a few days so its time to update:

Thurs- lifted lower body and felt pretty solid except for my effing shin splints in each leg. Left leg KILLS, right leg is minor, so I tried not to overdo it

Lunges 3x11/side with 75 lbs in each hand
leg press 4x9 @630 lbs
bulgarian split squat 2x13 with 40 in each hand
calf raises 3x15/side
1 set of squats
abs- 100 reps total

stretched out, and threw with that former college catcher Zane. Got out to about 200’ and I threw from 175-180’ on a line and hard, so I felt pretty optimistic and good.

Yesterday I helped my friend move to her new house, so I didn’t do anything baseball related. I did do a bunch of lifting, but I sort of needed the rest from the “stereotypical” training. Today, I’m taking it easy and stretching out nice and easy because we probably have a game tomorrow and my shin splints are still lingering.

WAY confused about caloric intake/usage and need clarification, but I won’t rant unless someone here offers to listen and knows about diet, losing weight, and calories in and out.

Hoping to play tomorrow, the new interim “manager” already preliminarily canceled due to not enough guys, which pisses me off, but we’ll see. I have a workout with Zane lined up in case of no game.

So close, yet so far

#14

doubleheader yesterday. Typical Smokers baseball, and VERY frustrating. I won’t call out people individually, but I’ll explain the situation as a whole.

Stat Line: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 HBP, 1 K, 11 R (3 ER)

This is a typical game behind me. I’m not exaggerating, we must have committed 15 errors behind me, and it killed me. We were playing the best team in our league, from Bradenton, and I only gave up 5 hits, which is GOOD. They’re the best hitting team as well, and my 5 hits were 2 bloop singles and 3 hard grounder singles. I mainly gave up ground balls and a few pop ups, but my defense didn’t help whatsoever. So many times we could have been out of an inning and someone blew it. I committed an error myself, so I’m not perfect, but at the same time, some support would be nice.

Oh, on the offensive end, I got ONE HIT in run support. 2 baserunners the whole game. So we got shut out. Let’s not forget the umpires. They hired by Bradenton, and didn’t give me ANYTHING. I’m not trying to remove the blame from everyone but myself, but I swear to the good lord that a pitch I’d throw in the upper part of the zone would be a ball, but they would get the call for a strike.

Let’s be more positive, however:

I sat around 80-81 mph the entire game, the best since my shoulder rehab starts began (this is number 3)

I only walked 3, which sounds like a lot, but with all the mechanical adjustments I’ve been trying to make, it’s actually ok.

I had great command of my slider and change, something that I haven’t had all season. I built a lot of confidence in my change as the game wore on, I just wasn’t given ANYTHING in the upper zone by the ump.

No one hit anything exceptionally hard off of me, and I gave up no extra base hits.

I’m really trying to pick the positives out, because considering the circumstances, there really wasnt very much. I’m getting there. I still need to work on the load better, but I felt more comfortable on the mound which is good.

Fun fact: gametime temperature- 96 degrees. heat index- over 100. by game two, I felt nasty despite drinking over 2 gallons of liquid (water and 5 Gatorade all stars).

I’m still dehydrated despite drinking like a fish all last night through the time I type this. Today I’m taking it easy.

this road has bumps, and it’s frustrating, because I only have 2 more starts until I leave for home. But I’ll keep fighting. I want to do well and have some defense/run support for once

#15

I guess you could say I slacked the past few days for keeping up on this log…but I have been putting in work.

Tuesday- I lifted upper body, SOLID workout

med ball pushups- 2x20/side
pull ups- 2x15
bent over barbell row - 3x10
single arm lat pulldown- 2x10/side
tricep rope pulldown- 3x11
tricep individual pull down- diff grips - 3x10/side
abs, rotator cuff

Then I went to work with this guy whose dad co-authored “the act of pitching.” He knows his stuff, he taught me more in that hour than I had learned in a WHILE. and I FELT MY HIPS BEING USED! It was crazy, and now I can feel when I do something wrong. We worked on a bunch of different things.

My only issue is that it will take a while before it translates to a mound/game because I need LOTS of repetitions.

Wed: agility day and dry mechanics and rotator cuff with the band. No throwing because of the volume of the day before.

agility (in order)

4 L test
4x 4 corner carioca
4 figure 8s
2 L test
2 figure 8s
3 mini ladders
3 hollow sprints (40 yards)
3 of some Roger Clemens agility drill where you sprint forward, go down like you’re fielding a baseball, shuffle 5 yards to the left, fielding position, back to the middle, then to the other side, back to the middle, and then backpedal back.

then I ran UT’s bleachers 6x in 15 minutes. All the way up and down and all the way across. Solid workout

Thurs: Lifted legs

4x8 single leg, leg press
3x11 lunges/side
3x15/side calf raises
1x20 ice skaters
2x9/side bulgarian split squat
2x12/side step ups with DB
abs, rotator cuff

Then I worked with that dude again. He worked on my first balance point, and I guess before, I was unaware, but I WAS actually loading my hips. I just would lose my load because my leg would fly open and so would my shoulder. Also, I wouldn’t keep my weight on my back leg long enough and it would shift forward and I’d lose it. He said with enough work, he doesn’t see why I can’t hit 85 with nasty bite on my pitches by the end of the summer. I’d probably s*** my pants like an excited puppy, but I really don’t care. That’s on the way to my goal. He also fixed my arm slot and got me away from my 3/4s slot, got me “on top” of the ball more, and started me leading with my hips better.

If this works… :smiley:

#16

so I’m bout to go throw either a flat ground or a pen, depending on what field is open near where I live.

I’m just in that reflective type mood, and I sometimes wonder, if I love the game so much, and put my heart, soul, and everything else I’ve got into it, why can’t it love me back? I know that you create your own luck, and that by properly preparing yourself and making sure no one works harder than you, you can succeed, but why does it feel like I can do EVERYTHING possible, down to CHARTING MY FOOD INTAKE BY CALORIES, CARBS, PROTEIN, and FAT, and still not where I want to be? Is it that we can’t do it all on our own, or that things take a while to click and until they do, you’re stuck in this conundrum and quandary called frustration? Or do the breaks really even out in the end, and I just have to bide my time until I can taste the sweet taste of success and joy on a diamond for the first time in…I don’t even remember.

The teams I’ve been randomly placed on have not done well since my senior year. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been the winning pitcher, and granted, yes, I give up runs like any other guy, but the errors mount and mount and mount. It gets REALLY frustrating when you go on the PG site senior year after 3 weeks to look at stats, you’re an ERA leader at 0.00 after 3 APP after being out for a year, and you’ve given up 12 UNEARNED runs. You can be patient and optimistic, but you can’t operate on them forever when your team just doesn’t help you out.

Or even last weekend (last time I rehash the game because it’s over). 5 hits, no one hit a ball hard, and the errors would prolong innings. I think I threw 82 pitches in the 4 IP I had, and some would drag on and on with 2 outs because of outs given away by our infield. It just kills me when I could be cruising and I don’t get that support (or run support for that matter).

I’m a fighter, and trust me, between my diabetes, back injury ,shoulder injury, etc, I’m not giving up, and I know I’m closer to success than ever. That attitude is what keeps me running and keeps me lifting and keeps me shooting for what I know I"m capable of. I’m a firm believer in not wasting talent, and in driving until I get what I want, whether it’s to shut up naysayers or to prove to myself what I hold the capacity to do. I set myself up to succeed. Now I just need some breaks, some luck, and some mechanics to click, and the past is history, as it currently is now.

I’ll rant every now and then. It’s healthy, and I need people to listen so I can get it off my chest

#17

I woke up this morning to be greeted by the unsightly view out my window of a beautiful monsoon in the making and inches upon inches of rain. So I was up at 8 AM on a Sunday and once I’m awake, I’m awake. Which stinks.

So I took out my frustration in the weight room. I was scheduled to do something today, so I may as well be productive.

Upper body:

2x20/side med ball pushups
2x15 pull ups
3x10 T bar rows
3x9 DB rows on bench
3x11 tricep rope pulldown
1x10 skull crushers
2x13/side tricep pulldowns single arm

abs, stretch.

Felt good after, and did some dry mechanics. they’re feeling pretty loose and relaxed, much unlike how I was before, and I feel a lot more balanced. I’m just hoping it translates to the mound.

only one more start til I go home :stuck_out_tongue: unless another game gets scheduled. but I can hope! when I’m home I’ll keep fine tuning everything I’ve been working to get

#18

so it’s definitely been a while since I’ve posted. that can be attributed to lack of internet access and volunteering at the national children with diabetes conference. to show my commitment though, I actually found time to throw twice during the conference as well as 3 times during the week before when I was moving out of my summer class dorm to throw, whether I threw with a wall and focused on mechanics or with a partner and threw a flatground.

What the conference did do was supply me with a rest period of about 3 days. If you can call it rest. No one sleeps often, but I didn’t lift or touch a ball for three days. considering I had worked out without any sort of break for probably 8-10 months, it was well needed.

today, I was scheduled to start, but per usual, we got canceled for some stupid reasons I wont go into. naturally, it was my last start before I leave for the cheese state, so I’m very frustrated. but, I got to lift, and I went hard and heavy.

leg extension 3x9 @720 lbs
lunges 3x10/side @80 lb/hand
single leg extension 2x9/side @95 lb
machine squat- 3x12 @335 lbs
calf raises 3x15/side
abs

not too bad, I also lifted wednesday an upper body at the conference. I’m devoted. there’s a slight chance I have a team to play for a few weeks when I get home, but I won’t hold my breath. til late August then, I’m on my own to get these mechanics nailed and to throw consistently

#19

So I’m finally back in the 262. Took it relatively easy on Monday when I got home, running my 23 sprints in the same spirit I would before I left for college, although I did feel faster and slightly more effortless

Yesterday I lifted and threw into a pop up net. It’s more difficult to throw at home, because I don’t really keep in touch with many kids from high school and most of the ones I do keep in touch with don’t play baseball. So…that can be tough. I threw well overall, about 60 throws total just to stay loose.

today, I did agility. Same workout I usually do, then I threw into a fence at a nearby field. Arm felt great, however since I wore the wrong shoes (my lifting shoes with no traction), I slipped while changing directions multiple times and aggravated my minor shin splint. So everytime I landed, an excruciating pain rocked my left ankle, which made it tough to throw well. I didn’t do too badly, probably about 50 throws, maybe 60, not throwing hard at all.

I may or may not do anything tomorrow depending how my ankle feels, and I’m supposed to play this Friday for a team up in Port. So hopefully everything works out well and I play well. I’ll keep yall posted

#20

Dude I dont mean to sound like a jackass but come on

Obviously I would never say that to even Steve Urkel himself or Jared the Subway guy when he was fat. Oh man if we all just got along like JESUS HIMSELF WOULD WANT… lol.

Cool log man, you seem very serious and dedicated also and I look forward to reading more of these in my free time when I have some.

No injuries and good luck from grandpa here!