Posts belonging to Category Baseball Philosophy

As society’s technological advancements have grown with time, so has our efficiency in analyzing baseball players’ mechanics. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like a great idea to use the most modern technology in fine-tuning players’ mechanics.  After all, the differences between making the Bigs and the Minors are very minute. However, from an active player’s perspective, I am fed up with it. This may sound odd because as previously stated, the small things make the difference, but I feel that when the drive for perfection in the form of mechanics is so highly emphasized, the mental side is affected adversely.

Let me give an example. A few years back I had a coach who always looked for things to change in my swing in an attempt to make it better; the hips are going too early, you’re not stepping directly at the pitcher, your hands are too high, etc. This again, sounds like a good thing from an outsider’s perspective.  However, to a player, it can be overwhelming, as it was with me. I became so obsessed with obtaining what I thought was the prefect swing that I lost track of the actual game, and it showed in my stats. It was a miserable year and I nearly quit playing because I felt that I couldn’t do anything right. I hit worse then I ever had and I couldn’t figure out why since I had worked so hard on my swing.

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A month or so ago, a player who played for Griff and I over the last couple of summers — as well as with Griff during the school season of 2010 — walked away from the game during the fall of his first season of college. His reasons were not unusual by any means. These included not loving the game anymore, not liking his teammates, not liking his environment, and not liking his coaches. Being of considerable intelligence, the player took the obvious logical steps and arrived at the conclusion that he never really loved the game but rather his company within his personal experiences relative to the game, be it on or off the field. Of course I encouraged him to give his decision a little time and a little reflection so that he is confident in it when he looks back at his life. I urged him to gaze beyond talent and performance and rather toward more rudimentary factors such as basic emotions like love, joy, hate, pain, etc. In the last couple of weeks he has developed a new desire to return to the field, and I think his reasoning is worth discussing.

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This morning, I made my first appearance as the new co-host of The Baseball Show.

Clint, the mastermind behind Diamond Hoggers–and a former collegiate baseball player, as well– was kind enough to invite me to join The Baseball Show as a co-host. Follow Diamond Hoggers on Twitter here, and be sure to bookmark the site. If you’re a fan of the work that we do here at The Golden Sombrero, I guarantee that you’ll enjoy it; it’s very similar in the fact that it’s written by a former player who is as die hard of a fan as there is around.

We go for about 90 minutes, talking everything from prospects, to the playoff chase, to social media night in St. Louis (and bloggers vs. official media types).

I had an absolute blast talking baseball with Clint in such depth, and couldn’t be more excited about the future of The Baseball Show.

Click below to listen:

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I have always considered the stealing of home to be one the most exciting plays in baseball.  Maybe it’s because I grew up watching “The Sandlot,” and had Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez embedded into my memory at an impressionable age, but there’s just something about the accomplishment that makes you rise out of your seat on the couch with anticipation, just as if you were in a seat at the park.  It’s one of those plays that happens so unpredictably fast, that it’s over before anyone knew it even began.

Yet, when Colorado Rockies rookie Chris Nelson stole home in the eighth inning of Thursday’s victory against the Cincinnati Reds, I found myself seated, and more than anything, confused about what had just happened.  A rookie, stealing home—the 1^st of his career, nonetheless—in a tie game, in the heart of a pennant race.  Excweese me? Bacon Powder?

But now, days later and after watching far too many replays, I can’t help but believe that Nick Masset set himself up failure.

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Late last Wednesday night the Farmington Caridinals lost 4-0 to the Arizona Firebirds at Ricketts Park, thus ending their run in the Connie Mack World Series. The game was very even, very clean, and seemingly very quick. The following day I was on my way back to Dallas, where I had second-year orientation Friday morning. The following week was completely full with labs, lectures, and paper discussions, and it seemed like I had never really left the Baylor basement. As a dental student at Baylor, the only summer vacation that students get is the one between first and second years. Subsequent summers will be spent in clinic with patients, far from a baseball field and even farther from a team. The last two years of my life have very heavily involved coaching baseball back home in Farmington, both school ball and club ball, and the 18 or so years before that were spent playing. To the best of my knowledge, I am going to be away from the game now for the next three years at least. There are a lot of hopeful emotions and contemplation that I’m sure will take place between now and the next time I get to be a part of a team, but there will be an even greater amount of longing and frustration. The game has been very good to me, and I have spent a great deal of my life trying to be good to it as well. Aside from my family and very close friends, baseball has been the most important thing in my life since I can really remember, and it is difficult to accept that for at least a few years, it will take a backseat to my career in another field.

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