I had a chance to watch Kane County a few weeks ago with a friend who scouts for a living. At the game, I saw something that was terribly disappointing ...

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Baseball is more than just a sport; it is intertwined with life's fabric and, whether intentional or not, it can prove useful long after you’ve hung up your spikes ...

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I am unwillingly a pseudo-expert on the realities of post-surgery comebacks. I had four surgeries, including the Tommy John, and my knowledge of elbows and shoulders is roughly equivalent to Bernie Madoff’s knowledge of Ponzi schemes ...

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Pitching is not terribly different than swimming in that there is a ramp-up to peak performance.  The first few outings of a season, particularly in cold weather environments, aren’t necessarily indicative of the type of pitcher you are or will be by the end of the season ...

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If pitchers don't think about the situation, point in the game, etc., you can rightly be accused of being a thrower rather than a pitcher.  Worse yet, you may be a bad teammate.  For purposes of this column, we will only focus on the idea of pitching with a big lead ...

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There are really two types of former players: those who feel that they got the most out of their ability and have an appreciation for what they accomplished, and those who feel slighted.  I would guarantee that the vast majority of those who feel slighted didn’t put forth their full effort ...

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Jorge Posada has been one of the better offensive catchers during his career with the Yankees. Defensively, however, he costs his pitchers more runs than he provides with his bat ... 

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Anyone can explain why a batter who hit a homerun and trotted was hit in his next at bat, but what about the other instances?  By the same token, what are your responsibilities as a pitcher and what really goes into hitting a batter?

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The flamethrowers of the world can issue a quick death, while the rest of us – when we are really rolling – can inflict Chinese Water Torture on our enemies by carving up hitters ...

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While everyone understands that it is not productive to take a bad inning into the next, a bad at-bat into the field, it is very important to reflect on these things, albeit at the appropriate time.

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I recently had a discussion with a scout about my experiences and observations having grown up pitching in the Midwest and playing college ball in warm weather states. The scout and I agreed that a different game is being played high school baseball in the Midwest than in, say Florida, Texas or California ...

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While “this guy’s good” or “he’s throwing gas” are three-word phrases that pitchers do love, in the opinion of this writer, there are three words that sound better.  “Hasn’t shown it” is the best three-word phrase a starting pitcher can hear ...

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If I told you that Chad Bradford, Brad Penny and Dice K shared many mechanical similarities, you might think that I was an idiot.  Well, I am, in fact, saying that, and I will even back it up.  There are many ways to succeed as a pitcher, but there are certain mechanical components that are shared by all big league pitchers ...

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If you thought the title of this column was about high school hormones gone wild, you may as well stop reading.  While that may be important to some, pitchers are equally or more concerned with the feel of their pitches ...

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The relationship between Catcher and Pitcher is, over the course of a season, quite similar to any marriage.  The inevitable bickering occurs, blame is passed, and incorrect interpretation of body language and/or comments brings about immature actions, including the transcendent “silent treatment”. 

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Satisfaction is a dish best served … retired.  Part of reflecting back on games, pitches, etc. is taking the bad along with the good.  The bad is either going to eat you up or allow you to understand what work needs to be done between outings ...

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Spring Training is upon us. For Major League Baseball players, this means trips to Arizona and Florida.  College players venture to warmer pastures as well.  High school players (and those younger players) often do not get that privilege, causing their version of Spring Training to be held in a gymnasium, where temperatures can vary (but are rarely warm) and the buzz of a heating unit and lights can be heard.

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I thought I would pitch forever, which, in high school, meant until I was 40.  While I knew how much I loved the game, it took retiring to realize exactly what I loved.  There are certain aspects of sports that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere.  Baseball takes it to a different level ...

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Baseball season has nearly arrived, meaning the time for multiple games per week will soon be upon us.  During these games, I ask that you not put your pitchers in the difficult position of having to decide whether they are tired, still have their stuff, and most importantly, whether their arm is sore ...

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The old adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” holds true in many ways on the baseball field but especially so on the mound.  Watch any Major League Baseball game where a pitcher makes even the slightest negative expression on a borderline pitch and see what happens on the following pitch. 

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The fact that the question is even asked speaks to the mindset of many coaches and, in turn, pitchers.  I have played on more teams where 0-2 was such an undesirable count for a pitcher to have that the coach/pitcher may as well have asked the umpire to go ahead and make it 1-2. 

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It is easy in theory but difficult in practice.  The key to being successful at any level, scouting report or not, is to understand exactly what is in your arsenal.  I would love to drive to work in a Porsche every day, but can make a case for getting there more effectively in a Prius.

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In honor of our (insert adjective here) President’s imminent departure from office, we are reminded of some of his noteworthy comments. One of those came during his first campaign, when he coined the phrase “fuzzy math.”  Fuzzy math also exists in baseball, particularly in pitching. 

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