The Baseball Doctor

"Habit" is defined as an established custom; an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation, which may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition.

It is all too common today that athletes at young ages in the sports of baseball and softball do not receive proper training. Coaches roll out a bucket of balls and give limited instruction on truly how to play the game correctly. Therefore, at an early age, without proper instruction kids constantly practice bad habits making it more and more difficult to break as they get older. But the good news is, bad habits can be broken and developed into good habits! It is scientifically proven that it takes 21 days of consistent repetition to establish a habit. In developing a regime, it is suggested by experts to perform the activity at least 3 times a week, while performing it daily is even better. There must not be any disruptions from this schedule.

Developing a habit and going through the process is much like a Doctor treating a patient. This analogy is exemplified through the normal stages a Doctor goes through with a patient: examination, diagnosis, and prescription.

And this is why, at The Player's Edge, we refer to ourselves as the "Baseball Doctor". Let me explain in further detail of the three critical steps:

Examination: Much like a Doctor does upon an initial visit, we will treat our "patients" with much care and thorough inspection. A comprehensive analysis of the athlete will be done. Mechanics, attitude, and willingness to learn and adapt will be examined looked upon through a microscope. The initial visit is to get a feel for the patient and the problems or "symptoms" he or she is experiencing and then developing a plan to treat the problem. At The Player's Edge, this is why seeing an athlete repeated times will only increase the performance he or she desires!

Here is an example that was recently quoted to me from a good friend. He was experiencing back problems and had previously been to a Doctor who simply tried diagnosing the problem through a series of questions and "feel" techniques. Needless to say this Doctor was not practicing good business. Therefore, my friend went to a different doctor who immediately took an X-ray of his back and used this snapshot to gather an in-depth and detailed look at the problem. From here, the Doctor then diagnosed the problem to my friend and insisted his continuous attendance at therapy sessions to cure the problem for good. In other words, the Doctor simply stated that by coming only for a few weeks, they could treat the SYMPTOMS temporarily but not permanently fix the PROBLEM. He would feel good for a few weeks afterwards, but the problems would arise again if he did not stick to the Doctor's suggested agenda. This analogy is perfect in how we will conduct business at The Player's Edge. We will not just play a guessing game with the athletes, but rather put them under intense focus and take our "X-ray" in order to get down to the true flaws or fundamental problems. We will offer video analysis, for example, to provide a detailed look at what the player is doing through his or her mechanics. This is what will separate us from the "feel" good Doctors. We will have a proven cure for any baseball or softball related flaw.

Diagnosis: Once the Doctor has done a thorough examination, he is then equipped with the knowledge to make a confident diagnosis of what the underlying problem is. Instead of "guessing", athletes will know exactly what they need to work on to achieve maximum performance. Much like the story of my friend, a diagnosis can not be completely done unless things are broken down to a granular level. We will get to the root of the problem and prescribe a focused curriculum to our athletes to permanently fix the mechanics.

Prescription: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." This quote exemplifies the imporance of repeat visits so we can thoroughly examine the athlete and make sure he or she is practicing GOOD habits. Again, habits are formed within 21 days but only by consistent repetition and having the will to learn and perform the skills properly. This is why The Player's Edge will guide the athletes through the entire process, by sitting one on one with a professional instructor and constantly making sure the prescription fits the diagnosis and that players are following our strict curriculum to fix the problem. This is done through a series of skill specific drills and repetitions provided by The Player's Edge staff.

In summary, the importance of the professional instruction at The Player's Edge is key. You would not take a child to a Doctor who is unqualified or some random person at the side of the road who wears a Doctor's jacket, pretending to be a Doctor. So why subject a baseball and softball player to unqualified coaching? The Player's Edge has the resume and credibility to examine, diagnose, and prescribe the athlete with the proper techniques to permanently fix the problem! Rest assured he or she will receive the proper focus and attention to details that they deserve to develop proper mechanics and instantly increase the performance at which they play the game!

July 4th, 2006... The Final Pitch

It was like any other Minor League road trip. On July 3rd, we played the Idaho Falls Chukars at our home stadium in Orem, Utah just outside of Salt Lake City. After the game we showered, had our bags packed and boarded the bus for Idaho Falls to play a three game series at their home field. This road trip was relatively quick, only about 4 hours. We showed up to probably the worst hotel I've ever stayed at around 2 in the morning. I mean this hotel was so bad, bug infested, dirty sheets and simply a sight for sore eyes. It became a living legend immediately upon the ball players and the brunt of all jokes to follow. Even our manager, Tom Kotchman, who has stayed in more motels than any of us can even imagine--said it was absolutely filthy and unacceptable. Nevertheless, we unpacked our bags from the bus and loaded them into our rooms because it was the ONLY hotel in the city to have rooms left, since it was the 4th of July and absolutely packed.

I never knew waking up the morning of July 4th, 2006 would be one of the most memorable dates of my life. We did our normal routine, hanging around the hotel and finally leaving around 3 for the ballpark. I knew there was a chance I'd be pitching this night so I was trying to get myself mentally prepared as best as I could, knowing my arm just wasn't right. Fast forwarding to the 6th inning, I got the call to pitch and came into the game vs. the Chukars who are an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Never did I expect this would be the last time I set foot on a pitcher's mound in a competitive game. Something was clearly wrong. Delivering each pitch resulted in a shooting pain in my elbow, causing me to over compensate and completely ignore my "normal" mechanics. It was so bad that my best friend and teammate Jared Incinelli, came to me afterwards asking if I was "okay" because my mechanics looked completely different. This was b/c I was in pain and trying to over compensate and not tell anyone... trying to toughen it out and not be seen as a quitter. If anyone knew me, it was Jared since we were teammates and best friends for 5 years prior.

Needless to say, I did not have a good outing. I gave up 4 runs in the inning, including a homerun. Manager Tom Kotchman made his slow walk out to the pitcher's mound, held out his hand for the ball, and signaled down to the bullpen for a relief pitcher to come in. At this moment, a feeling came over me like never before. Any other time in the history of my pitching, I would basically fight the coach to leave me in the game. I HATED to be pulled from games b/c I knew I could get out of the situation or suck it up and finish the game. But not this time... I knew my body was telling me "it's time". So I made my slow walk off the field, only to be harassed by the opposing fans and telling me how I "suck" and all the typical opposing Minor League fan comments. This didn't affect me, I heard it, but I didn't listen to it. My mind was 100% focused on the pain and knowing that those steps off the baseball field into the dugout could very well be my last if I was being honest with myself.

As the game progressed, I sat in the dugout as quiet as can be... I was propped up on the bench, just staring. So many thoughts were going through my mind. I can't tell you the fear that came over me, the hesitation, the rejection, and the inner battle that was going on. This was a moment where I was faced with being honest with myself and possibly deciding to end my career. Something I had worked SO hard for, something I had dreamed of since I was a little kid, something many people told me I couldn't do coming from such a small town.

After the game, we loaded up the bus as always to go back to our sub-par hotel. On the bus, I was curled up in my seat and dead to the world, oblivious of what was going on around me... My stomach was in knots in anticipation of what was about to happen. We showed up to the hotel. Parked the bus. Players got up from their seats and began to exit the bus... As player's passed by me in my seat as I just sat there, they patted me on the back-- almost as if they knew what was about to happen. Many of the guys knew my arm wasn't right, so I think they could tell what I was about to do... In this moment, it's something you can not put into words. Taking my life, baseball, into my own hands and putting an end to it voluntarily. As the bus was clearing, I finally got up and approached Tom Kotchman, who was sitting at the front of the bus. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said "Coach, do you have a second to talk?" Kotchman paused, staring back at me and seeing the pain and fear in my eyes and simply said... "It's your arm, isn't it?" I will never ever forget this dialogue. As soon as he said that, I lost it completely and began crying relentlessly and simply shaking my head yes to acknowledge his question. He said "Jake, don't worry about it, it's going to be okay and we will talk tomorrow, ok?"

The moments to follow were the hardest and most gut-wrenching of my life. I had done it. He knew what I was saying and it was too late to go back. I grabbed my bag from the bus and just continued to walk and found a corner to sit and think outside of the hotel. I collapsed to my knees. I literally sat there for hours crying and thinking of everything. It was as if my whole life passed by me. I had flashbacks to when I was in Little League, flashbacks to seeing and hearing my parents on the sidelines cheering me on, flashbacks of my college years and all the celebrations we had. Who would've thought then that years later I would be faced with this situation where my mind wanted it, but my body was telling me something different. For hours I sat there thinking about these things and continuing to face reality. It sunk in that my baseball days are over.. Something that consumed my life and I was 100% dedicated to is no longer there. What now? Where do I go from here?

The next day, Tom Kotchman and I had a nice talk after my emotions had calmed down and we both decided it was the right move. I would finish the road trip with the team, which was 1 more game in Idaho and then a three game set in Casper Wyoming. As soon as we got home to Utah, he would assist me in booking my return flight home and that was it. All the players on the team were extremely great to me as well as the coaching staff. When we returned to the clubhouse in Utah, Kotchman called me into his office and pulled about a dozen balls from his desk drawer and gave them to me as souveniers. One of the balls, however, was signed by the entire Orem Owlz team and coaching staff. He looked me in the eye, along with Zeke (our pitching coach) and said, "Jake, it's been a pleasure. If guys on this team had half the heart you do and half the passion for the game as you do, it'd be a scary thing." Those words meant a lot to me.. it told me they understood my decision and respected it. It told me they respected me as a ball player and as a human being. It told me they recognized my true love for the game and passion to play, yet by courage to step up and be honest with myself and say that it was time to move on.

I will never forget July 4th, 2006. Sitting outside the hotel, head between my knees crying and thinking... looking up into the sky seeing the fireworks explode, and remembering all the great times baseball has given me.... It has shaped who I am as a person today and I can't thank the game of baseball enough and all those who supported me and gave me an opportunity to play. Baseball is a great game--it shapes our character and teaches so many life disciplines that other sports do not. I am a better man because of this experience and my hope is to now pass along the knowledge and passion for the game that I had the opportunity to learn over the years. Do not take a single pitch of any game for granted, nothing is promised to us. You never know when your last pitch will be, so give 100% at all times and play each game like it's your last...

99.9% vs. 100%

Is not giving your 100% best effort every pitch, every out, every inning of every game acceptable? Perhaps it's just me, but nothing upsets me more than seeing a ball player lack hustle and not respect the game by giving his full out effort. For example, in any given 9 inning baseball game, a batter might come up to the plate an average of 4 times per game. This means he is required to SPRINT and run as hard as he can down the first base line four times. Baseball is a game of intense patience. Fielders stand at their position waiting for the ball to be hit to them, hitters wait in the dugout until its their turn to bat, testing the patience and intensity of each player, ensuring he is focused for his opportunity that may come at any given moment. It is a game within a game and requires quick bursts of energy. So why is it many kids nowadays do not play the game at a level of 100%? What ever happened to players like Pete Rose who gave meaning to the word "hustle"? Is the game filled with too many "style" guys like Manny Ramirez who only care about how long their hair is, how many wrist bands they can wear and making sure their baggy pants fit over their shoes?

My point here isn't to ramble, but simply bring back attention to detail and ultimately the old school way of respecting the game. Play it as it is meant to be played. Play it for those who have played before us and made it a legendary game. Play it for those fighting in Iraq giving up their lives for us to play this game in a free country. Play it for those battling cancer or who are stuck in a wheel chair that would give anything to trade places with you. Put things in a different perspective?

So I challenge the thought, is giving 99.9% good enough? Is running out every ground ball hit, except one, tolerable? Is having complete focus on every pitch, every ground ball or every pop fly too much to ask for?

Let me put it this way. If we accepted 99.9% as being "satisfactory" then the following examples would occur:

* 2 million documents would be lost by the IRS this year.
* 22,000 checks would be deducted from the wrong bank account in the next 60 minutes.
* 1,314 calls would be misplaced by phone companies each minute.
* 1 million credit card holders would have the wrong customer information.
* 12 babies would be delivered to the wrong parents every day.

So again, I pose the question-- is giving 99.9% good enough? It is our job as coaches, trainers, mentors, parents or anything of the like to demand 100% effort out of our kids. No longer should we sit back, turn our heads the other way when we see a kid disrespecting the game. This can come in many forms whether it be lack of hustle, throwing a pity party, wearing too much flair and caring about his style instead of his performance, and many other examples we could list. Just think that by simply hustling out ONE ground ball and beating the throw, or hustling out ONE pop fly to the infield that happens to drop, or focusing on ONE more pitch to paint the outside corner--of what it could do to the game. What if by consistently doing these things resulted in just ONE extra win all season long? And that win meant the difference between making the playoffs or not... Now doesn't that put things into perspective?

And if we don't take action now, and teach these kids to play the game right and to respect the game--then we are failing as teachers. If we let them know that giving 99.9% effort and hearing them say "yea, but coach, I pretty much gave it my all" is not going to be tolerated, then this will ultimately trickle down into their adult character. If we do not take action and stand firm, we're essentially teaching our kids that ignoring these principles is okay and when they're older it will flow into their job, their family life and so on. As Pete Rose said, "you owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be in baseball and in life".

Do You Hear That? That's Chin Music!

A popular question nowadays when people are getting to know someone or you're hanging out with your buddies is, "What's your favorite kind of music?" Well, is it bad if my answer is Chin Music?! As we all know baseball is America's Past Time. Many of the legendary pitchers that we marvel at today, such as Bob Gibson, had a chip on their shoulder and people feared stepping into the batter's box against them. But where have those days gone? Call me a little old school when it comes to my baseball philosophies, but I feel that MLB Baseball has gone soft. It seems as if the league is filled with guys that have no backbone and the moment a pitcher comes remotely close to painting that inside corner, he receives a nasty stare back from the hitter as if he was trying to hit him. Let's get real! As a pitcher, you have to be a bulldog out there. That is YOUR plate! It's part of the game for a pitcher to throw brush back pitches, establish his dominance and let the batter know he can't get too comfortable in the batter's box, otherwise he will buzz his chin. I'm so sick of seeing hitter's think the inside pitch is something personal and that they're trying to end their careers. From Prince Fielder trying to get into an opponents Club House after a game to fight, to Kevin Youklis getting body slammed by a 20 year old, these hitters need to realize that a pitcher coming inside is no better or worse than THEM sliding into second base with their spikes up trying to take out a shortstop! Often times it is well deserved if the pitcher tries to hit a guy! From all the hot dogging after hitting a homerun, the stare downs, and cry baby hitters after they get called out on a "pitcher's pitch" that they didn't necessarily agree with-- hitters bring alot of it on themselves. I commend those pitchers who still honor the great game and strategies of baseball by throwing inside and brushing back a hitter. With artificial muscles from the steroid era, it seems that is the only thing that distinguishes some of these players as being a man! Turn your back, take the hit by pitch, and sprint down to first base. After all, last time I checked it is a FREE base and boosts your OBP%. The homerun's have become the staple of the last decade, but I feel the times are shifting and as long as pitchers continue to establish their plate and keep hitters from getting TOO comfortable in the box, then we will return to what this game was truly all about...

Business Planning 101 and New Idea!

Howdy from sunny Florida! Wow, I must say more work goes into preparing a business plan than I originally thought. It is fairly easy coming up with all of the services and describing what you are looking to do with the business, but what I have truly found to be time consuming is the financial statements! Which is quite possibly the most important part of the entire plan... Not having an accounting background, I have self-taught myself how to read and develop a full series of financial statements such as balance sheets, profit and loss, cash flow and break even analysis. Through countless hours of reading and calculating numbers, I have finally reached the end! I can't wait to get started!

On a different note, it was very recent that a new idea came to mind about the business! I think this is going to be a pivotal addition to my business and I shall explain... I was thinking the other night about my "marketing strategies" and more specifically how I would make contacts with local High School, Legion and College Coaches. Initially I was basically going to target them to establish relationships and try to get in good with their players. But I asked myself, what is in it for the Coaches? Why would they want to help ME out? So instead of me essentially going to them saying, "hey guys, here's what I'm looking to do--HELP ME!" I am taking a different approach.

Why not provide something of value to the coaches where they will have an incentive to want to use my services as well and create an atmosphere where we are all pulling for one another to succeed. In other words, I am going to develop a series of offers where I will offer to drive out to their respective schools/fields for practice on an hourly basis. For example, if Joe Smith at XYZ High School calls me specifically to teach Pick Off moves to the team, I will arrange the visit and come for an hour to teach them what I've learned through college and professional baseball. This way, all of a sudden the coach is more inclined to speak to me because he gets something out of it! This will ultimately help him gain more knowledge in which he can use to teach following years, it will obviously give the players more insight, and ultimately will help them win more ball games and the coach will gain more recognition and job security! And as for me, well its a great way to get my foot in the door, establish those solid relationships, get face time with the coaches & players, and essentially result in more lessons to the players and possibly even more "team rentals" of my facility!

I truly believe this will be a critical component to the success of The Players Edge and an outstanding way to reach out to the coaches now with a plan. Instead of saying "help me" it is now a 2-way road and I have something to capture their interest and offer them in return.

Stay tuned for more updates! I'll write some good articles about popular/controversial baseball topics :)

--Jake

My First Blog: Hello To All!

Good Afternoon from Sunny Florida!

I just wanted to test out my new blog site and thank all of you in advance for stopping by to read my posts as well as supporting The Player's Edge, Inc.

Stay tuned for up-to-date Blogs and news on The Player's Edge, Inc!!

--Jake