Texas Baseball Ranch - February/March 2022

Texas Baseball Ranch - February/March 2022

RANCH REVIEW THE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762

THE RANCH REVIEW

Winter Wrap-Up 2021–22

When most people think about baseball, they think about spring (spring training), summer (the season), or fall (the World Series). But at the Texas Baseball Ranch®, winter is an exceptionally busy season with Elite Pitcher Boot Camps, the Elite Catcher Boot Camp, the Alumni Camp, multiple coaches’ clinics, traveling camps, and our off-season training for our professional clients. In fact, from Thanksgiving through Presidents Day, the months of November, December, January and February are as busy as any four months in the entire year. For the past 15 years, the highlights of this period always center around transformation and innovation. The Ranch is amazingly unique in this way. It is a distinctive blend of forward-thinking, progressive concepts, and innovation, intertwined with practical application and empirical implementation. This winter season was no different. In fact, what we at the Ranch continually seek is what Oliver Wendell Holmes referred to as “the simplicity on the far side of complexity” or what other people might call “simple-smart.” In other words, it is not enough to have a simple process. A lot of simple processes are not worth the paper they are written on. On the flip-side of that equation is complexity, complication, and

convolution. These are often not helpful either. What athletes, parents, and coaches really seek (whether they can articulate it or not) is the simplicity on the far side of complexity. Winter is the time when we get to step back and take notice of the effectiveness of our processes, methods, and procedures with our athletes over the past year so we can make adjustments and improvements. This cycle of self-assessment and enhancement has been an invaluable staple of the Texas Baseball Ranch® since 2006, and we believe the primary reason why we continue to lead the baseball universe in the training of throwers and pitchers.

It’s professional players like Garrett Wolforth, Robert Dugger, and Colin Poche who have been a part of this proven process and help shape it for future players.

–Ron Wolforth

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Summer baseball camps are everywhere these days. There are local high school camps, college camps, academy camps, etc. And depending on your needs and goals, these can be a good fit. For example, if you’re a 13- or 14-year-old trying to make a high school team next year, you might want to get in front of your future high school coaches. If you’re a high school player interested in a specific college, attending their camp and getting a feel for the campus and coaching staff can be a good idea. (Word of warning: Many times, college baseball camps are a fundraiser for the volunteer coaches, and the major decision makers aren’t there. One way to know is to simply ask, “Will the pitching coach or recruiting coordinator be involved?”) If, however, you are a serious baseball pitcher and you have a specific goal to gain velocity, improve your command, Often Copied, Never Duplicated TBR’S TRAINING Event Highlight

develop your secondary pitches, and/or maximize your arm health and recovery, then the Texas Baseball Ranch® is the place for you this summer. We have two options for you. 1. Our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Boot Camp is the best choice

recovery audit, and the BRAT movement assessment), your program will be hyper- personalized to focus on your specific needs and performance constraints. The development of a complete baseball athlete is critical, so each participant

if you want to squeeze in as much information as possible in a short amount of time. This is what we recommend if you are new to the Ranch. 2. The Summer Intensive Program is perfect if you are looking to take your performance

will take part in our skill-specific strength development and explosiveness training.

You will also experience our

powerful mindset presentations. It is

important that you develop physically and mentally. When combined, your performance can skyrocket. Our events are world-renowned as the gold standard among summer camps. Information and registration can be found at www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/ events, or you can call us at (936) 588- 6762. The “Early Bird” $500 savings for our Summer Program ends March 31.

to the next level. You can choose to stay from 3–11 weeks and really put your nose to the grindstone during your stay. 3. If you can’t get away for multiple weeks, but you’d really like to experience our Summer Program, this is the option for you. When you attend a 3-Day Elite Pitchers Boot Camp, you can add on one week of the summer program immediately after your camp. Each experience offers a holistic approach to your training and development. After a series of initial assessments (including an upper and lower body video analysis, a pain audit, a

We’re excited to have you join us in Montgomery, Texas, this summer!

EMBRACE YOUR INNER BOOKWORM 4 Secrets to Finding Time to Read as a Busy Parent

When you think of reading, you might conjure up an image of yourself curled up next to a cozy fireplace, sipping on coffee, and reading the

at the coffee shop, or at your kid’s soccer practice, this downtime could be spent reading a chapter of your book.

kids read their books, and you read yours! Some days, this may last 10 minutes, but other times, they may stay captivated longer. Either way, you are creating healthy habits for your kids while getting in a chapter for yourself, too! Swap out the movies for books. Once the kids are tucked in after a long day, it sounds so nice to park yourself in front of the television with a cozy blanket and mindlessly watch a good movie or an episode of your favorite show. However, instead of watching TV for an hour, dedicate some or all of that time to reading. This way, you’re still making progress in your book. No matter how you make the time to read, you will be glad you did. Good luck and happy reading!

Schedule reading time. This one sounds quite silly,

day away. However, with the hustle and bustle of daily life and raising kids, it’s tough to find the time to truly dive into a good book. We know it’s important

but as parents know, if you don’t make time for something, it won’t get done. Plan out 30 minutes of reading time each day to allow yourself to get comfortable and read without distractions. The trick here is to make sure you don’t cancel on yourself! Make it a family affair. Sometimes parents feel guilty when they take time for themselves that could be spent with their children. If this sounds like you, make time to read together — the

to read to our children, but we forget how valuable it is for them to see us reading, too.

So, how can you fit it into your schedule?

Don’t leave the house without a book. Whether you are waiting in the pickup line at school, at the dentist’s office, for your order

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THE TRUTH ABOUT PITCH COUNTS And Why They’re Not the Whole Story

In the past 10 years, pitch counts have become all the rage. “Overuse” is the most commonly diagnosed pitching injury, so many coaches and training programs take pains to prevent it. Often, a player will be limited to 100 pitches in a single game. Brent Strom, a former MLB pitcher and currently the Major League Pitching Coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is always concerned about workload. He scours reports and considers myriad variables for each player before assigning them pitch counts. Because he considers so many factors, he’s a model for using pitch counts effectively.

Rather than the commonly used pitches per game metric, it’s far more effective to use pitches per inning to predict fatigue. If a pitcher stays at fewer than 18 pitches per inning, his total pitch count won’t matter as much because he has the rest of the inning to recover. Going back to our Nolan Ryan example, he only averaged 16.2 pitches per inning on his record night. Consider a different, hypothetical scenario. Pitcher A throws 108 pitches in seven innings, while Pitcher B throws 59 pitches in two innings. Common reasoning would say that Player A had the more difficult night, but it was actually Pitcher B. Because he averaged almost twice as many pitches per inning, he probably stressed his soft tissue much more, even though he threw 49 fewer pitches. In many ways, pitch count has become a wedge issue. Parents understandably want their children to stay safe, and they get pitted against coaches, who want both safety and the best training possible. It doesn’t have to be this way. While pitch count has merit, we must view it through the prism of each individual player and game, rather than an arbitrary and universal number.

Every player is unique, and each player will vary in his capacity from the time the season starts to when it ends. In 1971, Nolan Ryan threw 244 pitches in a 15-inning game against the Boston Red Sox. You might reason that Ryan was abnormal, but the opposing pitcher threw 187 pitches in the same game. You might also think that this high pitch count destroyed his game for the end of the year. That wasn’t the case, and he pitched for another 17 years.

A LOOK AT BASEBALL HISTORY The Yankees Get Numbered

UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS

ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS:

SUMMER INTENSIVE PROGRAM (STAY 3-11 WEEKS):

You’d be forgiven for thinking that numbers on jerseys have existed for as long as team sports, but all ideas have to come from somewhere. The New York Yankees announced on January 22, 1929, that they would add large, bold numbers to each player’s jersey, and it changed how we watch the game.

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MAY 28–30

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BEGINS MAY 31 AND RUNS THROUGH AUGUST 11

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JUNE 10–12

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JUNE 24–26

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JULY 8–10

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JULY 22–24

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AUGUST 5–7

The numbers represented the players’ batting order. More importantly, they helped fans

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SEPTEMBER 3–5

identify the players on the field and more closely follow their favorites. The idea was almost an immediate hit, with all American League teams adopting the practice by 1931 and the National League following closely in 1933. Interestingly, the Yankees have never included the player’s last name across the back of the jersey, despite virtually every other professional sports team adopting the practice. When it comes to trends, the Yankees are leaders, not followers.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,

www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro

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www.texasbaseballranch.com 5451 Honea-Egypt Road Montgomery, TX 77316

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 1 The Ranch Review: Winter Wrap-Up 2021–22 PAGE 2 TBR’s Summer Camps Make More Time for Reading PAGE 3 The Truth About Pitch Counts Baseball History PAGE 4 Treat Osteoporosis Through Physical Therapy

Approximately 55% of the population over 50 will be affected by osteoporosis, which thins and weakens the bones. In the U.S. alone, the condition is responsible for about 1.5 million fractures per year. You may not think exercise can help with bone loss, but prepare to be surprised. A comprehensive physical therapy plan can not only promote bone growth but also improve balance and posture, which lowers the risk of falling or sustaining fractures. Bone is living tissue. Just as with other parts of our bodies, cells are constantly dying and being replaced. With osteoporosis, not enough new bone is created to make up for the bone lost, so it becomes weak and brittle. Women and older people are especially prone to osteoporosis, but an inactive lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol, or low weight can also contribute to development of the condition. Often, people with osteoporosis don’t experience symptoms. That sounds like a good thing, but unfortunately, it results in the condition not being diagnosed until after a broken or fractured bone. Telltale signs of the condition include a loss of height, pain between the shoulder blades, or pain above the pelvis. But frequently, the first indication of a problem is when a bone breaks during normal activity, such as receiving a hug or stepping off a curb. How PT Can Help With Osteoporosis GIVE YOUR BONES A BOOST

A physical therapist’s treatment of osteoporosis depends on each patient’s unique situation. Just like muscles become stronger from exercise, so do bones. Most physical therapy regimens will involve specific exercises to help build bone mass. To avoid falling or injury, physical therapists will also work with patients to improve balance, correct posture, and adapt to daily activities while protecting their bone health. If the bone is still fractured, a physical therapist can also help relieve pain without medication through positioning and other techniques. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, contact a physical therapist today to help regain your strength and quality of life. A customized physical therapy plan can help you get back to safely doing the things you love — no bones about it.

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