Texas Baseball Ranch May 2017

Texas Baseball Ranch May 2017

RANCH REVIEW THE

MAY 2017

www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762

Any red-blooded American male who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s remembers Clint Eastwood as Detective Harry Callahan in the “Dirty Harry” movies. One of his favorite questions to ask the criminals he would apprehend, when he saw a look of crazy rebellion in their eyes, was, “You have to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’” Every May, thousands of young pitchers will make the natural transition from high school baseball to summer baseball. They will have to decide 1) Do they simply play in tournaments and showcases all summer? 2) Do they take the summer off and train? 3) Do they do a hybrid and mix the two? Unfortunately, many young men will simply follow the “herd” and do what their friends and teammates do. They will fail to look internally and assess a) how their school season REALLY went, and b) specifically what they personally need to do over the summer to reach their long- or intermediate-term goals. For example, some young men were rookies on a very good veteran staff and didn’t pitch much during their high school season. These guys might simply need to use the summer to get their innings in and build experience. DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

However, most athletes’ summer decisions may not be quite so straightforward.

Some desperately need to gain velocity over the summer.

Some need better command of their fastball or off speed stuff.

Some need to add a secondary pitch to their repertoire.

Some need to improve their recovery and/or eliminate their arm discomfort.

For these young men, simply rolling into the summer with their friends becomes a very bad idea.

They need to get this obstacle or constraint corrected, or they will never approach their God-given potential as a throwing athlete.

Sometimes a little tough love is required. Sometimes, during the year, we ALL need a Detective Callahan looking us straight in our eyes and requiring us to look internally and take an honest assessment of our situation by asking, “Do you feel lucky?”

– Ron Wolforth

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BEAT YOUR FAST METABOLISM

Tips and Tricks to Gain Muscle

Having a fast metabolism seems like a good problem to have — until you hit the gym. People with a naturally fast metabolism find it difficult to gain weight and increase muscle mass despite working out. Their bodies use calories so efficiently that it becomes difficult to fuel muscle growth.

stimulates a number of muscle fibers to respond by adding mass. Weightlifting every other day will allow

Focus on High-Quality Foods As you are working out, eat calorie-dense foods such as whole grains, nuts, dehydrated fruits, and nut butters. According to the University of Illinois, incorporating these foods into your diet is easier than simply eating more food. It’s important to avoid empty calories like fast food. These foods are low in nutrients and don’t support muscle growth. Getting enough protein and complex carbohydrates is key. Try incorporating more lean beef, skinless chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, oatmeal, whole grains, and healthy fats into your diet. Focus on Heavy Compound Lifts According to bodybuilding.com, lower repetitions with heavier weight are most effective for gaining muscle. Compound movements like barbell squats force you to challenge multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This

To overcome this challenge, those with fast metabolisms should focus on high-quality nutrition combined with specific training approaches to maximize muscle gain. Increase the Number of Calories You Consume You can have the best workout regimen in the world, but if you don’t eat enough of the right foods, you won’t gain muscle. To calculate the number of calories your body expends, multiply your current weight by 18. You’ll want to gradually increase this number every two weeks by consuming your current weight multiplied by 20, and then your current weight by 22. Evaluate the effectiveness of each incremental increase, and if necessary, increase your caloric intake in a similar manner until you find that you are gaining weight.

stubborn muscles to recover between heavy workouts, which facilitates growth.

Engage in Cardiovascular Exercise Engaging in cardiovascular exercises like jogging, swimming, and cycling can help strengthen your cardiovascular system, which is important even if you are trying to put on mass. However, unlike those who are trying to shed pounds, you’ll require shorter cardiovascular workouts that are lower in intensity. It’s important not to cut out cardiovascular exercise completely, though — these exercises deliver nutrients to your growing muscles and decreases the risk of muscle breakdown.

BRING THE HEAT

Extended Stay Summer Program for Serious Athletes

Every summer for the past 15 years, we have helped over 1,200 baseball athletes improve their performance andmake big gains through participation in our Extended Stay Summer Program. The world of collegiate and professional pitching is within reach; most pitchers simply need the guidance to develop their own specific path, and that’s what we do at The Ranch.

Do you need to focus on more specialized development? Are you behind your competitive peer group in velocity, in command, in recovery? Are you dealing with injury or just returning from an injury? The Ranch is the perfect place to close these gaps. We divide each day into two parts: a morning skill-specific strength component, and an afternoon throwing component. This program is an immersive experience, and we implement the most effective training concepts found anywhere. Some of the new additions this summer include Hydro training, PowerCore 360, and sand work to go along with our oldies but goodies. We understand that pitching is not all mechanics. The Texas Baseball Ranch ® approaches training holistically, covering everything from arm care and throwing program personalization to mindset, nutrition, and even personal and spiritual integrity. If you think there is such a thing as a one-size-fits-all model, think again. Our pitchers’ personalized plans are specific to each of them, and their goals are made possible through an assessment by the coaching staff, using video analysis and a movement screen.

Even the length of your training can be customized to fit your unique training needs, anywhere from 2–10 weeks.

This program is not for everyone. If you are sensitive to intense summer heat, or are unwilling to give the game your all, this isn’t the place for you. We are looking to train pitchers who are ready to work hard every day. By rubbing elbows with other motivated young pitchers, our summer athletes get on track to meet their goals, whether that means starting on their varsity team, getting a scholarship to their top-choice college, or being drafted to play professional baseball. Interested in making a huge change to your performance this summer? Call 936-588-6762 for more information. Space is limited! Additional Boot Camp information can be found at texasbaseballranch.com/ events/tbr-summer-program.

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THE TRUTH ABOUT VELOCITY (PART 1) Throwing Off the Critics

Many professional scouts will look you right in the eye and tell you with conviction that velocity CANNOT be taught. You either have it or you don’t. What they really mean to say is they can’t teach velocity. At the Texas Baseball Ranch ® , we do it every single day. In all honesty, I believe it is one of the more straightforward things we do when it comes to developing the complete pitcher. When it comes to the incredible number of pitchers we’ve seen break the 90 mph barrier, the 95 mph barrier, and the 100 mph barrier, Coach Wolforth often jokes with clients, “Who’s counting?” We count everything at the Ranch. We believe Edward Deming, the father of quality control, was absolutely correct when he said, “If you want to improve something, measure it!” Our critics will snipe, “Is that off the mound, or doing all that running and jumping mumbo- jumbo? Is that a peak velocity, or can he sit at that velocity in a game? Sure, he can throw it hard, but can he throw it over the little white thing? I’ll bet he can’t throw it that hard on a regular basis. Velo is overrated. Give me a guy who can throw a 3-2 curveball for a strike.”

I thought we were talking about velocity creation? If you would like to talk about command, pitchability, arm health, recovery, consistency, and building a repeatable movement pattern, I’d be more than happy to. So, which one would you like me to discuss with you? This sort of namby-pamby, hand-wringing, mismatching critique reminds me of a person with little money turning down a far better job because he doesn’t want to pay the taxes on his new significantly increased salary. Huh? That sort of thinking makes absolutely no sense to me. Having better velocity or more money isn’t the be-all and end-all, but all things considered, it is certainly preferable to not having enough velocity and being poor.

UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMP June 9–11, 2017 (Friday–Sunday) June 23–25, 2017 (Friday–Sunday)

Rickey Runs Into the History Books HENDERSON BREAKS THE STOLEN BASE RECORD Baseball is a game of numbers. From Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak to Hank Aaron hitting home run No. 715, some numbers have become magical figures in baseball history. When you take a look at the major league record books, though, perhaps no number is more glaring than 1,406 — the number of bases stolen by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. Part of what makes this number so staggering is that it’s nearly 500 more than his nearest rival, Lou Brock. Rickey ran past Lou on May 1, 1991, cementing his place in baseball history. With Henderson coming off an MVP season in 1990, it was clear the record would fall during the spring of ‘91, but the moment itself was vintage Rickey. The Yankees were visiting Henderson’s A’s, it was the bottom of the fourth, and Henderson was on second. Tim Leary delivered, and Rickey took off. By the time Matt Nokes delivered the ball to third, it was clear Rickey was safe, and safely atop the career stolen base list. He lifted the base itself above his head in celebration. Making the moment even more special was the fact that Brock, one of Henderson’s idols, was in attendance to see his record surpassed.

July 7–9, 2017 (Friday–Sunday) July 21–23, 2017 (Friday–Sunday) August 11–13, 2017 (Friday–Sunday) September 2–4, 2017 (Saturday–Monday)

Additional Boot Camp information can be found at texasbaseballranch.com/events/elite-pitchers-boot-camps

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES! STRATEGIC PARTNER,

www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro

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

Do You Feel Lucky? PAGE 1 Beat Your Fast Metabolism PAGE 2 Bring the Heat This Summer PAGE 2 The Truth About Velocity (Part 1) PAGE 3 Rickey Runs Into the History Books PAGE 3 Why Vinyl? PAGE 4 (936) 588-6762 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WHY VINYL?

Everything Comes Back Around

Vinyl records outsold digital music for the first time ever in 2016. Over the last decade, digital recordings have dominated the marketplace for many reasons, but most importantly, thanks to convenience. Bearing this in mind, why would someone choose to buy a format that’s heavier, larger, and indisputably less convenient? To know the “why” is to know the history of the format. LPs, or long plays, were first introduced by RCA Victor in 1930 and were improved into the records we know today by Columbia Records in 1948. For years, records ruled the marketplace, due in large part to a lack of alternative format options. Over time, the trend in music media has been to downsize and improve sound quality. The 8-track tape in ’64, the compact disc in ’82, and the MP3 in ’89

are all evidence of this. Soon, records and their associated audio gear were more often found in landfills than on store shelves. With so many indisputable facts against the format, how did LPs manage to make a comeback?

First and most importantly, vinyl has been embraced by many artists, big and small, due in

large part to the nostalgia associated with the format. With more and more big names releasing projects via record, the industry received a much-needed shock to the heart. Second, the aesthetic component — namely the fact that records offer a much larger canvas for album covers, as well as more room for lyrics and inserts — means records can easily serve as centerpieces for décor. Finally, there is an argument for the overall sound quality of records being superior to any competing format, though this is often disputed by enthusiasts of other formats.

While the sound quality debate has yet to be concluded, the war between digital and physical media seems to be over (for now).

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