Texas Baseball Ranch - October/November 2021

Texas Baseball Ranch - October/November 2021

RANCH REVIEW THE

FALL 2021

www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762

THE RANCH CREDO — WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

In addition to the camps at The Ranch each fall, for the past 15 years, the Texas Baseball Ranch staff has traveled to Santa Clarita, California, and, in conjunction with Jim Wagner of The Throwzone Academy, has hosted a “Ranch on the Road” event. It sold out again this year and continues to be a fantastic event. Jim, Sondra, and Lauren Wagner are wonderful hosts. This year, instead of returning to Houston, Jill, Garrett, and I drove from Los Angeles and met our daughter, Samantha, and her husband, Matt, in Sonoma, California, for a week of wine tasting, sightseeing, and R&R. Jill and I are partners in a vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley with Kelley Family Vineyards , which produces a very special cabernet sauvignon called Autonomy . The timing of this trip allowed us to be at this year’s “release,” which was a lot of fun. Our trip included a day drive to Bodega Bay made famous by the Hitchcock movie, “The Birds.” We also drove through Big Sur and visited the Avenue of the Giants. We were fortunate enough to tour the Caymus Vineyards … one of our favorite wines … excluding Autonomy, of course. It was a wonderful month and a great way to kick off the fall.

The campers and coaches at the sold out ThrowZone/ Ranch event in Santa Clarita, CA

The Autonomy Partners Event At Kelley Family Vineyards in Napa, CA

Garrett and Ron with coffee at Bodega Bay; The Wolforth Family at Caymus Winery; The Chandelier Redwood Drive Through Park in Leggett, CA

–Ron Wolforth

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ADVANCED ALUMNI PITCHERS CAMP Event Highlight

Strom will be joining us for this weekend as both an instructor and presenter. In “An Evening With Brent Strom,” pitchers and their parents will have the chance to listen to Coach Strom give a special presentation. Afterward, there will be a Q&A session, pictures, and autographs. In addition to Coach Strom, Coach Flint Wallace will make a return visit to the Ranch while on winter break from his responsibilities as the Coordinator of Pitching Strategies with the Colorado Rockies. Coach Wallace will be overseeing the “command” station at this year’s camp.

To start the new year right, we are giving pitchers an opportunity to maximize their development through our Advanced Alumni Pitchers Boot Camp. This two-day camp will delve With Special Guest Instructor Brent Strom

Our Advanced Alumni Pitchers Boot Camp is set for the weekend of Jan. 8–9, but don’t wait until the last

minute! This event is limited to 24 pitchers and has already started to fill up. Keep in mind that this event is only available for players who have previously attended one of our events.

into a variety of advanced concepts and techniques to expand on what pitchers have learned in our other camps. Participants will receive an updated video analysis from Coach Wolforth, in addition to training time with our ranch coaches and our special guest instructors, Brent Strom and Flint Wallace.

To reserve your spot today, visit RanchAlumni.com. SAVE $500 if you register before Dec. 1! SPECIAL

BONUS: Any pitcher who participates in our advanced boot camp can stay for an additional week of training, Jan. 10–14, for only $995. Take the concepts learned at the Advanced Camp and hone your skills before the start of the season at the “Extended Stay Winter” session.

Since returning to the major leagues as a pitching coach for the Houston Astros, Coach Strom has had limited opportunities to return to the Ranch. We are thrilled Coach

HAVE A LOW-STRESS HOLIDAY 3 Tips for a Merrier Time

The holidays are right around the corner, and while many people can’t wait to eat turkey and swap presents, others only see stress on the horizon. Especially for those hosting parties, between decorations, big dinners, excited kids, and visiting family, it can all feel overwhelming. If celebrations are happening at your house this year, here are three tips to lessen the strain and keep up the holiday cheer.

minute. Decorate earlier than you need to — or better yet, get the kids to do it for you. There’s only so much cooking you can do ahead of time, but ensuring you have all of the equipment and nonperishable ingredients you need a few weeks in advance will reduce both your workload and anxiety.

Don’t Expect Perfection

Recharge First

The sooner you let go of the idea of a “perfect” holiday, the sooner you’ll be able to have a happy one. Face it: Something will go wrong. Whether it’s an overcooked dish, a child throwing a temper tantrum, or your uncle talking politics at the dinner table, nothing will ever go just how you planned. So, embrace the imperfections. Whether you’re celebrating this year with a group of two or 20, holidays can be a stressful time — but they don’t have to be. With these tips, your festivities may not be picture-perfect, but they will be a lot of fun.

Ensure you’re rested and recharged before the holidays by taking time to relax, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that make you feel good. When you’re rushing to get everything done, it can be tempting to skip self-care routines, but that will cost you in the long run. Your daily exercise and other health activities keep you balanced and ready to face challenges head-on.

Get Started Early

Holidays always arrive faster than we expect, so begin preparing early. If shopping for presents is a pain point, don’t wait until the last

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YES, YOU CAN TEACH VELOCITY We Do It Every Day the father of quality control, was absolutely correct when he said, “If you want to improve something, measure it!” Of course, velocity is not the be-all and end-all of pitching, but just like with money, it’s better to have more than not enough. And yes, velocity can be developed and enhanced. While some people are certainly born with greater physical ability than others, many of the variables that affect velocity can be modified and augmented through training. When many people try to teach velocity, we see them only addressing one or two of the variables that affect speed at any given time. This has a limited effect, so the Ranch takes a more holistic approach. We try to address as many variables as possible all at once through what we call “massive simultaneous action.” With massive simultaneous action as our guiding framework, we can find any athlete’s sweet spot for growth and help them realize their full potential. To us, velocity equals opportunity. But there is no one-size-fits- all program that will help a player develop theirs. At the Ranch, we give each athlete exactly what they need — a plan as unique as they are.

Some professional baseball scouts will look you right in the eye and tell you that you can’t teach velocity — a player either has it or they don’t. This is a bunch of nonsense. What they really mean is that they can’t teach velocity.

At Texas Baseball Ranch, we teach velocity every single day. In fact, it’s a lot more straightforward than some of the other skills we have to teach pitchers. Since 2003, we’ve had well over 100 students top 90 mph, almost 20 top 95 mph, and two top 100 mph. But who’s counting? Actually, at the Ranch, we count everything. We believe Edward Deming,

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY Joe DiMaggio Retires

UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS PITCHING COACHES WORKSHOP & CERTIFICATION: DEC. 3–5 **The “SFTI (Tom Gun) Approach” workshop is a brand-NEW event limited to ONLY 35 coaches.** Please email [email protected] for details.

On Dec. 11, 1951, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio retired. The last several years of his career had been a struggle, as he suffered from injuries and diminished abilities on the field. DiMaggio did end his final season in triumph, helping the New York Yankees win the World Series

ADVANCED ALUMNI BOOT CAMP: Jan. 8–9

ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS: • Dec. 28–30 Sold Out • Jan.15–17 Sold Out • February 19-21

against the New York Giants. His teammates honored him after their win, handing him bats and baseballs to sign. When asked about the next season, DiMaggio simply said, “I’ve played my last game.” But he didn’t make it official until Dec. 11. In a press conference, he read from a statement that announced his retirement. While he expressed regret for not having played up to his own standards during his final season, his legacy was secure. Thanks to his 56-game hitting streak 10 years earlier in 1941, he’s still an American icon — and one of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,

www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 1 The Ranch Credo — Work Hard, Play Hard PAGE 2 Event Highlight: Advanced Alumni Pitchers Camp Lowering Holiday Stress PAGE 3 Can Velocity Be Taught? It Sure Can. This Day in Baseball History PAGE 4 Physical Therapy Helped Quarterback Alex Smith

Physical Therapy Helped Quarterback Alex Smith DETERMINATION THROUGH THE RECOVERY PROCESS

Earlier this year, Alex Smith retired from the NFL after helping the Washington Football Team achieve an NFC East title last year — but that’s not what most people will remember him for. Rather, they will remember Smith for fighting through one of the worst injuries ever sustained by a player in the history of the game. For anyone who might be unfamiliar with his story, here are a few of the basics: On Nov. 18, 2018, Smith sustained a spiral and compound fracture in his tibia and fibula in his right leg after getting sacked by Kareem Jackson. He was rushed to surgery immediately, but that was just the beginning. A serious infection in Smith’s blood led to a series of medical complications and 17 more surgeries.

After all, he nearly lost his leg! But thanks to his determination, and help from a qualified physical therapist, he was able to steadily recover. In February 2019, Smith was cleared by the office of the secretary of defense to receive a medical consultation from the military at the Center for the Intrepid, a rehab center normally reserved for combat veterans. However, Smith’s injuries were severe enough that they actually mirrored a lot of what the doctors at the facility were used to working with. The Washington Team’s physician, Dr. Robin West, made the visit possible after she contacted her friend Johnny Owens, a physical therapist who used to work at the Center for the Intrepid. He got Smith connected with the

team of physical therapists at the facility. Then, he got to work.

According to Smith’s wife, he was doing physical therapy five, sometimes six times a week. He seemed determined to recover, and in the end, it paid off. Against all odds, Smith returned to the field for his final season with the NFL, almost completely recovered from his injury. In many ways, Smith represents what can happen when someone fully dedicates themselves to their recovery — a new life, where he could do things that no one thought would be possible for him again.

All of this should have meant Smith was done with professional football for good.

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