For years, the knock on Alex Rodriguez was that he never performed to his capabilities in the playoffs. In October and November of 2009, he put that to rest. What changed?
How does a Major League Baseball player prepare — mentally — for a big game or a postseason series?
I had the opportunity to discuss that topic and many others related to mental preparation for baseball with one of the leading experts on the subject, Jim Fannin.
Jim’s worked with 24 All-Stars over the years, including Alex [...]
(click here for Part One)
Last week we examined some of the situations where baseball players “choke”, and found that “pressing” usually results in “choking”.
Now we’re going to learn how not to press and therefore not choke.
Prepare – Physically, and Visually
Preparation is the key to success in any sport (or business, for that matter). When you [...]
(This is the first of a two-part article)
Unfortunately, I’m a Mets fan, and if you’ve followed their 2007 season, you may have heard about “the greatest collapse in baseball history” — their loss of the NL Eastern Division title despite being in first place by seven games with only 17 to play. There have been [...]
Do you find the headline intriguing? It’s true: the biggest mental issue for losing teams is that they’re obsessed with winning.
Seems not to make much sense, but hear me out — I have firsthand experience.
In over 25 years of baseball (and four years of football) playing and coaching, I’ve been a member of dozens of [...]
Anyone who has, or has been around, a young child, knows what his/her favorite question is: why.
Why is the sky blue? Why does a dog bark? Why do I have to wear a hat and gloves? Etc., etc.
Asking “why?” is innate to a youngster. For adults, the persistent questions are enjoyable at first, but can [...]
Last week (on July 4th) I watched the premiere of “Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball” on PBS. It is a documentary covering high school baseball in Japan, and specifically, “Koshien”.
Koshien Stadium is the home field of the Hanshin Tigers, except for two weeks in August when it hosts Japan’s national high school baseball tournament. “Koshien”, therefore, [...]
There is one way to play baseball: the right way. That’s the way I was taught, and the way I teach others, of all ages. You, the baseball player, regardless of your age, will likely find something useful here. Some tips and opinions you read here may seem nuts in this day and age, and [...]
