Rainy Days

Hello Passion for Pitching Family!!  Currently I am in Johnson City, TN where it is cloudy and rainy.  We are waiting around to do team pictures for the year and seeing as how we may not be able to get onto the field at all today, I thought I would spend my down time giving you guys an update and then of course my fabulous words of wisdom...LOL.

So we are twenty games into the season and recently have been on a tear.  We are 14 and 6 with the best record in the ten team league.  Not bad seeing as how 8 days ago we were just 6 and 6...lol!  The guys are playing better baseball and we are making fewer mistakes.  Starting pitching has been solid and the relievers have been keeping our leads when it is their time to throw.

It is always interesting to me how there is always something to learn in this game, every day, no matter if you are winning or losing.  Just the other day I had to have a conversation with the pitchers about how to pitch with a lead.  We were really not accustomed, in the early part of this season, to be pitching with big leads.  The past two games we have played, we have had leads of 8 runs or more.  I actually think it is tougher for pitchers to throw in a game that is a blow out where we are the team that is ahead, rather then pitching in close games or games that we are way behind.  When you are ahead and your team is scoring a lot of runs, it leaves a lot of time in the dugout to lose focus or add pressure to yourself because guys don't want to lose the lead for the team.  Being able to maintain your focus in all situations of the game is a big asset to have.  It is easy to be involved in a game where the innings are quick, the pitchers are throwing strikes and everyone is competing because the game is tied or very close.  It's the games that have gotten away where you must maintain your professionalism and your drive to always succeed.

Okay, a quick update and something to think about today....enjoy and we will talk soon!!