Focus Before...Focus During!!!

Hello Passion for Pitching Family!!

So the other night we played a tough one in Princeton, WV against the Rays Organization.  The game went into extra innings and we ended up pulling it out to the tune of 9 to 8.  It was an exciting game and the guys battled back twice from deficits during the game.  The pitching finally stabilized towards the back end of the game and put it away for us once we grabbed the lead in extra frames.

There were a couple things I noticed about not only the nights game but also the entire time I have been with the Cardinals Organization.  The young starting pitchers are really not sure how to get themselves ready mentally or physically before a start.  Sometimes they don't really even know what to do during a game as well.

My example is from the Princeton game.  We had a young man go out to the mound where you could just see it in his face that he was not up for the challenges that the game was going to bring.  I wish I would have had a camera in the dugout because he went through three different types of focus during the game and each one showed on his face like you were staring at yourself in the mirror. 

First off, starting pitchers need to make sure that they understand that preparing yourself before the game is not just about physically moving your body and then starting to throw.  There should be a build up of intensity, concentration and focus that happens throughout the day and into the start.  Heck, there are even times where you hear of pitchers getting going the day or the night BEFORE their next start.  There is a certain tuning that needs to be done so you are ready to commit your emotions and mentality to the battle you are about to take on.

In the rookie league you see young pitchers walking out of the clubhouse maybe 10 minutes before they need to start throwing.  Then you see them do a couple tugs on their body and a couple light jogs and then they pick up a ball and start throwing.  There is a lack of realization that the physical work is not just to prepare your body to start throwing so you can get on the mound.  The physical work is also a fine tuning, a mental preparation to bring forth the focus and intensity needed to allow your body to perform how you want it to.

Let me get back to my example though.....ok, so during the bullpen prior to the game you could just see he wasn't into it.  His body language was lazy, his focus was flat and because of that his bullpen session was below average at best.  Before he threw a pitch in the game I knew he was in for a rough one.  It had nothing to do with his physical ability whatsoever.  It had everything to do with his facial expressions and his body language.  So he went out in the first inning and was hit quite hard.  He was lucky to get out of it with just two runs scoring in the inning.  When he came back in the dugout you could see he looked defeated.  That is the first point where I wish I would have taken a picture.

So the 2nd inning comes and out he goes.  The first guy got on in this inning as well but he was able to calm down enough to start making some better pitches.  Then he got the defense behind him to make a couple plays and you could see him starting to turn it around.  When he went back out for the 3rd inning you saw a whole new pitcher out there.  This was the second time in the ballgame where I wish I would have had a camera.  The focus was there and the intensity was in his face.  He sat quietly and confidently on the bench and at this time it was a 2-2 game.

But then came the top of the fourth and we scored three runs.  This is the third point in the game where I wish I had my camera.  You should have seen this kids face.  He went from out in the ozone, to intently focused, to overly cocky and not paying attention, all in a time frame of just four innings.  When we were scoring runs for him in the fourth he was joking with teammates and basically not realizing he still had a job to do.

So what do you think happened next???  Well, he went back out for the bottom of the 4th and we were up 5 to 2.  He never made it out of the inning and we ended up giving up the lead in that very inning. 

Focus is a goofy thing.  You either have it or you don't.  You either understand it or you don't.  You either feel it or you don't.  But either way, you better be able to understand how you lose it and how you get it back if you want to survive as a pitcher in professional baseball.  There are way too many things that can go on in a ballgame that can turn you all different ways.  You must be able to focus on your job and your job only.  You must be able to know how to prepare yourself before the game and then maintain that preparation and focus during the game, no matter the circumstances.

The next time you go to a major league game or watch one on TV check out the starting pitcher.  See what he does before the game and during the game.  See what his facial expressions are.  See if he is hooting and hollering in the dugout or if he is cool, calm and collected and mainly keeping to himself to maintain his concentration and focus.

That's all for now Passion for Pitching!!!

Happy Pitching!!!