blog

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It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.

-Epictetus

Years ago, as I was wrapping up my playing days in baseball, a friend challenged me with something significant. He told me the most highly skilled people, in any field, get to where they are by becoming lifelong learners. He said that one of the biggest problems in baseball was its rich tradition. Most of us who have ever played the game did so because our fathers did, and we inspire our sons to play because that love of the game was passed down to us. And so it continues.

While that same tradition is what makes baseball great in our country, it can also cause us to "coach the way we were coached" and , because of this, we neglect to ask questions and fail to seek better answers. More than once I have heard people say "If it was good enough for Babe Ruth it's good enough for me." My question is what if the aviation industry said something similar about the Wright brothers? Should Orville and Wilbur's plane be good enough for us now? Or should the Commodore 64 be a good enough computer in 2008?

I believe we can all learn from baseball history. Some of the best pitchers in the game intrinsically figured out things about pitching that took scientists decades to understand. I also believe that some of the most popular teaching philosophies with regard to pitching have been dethroned by science. Watching pitchers at 1,000 frames-per-second in a motion analysis lab reveal more truths about pitching than our 32 frames-per-second eyes could ever see. So many things I was taught to do as a pitcher don't match up - at all - with what the best in the game did or what science is continually revealing.

That said, the purpose of this blog is simple: I want to share what I have learned and what I am continuing to learn with hopes of helping pitchers get better. I am a firm believer in giving credit where it is due, and will gladly share any sources of information in each piece of writing where applicable. Topics will be based on 5 key areas of instruction: Biomechanics, Nutrition, Fitness and Conditioning, Strategy and the Mental/Emotional side to pitching. I will also include interviews with pitchers, coaches and umpires to make things interesting.

I am determined to be a lifelong learner, and am grateful to have a brilliant advisory board who continue to stretch me and mold me into a better pitching instructor. Some days I validate training methods I have learned, while other days I am humbled by new information. Conventional wisdom regularly bows down to science and I am forced to make an adjustment. While it isn’t always an easy process, I am determined to never become static and to always be willing to change where needed.

Feel free to take what you find to be helpful and dismiss what you don’t. My intention is to provide the best information available to help pitchers, parents and coaches be more informed. Feel free to send an email; I’ll do my best to reply promptly.

Yours in baseball,

Danny Orr

danny@arizonapitching.com

www.arizonapitching.com