7 Weeks Until the Biggest Day in ARMory History
7 weeks…
The land has been cleared.
The irrigation system is in the ground.
The utility lines are in.
The canopy of trees that used to cover our 400 ft x 70’ long toss lane has been trimmed back.
The building, a 120’ x 50’ metal quonsut arrives on tomorrow.
Workers will start erecting it on Monday.
That gives us 7 weeks…
7 weeks to finish the 4 bullpens.
7 weeks to lay the turf.
7 weeks to finish the parking area
7 weeks to construct the 15’ long...
The Inverted Iron Pyramid
One of the key indicators of efficiency and power in a pitcher’s delivery is his use of his lower half.
At The ARMory and The Ranch, we’ve been studying this for a long time, and our understanding is constantly evolving. An efficient and powerful lower half definitely isn’t seen in the old “stay tall and fall” idea.
It’s amazing to me how many coaches I hear say something like “stay tall on the back side”, and then turn right around and tell a pitcher “you gotta use...
How Long? Yes!!
Good Morning,
Later today The ARMory will board a jet to Atlanta, GA for a two-day Road Show with 54 aspiring young rocket launchers and their families. Once we land we’ll load up 5 suitcases of equipment and 7 staff members into a rented Suburban and head off to our hotel. Tomorrow morning we’ll wake up, slam down a continental breakfast, and it then it will be...
Ty Sullivan, Matt Abramson, Josh Wagner, Amy Marsh, Lisa Church, Austin Bergner, and I will be laying down the knowledge...
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Case Study
In August of 2015,Brandon D., a 15 year old left handed pitcher, came to a Rocket Launchers Training Camp all the way from Queens, NY . According to his father, Brandon had already seen 4 different orthopedists for recurring, debilitating left biceps pain. He had struggled with it for over a year and had been shut down from throwing for 6 weeks on two separate occasions. Per his report, after throwing 1-2 innings, he would notice a distinct loss of velocity, and he would experience gnawing,...
Watch Out for Tiger Country: 97 mph Pitcher… Massive Shoulder Blowout
Last week I scrubbed in to surgery with Tampa Bay Rays Team doctor, Koco Eaton to observe one of the most amazing surgical performances I have ever seen. The patient was a college pitcher named Zach. He is a former JUCO guy from Arizona who had previously topped out at 97 mph and currently has a scholarship to a division 1 school.
I first met Zach about 2 weeks into our Summer Program after his mother had called me and said he was ready to eject from the Jayhawk summer league because...
This Is What It’s All About.
If being a baseball coach and instructor was only about teaching baseball, I wouldn't do it.
Recently, I was totally blind-sided by something I truly didn’t see coming.
Let me tell you the story of Danny Muniz.
Danny is a rising college sophomore from the Miami area. He’s a right-handed pitcher who upon graduation from high school was topping at a whopping 82 mph. Not willing to give up on his dream of playing college baseball, he accepted a scholarship to an NAIA school in...
Quintin Time!! Quintin Time!: Another Arm Pain Case Study
Quintin Pile has a new arm and a new walkout "song" for his next season with the Wofford College Terriers.
Picture this: The coach makes a visit to the mound and motions for right hander out of the bullpen. The anxious crowd cranes their necks to get a glimpse of the bullpen gate. Just before it opens, the public address system blares this: Quintin Time!! Quintin Time!
Last winter we worked with one of Quintin's teammates, a Senior righty named Connell Anderson who was operating on the last...
The Dangers Of Training Corruption
More Is Just More:
Last weekend I flew to Houston to help Coach Ron Wolforth at The Texas Baseball Ranch with a 3 day Elite Pitchers Boot Camp. I am honored to be a member of the staff at a place where instructors and students are free to innovate and experiment to find better ways to learn and to teach throwing. They pay me to help them, but I would do it for free just to experience my favorite part of every camp – Julio’s Mexican Grill (Formerly Rico's Hacienda)!
The camps begin at...
Tonight I Cried
In the spring of 2004 I was a member of the Board of Directors at Bloomingdale Little League, when my youngest of 3 sons, Jake signed up to play in the machine pitch league. He was 6 years old. I was already coaching my oldest son, Ty, and my middle son, Ryan’s little league teams, so I decided not to be the head coach of Jake’s team.
But on the morning of the tryout, I attended and stood against the fence down the right field line, clipboard in hand, and watched. Why would a non-coach...
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
Two mornings ago it rained in Tampa Bay.
Yeah...
I can hear everyone who's ever been to Fort Myers or Disney for tournaments during the summer:
“Rain in Tampa Bay? Shocker.”
I agree, but to have a rainstorm in the morning, especially this time of year is unusual. In the summer, I check the forecast every day. In the spring, not so much.
So this time I was totally caught off guard.
I woke up at 7:30 am to the sound of raindrops on the bedroom window and suddenly...
