Baseball Goal Setting Part 1 & Outfield Play

Baseball is the hardest game to play. The best hitters, judged by batting average, only succeed 30% of the time. A .300 hitter is usually an all-star but still fails 70% percent of the time. The best pitchers only succeed 50% of the time, Hall of Famers winning half of their career starts, losing or getting a no decision in the other half.

I often put this in perspective with baseball players by asking, “How would you feel if you got 30’s and 50’s on all your tests?” Well, that’s exactly what happens for the BEST hitters and pitchers, yet we are expected to be excited about it. Dwelling on traditional baseball statistics will drive us crazy and over time, can breed negativity, a common critique of our sport.

Here are some ways to conquer this obstacle, methods from our Champion Success System that players learn at our camps and clinics that dramatically change their outlook and results in baseball, school, and other areas of life.
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Send Us Your Captions, Win a Shirt!

Check out the image, then send us your captions, either via email or comments at the bottom of the article.  The winner will win a Champion Baseball Camps T-shirt.

Some of the best ones:

This is gonna hurt!
- Adam, Columbus, OH

Uh Oh!
- Lee, Charleston, SC

Ouch!
- Dan, Las Vegas, Nevada

Wear it!
- Jimmy, Pittsburgh, PA

Don’t rub it!
- Joe, Tempe, AZ

Drink Up!

We’ve all heard, “you don’t have anything if you don’t have your health.” As a 24 year-old pitcher in my 5th professional season with the Chicago Cubs organization, I learned the meaning of that saying. A series of injuries began that year, sparking an intense desire to keep myself and others healthy in baseball and in life. This section is dedicated to sharing the information I have discovered through research and personal interviews with health care professionals to help create Healthy Habits.

Mas Agua, Por Favor
Experts agree our bodies are approximately 70% water. The life-sustaining liquid transports nutrients, eliminates waste products, lubricates joints and tissues, regulates temperature, and facilitates digestion. Hydration is particularly important for athletes, who can lose water at an accelerated rate during training and competition.

It’s been shown a 2% loss of adult body weight during exercise correlates to a 10% decrease in performance. A more dramatic decline was seen in young athletes, up to 15%. Loss of water through sweat and respiration lowers blood volume, making the heart work harder. That’s only one 32 ounce quart for a 100 pound player. Since baseball is a game of inches, this could mean the difference between out and safe or winning and losing. This is particularly important when an athletic event lasts for hours in hot and humid temperatures, as is often the case with baseball.

Dehydration will zap you before you know it. Once you’re thirsty, it’s already too late. That’s why it’s important to drink water before, during, and after a game, greatly reducing the likelihood of muscles cramps, dizziness, fatigue, heat exhaustion, and heat stoke. Some suggest consuming certain quantities of water at different intervals, but a specific amount is not always as reliable as the color of your urine. Clear, colorless urine indicates healthy hydration. Any color signals a need for water, and the darker the color of urine, the more severe the dehydration. Drink up and maximize your potential!

The Results Are In!

We want to congratulate Champion Instructor and Duquesne University Law School graduate Pete Vuckovich, Jr., on passing the Pennsylvania Bar Exam, ending the seemingly long wait for his grade and a remarkable streak of profuse sweating and nightmares! Was there any doubt? Not to those who know him. Pete’s strong work ethic and sociable personality will surely guarantee him future success in the areas of which he’s passionate: Baseball and Law. Spending two years with DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment, he’s gained valuable knowledge in the business of major professional sports, including baseball and football. We wish Pete all the best and are excited to have him as part of our Champion Team.