Knowledge is Power

So it's been a little while since I've able to get on here, mostly because I have made the move back to JMU to train for the upcoming season. The coaching staff and everyone here has been more than welcoming allowing me to use the facilities, so I'm making the most of this opportunity. It is a big help being down here with the team and some other minor league guys who are really working hard preparing for the spring. I'm planning to start video taping different drills or maybe some interviews with college coaches and players about what they are looking for in high school players and what it takes to be a college player.

As a kid I always attended 'Make the Play' basketball camp run by former Torrington High School basketball coach Tony Turina. Every year there was a guest speaker, the head coach from Notre Dame-West Haven in Connecticut. The quote that I remember most from his speech is 'KNOWLEDGE IS POWER' because he delivered the message loud enough for all of Torrington to hear. I am trying to get some more knowledge although I have never been an avid reader. But, there are several books that I've started that I want to share. I got a few baseball oriented books for Christmas that I'm looking forward to. I've also included a couple books about being successful in life.

The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams is a book that I found in my room at home. My dad bought it for me when I was in high school, but I never finished reading it then. Ted Williams gives some insight into the fundamentals of the swing and some of his hitting philosophies.

Positional Hitting by Jaime Cevallos is a book that a couple of teammates from the summer told me about, but I haven't gotten very deep into it yet. It breaks down the swing fundamentals and I am a fan of learning about mechanics in the baseball swing. There are many, many coaches and instructors who will teach different things about the baseball swing and I don't agree with all of them, but I think it's beneficial to learn about different people's beliefs.

Mental Toughness: Baseball's Winning Edge by Karl Kuehl, John Kuehl, and Casey Tefertiller is a book that many former teammates have read and recommended to me. As the title says it's all about the mental aspects of baseball and being mentally tough with a positive attitude. As I've mentioned in some earlier posts, the mental side of baseball is so important and becoming a very popular topic.

Moneyball by Michael Lewis is about the A's philosophy on baseball and the many new statistical measures that they use to evaluate players. I read the book while I was in college, but it is pretty essential for me to read now that I play for the organization. The main person behind this new age thinking is Billy Beane, the A's general manager.

Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success by John Wooden and Jay Carty breaks down Coach John Wooden's building blocks for success. Wooden is one of my father's favorite coaches and role models, with good reason. I particularly like this book because it gives insight from one of the greatest coaching minds of all time along with corresponding passages from the Bible.

The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino is a book that both of my parents have read and lent to me last year. As I mentioned I don't often read or find many books interesting, but I think I read through this book in 2 days. It's an easy read and I really feel that it's guiding the way to a happy, positive life and to become a better person.

God's Game Plan: The Athlete's Bible was given to me a couple of years ago from one of my college coaches. Its a very readable translation of the Bible and is geared towards athletes. I think my mom has found it on Amazon for a good price.

More to come soon as I videotaped myself hitting and hope to make a video break down my swing compared to some big leaguers. As mentioned earlier I also want to make some videos interviewing other players and coaches about their experiences with baseball. Hope everyone is having a good start to 2011, God Bless!