Between the Ears Baseball

 On social media recently, a hitting instructor was essentially saying that tee work, side toss, front toss, and "feel good" batting practice were a waste of time. His point was that these drills did not really prepare a hitter for game-like at bats. I agree to a certain extent; however, I disagree that the aforementioned basic drills do not have value. I believe it depends on what you are working on - your swing or hitting. There is definitely a difference! If you are working on the swing itself, as a hitter you need hundreds and thousands of reps over the course of many weeks and months to hone the swing that that you will take with you into at-bats. To suggest that you do not benefit from repetitive drill work is incorrect. Once your swing is developed, then comes the time for challenging, game-like work to prepare for live ABs.  Hitting is about hitting the ball hard to help your team win. Competing against the pitcher is the number one focal point of a hitter. If you are...

The thoughts George Kirby shared with the media following a loss in which he allowed a two-run home run in the seventh inning on his 102nd pitch have caused quite a commotion on social media. It has led me to think about when it is appropriate to "cut it loose" and compete. In the Major Leagues, it is obvious, especially amid a playoff chase (which Kirby's Mariners are in the middle of), is about the most easily recognizable time to cut it loose and compete without too much thought as to pitch counts. Kirby indicated he didn't want to be out there after 90 pitches through 6 innings. Most "old school" baseball people on social media call Kirby out for this mindset. I suspect it is more of just a lack of preparation on the mental side - or simply a young pitcher deflecting some bad feelings after giving up a 2-run bomb in a big spot. Either way, there is a lot to learn from his statement. In addition to Kirby's thoughts about not wanting to be in there, he...