THIS SITE IS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE PASSION AND DESIRE TO

ACHIEVE MAXIMUM POTENTIAL WHILE REDUCING THE RISK OF INJURY

This website was developed to assist baseball players, coaches, instructors, and parents of youth baseball players understand the need for to commit to a training regimen and how training can reduce the risk of injury while simultaneously increasing endurance, durability, strength and power. 

I, like you, have visited many websites that discuss the “perfect” mechanics, approach, delivery, swing, etc.  What the websites do not touch upon is, in order obtain “perfection” you must condition and train the body to reach its maximum potential.  Maximum potential can only be reached when one understands the biomechanics¹ of throwing and swinging.  The lack of understanding biomechanics is one issue that leads to injuries.  Another issue is the desire of players and their parents to injure the throwing arm in order to undergo the Tommy John Surgery².

The rational is based on the theory, after the surgery pitchers throw with more velocity.  There have been MLB pitchers in the past, known to have thrown with more velocity after rehabilitation from the Tommy John surgery.  The key word is “rehabilitation”; the pitcher has spent a full year exercising and training the arm and body to be stronger so when the pitcher finally makes his “comeback” he is throwing with more velocity.  The surgery repairs the arm; the gain in velocity is attributed to the exercising and training of the arm.  The surgery will not get you to reach your maximum potential, but will force you to exercise and train to your maximum potential. 

There are kids as young as 10 years old having the Tommy John surgery.  In the 2008 MLB Draft, it was reported that more than 30% of the pitchers drafted had already had the Tommy John surgery.   According to one study by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, 75.5% of major league players who had the surgery returned to the same level of play.  I can continue to cite data, surveys, reports, etc., but there are numerous resources you can research. 

I feel it is more important to concentrate on how to reduce the risk of injury by exercising and training the body.  The following pages contain exercises that can be implemented into a workout program.  While setting up a workout program, consider the age, current activities, current physical and mental condition the player is in.  In order for any conditioning and training to be effective, the player must maintain the COMMITMENT to the program.  It is recommended you check with a physician prior to starting any type of exercise and/or training program.

Every player has potential, it is the discipline and commitment in executing a training program that can take that potential and build it into greatness.

1. Biomechanics is defined as: The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially of the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure.

2. Tommy John Surgery is a surgical procedure to reconstruct the Ulnar Collateral Ligament using a tendon from the forearm, hamstring, knee or foot. The tendon is used to recreate the damaged ligament and improve the stability of the elbow joint.
Tommy John Surgery was developed in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe in Los Angeles. The procedure was named after the first patient to undergo the surgery, Tommy John of the L.A. Dodgers.  Today, Tommy John surgery is used to extend the career in many baseball pitchers.