Success Principles, Part 2

(#39)

More stuff that worked.

Our 8 Laws of Learning the Game:

Explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, and repetition.

“Repetition of the same physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic response.”

Our Game Plan for Success:

1. To compete at the highest level possible on each pitch of every game.
2. Focus on the process of the game… hitting, fielding, throwing, running, pitching, and bunting and not the score or outcome. Do it the same way all the time; big games, bad games, good and back competition, pressure games, etc. Do things the way they are supposed to be done and we’ll have a great chance to win; games and championships. Play all games the same way and things don’t have to change the approach in the big games or “under pressure.”
3. Prepare for competition and then play the game one pitch at a time, always playing hard and expecting success on each pitch. Play the game one pitch at a time. This pitch now. Next pitch. Reset. Repeat.
4. Evaluate and adjust after each pitch and reset to default. Win the next pitch.
5. Play the game like you have a chance for success on each pitch. There is always a 50-50 possibility for success. You either can or can’t, do or don’t, will or won’t, throw a strike or you won’t, make contact at the plate or you don’t, get a hit or not, etc. But you must expect success on every pitch and take action accordingly. Play the game with that simple approach and with the proper confidence (the way you choose to think), motivation (creating energy in motion (emotions) and taking the right type of action), and determination (resilient, persistent, ballsy).
6. The team that scores the most runs wins. Always.

OFFENSIVE GOALS:

1. The team with the most runs wins.

2. Master a variety of ways to reach base, advance runners, score runs, put pressure on the defense; Hit consistently, walk a lot, minimize strikeouts, pop-ups and routine fly balls, get hit by pitches, aggressive baserunning- run the bases in twos, run hard and slide hard, bunt your way on, move and score runners with bunts, anticipate wild pitches and passed balls in secondary leads, steal 2nd, 3rd, and home, get clutch hits, move runners, hit 3-run homers. Be able to play small ball and big ball. Every player in the lineup must be able to bunt efficiently.

More follow-ups (reaching base after the previous batter reaches base).

Get hit by pitches more than any other team.

More walks, less strikeouts.

More solid contact… HHBs (hard hit balls; more barrels).

More infield hits and bunt hits.

More extra base hits. Use the gaps.

More stolen bases. Leads, reads, and jumps.

More moving runners into scoring position.

Know how to get the RBI.

3. Play each offensive inning on the clock; long offensive innings. Try to score in every inning. Find a way to create multiple big innings (3+ runs).

DEFENSIVE GOALS:

1. Give up less runs than you score.

2. Play each defensive inning on the clock. Quick defensive innings. Avoid negative follow-ups and big innings.

3. The routine ball is an out. Make the routine play all the time and the great play some of the time. No errors.

4. Turn double plays; get two outs at a time. One pitch, two outs.

5. No walks unless we want to; no leadoff walks, back-to-back walks, walks after previous hitter reaches base, and no two out walks.

6. Find ways to subtract outs; 21 in seven inning games and 27 in nine inning games.

PITCHING GOALS:

1. Work quickly. Short innings on defense. On the clock.

2. Attack the strike zone.

3. Get ahead and stay ahead. First pitch strikes. 0-1s instead of 1-0s. High percentage of hitters take the first pitch anyway. Know the hitters who are first ball, fastball hitters. 1-0 is more predictable than 0-1. Be able to throw slider for a strike on the first pitch. The most important pitch is strike one.

The battle of the 1-1 pitch. This is the stat to pay attention to. How many pitchers throw a ball to make it 2-1 and give a good advantage to the hitter or how many throw a strike to make it 1-2 and set up stuff the hitter does not want to hit? It’s a game changer either way.

The most important pitch in baseball is strike one. Sike one on the first pitch, not strike one on the 2-0 and 3-0 count. We need more 0-2’s than 2-0’s. MLB batting average for the 0-2 count is .149, 1-2 count is .161, and 2-2 count is .181. It’s probably pretty similar in your league. I’ll take those odds. Strike 1. Strike 2. Make something happen within 4 pitches. Both efficient and effective.

When a pitcher starts an at-bat with strike one, there is a 92.7% statistical chance that at-bat will result in an out.

Other than the first pitch strike, the 1-1 pitch is most important one. It is the pathway to either a 2-1 hitter’s count or a 1-2 pitcher’s count, two distinctively different counts for both hitter and pitcher. Anyway, you need strikes on two of the first three pitches to be consistently effective.

4. Know how to pitch to contact; get the ball in play, hit a bat, make it go ping, let the defense play, BP fastball, 1 pitch strikeouts: routine ground balls, pop-ups, or fly balls. Only go for the strikeout when you have two strikes.

5. Use the big part of the plate to get ahead and to get back in the count.

6. Race to two-strikes. In all levels of baseball, the batting average for hitters with two-strikes is markedly low. Take those odds.

7. Minimize your pitches. 12 per inning is the goal. Make something happen within 4 pitches. (strike 1, strike 2, +2).

8. Hold runners closely that might run. (what does the scouting report say about who will run? Know the game situation and when they will not run or it doesn’t matter if they do run.

9. Be quick to the plate without hurrying. Let this be the same timing to the plate as always. 1.2 – 1.3 from start to pop. Pickoff moves, looks, pitchouts.

10. No excuse for the LHP not to have a great and deceptive pickoff move to first base.

11. Subtract from 21 or 27 and do it expeditiously and on fewer pitches.