Skip!

(#156)

The great Skip Bertman who won 5 national championships as the head baseball coach at LSU, winning the College World Series in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000 was the speaker at a luncheon at the Country Club of Jackson yesterday promoting his new book, “Everything Matters in Baseball.”

If I had known about it (or if I was invited), I would have been there to pay homage to the great coach, even if I had to pledge allegiance to LSU.

I would have made my way to him and told him a story about the 1989 Hinds Eagles, the first Mississippi team to play in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, and the role he didn’t know he played in that historic season.

I had attended a baseball clinic where “Coach” was speaking and along with many great things he said, one thing jump out at me. He said, “Before you give up on a pitcher, try dropping his arm angle a few slots first.“

Mark Anders was a right-handed pitcher from Ouachita Christian School in Monroe, Louisiana. He pitched a little as a freshman, threw about about 78 mph from his original three-quarters delivery and was just not going to get many starts during the season. At best, he would play a marginal role.

We dropped his arm angle to a sidearm release point, at about the 3:15 mark. Unlike most others who drop their arm angle, Mark looked like he had been pitching that way his whole life. He was a natural and his velocity actually increased to about 84 mph. He also developed a lot of late movement in the new slot. His pitches sizzled and he broke a lot of aluminum bats.

One thing’s for certain, he would not have been the closer if he had not complied and been coachable.

But without that arm angle adjustment, the 35 appearances, the 11 wins and 9 saves, and that perfect 6 1/3 innings (no hits and no runs) against Greenville in our first elimination game in the Eastern District Tournament where he pitched in all five games over three days, we simply could not and would not have a chance to accomplish the history-making things that team achieved. (Read Mark’s story, Season of a Lifetime, below)

Sometimes people, like a legendary coach, make a difference even when they don’t know they did.

Thanks Coach! I owe you one. Bruce brought me a book!