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The Brewers: Moving into the future

Ghostbear

Entry posted by Ghostbear in Brewers ·

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As not only look and watch the current Brewers and remember their past, we should also be conjuring up ideas about what they need to do for a successful future. Here's a couple of my ideas for thought:

Injury prevention and maintaining good health, As we research the past couple of years, we know that one of the areas where the Brewers have had significant difficulties in the number of player games lost to injury. What can be done differently? The ultimate goal is to set about a strategy for each player to have a plan to be able to perform at his maximum capability and that involves staying healthy.    Should we consider that each and every player is different in terms of physical and mental make up? Would it make sense for the team to have on staff Physical Therapists Phd's? Then, that person could develop strength and flexibility regimens for each player according to their physical makeups and capabilities.  This would include pre-game regimen, post game regimen, and very importantly, off season routines each player follows to maintain strength and flexibility to perform at a high level.  This person, the PT, would of course work as a member of the medical staff as well.  And PLEASE, let us not forget the value of vision. It is well known that men at the age levels most players are, moving from younger men to a higher level of maturity, have vision changes that take place.  Therefore, having on staff, or contracting with a quality level optometrist so each player could have vision testing twice during the year, beginning and middle, would be possible.   I would bet right now, that at least half of the players on the Brewers team have vision changes they're not even aware of.  

Use of Digital visual comparison.  Every player goes through different streaks of being "hot" and being in "slumps" during the year.  This happens to both hitters and pitchers. It is my belief that understanding the physics and mechanics of the game for each player are very important.  Therefore, why not store digital videos of each player's performance when that player is performing at a high level? Then, when a player seems to be entering into a "slump," take a video of that as well.  Then take the time for a coach and the player to sit down and watch a video of each "good" and "bad" in slow motion comparison next to each other.  Also, why not color differentiate each and overlay one over the other, then play in very slow motion to pick up details of how the "good" varies from the "bad."  Since I am also a photographer, I've taken a series of pictures of pitchers, Burns and Hader as well as hitters, in high speed, say 10 to 11 shots a second while they're in their delivery or in their hitting approach.  When you go back and replay them, it becomes very interesting as to their body mechanical approach as to both pitching and hitting.  For example, I've picked up on Freddie Peralta's front foot placement differential when he's very good and when he's struggling. When he's good it's more straight at the plate, when he's bad, it's off to the right side of the plate.  Using digital comparisons or high speed camera takes allows all of these details to be picked up.  I might add that the days of using a coach who throws batting practice are over.  Using pitching machines which can be used off the mound, instead of half-way to the plate, and the ability for the machine to vary pitches, is a much better approach for the batter to concentrate on body control, body movement, and swing flow.  Once upon a time when I coached high school and college ball during the summer, we used two jugs machines in everything we did -hitting, infield practice, outfield practice, etc.  It allows the coaches to concentrate on what and how the players are doing alot more.  

That's my take. If you want to read more about player regimens and how they work to achieve maximum performance, pick up a book by Nolan Ryan wherein he discusses all of his regimens, diet, etc.  Let us remember he threw a no hitter when he was 40 and really, no one will ever match his strike out records.  Fascinating stuff-really.  Thanks for reading. Love your feedback.  

Greg-(the old coach).

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Jake McKibbin

Not bad thoughts, I think the Brewers would have employee's looking at the differential between players when they're feeling good vs not, there will always be some natural deviation as our bodies aren't machines but I'd imagine the pitching lab does maybe go through this.

Regarding physical trainers and therapy you may not need one for each player, but again I'd imagine it's very closely coordinated, particularly in the off season as it's quite tough to work out etc while playing, you'd see notable dropoffs in strength and production

Vision wise is an interesting one and I agree with you here, it's something you're not always aware of.

What I'd definitely be wanting is regular MRI checkups and scans of the body to pick up weaknesses and imbalances before they become an issue

Great first blog my friend, an interesting read

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Ghostbear
On 8/11/2023 at 5:15 AM, Jake McKibbin said:

Not bad thoughts, I think the Brewers would have employee's looking at the differential between players when they're feeling good vs not, there will always be some natural deviation as our bodies aren't machines but I'd imagine the pitching lab does maybe go through this.

Regarding physical trainers and therapy you may not need one for each player, but again I'd imagine it's very closely coordinated, particularly in the off season as it's quite tough to work out etc while playing, you'd see notable dropoffs in strength and production

Vision wise is an interesting one and I agree with you here, it's something you're not always aware of.

What I'd definitely be wanting is regular MRI checkups and scans of the body to pick up weaknesses and imbalances before they become an issue

Great first blog my friend, an interesting read

 

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Ghostbear

Sorry, you misunderstood. Not a PT for each player, crazy, but a separate and individualized pre-game, post-game, and off season regimen for each player according to their physical profile, gifts, and talents. This can be all be done by ONE head PT with maybe one assistant.  For example, Joey Wiemer is a great center fielder. He's also a tremendous physical specimen.  I believe strongly that he should be a .250-.300 hitter with around 25 to 30 home runs per year. But he has to have some new coaching-hitting coach- who dramatically changes his approach at the plate.  Here's just what I see: Initial stance, front foot needs to be moved to be closer to the plate and straight at the pitcher's mound. Also, his feet need to be spread apart a little more.  He also needs to calm down and focus on the ball. He does this by placing his bat on his shoulder to begin with. Then he needs to focus on the ball, not the pitcher. In other words follow the ball from the moment the pitcher gets it back from the catcher. Follow it-focus on it.  When the pitcher begins his move to the plate, Wiemer needs to put his bat up and back with his top hand relaxed. Then he needs to stop-stop-stop dropping his bat down like a kid playing wiffle ball. Wiemer needs to keep his bat back, and then focus on the ball, see it-read it-stroke it.  I'd put him in a batting cage and "hard" coach him until he's convinced that the Ted William's line drive swing approach, and Henry Aaron's "See it-read it-hit it," approach will really work for him.  Wiemer also needs to turn his head a pinch more toward the pitcher in his initial stance.  A number of Brewers need to do that, including Yelich.  This means neck stretches and exercises prior to each game as part of pre-game hitting regimen.  Quite frankly, I'd asked Ryan Braun to come in and do some individual hitting coach instruction with a few players, here's my list:  Wiemer, Turang, Telez, Anderson, Yelich, and Adames.  All of these players have developed some bad habits at the plate, and they seem to continually try to correct them through adjustments. They need somebody like Braun, who was a pure hitter, and had one of the most simple, yet effective approaches at the plate of any player in baseball.  His hand, head, and eye discipline allowed him to pick up the spin on the ball, as well as be able to stroke high velocity pitches.  I remember him hitting a home run in Chicago on a 101 mph pitch to win a game.   He also used one of the biggest bats of any major league player.  That means he had to have a work out regiment to strengthen and keep flexible his hands, wrists, and arms.  I remember meeting and talking to Hank Aaron at a coaches conference in Chicago where he talked about hitting. He essentially talked about focusing on the ball, not the pitcher, so that you train your eyes to be able to read the seams of the spin.  So, when he was asked how he's able to know the pitch, he said, "I read the seams."   When he was a kid he would go around town and gather up coffee cans of bottle caps. He trained himself so he could hit 200 in a row with a broom stick.   Try it.  I did, and it is amazingly difficult, but it's an exercise that trains your eyes.  Most coaches do not understand that your eyes are functioning muscle as well as all of your other muscles, and you can train them.  I did it with players in high school and putting them in a batting cage up above the gym.  Each kid would start at 60 to 70 mph fastballs and curve balls, and then move up to 90 MPH. It was all about focusing on the seams of the ball out of the jugs machine. You don't need a pitcher to thrown batting practice, you need to get your hitters to think that the pitcher is like a machine, and that their focus needs to be on the ball, not the pitcher.  Then, turn their head so their eyes have the best focus on the ball so they can see it, read it, and hit it.  Just like Hank said.   Ryan Braun's approach and secret was his head and eye discipline, the turn of his head, and the eye discipline he practiced.  That's why, the Brewers should ask him to come in and do some coaching with the hitters I mentioned.  Here's a list of players who should be hitting .275-.320 with 10 to 20 HR every year:  Turang, Frelick, Adames, Taylor, Anderson, Montaserio, Mitchell, and, of course, Wiemer. They just need some serious, one on one, touch coaching to eliminate their bad habits, and develop the line drive swing method preached by Ted Williams-it worked pretty well for him.  You can pick up his book, which I made all of my high school and college kids read.   Greg

 

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