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Takahiro Sato

I recently had the honor of interviewing Takahiro Sato, a former college baseball player in Japan and has coached baseball and taught mental skills in U.S. as well as in Japan. He thought that Sport psychology was such an intriguing area where athletes can learn how to prepare for competition and how to handle pressure or stress, so he studied it & received his Ph.D. in sport psychology at the University of Tennessee in May of 2011. His goal is to help baseball players learn the mental game so that they can reach their potential.

What follows is the five questions I was able to ask Dr. Sato along with his thoughtfully in-depth answers…

1. What is the main difference in how the game of baseball is played in Japan (NPB) as opposed to how it is played in the US?

This is the most difficult question for me to answer. I would say that it depends on the manager or teams because each manager will manage a team differently depending on what style of baseball he embraces or what kind of players he has on his team…. I know that you’re probably not happy with that answer. To be honest with you, I have mixed thoughts. In general, I think that it is said that NPB is more likely to embrace “small ball” whereas MLB plays power baseball. It may be true. Japanese baseball players usually specialize in only baseball from childhood, and high school baseball is very intense especially if you choose a school with a strong baseball program (You may have heard about “Koshien”). They are very well trained with a wide variety of baseball techniques such as bunt, base-running, or tricky tactics. Thus, it is understandable that these players are still dedicated to the baseball skills they learned when they become professional players or managers.

However, we should keep in mind that any team, whether they are in MLB or NPB, have kind of a similar structure of their lineups, such as they have a few power hitters, some high average hitters, leg hitters (Speedster?), or defensive players on a team. My point is that since the structure of the lineup is similar, the game of baseball wouldn’t be so different.

I also want to point out that there have recently been some managers in MLB who had played/managed in NPB such as Charlie Manuel, Bobby Valentine, Ken Macha, Jim Tracy, and Troy Hoffman. Do you think that they managed their teams or played in MLB and NPB so differently? I think that many American players who play in NPB point out the difference of training methods, especially length of practice. They may also have pointed out the difference of baseball itself, but I think these are subtle things. I may need to research their comments about NPB more.

By the way, to my knowledge, it is said that the person who started (or made popular) small ball in NPB were the Tokyo Giants in the 1960′s. The Tokyo Giants went to Vero Beach to join the Dodgers’ spring training and were enthusiastic about learning the systematic style of baseball the Dodgers were known for, namely what is known as small ball today, such as bunting or the hit and run. Then, small ball was successfully “imported” to NPB by the Tokyo Giants which people called the “Dodgers Way” at that time. In fact, it is said the manager read the book “The Dodger way to play baseball” as a textbook (http://www.amazon.com/Dodger-Way-Play-Baseball/dp/B001AVALB6). The Tokyo Giants seemed to have successfully mastered “the Dodger Way and won the Japan Series for nine consecutive years between 1965 and 1973 & that is one of the monumental records in NPB history. However, whether or not the Tokyo Giants actually played only small ball is controversial because of the fact that the Giants had several talented hitters including two legendary power hitters, Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima, during those outstanding nine seasons.

It is still difficult for me to reach a conclusion. Small ball looks prevalent in NPB more than MLB but it was originally introduced by a MLB team. Interestingly enough, some of the successful MLB managers that I listed earlier have actually played/managed in NPB before. It seems that they can blend the best multiple factors and optimize team chemistry to become successful. In that sense, it is hard to point out difference in the game of baseball in MLB and NPB. Sorry my answer is not very clear but hope I gave you at least some discussion questions.

2. Why do you think pitchers, especially starting pitchers, have difficulty with long-term success coming to play in the US from the NPB? Is it the length of the season, different style of play, the size difference of the ballparks (if any) or just a difference in the quality of the competition (or a mixture of it all)?

First of all, I want to make sure what the definition of long-term success is. It seems to me that being successful for a long period of time is not easy for everyone. Thus, I don’t know if only Japanese pitchers have struggled to succeed for several seasons. Second, if it is true that Japanese pitchers have difficulty with long-term success, one thing I want to point out is the age when they come to MLB. I think some pitchers started their careers in MLB when they were already in their early or mid 30′s (e.g., starters: Kenshin Kawakami, Koji Uehara; Relievers: Kaz Sasaki, Shingo Takatsu). I think that made it harder for their long-term success.

Also, one of the biggest differences a starting pitcher between MLB and NPB is the rotation cycle. They usually have to pitch every 5 games in MLB whereas they used to pitch once a week in NPB. Therefore, they have to make good  physical and mental adjustments to pitch in a shorter rotation cycle. For instance, Japanese pitchers usually throw in the bullpen between outings in NPB whereas I don’t think they do so much of that in MLB. I have heard that some Japanese pitchers got nervous with “a lack” of practice. As another possibility, if Japanese pitchers pitch as many between outings in MLB as they used to in NPB, they would be exhausted. I read an article that Kuroda adjusted his style that started keeping him in physically good condition between his outings instead of pitching as much as he used to in NPB. Looking at his success in past years, he seems to have found how to survive in MLB. However, as long as I read media reports, Daisuke still stuck with what he used to do in NPB. I’m looking forward to seeing how Darvish can handle this difference.

3. Do you think Japanese position players have a better chance of long-term success playing in the US as opposed to pitchers? Why?

In my opinion, Japanese position players have more disadvantages for success in MLB than pitchers. First, the difference of physical strength (e.g. power) is huge. I know that hitting is not necessarily all about weightlifting type of power. However, the difference of power between American players (or Caribbean players) and Japanese are huge…(I can personally realize how different Americans are inherently from Japanese in terms of physical power).

Also, it is said that what Japanese position players have struggled with in MLB is the moving fast ball (e.g., cutter, two-seam fastball). I think that we haven’t seen moving fast balls until recently. For instance, when I played college baseball in 1993-1996 (I played for a big time school, and we played against some MLB players such as Hiroki Kuroda, Kenshin Kawakami, or Tadahito Iguchi, back then), I don’t think I saw these pitches in games. You might remember that Hideki Matsui was nicknamed the “Ground Ball King (or something like that”) in his first season on the Yankees. That may be a good example how Japanese players have struggled with these types of fastballs.

4. What is the biggest adjustment/obstacle for Japanese players coming to play in the US from the NPB? How can this be improved upon?

I guess that one of the biggest challenges for Japanese players would be the demanding travel schedule. I don’t know if Japanese players can imagine how tough it is to fly from the East Coast to the West Coast, cross four different time zones, considering the fact that the land of Japan is as big as the state of California. Some Japanese players may be intolerant of food. A lack of language skills may cause them not only to feel isolated from their team but also to have critical problems such as misunderstandings or a lack of communication with coaches and other teammates. These things might be a tiny stress at first, but would become more serious trouble just like a snowball effect.

As a possible solution, Japanese players may need an interpreter who is (1) knowledgeable about baseball and, ideally, an expert about training (e.g., strengthening and conditioning) or athletic training, (2) personable to smooth relationship between these Japanese players and coaches and/or other teammates, and (3) resourceful or astute to help players relieve the stress Japanese players face on and off the field. However, to be honest with you, I think Japanese players should learn English better. Looking at Shigetoshi Hasegawa, having enough language skills would reduce stress and make him easier to get along with his coaches and other teammates.

As long as I learn about Japanese players in MLB, those who are oversensitive tend to struggle more with MLB. On the other hand, those who have been successful usually don’t care about subtle difference (e.g., size or quality of baseball, mound, and so on) between MLB and NPB.

Also players’ perception might make them different. For example, there might be a difference between those who had “dreamed of” playing in the MLB and those who see MLB as just another place to pitch. The former might be overwhelmed by pressure whereas the latter can just focus on what they need to do.

5. What do you think about US players (especially former MLB players) playing in the NPB?

Looking back to the NPB history, I think that US players need to adjust more to the cultural things in general than baseball itself. It might include human relationships, food, weather (humidity back in 1990 until dome stadium became more common), language, and so on. When I remember successful American players in NPB, I don’t know if there is consistency in terms of skill levels. Some players who had been highly reputed couldn’t do well maybe because of a lack of ability to adjust to Japanese life or age issues, whereas other players did better than expected. Here are some successful American players in NPB that I randomly came up with: Randy Bass, Warren Cromartie, Bob Horner, Ken Macha, Charlie Manuel, Robert Rose, Tuffy Rhodes, Greg “Boomer” Wells, Bobby Marcano, Orestes Destrade, Leron Lee, Leon Lee, Roberto Petagine…. I know I missed many players, though… Also here are those who didn’t do so well as expected: Bill Madlock, Jr., “Pete” Incaviglia, Kevin Mitchell, Dan Miceli, Mike Greenwell. Interestingly, some players hadn’t done well in MLB but did well in NPB, and then returned to US such as Cecil Fielder. Alfonso Soriano wasn’t so impressive in NPB, but has done well in MLB.

Interview of Adrian Burgos, author of Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line By Ishmael Nunez Originally posted on19 November 2010. 

1-A single Latin-American was not voted to the all-century team?

Does that still hurt, still mad?

The absence of Roberto Clemente from the all-century team is a major issue on several levels. One matter is a logistical argument about how Major League Baseball (MLB) officials skipped over Clemente in naming Stan Musial the 25^th player to the all-century: Clemente had secured more votes among outfielders than Musial. Another more significant issue is that MLB (as well as many voters) chose not to recognize the beyond-the-statistics dimension to what Roberto Clemente represents to the history of the game and as a 20^th century figure.

Clemente was a transformative figure who pushed for respect of Latinos and their culture on and off the playing field specifically in his willing to openly denounce racist and cultural bigoted beliefs that predominated during that time inside of baseball circles as well as in US society. Whether Clemente is the greatest outfielder or rightfielder in baseball history is a debatable matter, but whether he is one of the most important baseball figures of the 20^thcentury is without debate. An all-century team without Clemente and all he represented to the game’s history is just not right. The fact that MLB had the discretion to address this oversight and opted not to is telling of the need for an understanding of baseball history through a Latino framework.

2-Focusing on the book, one thing people are not aware is that there were Latinos playing baseball long before Jackie Robinson.  Why we are not given the credit for opening the doors for other peoples of color?

The full story of Latinos in US professional baseball is unknown to the American baseball public. Many do not know that over fifty foreign-born and US-born Latinos performed in the Majors from the 1880s through 1947, when Jackie Robinson began the dismantling of organized baseball’s color line. Fewer realize that the overwhelming majority of Latinos who played in the States during the era of baseball’s segregation performed in the Negro Leagues, over 250 Latinos played in the Black baseball circuit starting in 1900.

In Playing America’s Game I argue that the manner that Major League team officials manipulated racial understandings served as a template for how Branch Rickey would approach the official launch of the racial integration of Major League Baseball: he like they placed fellow owners in the odd position of having to publicly express opposition to the inclusion of these players. Indeed, officials for teams such as the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, New York Giants, and, most notably, Washington Senators, brokered access for lighter-skinned Latinos in the 1900s and by the mid-1930s began to allow increasingly darker, more racially ambiguous Latino players into the Majors. However, these Latino players were not given the same exact treatment as Jackie Robinson did, because these officials were not engaged in trying to overturn the color line system of racial division but rather to manipulate it for their own gain—signing talented Latino players for lower salaries than what they would earn if they were white Americans.

3-In your book you describe the many obstacles Latino Ballplayers had to face.  For example speaking English!  Do they still face these problems?

Language continues to be a prominent obstacle that Latinos encounter as they enter the US playing fields. This especially since MLB organizations continues to scour the Dominican and Venezuelan landscape in search of young, malleable talent. Fortunately, a number of organizations such as the Tampa Rays, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets have developed more sophisticated approaches to dealing with the cultural adjustment that these teenagers face as they become men as minor leaguers in the United States. Even still the ability to overcome the rigors of cultural adaptation proves just about as significant a challenge as mastering hitting (or throwing) a big league curveball.

Learning to navigate the English-language press remains an extremely challenging obstacle once they “make it” in the United States. It is in the press coverage of Latinos we continue to see how Latino difference as racial beings constantly in production. For example, during last year’s American League Divisional Series Manny Ramirez became embroiled in a controversy after stating that he was not worried whether the Red Sox would defeat Cleveland, because his team had been down before and had overcome a 3-game-to-none deficit in defeating the New York Yankees a few years earlier. Some stated this was another example of “Manny being Manny,” but what really perturbed me was hearing a prominent ESPN reporter stating that Manny did not know what he was saying because he lacked mastery over the English language. What?! Manny came over from the Dominican Republic at ten years old and was schooled in the United States before graduating from George Washington High School in Washington Heights (NYC). But this reporter lumped all Latinos into a familiar stereotype, and then he used that to frame his analysis. And thus continues a practice of portraying Latino players as ignorant, dumb, or not as smart as the white American player, a practice that dates back to the earliest era of Latino participation in organized baseball.

4-Ken Burns “Baseball” documentary didn’t mention anything about the contribution of Latinos.  What should’ve been done, it’s not the first time Latinos have been excluded from his documentaries. True!

A friend once observed that in the entirety of Burns’ “Baseball” approximately five minutes focused on Latinos … and three of those were strictly about Clemente. The analogy I often make is that while the Negro Leagues received about a half inning of focused attention, Latino baseball got a couple warm-up pitches.

However, what Burns missed in 1994 is rightfully receiving its due attention. Next May the National Baseball Hall of Fame will open a permanent exhibit on Latino baseball Viva Baseball! (A project I and a number of other Latino baseball experts consulted on). Also noteworthy PBS aired an episode of American Experience on Roberto Clemente this past April. There are a number of documentaries on Latino baseball that have aired over the last several years on networks such as Spike and ESPN. And there are a few in production that are addressing this gap, including El Beisbol directed by AP Gonzalez and Nancy Ooey. Importantly, Gonzalez and Ooey’s project is seeking to present a historical interpretation of baseball through a Latino-centered focus, much like my book, they are hoping to convey how does baseball history look differently when we see Latinos as central to the story of its evolution and not as tangential where Latinos are presented are newly arrived and lacking a history.

5-In the book you mentioned Alex Pompez, who was elected the Hall of Fame.  Pompez was involved with organize crime figures, gambling.  Yet Pete Rose has been banned, excluded from the Hall.  Is there a difference?

Indeed there are important differences in terms of historical moments, racial status, and baseball.

Rose played his entire career in baseball’s integrated era, and as a white American did not have to endure what those who pioneered integration in organized baseball did or much less deal with the reality of the color line (in the negative sense) as African Americans and the overwhelming majority of Latino players did. On the other hand, Pompez participation in US professional baseball spanned the different eras of baseball. He launched his Cuban Stars team in 1916 and participated in the Negro Leagues until 1950 at which point he disbanded his team and was hired as a scout by the NY Giants, a position that evolved into becoming their director of international scouting and which until his death in 1974.

The rules against gambling were spelled out for Rose by the Major Leagues; he knew them and knowingly broke them—something he admitted to after over a decade of adamant denials. Pompez was not alone among owners in the Negro Leagues in using proceeds from the numbers scene to bankroll his baseball operation; it was a reflection of the impact and pervasiveness of racial segregation in American society and how it so shaped economic opportunities.

6-The New York Cubans won the Negro League Championship in 1947.

Same year which was the start of from 1947-57 a New York City Baseball team would win a title. Hardly no talk about this team why?

The NY Cubans were one of three NYC-based teams to enjoy a banner season in 1947, and yes they are the least discussed in part because the other two were the Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Yankees. So there is the issue of timing. The NY Cubans enjoyed their greatest success in the Negro Leagues during the same year that Jackie Robinson initiated the dismantling of organized baseball’s color line system.

Another part of the reason the Cubans team suffers today from a lack of attention is the misperception that they were not a significant team in the Negro Leagues or in New York. Much to the contrary, a look at two main Black weeklies published in NYC (the New York Age and Amsterdam News) one sees that the Cubans and not the NY Black Yankees were celebrated as “Harlem’s Own”. This also arises in the recovery of Negro League history and in the revival of interest, much of the story of Black baseball is told as just that of African Americans, leaving out the Latinos who participated in the Negro Leagues from its inception and the vital (one can even argue foundational) role that Latin American leagues had in the shaping of Black baseball in the United States. Moreover, the NY Cubans (and its predecessor the Cuban Stars) were trailblazers in bringing in talent from throughout the Americas. While operating these teams, Alex Pompez introduced the first Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Panamanian players to play in either the Negro Leagues or the Majors. The NY Cubans represent a vital part of baseball history in the Americas for they offer a different approach to diversity in US professional baseball long before “Los Mets.”

7-One player on the team you talk about highly is Martin Dihigo?

Many former Negro League Players say he was the best!

Dihigo is quite a unique figure in the annals of baseball history because he was an ace pitcher and a fabulous everyday player (and a pretty good team manager on top of that). Think of someone who was on a Hall of Fame level as a pitcher in Black baseball (the Smokey Joe Williams, Jose Mendez, and Satchel Paige type pitchers) and then think of the very best everyday players from the Negro Leagues, put that together and you begin to imagine El Maestro, El Inmortal, Martin Dihigo.

8- Roberto Clemente’s number 21should it be retired?

I am of two minds on this question. For one, I want Latino players to be a living memorial to the meaning and significance of Clemente to all Latinos. The best memorial is seeing a great Latino player chose to take the number 21, and demonstrate mastery on the field and also grace, dignity, and a willingness to speak for the cause of social justice off the field. However, I am concerned that this generation of Latino players may be losing sight of what Clemente did for them and all of baseball. How many Latinos spoke out on behalf of African American Latroy Hawkins who wanted to honor Clemente by wearing 21 and was being harassed by Yankees fans not for daring to honor Clemente but for wearing what they viewed as Paul O’Neill’s jersey number? I am distressed that Jorge Posada (born and raised in Puerto Rico) did not speak out on Hawkins behalf—what would have Clemente done on behalf of a teammate in such a case.

No greater example has been set for all of those involved in any capacity within organized baseball than what Clemente did, the ability to see beyond himself and speak for those who did not have the platform he could create—and I say could create but indeed it took proactive work. How best do we recognize that vital historical lesson? I am for a living memorial, the Latino players keeping his (and our) story on the field for all to see.

Join us next Tuesday, January 31st at 9pm EST over on BBA Baseball Talk, a podcast that I host every 5th Tuesday of the month (once every quarter). You can listen to the show online by following this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ivieleagueproductions/2012/02/01/bba-baseball-talk-the-cba

or feel free to be part of the excitement by calling into the number above!

Image via CrunchBase

On this show I will be joined by Baseball Reflections writers Matt Whitener of (his main site is Cheap Seats Please) & Tim McClelland (whose 17 year old son, 6-5 235 lb RHP who’s touched 92 will be drafted this year).

As we get closer to the show, I will try to post the talking points of the show once Matt, Tim and I nail that down!

Photo taken from Google Images

When I was younger I had a great eye for pitches thrown for balls & strikes. I almost never got called out on strikes, but over the last 2 seasons (and over 20 years later) in my over 30 baseball league I have been called out on pitches thrown on the outside corner (some teammates agree that some of these were off the plate, too). That brought me to ask my friend, professional umpire Perry Lee Barber for some pointers. So I asked her if I should stick to my guns or start swinging at anything close with two strikes on me? I’m leaning towards swinging more times than not on those pitches even though I may end up with similar results (a swinging strike 3 rather than being called out looking). Here was her reply…

In brief, my philosophy is this: baseball is a game of adjustments, for both players and umpires. And now for the not-so-brief, my typically long-winded way of explaining my thinking about this particular question. Umpires’ adjustments do not come in the form of adjusting to a pitcher’s strike zone, or a batter’s; rather, in the form of constant recalibrations of movement, positioning, and focus so as to make the best, most accurate determinations of the outcomes of pitches and plays. The adjustments a batter must make in order to maximize his or her success potential at the plate and on the bases should, and often MUST, take into account multiple factors, including the propensities of plate umpires to call a wide strike zone or one the size of a pinhead, or something in between. Failing to do so will run the risk of resulting in, as you point out, being called out on strikes or otherwise making out (sometimes two!) when just a microscopic and momentary re-tooling of one’s philosophy, batting stance, bat grip, focus, position within the batter’s box, et al., can mean the difference between a strikeout and a base hit. I tell batters all the time: plate umpires will NOT adjust to YOU; it’s your job, and greatly to your advantage, to adjust to US.

Think of it this way: in my capacity as an umpire, specifically a plate umpire, I call an average of 250 to 300 pitches per game. For those pitches, I see a minimum average of, say, twenty different batters multiple times during any given seven-, nine-, or extra-inning game. Each of those twenty batters sees the SAME plate umpire, me, back there for every at-bat during a single game – so who do you think it makes more sense to assign the job of “adjusting” to changing factors and circumstance, the hitters or the plate umpire? if I as the umpire regard it as my job to do the adjusting, I’d be doing it every at-bat, every time a new batter comes up to the plate. This would place an “adjustment” burden on me that would be nearly impossible to bear, as my focus needs to be on the PLAYS, not the playERS. Conversely, a player who routinely comes to the plate an average of four times per game must make a batting adjustment only during each of those at-bats, and based on far more limited parameters than an umpire would have to deal with if it were he or she doing all the adjusting. So it just makes sense for hitters to adopt a philosophy that allows them to adjust to an umpire’s known style of identifying balls and strikes (for instance, I’m a “pitcher’s umpire,” as I steal every strike I can – although I do so within the restrictions of the rule book definition of strike – so hitters familiar with my umpiring “style” know to be swinging the bat when they come up to the plate.) I use as much of the plate, including the black, or the “corners,” as I can to determine whether a pitch is a ball or a strike. I also tend to call a “higher” strike than many umpires, and hitters will sometimes complain or look shocked when I call a strike above the belt – but the good ones, the smart ones, will incorporate this information (“Okay, she calls strikes a little above the belt) into his or her arsenal of baseball knowledge and use it to, say, protect the upper outside corner, especially with two strikes, or otherwise formulate a slightly recalculated strategy for getting on base or driving in a run, or whatever it is he or she hopes to accomplish during the time at bat. I see this all the time! A batter will get angry that I’ve called a strike he considers “too high,” and rather than using the information to his own advantage, making the necessary mental and physical adjustments (which are, for the most part, as I already pointed out, microscopic in nature as opposed to any grand re-figuring of an attitude or a stance,) he will allow his flash of anger to control what he does for the remainder of his at-bat, and will, in many instances, wind up striking out looking or swinging, or flailing ineffectively at pitches and making out some other way. And then, of course, blaming ME for his failure. (“You took the bat out of my hands!”) I always wonder why a hitter would wish to deliberately invest such power over his performance in an umpire; it’s the same thing as saying, “What I as a hitter do out there doesn’t matter; the only thing that matters is what the plate umpire does.” On the other hand, an intelligent hitter will think, “Hmmm, okay, she’s calling that pitch a strike,” make the necessary adjustment, and wind up smacking a double down the line or driving in a run with a sac fly. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to me as an umpire to observe this phenomenon at work, and how disheartening it can be to learn that some hitters are just constitutionally incapable of making the adjustments that would serve them so much better than an unyielding adherence to a “my way or the highway” type of philosophy. One of the best, most consistent hitters I ever saw was Rod Carew; when I first fell in love with baseball, my mom and I would drive to Anaheim from her home in Palm Springs whenever the Angels were home and watch him at work in the batter’s box. It was an amazing revelation, seeing him make all these mental calculations and adjusting his stance, his position in the box, the way he held his bat, the angle at which he held his HEAD, tiny little things like that, not just from one at-bat to the next one, but from one PITCH to the next. And with a .328 lifetime batting average, I’d say Carew is a pretty good barometer of whether adjusting to a pitcher or an umpire, or both, can make an appreciable difference during a hitter’s time at bat.

Here’s a little story for you. When I was umpiring in the Atlantic League, Sparky Lyle was the manager for the Somerset Patriots. He loved this one relief pitcher he had named John Briscoe, who had seen some limited ML time with Oakland during the 1990s, but I absolutely hated him because he would throw this slider at the knees that would wind up too low as it crossed the plate for me to call it a strike. (Bottom of the knees is as far as I go, I tell catchers if they ask.) I refused to reconfigure my strike zone to accommodate the fact that Briscoe’s best, “out” pitch was this knee-high slider that tailed downward, and Briscoe refused to adjust his pitching philosophy to adapt to “my” strike zone. So we were always at odds whenever he would come out of the bullpen, and I’m sure he wound up believing I’m the world’s shittiest umpire because I wouldn’t call as many strikes for him as other umpires did. Sparky hated me too, for that reason and others too numerous to go into, but we had a sort of love-hate relationship anyway, not just over the Briscoe thing. He loved to fuck with me when I was on the bases and he’d come out to make a pitching change, waving his right arm weakly or surreptitiously, then claiming he’d signaled for the lefty or some such nonsense, although he eventually got it that his shenanigans were hurting him a lot more than they did me. Twice when he pulled this stunt I told him the pitcher he originally signaled for (the righty) wouldn’t be able to pitch later on, as he was already officially in the lineup and switching him with the lefty, the one Sparky claimed he allegedly signaled for, would eliminate him from the lineup for the rest of the game. (Not to mention which, the righty, the one he claimed he didn’t want, would be required to pitch to a batter or get an out before he could legally leave the game.) Anyway, Briscoe never seemed able to adjust; Sparky eventually did. Guess which one is still in baseball? (Sparky’s held the Somerset managerial job since the league’s inception in 1998.) And one more short story for your elucidation: the best advice I ever heard a dad give his son, who was about to pitch a game for which I was the plate umpire? The dad was giving the son a pep talk before the game started, and saw me standing there in my plate gear getting ready to call the managers to the plate for the pre-game conference. As he walked away, the dad looked at me, turned to his son the pitcher, and said: “THROW THEM WHERE SHE’S CALLING THEM.” Wow. I felt like running over and kissing that dad! Not, “Throw your game,” or “Stick to your best pitch” or anything like that: it was, throw it where she’s calling it. So simple, so brilliant – and yet….

A little parable for your edification, with my compliments, Peter. In essence, I would advise you to be willing to adjust to multiple factors during any given at-bat; but don’t go up there fearing that if you don’t swing at everything you’ll be called out on strikes. Stay within yourself, but always reach farther than your grasp? Sort of paradoxical, I know, but that’s one of the beautiful and mysterious things about baseball. Go up there looking to swing at strikes or pitches you like, the ones that are within your “zone,” and occasionally an umpire will call you out looking on a pitch that isn’t a true strike, but more often than not you will achieve some measure of success, whether it’s by actually hitting the ball or by learning something valuable you can use later on to help you hit the ball. And isn’t going down swinging at a bad pitch you thought the umpire might call a strike less traumatic than being called out looking at a pitch that’s off the plate anyway? At least by swinging the bat, it’s YOU who controls the outcome of the play, not the umpire, whether you miss it or hit it.

So there you have it boys and girls, a professional opinion to my problem, and one that I’m sure many of you might benefit from as well!

Play Ball!

I’d like to thank Perry once again for first answering my question and then allowing me to post it here for all our readers to benefit from. Let’s see if I can hit .300 in 2012, my third year back in the game.

Photo taken from Google Images

1. What differentiates what you do as compared to a traditional Physical Therapist?

PT management commonly includes prescription of or assistance with specific exercises, manual therapy, education, manipulation and other interventions (internet definition).

My expertise and present concentration is in the areas of sports performance and non-invasive injury/pain management. There is no touch, surgery, manipulation or drugs involved. Also, I have worked with many other conditions such as weight loss, smoking cessation, ADHD, etc.

The Technique
PsychoNeuro Pain Response™ (PNPR™) also called Talking Away Pain™ (TAP™) is a combination of well-known techniques found in literature that allow the body act as its own biofeedback device.  TAP™ offers hope for health by engaging the conscious mind in interesting, focused, neutral and positive self-talk while the mind-body automatically improves in the quickest, most efficient and healthful way possible.  Four steps are involved. The first is to define pain. The second is to show the individual how to control pain. The third is to determine if it is okay for the pain to be eliminated or reduced. The final step is to deal with any stress of fear the individual may be experiencing due to the pain, injury or otherwise.

Basically TAP™ makes use of the mind, verbal questioning and emotions to eliminate pain, improve functionality and enhance performance. TAP™ is basically an educational technique. I teach and/or guide the athlete or non-athlete to allow their bodies to heal in the safest, fastest and most efficient manner.

Non-invasive Injury/Pain Management
What I do, very effectively, is assist trainers, physical therapists, medical staff, athletes and coaches who have exhausted conventional, standard channels to enhance performance, safely speed healing and reduce pain from injuries [AZFoxTV10—Phoenix Suns use Alternative Therapies & can be seen below]. I work in conjunction with the medical team whether it be with an athlete or non-athlete.

Sports Performance

My performance enhancement techniques have helped teams win championships and athletes advance on a world-class level. When all other avenues have failed, I have been able to effectively assist athletes with mental blocks inhibiting appropriate performance. Also, having an athlete mentally ready to return from an injury is misunderstood and often neglected. Why? Most medical staff members do not know how to answer the athlete’s question, “Will the ‘healed’ injury perform under game conditions?”

2. What type of work have you done with baseball players (after all, this is a baseball site)?

I have worked with baseball players to enhance performance, break out of slumps, safely eliminate pain, speed healing and improve functionality over the phone and in person. Skype is now available to clients. Following are three examples:

Case 1-MLB Pitcher, Shoulder

During Cactus league spring training, a pitcher was referred to me by the team chiropractor. He had been in therapy for a shoulder injury, for approximately six months. He still had limited range of motion and was in a lot of pain. Using only mental techniques, in approximately 20 minutes, he was pain-free with complete range of motion.

Case 2- Runner Injures First Baseman-Rapid Return

On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, a first baseman was knocked unconscious. He received a broken wrist, a concussion with amnesia and a cut in his eyelid and brow requiring stitches. While he was fielding a throw from the third baseman, the batter ran into him. Two days after his accident, June 25, I taught the first baseman visualization techniques to eliminate his pain and speed his healing. His pain immediately decreased. On June 29, the day before his appointment with an orthopedic physician, he had another session with me.  During this session, he practiced visualization techniques to further speed his recovery.

The next day, June 30, exactly one week after his injuries, the athlete saw an orthopedic surgeon. His mother said that when the surgeon saw the X-ray, he asked if the injury was a year to one and a half years old.  When told it was one week old, he could not believe it. The following week, two weeks after the wrist was broken, the orthopedic surgeon removed the player’s cast. He indicated that he had never removed a cast earlier than six weeks before. “It was amazing,” he said.
Case 3- Pitcher and Outfielder: Wrist & Shoulder

On Saturday (2/26/11), I worked with two college softball players, a pitcher and an outfielder, to prepare for their spring tour. Their AD/Coach asked if I could help with the players’ injuries. Both, under the care of the team trainer, had shoulder injuries with a lot of accompanying pain. The pitcher also had a painful wrist injury. After the initial session, which lasted approximately one hour each, neither experienced any pain. The trainer was amazed and pleased. Upon follow-up (four days later), neither felt any pain since the initial session. On Monday (2/28/11), the pitcher was strong, confident and able to pitch and do push-ups without any pain. By the way, the sessions were over the phone.

3. I read somewhere that you can treat an athlete over the phone. Please explain to our readers how you can accomplish this?

Working over the phone is pretty much the same as working in person. It is a little more difficult because you cannot see the client (unless you use Skype). This could cause one to miss some of the physical clues that the client may be giving (i.e., do they understand what you want or are they doing what you wish in the proper way). The client history and other information is still required. Usually the coach, parent, team physician or trainer has already supplied the diagnosis, prognosis and status. I always work with the medical team working with the athlete. All the authorization forms and questions need to be answered prior to the intervention.

I would like to point out that since the introduction of the TAP™ technique in 1989, there has never been a problem observed or reported.

4. Have you worked with professional baseball players? Can you mention any names of players you have worked with?

Yes, I have worked with MLB players. No, I do not have permission to mention any of their names at this time.

5. What makes your work better, faster or more efficient than that of traditional work done in your field?

Our personal system, mind-body-spirit, if allowed to, will heal in the fastest most efficient way. Most of the time, the process of healing is slowed by fear and anxiety. When an injury occurs, a great deal is done to fix or repair the physical injury. The mental side of the injury is almost always neglected because most clinicians do not feel that the mind and emotions are that critical, but they are.

I deal with the side that is usually neglected. I teach the client to, to utilize all their resources. This has led to faster, better healing than with just conventional standard medicine (CSM) and training methods.

6. What types of injuries can you treat with this method (are there any limitations) & which ones cannot be treated this way?

Here is a partial list of conditions that I have worked with:

Achilles Tendonitis
Ankle, 2°inversion sprain, continued pain
Ankle, previous Fibula fracture-post cast treatment
Anxiety
ADHD
Back-facet sprain
Back Pain-Lower
Behavioral Change
Breast Cancer-biopsy pain
Breast Pain-unknown origin
Broken neck
Broken ribs
Broken toe
Broken wrist
Bruised hip
Cancer pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Charley Horse
Chronic Ankle Sprain
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Headaches
CMP Syndrome-knees
Compartment syndrome
Concussion
Contusion-forearm Crossed eyes
Cruciate Ligament
Damaged meniscus
Depression
Diabetes
Disc-herniated and degenerated
Elbow-chronic epichondilytis
Fibromyalgia
First-degree inversion ankle sprain
Grade 2 ankle sprain
Hamstring strain
Head trauma
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension
Jaw and neck pain
Knee; Medial Rentinaculum Irritation
Knee; Reiter’s Syndrome
Knee-hyperextension
Low abdominal strain
Lyme Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscle Spasms
Neck, shoulder w/headache
Neck-tenderness, paravertebral spasm, Severe restriction
Numbness
Occipital Headaches
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Pain due to Surgery for Breast Cancer (teletherapy – over phone)
Patella tendonitis
Phantom pain
Quadriplegic – groin and pelvic pain
Repetitive injury management
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rotator Cuff injury
Sciatica
Shoulder Tendonitis
Silicone Implants-fatigue, pain
Sternoclavicular Sprain
Stress
Stress Fracture
Surgery – pre- and post- operative Injury management
Thumb dislocation, decrease in ROM, muscle weakness
Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis-shin splints
Tic Douloureux
TMJ
Whiplash

There are no limitations because, theoretically, the body can be healed of any condition. See Larry Dossey’s, M.D.,“Canceled funerals: A Look at Miracle Cures” (Alternative Therapies 4, no. 2 (1998): 10-18, 116-20). Clinical trials and two research studies seem to indicate that the TAP™ technique can work for everyone and is cost effective.

There is little to no risk with the TAP™ technique. The individual is generally referred by their physician, physical therapist, trainer or other medical professional. During the sessions, the referring healthcare professional is kept appraised of the condition of his or her patient. At the completion of the sessions, the individual returns to the referring healthcare professional, in order for him or her to determine the appropriate activity levels or other treatments.

I want to mention that I am not licensed to practice medicine and I do not practice medicine. I teach techniques that allow clients to safely and quickly heal. Healing is a spiritual thing…True healing requires balancing the mind and body, guided by Spirit.

7. Is your practice more of a reaction to or in prevention of injuries (or both)?

I am proactive in teaching athletes to make good choices in practice, sporting events and life. This reduces the likelihood of injuries. Obviously, when an injured athlete is referred to me, I am react to the situation.

8. How did you come about using (or developing) this method? Is it trusted or are you seeing athletes coming to you as a last resort?

I stumbled upon it. The process started years ago when I was asked by an oncologist to teach mental techniques to individuals with terminal cancer. The purpose was to see if mental techniques could help relieve pain and thus reduce the amount of medication being used. This was successful. The reduction in medication dosage improved the patient’s quality of life and enabled them to communicate with their families.

I developed the present TAP™ technique in 1989, while working with the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, football team, to enhance performance. One day, after praising the results of my performance enhancement techniques, Head Football Coach Vic Wallace asked if there was anything that I could do for pain and injury?  He had two fullbacks and a middle linebacker hurt. One fullback had a partial shoulder separation and meniscus damage; the other fullback had a partial shoulder separation, and the middle linebacker a grade II ankle sprain. I saw them for approximately 20 minutes each, in succession.  At the end of the sessions, all three were pain free, had full range of motion (ROM) and full strength. All three athletes, who were not scheduled to dress for the game, played the next day. The athletes were observed, one for two years, to see if there was any reoccurrence of the injuries. None of the three athletes ever experienced any further problems due to their injuries.

Thinking back, I realized that what I had done was similar to what W.B. Fahnesstock, in his 1869 book called Artificial Somnambulism, suggested. He wrote, “if the mind is directed away from pain-injury for a length of time, with suggestions for health, the person would get better.”

My technique continues to be refined.

9. Is it trusted or are you seeing athletes coming to you as a last resort?

Those physicians, trainers, coaches and others who know me, consult with me in ASAP. Many others find me through referrals, my website <www.reliefforyou.com>, my blog.reliefforyou.com, articles and other resources. Some come as a last resort, because nothing else has helped.

10. Is your practice more affordable to patients due to your methods in comparison to a more traditional methods? Why?

Yes, very affordable. Many clients have spent tens of thousands of dollars on failed surgeries, physical therapy, manipulations and drugs with little relief. My work is non-invasive, without surgery, drugs or manipulation. Do not get me wrong. There are times when surgery, drugs and/or manipulation are needed. The individual should avail themselves to all available treatments and listen to their physicians.

11. Do you treat non-athletes as well as athletes?

A great deal of my work is with non-athletes for a variety of conditions, many considered “incurable.” There is a great need for affordable, safe, effective and lasting positive techniques in our health care system today.

12. One last question do you happen to have any video (from YouTube or otherwise) concerning you & your practice/method that you can send me the link to compliment this interview?

1. Phoenix Suns Use Alternative Therapies-AZ Fox TV-10

3. This video goes into a brief step by step process of my work: Football Player eliminates shoulder, ankle and shin pain.