What You Can Learn From MLB’s Mental-Skills Coaches

Wall Street Journal ^ | June 11, 2018 | Sue Shellenbarger

[TiGuy22]

Then how’d the Cubs choke 2 years in a row?

[deadrock]

Truly beautiful. Thanks.

[jjotto]

Other teams also have great talent and mental-skills.

‘Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.’

[Jacquerie]

Everyone knows pitchers must breathe through their eyes.

[mewzilla]

Great land o’Goshen. No wonder the games take so dang long.

Jeez, just play the frickin’ game.

[Larry Lucido]

Mental? It's all physics. Calculate the velocity, V, in relation to the trajectory, T, in which G, gravity, of course, remains a constant.

[JZelle]

How about that Mets catcher who forgot how to throw the ball back to the pitcher. Ron Hassey, I think.

[jjotto]

Mackey Sasser. Sasseritis. He now consults on these kind of mental blocks.

Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch were 2nd basemen who mentally lost the ability to make smooth throws to 1B.

[jch10]

Cubs would do better with a relief pitching coach. They need a hitting coach too.

[Hot Tabasco]

I think there was a 2nd baseman that could no longer throw to the 1st baseman too.....

It happened to me last summer. I was playing senior softball a few times a week and joined a 65+ fastpitch baseball league. Played SS or 3rd because I was one of only a couple guys who could make the throw to 1st. After about 4 games into the season, something happened in my head. All of a sudden I couldn't even play catch in warm up. I'd throw the ball in the dirt, over the other guy's head, way to his left, way to his right.....it was a nightmare. I found myself thinking about how to throw the ball rather than just throwing. I switched to the outfield to finish out the season then decided baseball was not for me.

[xrmusn]

I think there was a 2nd baseman that could no longer throw to the 1st baseman too.....
= = = = =
Believe it was Steve Sax with the Dodgers...

Also, Ryan Zimmerman- X3B of the Nationals got something in his head and he was fine throwing from a sprawled position on the ground, going to left or right and making outstanding plays but it got to the point if the ball hit straight at him, he would SET for throw and Lord only knew where the ball was going....

Strange...he now at First and fields and throw like the old days but - like you said - when he had a chance to ‘think’ about it at THIRD it was ‘Katy bar the door’.