Stuff to Read – Books, Articles, Shoutouts, and Testimonials (June 1st, 2012)

Bunch of stuff to catch up on this Friday morning/afternoon – plenty to keep you busy at your desk and away from any real work!

Articles

Here are some articles on the Internet you should catch up on:

• Craig Kimbrel’s Overpowering Velocity – An article from 2011 on this site about Kimbrel’s work ethic and backchaining methods that took him from mid-upper 80’s in HS/College to a ridiculous 99 MPH heater that averages 96 MPH. Still just as nasty in 2012 as he was in 2011.
• Scouting Mark Appel – The possible first pick overall – With many mock MLB drafts having Mark Appel going first overall to the Houston Astros, you should definitely read up on my scouting report (complete with high-speed video, of course) on the right-handed hurler from Stanford.
• Training the Rotator Cuff and Scapular Stabilizers Simultaneously – Great article from Eric Cressey about challenging the cuff and the scap stabilizers at the same time.
• To Cheat or Not to Cheat – A look at the dark side of PED use and minor league baseball. Outstanding article over at Sports Illustrated.

Shoutouts

While I was pumping up Driveline Athletics client Jack Scheideman for nabbing 2nd in the 4A Washington State shot put championship (he’s salty about not winning it all), I completely slept on Driveline Baseball athlete Reid Martinez who’s panning center field for Yakima Valley CC. Reid finished in the top 25 of the entire NWAACC in batting average and was elected to the First Team Eastern Region All-Stars (warning: PDF) as a freshman. Hell of a job, buddy. Now get a better profile picture.

Yikes.

Another shoutout goes to Driveline Baseball client David Holt, who has returned to baseball after a year off for the NSBA Pilots (18U). He threw 5 innings, striking out 7, hitting one batter, walking none, and giving up just 2 hits and a single earned run, picking up the win. His teammate – and fellow Driveline Baseball athlete – Eli Mathieu went 2-for-2 with a double, single, stolen base, RBI, and leaned into one in the same game.

Testimonials

I have a bunch of testimonials I’ll be adding over the next week, but since I mentioned Reid, I might as well post what he had to say about Driveline Baseball:

Kyle’s approach to baseball training is unlike anywhere else. He combines aspects of video analysis, scientific research, and weightlifting to make you the best player you can be. This research enables him to design workouts specifically geared towards what areas you are looking to improve and he does it in a very safe way that is about injury prevention just as much as it is about strength gains. The way he looks at the different aspects of the game allows him to objectively make decisions about what the best way to achieve your goal is. The environment in the cages and weight room is very supportive and everyone is always pushing you to get the most out of yourself.

Reid Martinez, CF, Freshman @ YVCC

Thanks, Reid. We’re looking forward to when you head back and start hitting the weights hard!