Baseball America

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME

Sometimes the best technique a good coach can apply to help a struggling pitcher is to wait and say nothing.

Advice needs to be given. Potential remedies to fix problems need to be proposed. But the right advice at the wrong time is not helpful. A potentially good idea may be rejected because of the state of mind of the pitcher at the time of the conversation.

As Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson explained, figuring out when to say something is often as important as figuring out what to propose.

“The number one thing in my professional baseball career is understanding patience … You kind of get the idea, maybe the best approach is

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