To All Baseball Players--a Must Read

This was a post from Robert Woodard in the fall of his freshman season. At that time Robert had no idea if he would get an opportunity to pitch for UNC. They brought in a bunch of All American pitchers in his class that he would have to compete against. This is what he said:

I read this book a couple of months ago titled THE RIPKEN WAY, by Cal Ripken Sr. It was one of many "baseball" books that I have read and without a doubt "must read book!" Anyways, one of the things that Cal Sr. mentions is that "People can talk about work ethic, but the more they talk about it, the less they do."

That quote is so true and it jumped out at me because in a way I have always thought that, but I just never knew how to word it quite right. To me it means that the work that you put into your game is for you and to better the team. If you look at Tony Gwynn, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Cal Ripken Jr., etc., they dont work at their game to impress others or to be labeled as a guy with "great work ethic". It comes natural to them. It is apart of them and their passion for the game. They outworked their opponents and the reached the top of the pyramid that every ballplayer in the world is apart of, whether they want to be or not, and only the strong survive. I, like every other ballplayer out there, have a dream to reach the top of the pyramid.

I really like this thread and enjoy hearing about all aspects of the game. I just wanted to share that quote and some insight of mine towards it.

But I gotta run, because during the 10 minutes that it took to write this reply, there are ballplayers out there who are working to beat me out for the job and the best job in the world that I will be competing for a year from now as well as ten years from now.

Robert took to heart about outworking everybody. He never, ever took a day off. He proved time and again that you get out of the game what you put into it.

It is cool to read his thoughts before he started his UNC career because they never changed by the time he finished it.

 

There is no replacement for hard work

What a great note by Robert. His dedication will surely help as he grinds through the long seasons.

Looking at the minor leaguers that progress up, you see guys that are dedicated to continually improving their skills. They understand their job as a professional athlete and dedicate themselves to their training, eating, and game preparation. I heard a minor league player commenting on his season that after the weight training, buckets of ground balls, and countless early swings; the game should seem easy! The extra work is what allows players to look polished and fluid as they play.

Today's high school guys and younger players do not understand the amount of time that it takes to refine their skills to develop their strengths and sure up their weaknesses. I saw several high school games today that were lost on players not doing a few little things that put them in a hole and ultimately let their team down.

If we could teach the kids coming up today to work at the little thing diligently, we would see a different level of play. I will leave the missing fundamentals for another thread!

 

Robert is certainly a model to which all young players should aspire. It will be some time until I watch a player who I admire more. Robert's perspective about the whole baseball thing is much more mature than his age should allow.

 

Can we get an update on whats gone on with Robert since the draft?

 

He pitched in Eugene, Oregon in their Class A team, was pulled up to AAA a couple of games to pitch.

He is currently in Valencia, Ca. enjoying some free time with his GF and her family. Robert came home for the UNC-USC football game because they were honoring last years baseball team during halftime.

I wish I could remember the name of the honor, but he is receiving a prestigious award from UNC that is given to a male and female athlete. The award will be presented at one of the basketball games.

He will not know where he will be assigned next until Spring camp. In the mean time, I can assure you that Robert is working out somewhere today.

 

At the risk of attracting a few verbal "arrows" from old friends for not having visited the board in quite a while, I thought I might come on in response to a phone call I received from one of you. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Robert's father.

More than anything, I'd like to thank those of you who pass along your good wishes and compliments to him. They mean a great deal to him, and I'll make a point of making sure that he sees them. It's especially gratifying coming from good friends like those of you who post on this board.

To elaborate on Braves' update: First, a slight correction...he's spending his off season in Santa Barbara, California. Having pitched a total of 160 collegiate and professional innings this year, he has shut down his throwing altogether since the first week of September. His job at a local golf course is sandwiched in between morning and evening visits to the gym. He also runs a minimum of 2.5 miles a day.

Early next month, he'll begin throwing on flat ground, systematically working his way up in long-toss length. An advocate of Alan Jaeger's combination of elastic band work and long-toss, he's planning on working out a couple of times a week with Alan right after the first of the year. The goal, as it is with the vast majority of professional players, is to put himself in the best possible condition when he reports to the Padres' Arizona training facility in late February.

Again, many thanks for the good wishes! (Okay, Braves, the "arrow" shield is going up now!)

 

I read that book several years ago... A very sound book that is a pleasure to read. I learned quite a bit from it. Excellent read, of course the Ripken family has some of the best readings on the game!

 

Validation!!! I have read lots of good things about Alan Jaeger's long toss program, and agree with his philosophy about throwing. If Robert Woodard is using it, that's all the justification anyone needs to research Jaeger, and use his methods. Gee Prep, can you share any more of your son's workout tidbits? I'd pay good money for some of that! Also, I am aware of the award that Robert is going to receive, but will not name it until it is announced by the university. He will be the second baseball player since 1979 to win this award, the highest bestowed to an athlete at UNC. He's already been named Athlete of the Year by, "Tar Heel Monthly" the Rams Club's official publication.

 

Yup! Don t listen to WHAT people say! Watch WHAT they do!!!!!!!!!!

 

"Gee Prep, can you share any more of your son's workout tidbits? I'd pay good money for some of that!"

lol...Keep your wallet in your pocket, SoutherN01. Remember, though, that you get what you pay for!

There's not a great deal more that I can tell you, except that much of his time in the gym is spent stengthening his abdomen, legs, and the small muscles in his shoulders. Much of this he began learning locally from Charlotte's very fine sports trainer, Alan Tyson. Since then, he's refined it with input from Tom House and his strength coach at UNC, Greg Gatz.

He also devotes a lot of attention to flexibility. In fact, a couple of his evening sessions at the gym this Fall are spent in a yoga class. He claims that it's great for the flexibility in his hips. The more flexibility in the hips, the more torque he generates when he turns during his delivery.