Josh Patterson

Flo-Dar Alum
USCB Alum
May River Baseball Assistant Coach

[Jermaine Curtis @JermaineCurtis]

When I was with the St. Louis Cardinals, we had a team meeting about hitting with two strikes.

Albert Pujols was leading it.

At the time, he was hitting something ridiculous with two strikes.

I want to say it was around .265.

Naturally, everyone wanted to know how.

So somebody asked:

"What's your two-strike approach?"

Albert's answer surprised me.

He said:

"I think fastball inside and hit it back through the middle."

That was it.

No complicated mechanics.

No secret formula.

Just:

Fastball inside.

Back through the middle.

I remember sitting there thinking:

"Why would you think fastball inside with two strikes?"

So somebody asked him.

And Albert said something I'll never forget.

He said:

"If I can hit a fastball inside back through the middle..."

"I can hit the fastball away."

"I can stay on the changeup."

"I can stay on the slider."

"I can stay on the curveball."

Then he paused.

And said:

"The ball gets deeper."

That's when it clicked for me.

He wasn't trying to pull the inside fastball.

He was using one thought to cover everything.

The more I thought about it...

The more it made sense.

So I started trying it.

And it changed the way I thought about hitting with two strikes.

Instead of worrying about every pitch...

I focused on one.

Fastball inside.

Back through the middle.

See it DEEP.

If you're struggling with two strikes, here's what I'd do tonight:

Round 1: Short Box

(Set the distance somewhere between front toss and batting practice.)

Have a coach throw only fastballs inside.

Your only thought:

"Fastball inside."

Drive the ball back through the middle.

10 swings.

Round 2: Mix Speeds

Now the coach mixes:

- Fastballs
- Changeups
- Breaking balls
- Sliders

But your thought never changes.

You're still looking:

"Fastball inside."

10 swings.

Round 3: Two-Strike BP

Every pitch starts 0-2.

Compete.

Battle.

Use the same approach.

"Fastball inside."

Back through the middle.

10 swings.

That's it.

30 focused swings.

One thought.

One approach.

One goal.

Drive the baseball back through the middle.

One thing I've learned:

Most hitters get worse with two strikes because they add thoughts.

Albert got better because he removed them.

With two strikes, simplicity is a weapon.

Thank you for reading,
Jermaine Curtis

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[Darin Horn @darinhorn39]

Teal Nation it’s been an absolute honor to wear Coastal across my chest for the past 5 years. I am truly blessed for all the friends and relationships I have made and will cherish them forever. Teal Nation will always be home for me and I’ll always be a Chant for Life❤️

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@GatorDiamondPod 👍👍. Regionals is always the tricky round. Good to host so u don't necessarily have to throw ur horses. I guess in a perfect world it's maybe Sandefer and then McDonald and keep all the horses in the bullpen unused.. and will Sandefer be 100% after that liner he took of the arm?

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

Does florida start Peterson or King vs Rider in game 1 @GatorDiamondPod

[Micah Morgan @Micah_Morgan27]

Junior year all-region stats
Innings pitched: 26
Strikeouts:26
Earned runs:2
Opponent Batting Avg: .220
Pitches/ Inning pitched: 16.2

Plate Appearances: 66
Batting average: .407
Hits: 24
Strikeouts: 3
@_thedirtbags @finsupbsbl

[Flo-Dar Tech Stingers Baseball @FDTCbaseball]

Three-peat!

[Carson Phillips @CarsonAPhillips]

Grateful to receive the John Kurtz Award this Tuesday prior to the game. This award represents the top senior at @GCSUBaseball31, and I’m honored to be recognized in the legacy of Coach Kurtz, whose leadership helped build this program into what it is today. #BringTheThunder

[May River Baseball @finsupbsbl]

Sharks with a walk off win in 9 innings.

WP: Blesie / Hits: Putnam3, Boyles3, Michaud3, S Matejewski2, Blesie2, Morgan / RBI: Blesie3, Boyles2, Putnam, Michaud, S Matejewski, Arnold

Next: Series Finale at Beaufort on Friday 7 PM

[May River Baseball @finsupbsbl]

Sharks take Game 1 versus Beaufort

WP: Morgan / SV: Beckman / Hits: Morgan2, Putnam2, Beckman, S Matejewski, Boyles / RBI: Putnam 3

Next: Game 2 Wednesday at home. Go Sharks!

[May River Baseball @finsupbsbl]

Sharks Win Series Game 2!

WP: Konte / Save: Beckman / Hits: Morgan2, Putnam2, Michaud2, Beckman / RBI: Michaud2, Putnam, Beckman

Next Up: Series Finale Home vs Bluffton on Friday @ 6:30

[May River Baseball @finsupbsbl]

Sharks take Game 1 over Bluffton 6-3

WP: Morgan 6IP / SV: Beckman / Hits: Konte2, Michaud2, Reid, Beckman, S Matejewski, Putnam, Boyles, Colella / RBI: Michaud2, Konte, Beckman, S Matejewski, Putnam

Next Up: 6PM tomorrow vs Perry High School, OH

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@JBRBracketology Yea Texas and Tennessee big overachiever. Florida a big underachiever

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@nickbateman33 2017 Florida over Wisconsin in OT was crazy. And if I'm not mistaken that game winner by Chiozza was at like 1 am too🤣. The best Mike White ever did and obviously we r better off now

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

As a Gator fan. What should be my concern level that Golden would actually leave for UNC? Me personally I don't see why he would, but that's just me
@BracketNky @801bracketology @T3Bracketology @JBRBracketology @ryanhammer09

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@BracketNky Too early to tell, but Haugh is gone. And Condo is probably gone. Lee out of eligibility, Handgloten maybe a waiver? Everyone else can return (and probably should return). Is that assumption correct? I guess the big ones are combining Boogie to return and retaining Chinyelu..

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@801bracketology @JBRBracketology @BracketNky @ryanhammer09 @T3Bracketology

Maybe I'm just looking at the bright side of things
What are your thoughts. Recently on average one of the 1 seeds loses 1st weekend, just happened to be my 🐊 this year

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

Disappointed in the L, but waking up, it's more frustration than anger. My 🐊 had a knack for losing close games.we lose by 1 after bad execution late. Iowa shot 70%+ on 2s w/ most being contested. That just happens in March, and UF missed some easy ones, especially early

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@BracketNky And we lose to Iowa.. surprised and a little shocked, but not stunned. How the game unfolded was exactly how Iowa could beat us and they did.. as I said I could see us our results range from losing to Iowa or winning it all.. and unfortunately we lost to Iowa

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@BracketNky Our rebounding is good enough to have a off shooting night as long as we don't turn it over. At our best we win the Natty. But at our worst Iowa beats us on Sunday. Bigger disparity than last year

[Josh Patterson @JoshPatt10]

@JBRBracketology Hated the draw. Needed Clemson ro beat Iowa. Had a chance to win and I believe we made a mistake defensively. Should have stuck with the "12" press instead of man press. But even then Boogie chased over top. U have to keep ball in front of u there. we didn't. It cost us the game