Paul Skenes was driving down Perry Highway in Wexford just past seven o’clock Monday night when the Pirates superstar pitcher made a pit stop. It was a Little League field.
Skenes signed autographs for over two hours, connecting with Pittsburgh's next generation.
For @MLB ⤵️
First-round pick Peter Woods and the Chiefs reached agreement today on a 4-year, $18 million fully guaranteed deal, per Adie von Gontard and Ray Haija of @ymapaasports. Woods is said to have received the highest upfront percentage of his signing bonus in Chiefs’ 1st-round history.
“Bringing the life back into the stadium. Those people have showed up every game since... it's definitely helped us.”
JJ Wetherholt and Michael McGreevy discuss the viral “Tarps Off” sensation started at @Cardinals games.
"It is a life-long dream to be a head coach at Pittsburg State...this is not a job, this is who I am."
Beau Schultz on being named the next head coach of the Pitt State Softball program 🦍🥎
@BeauSchultz517|@Gorilla_SFB|@pittstate
Here’s Cal Raleigh, returning from a completely fake “oblique injury” that just kill all his season long home run numbers.
I said it week 1, Cal Raleigh was a Masonic creation. And just to confirm that, Raleigh is wearing no. 33 on the rehab assignment
@MattWallace888 Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos have teamed up to develop a brain implant called the Synchron Switch.
The device is inserted through blood vessels and enables users to control technology, such as cursors and smart home devices, using only their thoughts...
Once the $670 million mixed-use redevelopment project is completed at the former site of the Millennium Hotel, this will be the new view looking out of Busch Stadium.
#STLCards
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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🥎THE TIGERS TAKE HOME THE STATE TITLE🥎
For the first time since 2005 and the second time in program history, the Fort Scott Tigers are Class 4A state champions.
Kyndal Aikin throws a complete-game shutout and Raylee Cowan blasts a three-run homer in their win over Wamego.
@FSHSTigers