Spiker

Coaches, think about how you want your team to be built before building it. This helps with eliminating problems like FOMO, overpromising, and rocky seasons.  See the time stamps below to find the topic you're most interested in, or listen to the entire length.  (00:00-02:24) New update to the show (02:25-08:16) Building out your program and team 08:17-14:27 The right player, state the facts and clearly define your priorities (14:28-16:52) Don't FOMO into the word "elite" (16:44-20:24) The focus of the coach vs. the player (20:25-23:11) The unicorn team (23:12-31:51) Oversold and buzzwords --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

We recently got back from the ABCA, and boy, 'do we have insights for you!' There are a lot of great projects being created in the baseball space. In this episode, we talk about the American Baseball Coaches Association Conference, where the baseball community ascends onto one location to celebrate the game, teach, and share the projects their working on.  Find the topics in the time stamps below:  00:00-02:18 Introduction 02:19-04:44 ChatGPT: your new instructor? 04:45-07:31 ABCA: Disney World of Baseball? 07:32-14:29 The pulse and future of baseball 14:30-22:36 Building relationships 22:37-27:56 The ultimate crazy college recruiting hack 27:57-32:13 The ABCA is the most prominent think tank for coaches and players --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

When I was playing, there were a lot of rumors about how the pro scouting community found their players. It was a guessing game in my career. In this episode, we have a National Crosschecker Scout behind the microphone. See the time stamps for the topics we touch on. (00:00-04:11) Introduction - Who is Mark Adair? (04:12-08:37) The different types of pro scouts (08:38-11:34) What is a professional prospect? (11:35-15:48) How long do scouts spend at a game? (15:49-20:03) Pro scouts attend these events (20:04-29:50) The MLB Draft, what you need to know (29:51-30:33) Multi-sport athletes  (30:34-36:13) Here's how you make it (36:14-40:02) Minor League restructure/College transfer portal (40:03-41:23) We know the rosters (41:24-43:22) This is a big deal for a scout (43:24-46:10) This is what we look for (46:11-46:59) Are pitchers harder to project out? (47:00-51:51) Scouting + Training + Mark's Career (51:52-55:19) Draft week, how many players we look at (55:20-59:08) Throwing your helmet crosses you off th

Is it time for us to quit? We should probably sell the mics, cameras, and lighting equipment. We're never going to make it to the next stage of podcasting. Why should we have even started? WAIT, WAIT, STOP... Everyone goes through this self-doubt talk. Especially when pressure is mounting on you, how do you handle it?  We explore it in this episode.  (00:00-03:00) Introduction  (03:01-08:41) The Black Spiral of Death (08:42-13:28) What's the source? The solution?  (13:29-16:12) Complaining will cause an avalanche  (16:13-21:05) The bailout (21:06-28:44) Is this beneath me? (28:55-31:52) Dave's drawing   (31:53-35:52) Spiker is working on these action items --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Recruiting + Twitter + Think Different Does it feel like you're not getting traction on your recruiting? Are you not getting noticed? Here's where you could be going wrong.   00:00-03:25 Intro  03:26-09:03 Building something that lasts  09:04-20:10 Twitter + Recruiting  20:11-24:59  Passion vs. Purpose  25:00-34:48 Recruiting, your first step  34:49-36:45 Obstacles are the way --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

History rhymes, and sometimes it completely repeats, but the majority of the time it's a newer version of what was in the past. How has the game evolved to become more about celebrations, and velocity, and less about winning? Is there a place in time we can point to where this happened before?  Spiker, Dave, And Raffy talk about Aaron Judges' historic season, Manny Machado's lack of hustle in the 2018 playoffs, and Jose Bautista's emphasis bat flip.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

It can be tempting. It wants you to stop short. It convinces you that no one will know. It wants you to be lesser version of yourself because it’s easier. Will you compromise? Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rawlings-tigers-interview-series/id1553851157 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b8RY79LXAWxpSMMTyLWqG?si=5c3861d7cc9d46fb --- S

How do you change the vibe of a team?  What do you do when you have negative nancy complaining about the weather, turf, or umpire?   In this episode, we address the mood. Will you pass the vibe check? Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rawlings-tigers-interview-series/id1553851157 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b8RY79LXAWxpSMM

Getting locked in our minds can be the tiniest prison. We can easily put ourselves in this place by traveling down the rabbit hole of emotions. How do we break out to play fast and free? Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rawlings-tigers-interview-series/id1553851157 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b8RY79LXAWxpSMMTyLWqG?si=5c3861d7cc9d

Greener pastures? Are you switching teams too early? In this episode, we speak about when is it a good time to move on. Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rawlings-tigers-interview-series/id1553851157 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b8RY79LXAWxpSMMTyLWqG?si=5c3861d7cc9d46fb Tiger Interview Series Twitter Follows: Rawlings Tigers: https://

This is a more reflective episode. I wanted to share something I learned after listening to an interview during one of my financial classes. I'm not going to talk about finance but the psychology of pursuing a goal, passion, or desire. Mark Ritchie III mentioned a book I listed below about the psychology of trading. In the last chapter, they talk about the five capitals. He went in-depth with each one, and there was a massive correlation between this and a player's career in baseball. Enjoy this episode!  Oikonomics: How To Invest in Life's 5 Capitals  Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf

Don't be discouraged; you're doing something others are unwilling to do.  Losing sucks! I hate losing more than I love winning, but that's me. In a most recent post from one of our directors, it was evident that our national team took their lumps this summer. His introspective post was probably one of the best-communicated thoughts I've seen on the experience.  In this episode, we share our thoughts on the national program, the director's post, and where we go from here.  Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen

We recently were at the PBR Nationals at Lake Point in Emerson, Georgia. We saw some unbelievable talent, but one obvious thing was the ballpark's attitudes.   You could easily pick out the players who were unselfish and who were selfish. The unselfish players shined like rockstars. They were talking the game, they had positive body language, and you gravitated towards them as you watched them on the field.   So, if two opposing coaches who don't have a horse in the race notice these positive vibes...how do you think college scouts and fans see you?   Here are two cents on how to master the last week of the season. Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id130805

The track of a player's career is fascinating. The journey is unique to each player, but there's one pitfall that potentially could derail an upward-trending player.  In this episode, we talk about the 13U curse, the advantage of being in the bottom third, and how to avoid the pitfall.  Closing Pitch Twitter Follows:  Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go!  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you just want to listen to baseball and softball conversations?  Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game:  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/po

You need to know here when you're talking with multiple teams during the tryout process. Especially at the high school level, there are many things to consider. Over the past 5-6 years, we want to share the best way to handle the process and navigate it towards your best playing, learning, and development situation.  I would love to hear your thoughts and share your take on the subject. Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjos02cDAqXvQA5dyVgR2?si=557c3bf221cf4832 Do you want to listen to baseball and softball conversations? Listen to the Tiger Interview Series. It’s only about the game: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/Rawl

Pitch counts suck! Yep, we said it, and here's why... In this episode, we speak with Jordan Oseguera who is the Director of Performance and Pitching at ArmCare.com. Arm Care specializes in pitchers' health. They want to know when and how much a player can throw in a given day.  In this conversation, you're going to learn about:  - why pitch counts are not a great metric  - what matters in pitching recovery and how to recover faster  - how you will be able to throw more and longer  Links:  ArmCare.com Email: jordan@armcare.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanoseguera/ Closing Pitch Twitter Follows: Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Listen to the Show On the Go! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closing-pitch/id1308056021 Spotify: https://open.spotif

With mics, cameras, and a social media handle, you can influence a group of people. This doesn't necessarily mean you're a leader. You can be someone pandering to a group of people because the algorithm rewards you for engagement. It's something to think about as influencers are starting to be labeled as leaders. In reality, they are only "influencers." They influence behavior.  So what makes a good leader?    What do they avoid?  How can you recognize an imposter?  Adam Grants Book Follow us on Twitter @david_birkby @spikerhelms Check out the Rawlings Tigers at rawlingstigers.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Its' been less than 365 days since our second edition of the Tactical Guide to Recruiting. A lot has happened and we're back on the mics to talk about it! We're in a world where athletes are getting paid, there's no penalty for your first transfer, and we're on the cusp of potentially seeing an adjustment to scholarships. What does this mean for you? How does the transfer portal affect high school recruits? Will you be able to get your school paid for and make extra money?  We answer all these questions in version 3.0 of the Tactical Guide to Recruiting.  To catch up on all the Tactical Guides listen to them here:  Version 1 Version 2 Twitter Follows:  Spiker Helms David Birkby Evan Pratte --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Baseball Twitter blew up

We're talking six-packs! I want to get jacked, but will it make me a better athlete? This episode was previously released on the Tiger Interview Series.  In this episode of the Tiger Interview Series, we have Brett McQueen of Lightning Performance. A well-accomplished athletics trainer who has trained professional and tactical athletes. Conversation includes: - how to be in mid-season form every day - taking the necessary steps to train correctly - winning in nutrition Website: https://lightningperformancekc.com/ Email: info@lightningperformancekc.com Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok: lightningperformancekc Press Sports: lightningperformance Twitter: lightningperfkc --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message