Inspired by a paragraph I read in the story about Tim Lincecum linked from another post, I decided to make a post I’ve been thinking about for a couple of weeks now. The topic involves the idea of letting players play without regards to mechanics (pitching, hitting, fielding, or whatever else) as long as the results are good.
The paragraph from the Lincecum article (Peterson is Rick Peterson, former A’s and Mets pitching coach):
-Most front offices, coaches and pitchers, however, rely on the same observational approach to pitching mechanics that has been in place for more than 100 years. Such analysis by "eyeballing" is combined with a preference to leave a pitcher alone, no matter how poor his mechanics may be, if he is getting good results. "That philosophy," Peterson says, "would lend itself to people who buy expensive cars and stop changing the oil and rotating the tires. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' People don't take care of ? their home that way; they don't take care of their car that way; they don't take care of ? their bodies that way."-
I originally began thinking about this topic based on a passage in Paul DePodesta’s blog (good stuff from the former Billy Beane right hand man and Dodger GM who is now a Special Assistant to the GM in San Diego). Here is the link to the specific post that got me thinking: http://itmightbedangerous.blogspot.com/2008/06/draft-review-about-process.html
Finally, in the comments on the blog page, a poster made the following post:
slater723 said...
-This is something that is an absolute truth not just in baseball or casino's but everywhere in life. I feel that Bad Process/Good Outcome is the downfall of the majority of baseball players at a young age (myself included). So many players do not worry about proper mechanics in either hitting or pitching at a young age because they would rather just go with what works now. I can recall countless young hitters that ignore hitches in their swing because in batting practice they can hit a ball a few feet further. Then come game time they end up swinging through pitches.-
I guess my whole point is to get a discussion going about the whole idea of “process”. I don’t want to start a philosophical debate about specific teachings that individuals follow, but rather the “process” behind teaching and learning whatever it is you may teach.
How young can kids grasp the idea that the right process can lead to the wrong results, and vice versa? How do you encourage kids that they’re doing things the right way, even if the results aren’t there yet? How do parents accept the idea that Johnny hit 20 homeruns last year, but Coach BoBo wants to change his swing because he doesn’t think the swing will work at higher levels? On the other hand, what if you subscribe to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra? What differences would you face?
I think this is a topic that could apply outside of baseball or athletics in general, so I hope my post has made some sense and generates some good discussion.
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