The baseball offseason is coming.
Or, for you, it may already be here.
I have a simple question for you…
What is your plan?
How are you going to get better?
As a player, I cherished the offseason.
It gave me…
- đź’Ł4 months to work on my swing
- ⚾️4 months to sharpen my defensive skills,
- đź’Ş 4 months to get stronger,
- ⚡️4 months to get faster,
- đź’Ż4 months to outwork the other players that I was competing with in spring training.
Once I began to understand how to approach an offseason and make it count, I didn’t just feel better physically.
My confidence and belief in myself skyrocketed because….
I WAS PREPARED
- I was prepared to not be sore when we were in cleats 6 hours a day
- I was prepared to play 9 innings the first spring training game (even though it didn’t usually happen)
- I was prepared so I didn’t have to deal with little nagging injuries that could have been prevented if I had a more productive offseason.
- I was prepared to make an impression day 1.
Strength training, agility training, core work, prehab, and flexibility were the foundation.
As a middle infielder, one of my goals was to always get stronger, but I also knew that playing above 190 pounds was too heavy. I wanted to come into camp between 185-187 pounds.
I wanted to improve first step quickness that could benefit me on defense and on the bases.
I needed to take care of my body so the coaching staff was always wondering if I was healthy for that day.
I needed to be available to play everyday.
My thought process throughout the offseason was once I got to camp I wanted to be physically ready to play everyday until the season was over (Over a 200 day season this wasn’t reality but it was a goal every year).
It wasn’t until my 11th professional season that I started an opening day.
The previous 10 I started on the bench, but every year someone would get hurt in the first month and I filled in, played well, and remained a starter the rest of the season.
This happened because I was physically able to play and the coaches knew I would be available to play everyday if they wanted to pencil me in the lineup.
This is a huge deal.
I saw many really good players get a “injury prone” tag on them and it was hard to shake.
Did I have to play through soreness, YES.
Did I have to play through injuries or occasional pain, YES.
But, being someone coaches can rely on to play makes their job much easier.
I realize there are many injuries that are out of our control…
- —- In AAA with the Rockies, I was hit by a 94 mph fastball in the face and broke the left side of my face. 🤕
- —- I was hit in the hand twice my final season with the Rangers. Broke my hand.
- —- I collided with our left fielder CĂ©sar Puello when playing shortstop and he accidentally dove into my right knee, which sidelined me for a few months.
Those are just a few, but I want you to realize this…
The opportunity to play baseball in high school, college, or as a career is a very small amount of time…
…and I want you to get the most out of it.
Prepping your body for the upcoming season is not only getting you better PHYSICALLY, but its also getting you stronger MENTALLY, because you know that you outworked everyone else.
2020 Off Season – Baseball Strength, Conditioning & Agility Club
The past 8 months have been difficult.
Maybe you’re like me…
I haven’t had the same access to the gym as I normally do.
This has made staying in shape – and staying MOTIVATED – really tough.
That’s why I’m inviting you to join me for a 5 week, baseball-specific workout.
This will require minimal equipment and space. It’s meant to be done at home.
Let’s do this TOGETHER.
If you’re interested, shoot an email over to Sarah(at)probaseballinsider.com. I’m still working on the details, so I’ll send you the info once we get it all worked out.
If we do this, we’ll be starting sometime this month.
Stay hungry,
Doug Bernier
About Author
Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 5 organizations (CO Rockies, NY Yankees, PIT Pirates, MN Twins, & TX Rangers) over the past 16 years. He has Major League time at every infield position, and has played every position on the field professionally except for catcher. (You should click to watch this great defensive play by Bernier) Where is he now? After 16 years of playing professionally, Doug retired and took a position as a Major League scout with the Colorado Rockies for 2 years. Currently Doug is the Data and Game Planning Coordinator with the Colorado Rockies
