Behind the Seams Baseball Podcast

This one is coming to you live from The Bridge Seminar at Wake Forest University, where I presented this weekend. In today’s podcast I’ll be summarizing many (not all) of the great presenters at this year’s player development seminar. It was a blast speaking with, as well as listening and learning from some of, the best in the business of baseball player development.  Topics include: Creating sust...

Today's podcast is with Mike McFerran, Director of Player Development for the Wake Forest Baseball program and Coordinator of the Wake Forest Pitching Lab.  Join us as we discuss a variety of topics, including: Marker vs marker-less mocap systems The pipeline from data testing to actual training Interpretation vs. misinterpretation when using data Deciding when a mechanical issue is a mobilit...

Today's podcast is with Brian Bannister, Director of Pitching for the San Francisco Giants.  Join us as we discuss a variety of topics including: Developing pitchers in the minor leagues Group think and baseball Short Strengthening Cycle (SSC) and training pitchers Muscle guys vs. tendon guys What’s on the horizon for pitcher development and training Brian played college baseball as a walk-on...

I’ll be flying solo this holiday weekend, covering some of the questions I receive from the audience on the off-season “to-do” list.  Off-season is a great time to address a variety of topics that you should deal with to improve in-season performance.  Topics will include: Strength training Periodization Cuff work Active recovery vs. a complete shutdown Sequencing What not to do! What you should d...

In today’s podcast we are sitting down and talking pitching mechanics with Lantz Wheeler. Lantz is the Founder and CEO of the Baseball Think Tank, the inventor of the Core Velocity Belt, and owner and operator of the nationally renowned annual Pitch-a-Palooza conference.  And he is definitely no stranger to coaching pitchers. I have known Lantz for many years, and I have been really looking forwar...

Today’s podcast is with Red Sox pitching coach Brett Merritt. Brett has coached college baseball for over a decade at pretty much all levels of the game, from JUCO to Division 1, prior to joining the professional ranks with the Red Sox in 2020 as the Salem Red Sox pitching coach. Today, Brett talks about all of the “knowledge bombs” that have dropped on him since working his way up the ranks from...

Today, we’re discussing the recruiting process with Patrick Jones of Patrick Jones Baseball.  Patrick is a graduate of Xavier University where he played baseball.  He is also a former hitting coach with the Baltimore Orioles. If you've ever listened to one of his podcasts, you'd know that his passion for the game is bar none and today's discussion on recruiting is no different. Toda...

Today's podcast is with RPP Director of Hitting Andrew Pezzuto.  Andrew's coaching career goes back to the 2014-2015 when he became a graduate assistant coach at Franklin Pierce University.   He has also coached at Shippensburg, Northern Illinois University, Iona College and most recently at Marist college where he was the Hitting Coach / Recruiting Coordinator from 2020-2021. He is a Ha...

Today’s podcast is with RPP Pitching Coordinator Alex Kubera on the topic of developing command.  In the age of velocity, command sometimes takes a back seat. However, the reality is velocity may get you the look, but command gets you time on the mound.  If you can’t “control” the pitch, you won’t be throwing strikes or seeing much playing time. And if you can’t “command” it, then it will be harde...

Alan Jaeger is the founding partner of Los Angeles-based Jaeger Sports, where some of the most talented baseball players in America go to improve their game. He is most famous for his trademark J-bands, used for conditioning the arm. But his influence on the game far transcends the bands that bear his name. He has been a steady voice in promoting many topics, including extended long-toss, throwing...

Today’s podcast is with the Toronto Blue Jays Pitching and Development Coordinator Cory Popham.  Cory has been with the Blue Jays since January 2019 in various capacities as a pitching coach. Previously he was the pitching coach at Post University from 2017–2019 as well as serving as a business analyst at Driveline Baseball in 2016. I have known Cory for several years and I have to say he's a...

My guest today is Brendan Monaghan, Pitching Coach / Recruiting Coordinator at Rutgers University.  He recently completed his 4th and historic season with the Scarlet Knights. This past spring, Rutgers pitchers played a crucial role in setting a program record with 44 wins in 2022.  Overall team ERA went from 5.00 in 2021 to 4.22, which was the second-best mark in the Big Ten and 35th in the count...

My guest today is Dr. Kristen Nicholson from Wake Forest University, where she has been the Director of the renowned Wake Forest Pitching Lab since October 2018 as the head of biomechanics research. Dr. Nicholson is also currently an Assistant Professor in Orthopedic Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as well as the President of the Baseball Biomechanics...

Today, we're sitting down with Dr. Tyler White. Tyler is a consultant in professional baseball working with organizations and private clients alike.  He frequently lectures across the country on ways to improve performance and reduce injury in baseball pitching.  His private clients range from high-end prospects to World Series MVP’s and everyone in between.   He is the founder of the World P...

Today, I’m flying solo and answering some questions sent in by our listeners. Topics range from programming with velocity-based training throughout the off-season, training to maintain velo in the later innings as well as tight hamstrings and long term athletic development. A lot here to chew on this week so enjoy and enjoy the long weekend! Ready to take your game to the next level? With our holi...

My guest today is Dr. Casey Pierce, MD.  He is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon, fellowship-trained in sports medicine and arthroscopy. He completed a specialized fellowship at the prestigious American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) in Birmingham, Alabama. At ASMI he polished his surgical techniques learning under world renowned mentors: Dr. James Andrews, Dr. E. Lyle Cain, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas...

My guest today is Sam Sharf. Sam is a Co-Founder of College Sports Advisors (CSA) and serves as the Director of Baseball Operations. He brings with him nearly 10 years of experience guiding families and athletes through the baseball recruiting process. Previously, he was Vice President, and Director of Player Development at Time to Sign Sports for 7 years. He is a graduate of Penn State University...

My guest today is Robin Lund, pitching coach at the University of Iowa.  Lund is in his fifth season as an assistant coach at Iowa, including having previously worked with the hitters and outfielders during his first season. Lund earned his Bachelor’s Degree in education from Whitworth College and his Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from Eastern Washington. He earned his PhD in Exercise Physio...

My guest today is John Wagle, Associate Athletics Director of Sports Performance at Notre Dame University.  Today, we’ll be talking about maximizing the relationship within sports performance areas to impact baseball players through enhancing the collaborative efforts between strength and conditioning, nutrition, athletic training and sports psychology. John earned his PhD in Sport Physiology at E...

Today we’re going to sit down with Coach "Bomber" from powerhouse JUCO, Sacramento City Community College on the West Coast. We are going to explore what it means to enroll in a junior college program instead of heading straight into a 4-year college, among other topics.  This is a great option for many high school athletes for a variety of reasons and this podcast is a great listen on t...

Today we’re sitting down and talking with Rutgers catcher Nick Cimillo. He was twice named Player of the Year and MAAC Preseason Player of the Year (in his first 2 years of college ball).  He also earned Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American, MAAC Rookie of The Year and All-MAAC First Team in 2019. He most recently transferred to Rutgers this past year, where, as a red-shirt Junior he has blow...

My guest today is Josh Epstein, Pitching Coach at the University of Richmond (Spiders) in Virginia.  Josh has over 14 years of collegiate coaching experience with previous stops at Lincoln Memorial, Bloomsburg, Ramapo College and Monmouth. In his three seasons at Monmouth, the Hawks finished second in ERA in the MAAC conference, including an overall 3.21 team ERA after the 2021 campaign. I have kn...

My guest today is Walter Beede, a very interesting guy, with a baseball career that spans over 40 years, as a player, a coach and a father.  He attended Fitchburg high school in Massachusetts, where he was All-New England 1st Team as a high school player. He received a scholarship from Arizona State University and was selected by the Chicago Cubs as a 13th round draft pick in 1981. His coaching ba...

Super excited about my guest today, Jerry Weinstein.  If there is a guy whose done it all on the coaching / player development side, it's Jerry.  He has coached at the High School and collegiate level, including 23 years at Sacramento City College, one of the pre-eminent JUCO baseball programs in the country. He has coached or helped coach in the Pan Am Games, as well as the ’92, ’96 and 2000...

My guest today is Phillies minor league pitching coach Vic Diaz.  He is currently the pitching coach for the Clearwater Threshers, the Single A minor league team for the Philadelphia Phillies. The world of training and coaching pitchers has been turned upside down during the past few years, and no other job has had more thrown at it during this time, as the position of the pitching coach in pro ba...