Prioritizing Health

Our bodies are so capable of so much. They are wired to heal themselves at a rapid rate. EVEryday we create billions of new cells with new life that are meant to replace stagnant or old cells that were previously present. This cellular cycle is a fundamental process of our lives that parallels with baseball in so many ways.  Its funny that our natural bodily process is to constantly be undergoing this process of "Getting Better EVEryday," though yet so many of us have absolutely no connection or realization to the fact that this is actually happening. The systems in our body are ruthless about executing the necessary action it must undergo in order for it to perform as optimally as it can, they are relentless in their will to be optimal, they are hard wired to give everything they've got in order to keep us moving. How well do we aide our bodies in this process? Do we take it for granted that our bodies work so hard for us? Or do we heed what it tells us EVEryday and aspire to aide it in being efficient and optimal in order for it to remain at its highest performing level?

Many of us take our bodies and throw them up against a wall with brut force on a daily basis(figuratively speaking of course.) We do this by drinking soda religiously, eating fast food, neglecting to sleep enough, not exercising, and not consciously thinking positive thoughts, etc. The truth is that whether were being conscious or unconscious about the decisions we are making as we shake and move through out our days, that we still make tons of bad decisions. Many times this is due to a very busy life and an immense lack of time. So what is the priority then? At what point do we say, "I'm going to prioritize my health over my laziness or business today. I'm going to make the conscious good decisions today rather than the unconscious bad ones. I'm going to reach for water instead of soda, snack on vegetables instead of McDonalds, and I am going to use the stairs to get up to my office on the 3rd floor instead of taking the elevator...annnnnd I am actually going to skip every other step to make it just a little bit harder(skipping a step when you go up the stairs anywhere is such an awesome way to consciously check in to how can I get better today mentality!!!) I know that my body is an insanely powerful machine that is capable of infinite greatness that I am so thankful for and also in awe of its work ethic, therefore I'm going to actually show it some love and gratitude by being a little more ruthless myself." Well, unfortunately a large percentage of us never think thoughts like this once in our entire lives.

The reality of life is that too much of the world is based on the quest for the dollar, that time is limited, and that we must make our own choices rather than be swayed by the millions of marketing messages and bombardments that rip us off of our desired courses. We have to be RUTHLESS in prioritizing our health. Everything starts with our health! Without our health we have a world of problems...and with our health so many negative things that may otherwise exist in our lives disappear. We do not have to wait for a "wake-up call" or something tragic to happen in our lives before we can achieve the consciousness necessary to be thankful enough to appreciate the wonder of what our bodies do for us. It is not fair to neglect treating them with the respect they deserve as they always unconditionally attempt to treat you with the same respect by cleaning you out everyday, replenishing your cells, and by allowing you to see clearly and capture all the beauty that is present in the world.

Mental health and physical health both START WITH GREAT FOOD. If you ask me great food consists of green vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans/legumes, complex carbohydrates, lean properly raised meats, and WATER!!!!! I am leaving some great foods out, but as you can see, more basic is MORE BETTER! Your mental health starts with food also...because you are making the conscious positive decision to eat the stuff your body naturally yearns for! When you eat that tuna salad you should be consciously thinking about your body saying thank you to you and you smiling back at it and saying, "NO, thank YOU for all of your hard work for me today. And hey body, choosing to eat this delicious tuna salad is just a small token of my appreciation of you." Have you ever thought a thought so corny!?

Its not that corny, really. Its a strategy of consciousness and habitual practice. Its a positive tactic to use consistently to embed these natural little positive thoughts in to your head so you can continue to build on them EVEry single day that you are alive in order to accomplish all the things that you desire to accomplish. It is also a tangible way to lose your ego for a few moments. It is allowing yourself to step back from a situation, assess what decision will be best for the overall good of the whole(you+your body=the whole), and a confidence booster in knowing that you did something good for yourself. If you can't show love to yourself, it is much more difficult a task to show genuine love to anyone else...and we all know that our relationships are the basis of what drives us. We are all in it together so we have to be able to show love to one another the best way possible.

Why get so deep into this, Isaac? Who really cares? Who is to say what I should do on a daily basis? Well...I write this blog to speak to my young players who not only have hunger to make it to the next level but hunger to be better people. I write with a voice that assumes my players have a desire to get better...not just now, not just today, but EVEryday. I aim to instill a fundamental discipline into my players to such an extent that they take pride in the practices of their discipline. They reach for any and every way possible they can so as to separate themselves from the pack in every way imaginable...its nice because when you think like this you can really get creative. This attitude is rooted in thankfulness and appreciation for the life we are given. It is our foundation to the infinite bounds and quantum leaps that we are capable of. It is there because there is no other way. By consistently executing this discipline of prioritizing our health and staying ruthlessly positive towards any and everything that is thrown our way we become fiercer competitors, better sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and team mates. We go about our lives, trainings, work, school, and all the other things that make up our lives with an undeniable zest that is evident to anyone that encounters us...and it feels good.

Prioritize your health. Be steadfast in your positive attitude. Realize you will fail, but do not accept it. Focus on your response. Love. Compete. Win.

Thanks for reading,
Isaac

FOCUS: Strengthen Our Weaknesses

Again, its all in the title. It is so easy for us as athletes, professionals, parents, teachers, trainers, humans...to go in the direction of our strengths and/or stay in our comfort zone. The easiest way to associate this concept is by starting in the gym. At the gym we all have our basic routines, give or take depending on the experience of the person training. Comfort zone and working out are two concepts that don't go well together....we should always be expanding the zone that we feel comfortable in and have this thought process top of mind, before, during, and after our workout.

Whether we are a gym rat or a rookie that feels lost amongst all the machines, we often gravitate immediately towards what makes us feel comfortable, be it hopping on the bike, walking or jogging on the treadmill, or maybe starting with our normal EVEryday stretch routine. All of these things are great and they should stay prevalent in our routine, but in order to keep getting better everyday we must not let the comfort of these beginning workouts allow us to get complacent. Consciousness of this aspect of working out is crucial. When we continually maintain our focus only on what makes us feel comfortable it is very difficult to truly excel, be excellent, and ultimately...accelerate like an EVEryday Champ.

Simply by making an effort to step in the direction of our weaknesses even if it just mentally, we will quickly see ourselves begin to conquer and achieve things we absolutely knew we couldn't do or things that we knew that we weren't good at. It all starts with laying the foundation...the mental process of how we decide to go about our business in the gym.

So, next time you are throwing your bullpen and all you want to do is work on the pitches that you throw the best...do it. Work on them and continue to master your strengths...but DO NOT avoid your weaknesses...ATTACK THEM until they become strengths.

Thanks for reading,
Isaac

Pursuit of presence

To be a premier pitcher you must have the "it" factor when it comes to your presence on the mound. Everyone on the field is looking directly at you before and during every pitch you throw. This means you can hide nothing. You can use this aspect of the game to your advantage, or you can allow it to crush you. No matter what level you play at, youth to professional, you can always control your mound presence.

Any pitcher that works with me knows their priorities when they are on the mound...

#1- "This mound is MY home." I am the one that is lucky enough to be on it and while I am on it, EVEryone will know that it is MINE! This means that I will make it my home immediately. I will do so by fixing t exactly the way I want it. I will take my time, because everyone can just wait until I have done what I need to do with it before I throw a pitch.

#2- "GUAC...give us a chance." What does that mean? It means compete as hard as you can with as much as you can for as long as you possibly can in order to always give your team a chance to win. Generally GUAC or "giving us a chance" would be relative to a quality start or at least a near quality start. A quality start is pitching at least 6 innings and giving up 3 runs or less. Obviously, anything better than that would also be considered a quality start. But, GUAC doesn't have to be thought of as only in terms of a "quality start" because in reality anytime you leave the game with pitching at least 5 innings, and giving up less runs than the other pitcher...that means that you have given the team a chance to win. Sometimes pitching is a straight up grind and things just do not go right, even on days where our bodies feel recovered, strong, flexible, and in-tune for our job for the day. GUAC means staying present throughout the game and knowing that I am going to use everything I have, mentally and physically, to compete and do my part in working towards a win. The key is to stay even keil and realizing that you are always GUACing as long as you are competing like the champion you should know that you are.

#3- "Here it comes, lets see how far you can hit it." This is attack mode, beast mode, clutch mode, compete mode, bulldog mode, champion, winner, competitor, confident, cocky, I KNOW I AM BETTER THAN YOU...MODE. I do not care who you are, where you stand in the box, how many homeruns you have hit in your life, how many people think you are cool, how big you are....none of that concerns me in the slightest. Instead I'm actually pissed off that you think you can step foot near my home plate, because the audicity that you have for doing that is just enough to make me come at you with a conviction that you can't top or even hope to possibly match.

*Note: Your work ethic will always be relative to your ability to harness this attitude. If you don't work hard on all aspects of your game then you have absolutely no business and no right to think this way.

But for those that are committed to Getting Better EVEryday, this attitude is not only justifiable, but 100% necessary and will ultimately be the main factor in how you can separate yourself from the pack.

Teaching you how to have Mound Presence is the main point of this article. Mound Presence is the #1 first and most important factor to being a GREAT pitcher...this blog is not geared towards those who just want to be good.

These concepts have helped me to succeed on the field, but I apply these same thought processes to almost every aspect of my life when it concerns accomplishing something or working towards what I know I can achieve. I encourage those that read this blog to try to apply some of these thoughts as you shake and move through your day and throw them at the obstacles that throw themselves at you.

Thanks for reading.

Respectfully,
Isaac Hess
www.isaachessbaseball.com
www.fb.com/isaachessbaseball

The Power of Positive Language

Our ability to be conscious as humans is directly related to the quality of our lives. Cultivating our awareness as a practice on a day to day and decision to decision basis is crucial to our progress, and the level at which we are able to execute this acute consciousness is proportionate to the depth that we can show love to one another. Using positive language willingly and consistently is not only greatly noticed by the people that we surround ourselves with, but it is also deeply affecting to those people as well, on a subconscious level. Consciously using positive language on a regular basis is one of the best strategies that we can use to look at things on the bright side, to put it simply.

Daily we are bombarded by advertisements, messages, news, and situations that can make us feel angst and/or bitterness to our surroundings. The subliminal messages that are constantly thrown at us like 100 mph fastballs at our heads day in and day out really makes it tough to have a foundationally positive attitude towards our EVEryday decision making processes. It's a battle to remain positive though the ups and downs of the roller coaster that we call life.

Using conscious positive language strengthens us from the inside out. It helps to remind us of the good that we need to recognize EVEryday. There is so much beauty in the world and when it is blanketed by negative news, mindless time wasting and thoughtlessness it can be easily overlooked. The words we use dictate the feel, sound and make up of how we communicate. When we make it a point to use positive verbiage with a purpose we feel better about ourselves. This is a practice that I was essentially forced into implementing into my own life in order keep moving forward after I was faced with some very negative cards dealt to me at the age of 19. I had to make a decision to move forward or else I would have plummeted in a downward spiral quickly. I chose to be aware of the language and words that I began to use on a regular basis. Starting to harness the power of words like positive, amazing, champion, CAN, cultivate, nourish, desire, passion, ruthlessness, tenacious, achieve, appreciation, infinite, foundation, focus, health, healthy, inspiration, willingness, yes, attitude, accountable, and of course the mother of all(if you will)...EVEryday, has been a practice and tool that has helped my life more than I can ever put into words.

Approaching the day with this ammunition in my back pocket made and makes me better not only as a person, but as an athlete and for me more importantly a pitcher. Stepping on the mound after constantly brainwashing myself to the idea that I CAN no matter what by using these reinforcing words ALL THE TIME made me a better pitcher, competitor, athlete, and teammate.

For the young players that may read my blog, I suggest you write down the positive language words that can most help you, as a person first and as a ball player second. Use them EVEryday, on purpose. Begin to brainwash yourself into not thinking, but knowing, that no matter what, who, when, or why happens...that YOU CAN. Try it...and get back to me with how it affects not just you, but also notice how other people begin to be influenced by your positive language. Then, do your thing on the mound or in the field and stay a winner...EVEryday.

Thanks for reading,
Isaac

Music matters.

Music is a driver. I'm actually on the bike right now blog posting from my phone and I felt compelled to share what music does for me. I'm thankful for this crazy alien technology we have been blessed to have in our generation. Our ability to connect with many and spread positive messages with each other is something I value highly.

So, Music. For a young athlete I can't express the value of music enough. Music mattering is applicable and directed to everyone, but I believe it's purpose in athletics is vital and should be held higher. I really think that all young athletes should be encouraged to listen to music that they connect with in order to help them nurture the ability to dig as deep as they can when they are going after something. This is most relative to being in the gym for me.

Music that I connect with allows me to tap into adrenaline that I don't believe I would sometimes other wise have. Regardless, it makes me go so much harder in a workout and helps me to greatly increase my ability to focus on the reason I am here in the first place. It's presence is undeniably necessary for me to feel fulfilled during a Get Better session.

My goal in this life is to stay driven to improve EVEryday. Prioritizing my health as much as I can and staying on a quest to continually optimize what I put into it and how I treat it has been the most valuable skill I have acquired since becoming a baseball player.

Music's integration into my routines has propelled me greatly in states of sluggishness and laziness. Not only that it has made me feel amazing at times during workouts when I would have felt like quitting. When a beat drops or a certain lyric comes on that I connect with deeply it almost feels like electricity suddenly pumps in my blood and no matter what I will push as hard as I can and finish whatever I set out to finish. Sometimes it's the lyrics and sometimes it's just a ridiculous beat that hits you...either way it is like fuel...and if you desire to get stronger, faster, more passionate, and more focused...mentally and physically...get some great music that you connect with; make it a priority now.

Thanks for reading.

-Isaac

www.isaachessbaseball.com

Slow Down

It is amazing how much the game of baseball parallels with our EVEryday lives. The comparisons are infinite and quite significant. I am thankful for the game's presence in my life and what it has taught me and continues to residually teach me as I shake and move through my journey.

Slow down. Its so hard to remember to do. We have to do lists that pile up and knock us down so often when we can't keep up with them. We have our families, jobs, hobbies, chores, etc that fulfill our lives so much, and often times it is feels impossible to think that we can ever align them all and truly balance them out to the degree that we desire. Slowing everything down is so necessary. Literally taking 5-10 minutes to just breath and be thankful for all the blessings that we have is one of the best tactics we can use to maintain a better balance. I myself even find it hard to take that 5-10 minutes to just breath, unless I am fortunate enough to get in a hot yoga class. I actually even got a job at the yoga studio that I just linked to in order to make sure that I take class at least once a week. 

For me, yoga is so much more than physical. I used to practice yoga because I knew it was good for my replaced hip and the continued EVEryday rehab and strengthening I needed to uphold in order to stay in the game...and now I appreciate my practice for the mental and meditational aspect more than ever. It allots me 80 minutes of myself time to check back in to all that I am thankful for and all that I genuinely appreciate. I think of taking class as a refueling station; my body, mind, and spirit are the car with the gas tank. When I give myself that time to slow down and focus on nothing else except giving back to my body and spirit, my everything thanks myself and the powers that be that got me to get up and go to class that day. 

This is not a sales pitch on yoga! Although, anyone who really knows me knows that I am a big advocate of it and it is a key element of not only my physical training regimen, but even more importantly my mentality and balance regimen. Once I am in class and the door is closed I have already succeeded because I simply made the decision to show up. Showing up is literally 98% of the battle. Then 1% is just staying present, and finally the last 1% is the actual physical movement.

Now, lets associate that with the game of baseball. As young ball players, what often happens when we make an error? We get flustered and try to move too quickly to make up for it and then we compound the error because the game speeds up on us! Its hard sometimes! We just want to make up for what we just did so we rush and then before we know it that simple routine ground ball to the 3rd basemen with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd just resulted in an overthrow to first base because we bobbled it and tried to rush our throw. Now we have runners on 2nd and 3rd and the tying run just scored. Sometimes we just have to cut our losses and know that we will get another shot! We will get another shot...that is inevitable.

We must slow down. We must play one pitch at a time. One moment at a time. One breath at a time. All with an attitude of thankfulness that we are even lucky enough to be on the field in the first place. This is something that is ever completely LEARNED. It is something that is PRACTICED, just like yoga. There is no peak you can reach, you simply reach. Beyond the talent, beyond the size, beyond the God given ability, we have the opportunity to make the decision to simply slow it all down and stay in the moment...and separate ourselves from the pack. 

Practicing the physical aspect of the game and life is the easy part. Deciding to incorporate and truly value the mental side of the game is what differentiates us player to player, person to person. There sometimes is simply no way to be better than the guy next to you when it comes to physical ability...but the mind has infinite room for growth and maturation no matter what age we are or how big we are or how talented we are. Make the decision to slow down the game and your life, appreciate whats around you, and Practice your mind...and see what it does for your game. Remember, it is not learned, it is practiced, EVEryday.

Thanks for reading.

Respectfully,

Isaac Hess

Invest in Yourself

It was about 7 years ago when I found a book that helped re shape my life, my thoughts, my routine, and my concept of value about how important it is to invest in myself. It's called core performance and it is written by Mark Verstegen of Athletes Performance Inc. It stood out to me so much and I decided I was reading the whole book as fast as I could once I read the following paragraph from the book...
(In summation) "I find it ironic that so many people, especially Americans, will take such great care of their cars. They'll change the oil right at 3000miles, fix a dent or a scratch, rotate the tires every 30k miles, etc...but when it comes to their bodies, care and maintenance are just to big of an inconvenience." I thought about that and felt it had a lot of truth to it. That paragraph literally changed my life.

Investing in yourself means more than just realizing it is important to be healthy, it is the willingness to consistently use your resources (ie; money, time, effort) to optimize the decisions you make regarding your performance, be it in athletics or in a more traditional setting like an office or work place. Health is not something that should ever be looked at as secondary if you aspire to soak up every bit of beauty, fulfillment, and smile that you can while you are on your journey around this small tiny little planet called Earth. I repeat, health should never be considered secondary. Even when we know we make a bad choice about something we do to or put into our bodies, when we recognize it consciously and make that decision with a preemptive intention to counter the action or to just plain allow yourself a little bit of lee way. Your level of discipline will always be proportionate and relative to your desire to get better and get the most out of whatever it is that you do.

Baseball has helped me so much to realize the immense value of my health and how much I want to treat my body as well as I can as often as I can. The power of the idea of making it to the big leagues for a young baseball player equips that player/person with strong mental tools. These mental tools are rooted in the foundation of the mental willingness to do whatever it takes to get us to the place we want to be...the major leagues. Baseball is a portal that enables us who love to play the game so much to maintain such a focus...some have laser-locked focus and some have a blurred focus. The beauty is in the battle, in the dance, it's in the process. Once we make that decision to invest in our dreams and go for them with an extreme vigor EVEryday, we have already achieved success. The rest is inconsequential, it's just details. The thoughts that we have as soon as our eyes open in the morning are the fuel that keep us strapped in...we get to decide what those thoughts will be. We can use it to our advantage and harness it in a way that shapes all the decisions we make.

This aspect of our make up as human beings is not "figured out." It is only achieved by deciding to change the way you think, then executing, and refining your routine, all the time. It's achieved by falling in love with the process and choosing to find all the things you appreciate and love in your process. This positivity will serve your life unmeasurably. It will shine when you are around others. It will carry you through anything. But, again, it is not achieved...it is practiced.

"Baseball" can be interchanged with any other activity that is specific to you. Invest in yourself so you can show the universe that you are thankful for this one body and one life.

3 simple ways you can invest in yourself are:
1) surround yourself with positive and like minded people, consciously invest your time in cultivating these relationships and appreciating them to your best ability
2) buy the things and foods that are going to put you in a position to make the more optimal decision, for example: you know you love ice cream, but maybe this time instead of buying ice cream, you buy strawberries and eat those for your dessert. (Be conscious of how great of an effect this what seemingly minuscule decision can have once you make start making this decision consistently...you will inevitably gain momentum in this state of mind and making the right decision will continue to get easier and more and more gratifiying as well)
3) buy a dry erase board, put it right by your bedrooms doorway, refrigerator, or any place that is consistently visible. Use it to put positive words in front of your eyes constantly, for example I like to write "Get better EVERyday" or "Sweat equity" or even just a reminder to do my push ups and pull-ups and squats, I write a ton of different things! This reinforcement on a non stop basis is like a positive commercial for your subconscious every time you see it when you open the fridge or walk thru your doorway.

Try different things and see if you would feel like they would signify investing in yourself. Just by asking yourself the question of "is this good for me to be eating/doing/thinking right now?" Or should I be making an alternative decision? You will find that your ability to pin point things that you want to have happen will increase their likelyhood of happening ten fold.

Thanks for reading. Stay ruthless.

Balance in the Baseball Life

As for anything in this life, balance is the key to success. Balance is something that takes consistent consciousness and effort to achieve, and it is something that is never reached, only sought after. One can not be enlightened once they believe they have reached a pinnacle, because reaching is part of the beauty and grace in the movement. I believe that too much contentment can be distracting, and that appreciation of focus is a much better approach. That all being said, balance in Europe is something that has not been so easy for me to achieve. It has been brand new territory for me out here, not only geographically, but metaphorically as well. I chose to explore the opportunity out here in the Czech Republic not because I was giving up on my endeavors to continue reaching for a major league career, but more so to step outside of the box for a summer and see if I couldn't find some new and untapped opportunities out here. I decided that I would make a decision for me instead of making it based solely on the hopes and dreams of making it to the big leagues. Its like you want it so bad that you become a slave to it, so I just chose to look at it differently this summer. I don't know what next season has in store, let alone the next few months of my life. It always swirls around and goes up and down, I'm just here for the ride now. My hunger seemed to fade out here a bit with regards to my work ethic and some decisions I have made, but I know that was part of the learning experience so I allowed myself a bit of lee way for a couple months. I am really looking forward to the next phase when and where ever that will be. I am hoping to play in Venezuela or Australia...two entirely different places for baseball, but nevertheless I would be happy ending up at either place.

When you are in such a new place I think you have to let go for a while and disconnect from your norm and discover some newness. I did that while I was here and it has put me into a new norm for some time. I am ready to get back to balance. Out here I have such minimal obligation of responsibility...its pretty much show up twice a week for practice and once a weekend for games, and then chill and have free time the rest of your week. Of course you can go practice every day if you choose, which I tried to do at least 4-5 days a week. Regardless, that is what the job here consists of, and you don't make too much money, but its enough to enjoy yourself.

We just had our last game of the season here in Czech and unfortunately we took the loss in the first round of playoffs. I will be heading back home here with a couple weeks, although home is such a relative term these days. For the last few weeks here I am looking forward to getting back into a more balanced routine, and a great foundation of this for me is to revisit my yoga practice. I just went to hot yoga here in Brno last Thursday, and I plan to go tonight as well. Its just a chill little bus and tram ride away from my flat. Every time I am in a consistent practice everything else is falling into place all the time. Yoga is a huge part of my ability to achieve balance. In addition to all the benefits I have received from it physically, the consciousness and appreciation it helps me gain is infinitely strengthening. I always thank myself every time I get into class.

I tend to go on tangents from time to time. The point of this blog is to help young ball players that are curious and want to learn about the lifestyle of baseball in order to help them become better pitchers,  players, and people. I give my perspective on this life and stay positive about things regardless of my situation, because if it helps any one player decide to keep going then its worth it to me. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading,
Isaac

PS. This is a sweet song I have been digging. Music is necessary.

European baseball

I am now in the Czech Republic playing baseball. I have been here just over a month and it is quite an experience to be here playing the game that I love. Many people are not aware that there are places to play baseball through out Europe if you know the right people. Through out my career I have been lucky enough to play with many different guys that have played all over the world, and I was able to connect with one of them in order to get me the opportunity to come out to the Czech and play this summer.

European baseball is different to say the least. I am big on staying focused on getting better EVEryday and never slowing down or halting my progress. Regardless of where my career takes me I always try to keep this state of mind at the forefront of all that I do, whether it is baseball or anything else I set out to accomplish, getting better is a rooted way of thinking for me and its evolution in my life continues to strengthen me as a person. With that said, it is tough out here to stay on the normal grind that I would in the states. That is because here in Czech we only play on the weekends, usually just one double header, and then we practice a couple times a week. You see, out here in Europe, or at least Czech, they love baseball but from what I have gathered in my experience thus far is that it is not about being a professional baseball player(they don't get paid to play here, only the imports get paid), it is about playing and trying to be the best team in the country. There are only 8 teams in the whole country! It almost feels like it is more for pride than anything else.

As you may be able to imagine, the level of competition out here is not even close to that of the states. It is easy to see why considering the circumstances of the frequency of practice and games; they just don't play as much here so they improve their game at a much slower pace. There are still a couple pretty decent players around the league, but the majority of the guys here wouldn't be able to even sniff making an independent ball club in the states let alone get an affiliated job. Nevertheless, this experience is great and I am very thankful to be here. I feel quite fortunate to have gotten this opportunity to come to the Czech Republic and get a taste of what European Baseball is about. It is not exactly the same level of play in all countries out here, but the model of play as well as the scheduling are similar throughout the baseball playing countries of Europe.

In this blog, I always try to come back to and write about "Being a Better Pitcher"  as well as a better person. I enjoy sharing how my state of mind evolves in real time as I see new places and experience this game in different capacities. I aspire to give back to young players that want to continue playing the game for as long as they can and use it to experience more of the world. Baseball has been a means of travel currency for me over my now 6 pro seasons playing the game, and I plan on continuing to use it to help me soak up the world. There is so much more in this world to offer us baseball players that goes far beyond just making it to the big leagues. The big leagues is still my pinnacle and it is still where I would like to be someday, but given my circumstances in my career I have allowed myself to detach from making every possible decision I can in order to fulfill that goal. My new goal is to use baseball to help me expand my global knowledge, culture, diversity, and experience. My heart told me it was right to leave the Atlantic League in order to pursue this opportunity and it has yet to waiver.

I love this game and I love the intangibles that it has provided me in my life. Even with all that I have had to sacrifice in order to keep playing, everything I have worked for to get to this point has been so worth it and I am full of gratitude for the universe. It continues to watch over me so I will continue to give back to it and for that I will continue to do all that I can to give back to young players so they can get better and hopefully get to experience some of the things the world has shown me.

Til next time, thanks for reading.

Respectfully,
Isaac Hess

Bigger than baseball

Be a better pitcher is about more than just pitching. Pitching is a way for us athletes to harness so much good in this life and world. For me, baseball has been a point of focus that has directed everything in my life towards something positive. Showing up EVEryday and getting my work in makes everything else that is going on in my life seem to fall into place. The more focused I remain on my end goal of making it to the big leagues, the more I achieve in other aspects of my life as well.

In order to be a better pitcher, we need to first concern ourselves with how we go about what we do, and more importantly, why? What is your motivation? What is the reason you sacrifice so much to play this game? Why do you want to be in the big leagues? Is it for the money and the lifestyle that you have heard about? How bad do you want it? What are you willing to do to get there? Some guys are blessed with so much God given ability that they don't even have to think about questions like this. Man, I wouldn't even want that because it would make the whole journey a lot less fruitful and rewarding. Even if I never make it, I will always be thankful for what baseball has taught me. I will always be thankful for its positive presence in my life. Being a better pitcher starts with being a better person. Baseball is the glue that helps us move forward and work towards something that feels bigger than we are. Thats all for now...stay tuned.

-Isaac

Staying positive

Baseball is a very humbling game. It can be very difficult to remain positive at times. I have been struggling this season, but I am keeping perspective and I know that it is a long season. Baseball and pitching is a roller coaster through out a season at times and the key is to stay positive and not let one game get you too high or too low.

The main thing to remember about this game is that it is a marathon and not a sprint. There will be inevitable ups and downs and your main priority needs to be to stay focused and have a short memory when it comes to your last outing. Build off of every pitch and every game. This is easier said than done but when it comes down to the ability to adapt this marathon attitude will benefit you through out your career.

Get better EVEryday.

-Isaac

The value of drinking water for pitchers/athletes

Dehydration, be it minor or major is a factor that constantly affects athletes. It is another fact which I feel is a very overlooked aspect of fitness and performance in sports. Baseball players are some of the worst about this. We often have an array of sodas and sugary juices available in our locker rooms so that is what many of the guys opt for. This is not good!

We should always aim to be drinking at least 90% of the liquid we ingest in the form of good quality WATER! So many parents raise their kids to drink sugary drinks from a young age...please stop doing this parents! You are conditioning us to reach for the soda and be used to its sugary highs and lows. If you can get your young athletes to crave water over soda or even Gatorade, you will help give them an edge. I can tell you that I drink about 1 soda every 3 months just to remind myself how sugary it is...I have taught myself to actually crave Water though!

Over hydration of the body is proper hydration of the body. It is very very hard to drink too much water! I dare you to try! On the other hand, if you can get your young pitchers and athletes to GET IN THE EVERYDAY STATE OF MIND to reach for water, you will help them to make their blood cleaner an their bodies stronger.

Moral of the story...Ditch the soda! Reach for the water! And if you think to yourself..."but water has no flavor!" then just keep it in perspective and think about how many people in the world don't even have access to water on a regular basis. #WeAreSoLucky!

Thanks for reading and getting better EVEryday!

Velocity vs. Command?

This is something that becomes more and more clear to me every game I see from the dugout and every year I play baseball. I am in my 6th professional season of baseball this year and more and more I continue to value my ability to throw strikes over how fast I can throw the ball. I see guys in the Atlantic League dice people up throwing 85. Granted these guys have years and years of experience so they really know how to pitch, but they can get guys out without having to throw extremely hard. So,f you are a young pitcher then please do not consume yourself with just throwing hard.

Don't get me wrong, velocity plays its roll and it is most definitely better to be able to throw 95 with decent command than 85 with great command. Usually that 95 mph guy will succeed more often if he can stay around the zone. Work hard and take care of your arm and get your velocity as good as high as you can, but don't weigh everything on trying to throw 91 instead of 89. Instead focus your concentration and efforts on maximizing your ability to command the fastball and throw your offspeed pitches for strikes consistently. The guy who throws 85 with great command will almost always be more valuable to his team than the guy who throws 95 and doesn't have a clue where it is going.

Usually the guy that throws 85 and pitches to contact will have his defense play better behind him more consistently as well. It never fails, when you walk people your defense inevitably makes more errors because they get frustrated when their pitcher is not being efficient and throwing too many pitches. It's not that they are trying to play bad, but when you go deep into counts consistently on hitters you put your defense on their heals.

Moral of the story is that command defeats velocity over the course of a season and a career. Strikes are more important that mphs!! So make sure you focus on your game and your routine accordingly.

-Isaac

Long Island Duck's Field, Central Islip, NY

Get your mind right, EVEryday!

So you love baseball, you are ready to work hard, and you want to be a better pitcher? Well I'm glad your here. In this blog I aspire to give you tips to constantly improve your game...from the inside out.

They say baseball is 90% and the other half is physical...or something like that. Well, I can tell you that that is an accurate statement. If you believe in yourself and your ability and you think you can compete at the next level, then you better get your mind right.

How do I get my mind right, you ask? You check-in. Check-in with yourself and your purpose. Why are doing this? Is it just because you see that the lifestyle of a big leaguer is full of fame and money and because they get to play a game for a living? If that is the case then you need to step back. All that stuff is good and grand, but it comes with a lot of sacrifice. Most guys that make it to the big leagues sacrifice everything to get there, and all of the guys that I've played with that have big league experience all say it is everything you can dream it up to be and the sacrifice is worth it.

Put yourself ahead of all the other guys out there that think making it to the show is only about physical ability l, because that couldn't be further from the truth. There are a handful of freaks in the league that have amazing god given ability...then there are the truckloads that all have their own stories and paths of how they made it. So check-in all the time, EVEryday. Figure out what makes your blood pump, makes you excited to get out of bed, makes you appreciate that hug from your mom or your girlfriend more. For me, baseball has been the portal in which I have been blessed to use in order to maintain focus in my life. It is what helps me attack my goals with a vigor that is unmatched by anyone else in my realm. Checking in EVEryday has kept me inspired to continue.

Keep checking in with this blog and I will keep providing you with tips on how to become a better pitcher, mentally and physically. I have began with the mental aspect because knowing your purpose and having a strong foundation will make you separate yourself from the pack, regardless of your current level of ability.

Be in tune

In order to be a better pitcher you need to be in tune with your body. The baseball season is long and it is important to check in with what your body is telling you it needs everyday. Sometimes it will tell you it needs rest and others it will tell you that you need to push hard and get as much work in as you can. The key to being a better pitcher is to focus on your body and always, always listen to it.

There will be times where your ego will want to take over and override what your body is telling you. Through out your time and experience in this game you will continue to refine your ability to listen to what your body needs.

The 3 main keys to take from this post in order to be a better pitcher are as follows:

1) listen to your body everyday. It will tell you what you need to do that day

2) always push as hard as you can when you go to put your work and throwing in, but don't let your ego get you injured

3) continue to work towards achieving a balance between mind, body, and ego in order to get the most out of your body and ultimately bring you the highest level of success on the mound.

First things first

The first thing an most important thing to being a consistent and quality pitcher is an ability to respond to adversity. It doesn't matter how good your mechanics or velocity are if you don't know how to react to things when they aren't going your way. A good tool that I use to maintain focus throughout the bad times in a given game is to pick a spot in the outfield that is your "regrouping" or "focus" place. This season I have been picking the biggest "P" I can found on an advertisement in the outfield. I look for a P to represent Power. It may be a little corny but it has been helping me slow the game down when it speeds up on me, and I think it is a great tactic to reset.

In this blog my goal is to give you information on what it takes to be a better pitcher mentally, physically, mechanically, and all the other intangibles that go into what it takes to be the best pitcher you can possibly be. The game of baseball is very synonymous with life in just about every aspect involved. Responding to failure, staying focused on your goals day by day, month by month, and season by season are just a couple of the ways that baseball parallels with life. This game has been one that has taught me a lot about myself and I am thankful for what it has given me. I look forward to sharing some of the positive things I have learned with everyone out there so that you can be a better pitcher.