INTRODUCTION
THE MANY DIMENSIONS OF THE MENTAL GAME OF BASEBALL
Baseball is a mental game. Just ask players and coaches who have participated in the game for any length of time and they will agree wholeheartedly. Having been involved with professional baseball myself for 30 years, I, too, recognize and respect this statement.
There are many dimensions that make baseball a mental game. Examples include: (a) coming to terms with the high rates of personal failure, requiring the player to confront competitive realities like making more outs than hits; (b) paying attention to what matters in the moment, pitch to pitch; (c) coping with the demands of competing, especially during pressure game situations; (d) dealing productively with teammates; (e) managing the expectations of others; and (f) being an accurate self-evaluator of one’s performance.
Furthermore, as a mental game, baseball presents daily challenges and obstacles to the player, which can be springboards for the development of his three (3) basic personal assets: (1) Thoughts—how the player thinks about himself as a performer and as a professional, on and off the baseball diamond; (2) Emotions--- how the player responds to the ups and downs experiences of the game and remains on an even emotional keel; and (3) Actions--- how the player prepares, proceeds , and makes adjustments before, during, and after practices and games.
Mental skills are specific skills that allow the player to use his thoughts, emotions, and actions in productive ways. Mental skills are specific and purposeful to development and performance of players. When effectively applied, mental skills can help a player to be more consistent at maintaining such states as perspective, motivation, confidence, emotional intensity, focus, composure, and accountability, thereby leading to and enhancing performance.
The current issue of Baseball Observer is a very important one: It addresses mental skills in baseball by means of a range of carefully selected and invited articles--- written by coaches, consultants, and researchers. Bob Tewksbury, a former major league pitcher and currently a mental skills coach for the San Francisco Giants, provides guidelines for players for establishing productive routines. Also, Bob presents information in an article about perception and performance in pitching. Furthermore, you will learn from consultant, Trevor Ragan, about the notion of mindset and its fixed and growth versions. In addition, Coach Matt Helke presents wide-ranging and practical material about self-motivation, relaxation, and visualization, including the importance of using proper linguistics with respect to these skills. Moreover, Diamyn Hall, a mental skills development coach with Wright State Baseball, discusses adversity in baseball and how to approach it in a professional manner, no matter the circumstances. Furthermore, Dr. Sarah McKay, a neuroscientist, summarizes relevant research that can inform players about how to break bad habits, while replacing them with good ones, with an emphasis on the use of mental imagery to strengthen neural circuitry. Finally, I offer an article about the notion of simplexity and how coaches and players can use that notion to make sense of the complex, while keeping things simple for players, as well as a systems framework for coordinating mental skills, life skills, and behavioral health services in professional and collegiate baseball settings .
Baseball Observer has been a publication that has provided quality and real time knowledge about the sport and game of baseball, since its inception a few years ago. Within that context, I expect that the material, which is contained in this special issue of the publication, will be informative to you in your roles as baseball coach, support staff member, executive, or player.
Dr. Charlie Maher
Sport and Performance Psychologist
Senior Director, Department of Personal and Organizational Performance
Cleveland Indians Baseball Organization
Helke presents practical material about self-motivation, relaxation, and visualization, including the importance of using proper linguistics with respect to these skills. Furthermore, Dr. Sarah McKay, a neuroscientist, summarizes relevant research that can inform players about how to break bad habits, while replacing them with good ones, with an emphasis on the use of mental imagery to strengthen neural circuitry. Finally, I offer an article about the notion of simplexity and how coaches and players can use that notion to make sense of the complex, while keeping things simple for players.
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The Baseball Observer - Mental Skills Issue