Runners at 2nd & 3rd. Infield in. Winning run at 2nd with 1 out and their closer on the mound. FB 96-98. SL 86-88. SP 83-86. What's the optimal path? The answer isn't in a spreadsheet. It's in your hands, your eyes, and every at-bat you've ever had leading up to that moment. Something to think about while you're working. Because optimal is subjective. And winning the moment is key.

The commentator gives better context to what I mean. That ball is in the air a long time. A ML OF'r should catch that ball. Is catch probability more based on Athleticism? Because a lack of athleticism/care would be the only thing keeping a RF'r from catching that.

The Death of Baseball IQ The game is over and we need to talk about why we took an L and why half of you are going to go home open your phones and completely miss the point. We have an absolute epidemic in amateur baseball right now. Players who are chasing metrics but losing ballgames. You’ve been trained to believe that if your exit velocity is up, your launch angle is perfect, and your radar gun numbers look good on a screen. You’re an elite prospect. Let me tell you the truth. You are training for a spreadsheet while the team is trying to win a game on the dirt. Data builds a great engine but tools don't mean a thing if you have zero Baseball IQ. The 3 Lefts Metrics Audit The Situational Deficit: In the cage a 95 mph exit velo is a perfect rep. In a live game with a runner on second, zero outs, and a tie score in the 6th. The definition of success changes. If you take a massive, heavy-pull hero swing to juice your personal data profile and roll over into a weak groundout. You failed. You chose to chase a metric instead of executing the backside approach the scoreboard demanded. The Invisible Play Deficit: You can’t put a radar gun on a perfectly executed cutoff throw. There is no viral metric for an outfielder running 60 feet just to back up first base or an infielder communicating who has the bag on a steal before the pitch is thrown. Because those high IQ defensive plays don't generate a flashy stat line for social media. You treat them like afterthoughts. That is exactly why we give up runs. The Scout Card Reality: You’re on the bus right now refreshing apps looking at a padded batting average. Let’s be real high level college recruiters and pro scouts don't care about your digital box score or what a local app says you're batting. They see right through it. They are watching how you handle a 95-mph fastball inside, your pitch recognition on a 3-2 slider, and your in game instincts. The screen might lie to protect your feelings but the radar gun and the scout's notebook won't. Data can build the engine but it cannot steer the car. The college game moves way too fast for slow thinkers. If your energy, your hustle, and your focus change depending on your personal metrics instead of the team's record. You aren't a competitor. You're just a data collector wearing our jersey. Turn off the screens. Learn the game. Own the standard. #3LeftsBaseball #CoachBigMike

Let everybody else debate. You do what feels real. There's people that insist that what the greats are telling you they did isn't real. Here's the thing. If it gets real results, there is no "vs." That's not a debate. That's just the way it is. The guys who did it know exactly what I'm talking about. The ones who didn't.... well, they'll keep debating. Go be effective. Feathers are meant to be ruffled in baseball. Ask Randy Johnson.

If you're a ballplayer, especially a former one... you'll feel this one.

Exit Velo = Opportunity Exit Velo ≠ Hits Opportunity ≠ Permanent --------------------------- Hits -> Runs Runs -> Wins Wins = Permanent Hit the ball hard. But learn how to hit.

A 14-year-old asked me if his at bat was a hit or an error. He was on base, down 2 runs. The answer shouldn't have mattered. But it did. Check out my latest article below: Context is The Metric: A Game of Selfish Statistics

What good is video analysis of a swing without knowing the situation? The swing doesn't make the hitter. The hitter makes the swing. My thoughts and experience. gogogolson.wordpress.com/202…

What does experience playing at the pro level represent? How does it translate to helping teams in a new era? gogogolson.wordpress.com/202…

Some say that I have a terrible marketing plan… I tell guys my job is to get them so good at what they do that they don’t need me anymore. That’s right. I’m not here to create dependency. I’m here to create independence. To give them the tools. The clarity. The wisdom. So they can walk into any environment with confidence, trust themselves, and execute at a high level for a long time. If you still need me forever… I didn’t do my job. #GoodBatting

Tom is correct, but what do we know right? Parents have extreme FOMO and think that scouts, front office executives, and D1 coaches care about 8U championship rings. Wait till your kid is 13 before taking the travel ball plunge. Then limit him on how many games/tournaments he plays a year, practice as much as you can, get stronger, and most importantly, give him breaks during the year until he is fully ready to play year around, which is, imo, not until he’s a sophomore in highschool. Don’t burn him out. It’s a real thing. Anyone who has played professionally can tell you how many of their teammates quit when they are in highschool because they played too much at younger years.

HOT TAKE 🔥🔥🔥- if your hitting coach talks about “creating depth in a swing and then demonstrates it with a PVC pipe dumping behind him/her and almost hitting the ground…..RUN…RUN AWAY. Keeps those hands tight my friends! Turn the barrel forward not back!

Sports aren’t supposed to be sunshine and rainbows — it’s competition. You don’t need to be shaking hands during the game. Love this from Cal. Reminds me of when Kobe ran right through Pau Gasol in the Olympics even though they were teammates.