CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Tim Collins

Written on February 19, 2020 at 6:24 am, by Eric Cressey

We’re excited to welcome Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Tim Collins to this week’s podcast. Tim has a great story of not only getting to pro ball, but ascending to the big leagues at the height of 5-7. He’s been a Cressey Sports Performance athlete for 13 years now, so it’s a great discussion of long-term athletic development as well.

A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Marc Pro. Head to www.MarcPro.com and enter the coupon code CRESSEY at checkout to receive 10% off on your order.

Show Outline

How Tim transformed from a 4-7, 82 lb high school freshman into a 5-5, 120 lb MLB high school senior
How deception, great stuff, and dominance on the field earned Tim a draft spot out of high school with the Toronto Blue Jays despite being undersized
How impactful strength training and attention to detail in the kitchen were for Tim’s progression from a low 80s high schooler to a mid 90s pro arm
How Tim navigated minor league baseball as he climbed the ranks of the Jays minor league system
How being exposed to Alan Jaeger’s throwing philosophies in his time with the Blue Jays allowed him to appreciate the value of long toss, build arm speed, and recover adequately between outings
What the average person doesn’t understand about the minor league baseball lifestyle and how most players journey to the big leagues is far more difficult than most can comprehend
How pitching fearlessly and understanding he had nothing to lose propelled Tim through the minors and gave him the consistency he needed to keep advancing through the ranks
What differentiated Tim as a minor leaguer and what he did to “stick” in Major League Baseball
How young talent comprising the Kansas City lineup provided a unique chance for Tim to play a major role in 2011
Why developing a changeup was such an key factor in Tim’s MLB success, and what strategies he implemented to find consistency with this pitch after years of struggles
What mechanical changes Tim made between ’11 and ’12
How Tim developed the ability to spin the baseball and throw an elite curveball
What Tim’s mental cues are when throwing his curveball
After enduring the longest season of his career, a World Series run with the Royals in 2014, why Tim chose to have a nagging hernia repaired and what the implications were for this decision heading into the 2015 season
How recovering from hernia surgery into the 2015 season forced him to have a quick ramp up into 2015, resulting in a torn UCL in his first outing of spring training
After rehabbing for 12 months, why Tim had to undergo a UCL revision surgery
Why Tim quickly learned to appreciate that every rehab is different and how understanding to listen to his body over the experiences of other athletes turned out to be vital to his rehabilitation process the second time through
How Tim’s arm responded to the rigors of professional baseball after being completely out of competition for two years
What struggles Tim faced in 2017 as he climbed through the minor leagues again
What impact Mark Campbell, director of mental conditioning for the Washington Nationals, had on Tim’s return to the big leagues in 2018
What the biggest lessons Tim has learned from his injuries are

Sponsor Reminder

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