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We're excited to welcome Colorado Rockies pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez to the latest podcast. In this episode, Chi Chi talks about being a late bloomer, and how he developed in college to become a first-round pick in the MLB Draft. He discusses how he prepares as both a starter and reliever, and highlights the key differences in how he approaches the different pitches in his arsenal.
A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you’ll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.



Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I’d encourage you to give it a shot, too – especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome retired MLB pitcher and current Hall-of-Fame candidate Billy Wagner to this week's podcast. We cover a range of topics, including how Billy was overlooked during recruiting/scouting; how he developed elite arm speed; and what training techniques were key for his durability. With him now involved in the coaching realm, Billy comments on the status quo and direction of the game, and reflects on the adjustments he's made to transition from player to coach/mentor.
A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 20-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.



Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today - 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) - with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I'd encourage you to give it a shot, too - especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome physical therapist Mike Reinold to this week's podcast. Mike has extensive experience working with baseball players. In this episode, we take on two controversial topics in the world of managing throwers: the sleeper stretch and weighted baseballs. Mike and I collaborate to discuss whether they belong in your training and rehabilitation programs, and if so, how?
In lieu of a sponsor for this podcast, we're instead going to highlight our Functional Stability Training sale that's ongoing. Through this Sunday at midnight, you can get 25% off on this popular series with coupon code MLB2020EC at www.FunctionalStability.com.



Show Outline
- Why baseball players lose internal rotation in their throwing shoulder
- Why professionals should care more about total range of motion at the shoulder as opposed to just ER vs. IR
- How Mike teaches professionals to assess shoulder range of motion and what common mistakes are being made when testing for this information
- How clinical research has progressed our understanding of the loss of IR in throwing shoulders and how previous notions (such as a thickening of the posterior capsule) could not be further from the truth
- Why giving baseball players more internal rotation may not be the answer for building healthy arms and why this strategy may cause more harm than good in throwing populations
- What Mike’s thoughts on the sleeper stretch are and how his perspective on the drill have evolved since the beginning of his career
- What is happening mechanically at the shoulder joint during the sleeper stretch
- What the true occurrence of internal rotation deficit cases in Mike’s practice is and how he goes about resolving the issue
- Why there is so much hype about weighted balls and how can we implement them safely in athletes’ throwing programs
- What Mike’s research demonstrated with respect to weighted balls and what insights can we gain from Mike’s breakdown of the study and its execution
- What specific physical adaptations throwing weighted balls creates and how the weight of the balls thrown impacts these outcomes
- What immediate physical changes throwing weighted balls creates and how these changes may increase the risk for injury
- Why athletes need to be well-trained and prepared to withstand the stress of throwing weighted balls before looking to push the limits of their physiology
- How injuries in baseball have evolved from repetitive to traumatic and why the next generation of baseball is in danger
- Why the answer for the abuse of arms across baseball calls for the education of coaches and how we can continue to find the right balance in throwing volume, frequency, and intensity for our athletes
You can follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeReinold and on Instagram at @MikeReinold, and learn more about Functional Stability Training at www.FunctionalStability.com. Again, the coupon code for 25% off is MLB2020EC.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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For this week's podcast, in lieu of a guest, I'm going to do a Q&A on a collection of baseball training questions that were submitted by listeners.
A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 20-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.



Questions Covered
- What are the best kinds of recovery drills for after pitching?
- With the lost 2020 season, how should NCAA pitchers adjust their throwing and training preparation for 2021?
- Do you have any advice for a strength and conditioning coach who is looking to work specifically with baseball players?
- Should the strength and conditioning program for high school baseball focus on sport-specific exercises or compound exercises?
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today - 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) - with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I'd encourage you to give it a shot, too - especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Lindblom to this week's podcast. Josh speaks about his path to the big leagues, his time pitching in Korea, and how his expansive pitch mix came about.
A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 20-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.



Show Outline
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today - 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) - with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I'd encourage you to give it a shot, too - especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino to this week's podcast. Lou is an awesome story of a minor league breakout player who quickly became an impact player at the MLB level.
A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Rawlings. We’re ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and they’ve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and you’ll receive 20% off on your order. Certain items are excluded, but there’s still a ton of great baseball training gear to make you a better player and coach.



Show Outline
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Well, we have some good news for you. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and you’ll save 20% off your order! This offer is only valid on select items, but there’s a ton of great gear you’ll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now!

Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome St. Louis Cardinals second baseman and 2019 Gold Glove Award Winner Kolten Wong to this week's podcast.
A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Rawlings. We’re ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and they’ve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and you’ll receive 20% off on your order. Certain items are excluded, but there’s still a ton of great baseball training gear to make you a better player and coach.



Show Outline
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Well, we have some good news for you. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and you’ll save 20% off your order! This offer is only valid on select items, but there’s a ton of great gear you’ll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now!

Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We’re excited to welcome Auburn University head coach Butch Thompson to this week’s podcast for a multi-faceted discussion that covers rising through the college coaching ranks; transitioning from a pitching to head coach; managing submarine/sidearm pitchers; analyzing fear; building a winning culture; assisting families through the recruiting process; and reflecting on the unprecedented times in the current baseball world.
This week, in lieu of a sponsor, I just wanted to pass along a friendly reminder that Cressey Sports Performance is now offering online consultations for baseball players who can't make it to our facilities. For more information, click here.



Show Outline
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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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
This episode is brought to you by Marc Pro, a cutting-edge EMS device that uses patented technology to create non-fatiguing muscle activation. Muscle activation with Marc Pro facilitates each stage of the body’s natural recovery process- similar to active recovery, but without the extra effort and muscle fatigue. Athletes can use it for as long as they need to ensure a more full and quick recovery in between training or games. With its portability and ease of use, players can use Marc Pro while traveling between games or while relaxing at home. Players and trainers from every MLB team - including over 200 pro pitchers - use Marc Pro. Put Marc Pro to the test for yourself with their new "Try Before you Buy" program, and use promo code CRESSEY at checkout at www.MarcPro.com for 10% off on your order.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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We're excited to welcome Seattle Mariners pitcher Justin Dunn to this week's podcast. A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 20-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.



Show Outline
- How Justin transformed from a 5-foot, 100-pound high school freshman into an MLB draft pick by his senior year
- How being a late bloomer affected his college recruiting process
- How developing size and strength took Justin from a 70 mph arm into the mid 90s arm he is today
- How following a structured training program allowed Justin to make the most of his natural athleticism
- Why Justin decided to attend Boston College instead of immediately entering pro ball out of high school
- How Justin made the transition from closer to starter
- Why Justin has always been a big proponent of long toss
- How promoting athleticism in his throwing motion and remaining free and loose with his arm action through long toss has helped Justin
- How Justin has learned to listen to his arm, manage his workload throughout his career, and make adjustments to his throwing routine whether throwing as a reliever or a starter
- How Justin manages soreness and tightness following a day of heavy throwing
- What differentiated Justin as a college junior that led him to be a first round draft pick out of BC
- Why throwing a changeup gave Justin trouble as he progressed into his starting role at BC and how establishing a routine of throwing his change up in catch play allowed him to develop and master this pitch
- How Justin initially learned to throw his slider and what his thought process is when throwing it nowadays to keep it consistent
- How simplifying his process on the mound and mastering his secondary pitches have allowed him to become the big leaguer he is today
- As a young big leaguer, what key competencies is Justin working to develop to ensure his longevity in the show
- How becoming immersed in the daily routine of Major League Baseball and learning from the experienced players around him will help him become a mainstay in a big league rotation
- What Justin’s pre-bullpen routine is and how he structures his bullpens
- Who Justin loved to watch dominate as a pitcher growing up and who he likes to watch now
You can follow Justin on Twitter at @Dunn_Deal19 and on Instagram at @Dunn_Deal35.
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today - 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) - with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I'd encourage you to give it a shot, too - especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
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LEARN
HOW TO
DEADLIFT
- Avoid the most common deadlifting mistakes
- 9 - minute instructional video
- 3 part follow up series
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