How Will You Handle This?

Twins pitcher Glen Perkins had zipped through the Twins
farm system until last year he hit AA. After 13 decisions
at AA, he was 2-11.

I find AA to be the level the big talents can make it to
before they hit "the wall". The mental game wall, where
talent alone is no longer good enough.

All of the sudden everyone on the field has got big talent
and the beauty (and curse) of the game of baseball
blossoms. By that I mean you need all of you -- brains AND
brawn to succeed.

But don't think this is an article just about what happens
to pro players with big talent, there's a huge message here
for players at all levels. I'll get to it at the end of
this message.

For most big talent guys, hitting "the wall" is something
they never quite recover from. Their ego is so big and then
so badly bruised they never make the adjustment to that
next level. They never play with the same sense of magic
they'd always had.

Let's see what happened to Perkins...

Here're a few clips from an article in the St.Paul-Pioneer
Press:
---------------------
A train-wreck start to Perkins' 2006 season might have turned
out to be exactly what the former Gophers All-America left-hander
needed to be ready this year to provide what the Twins need in a
depleted big-league rotation. It doesn't hurt his chances
being left-handed in a projected rotation with only one
other lefty (Johan Santana).

"It's adversity. That's something I hadn't really faced in my career," said
Perkins, who was on a fast track through the Twins system
after he sailed through Class A in 2004 and '05. He
--finished that first full pro season at AA.
[Twins pitching coach Rick Knapp said] "Perkins already was one of
the most talented pitchers the Twins had in the organization
(major or minor leagues), as well as being one of the pitchers
most aware of his ability."

And Knapp agrees that last year's experience has the potential for
channeling both of those traits into a next-level focus this year.

"If you haven't ever experienced any failure ever, you just think
your stuff's good,' Knapp said. "Johan's as good as he is because
he walked a lot of guys in the minor leagues, and then he realized he
didn't have to walk them. And he made the change."

If anything, an extra dose of confidence might go a long way toward winning
a big-league job this spring, especially after traveling
the long and winding road he did in 2006 to finally get to
the big leagues."
-----------------------

Looks like Perkins is on the right path, making the adjustment.

I'm not too surprised, the Twins are a pretty enlightened
organization (I don't know about right now, but for a while
Heads-Up Baseball, the book I co-authored, was required
reading for many players).

How about you?

Are you enlightened? Have you got enough talent to wait
until you get to AA to start working on your mental game?

Actually, most players hit the "wall" much, much earlier
than AA. Like, say, high school. Or perhaps with your
talent level you've been up against that wall since t-ball.

Regardless of your age or talent level, the mental part of
the game is a huge factor. As you reach the limits of your
talent and even hard work advantage, your mental game will
determine if you go forward in baseball or you go play
softball.

Confidence, focus, composure, and the ability to handle
adversity are "tools" you can develop just like you can
develop physical strength, speed, endurance and flexibility.
In other words, you can have you mind be your biggest
weapon for success, or it can be like a 10th player on the
other team playing against you.

With the knowledge available to you right now, you can
choose how you want it to be.

In the February edition of the Baseball Confidence Gym I
lay out for you one of the single most powerful means
available anywhere to super charge you with confidence,
focus and composure.

Get in now and get the full month of Friday emails received
by members only.
www.BaseballConfidence.com/Join.html

In Confidence,

Tom
Dr. Tom Hanson
p.s. you can read the whole Pioneer - Press article here:
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/16569207.htm

But don't just be a reader. Knowledge does you no good. The
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