Chapter 8 chapter eight

In the ten days leading up to Game 1, the Angels have improved far more in the final three practices than either Bill or I could have dared predict.Of all the sports, I'm sure most coaches spend the most time trying to improve their players' skills.Our challenge is to teach the basic skills of catching, batting, and base running, as well as the rules of the game, to lively and energetic teenagers. If children of their age can concentrate on any one thing for more than five minutes, they are What an achievement. In each practice session, the first hour was devoted to batting and running, and the second hour was spent catching and reviewing the rules of the game.On the day of the fourth practice, first of all, I asked Todd.Stevenson, Paul.Taylor, Charles.Barrio and Justin.Nurnberg came in 30 minutes early to practice passing and catching with Bill or me first, to strengthen their arms so they could better evaluate their potential.Todd is naturally the team's ace pitcher, there is no doubt about it, and the other three compete with each other for the order of pitching rotation.Bill said that Taylor and Barrio each took at least one winning shot in the last season, and Nurnberg also worked hard to practice shooting, which should not be underestimated.

During batting practice, Bill and I shared the work of pitching. One of us slowly threw the ball into the home plate, while the other stood on the far right of the batter, constantly making suggestions and corrections to the batter, from asking the child to try Hit another probably better shot, to adjust their stance farther or closer to home plate, or demonstrate how to make the strides equally fluid during the swing, rather than holding the bat against the Pounce with the ball.The Bills asked for a muscular third baseman, Paul A.Taylor tries to keep his feet shoulder-width apart.The batting position became more comfortable and secure, and Paul, already eager and excited, began swinging deep fly balls over the walls of center and left field.The shortstop class with smooth defensive movements on the team.Rodgers, the bat keeps swinging down every pitch and it either misses the ball or drives it into the dirt.We were amazed that an infielder who was so good defensively looked so awkward in the strike zone at home plate.Bill and I figured out how to keep the shoulders and hips on the same height as the left and right sides of the left and right sides of the quiet, unsmiling boy before he swung.After a while, the number of times the kid hit the ball increased a lot.After he hit three long hits in a row toward center and left field, I hit one of my pitches and he hit it solid, and I watched the ball go toward the left field sideline until it came out of the fence at least ten feet.The dour Ben ran slowly past me toward the outfield, a genuine smile on his face.

In order to achieve as much effect as possible in the limited time, we also tried to combine the training of running and catching the ball. Run as hard as you can.In addition, the basic essentials of bunting are also strengthened, and the running speed of all players is measured again and again with a stopwatch. We not only need to know how fast they run from home plate to first base, but also how fast they run from first base to second base. To be measured.Little Anthony.Zulo and Todd.Stevenson was undoubtedly the fastest scud on the team. As for catcher Kimball running from first base to second base, it took him a long time to get to second base.Murphy said his speed was too slow to live up to the chariot nickname.

The last 30 minutes of each practice session is to review the rules of the game.We knew that it would be impossible to cover all the provisions of the entire sixty-four-page Little League Statutes and Rules of the Game, but we did as much as we could, covering situations that we thought would happen again and again, such as Why should we avoid being hit by bouncing balls when running the bases, when can or cannot leave the bases once it is safe to get on the bases, especially what kind of behavior should we have when facing the audience, players and referees, the behavior is against the rules What kind of punishment will you get.

Of course, at this time, I have one more activity that helps to occupy my mind and spend more time: After the regular practice of the whole team, Timothy and I will do one-on-one practice.After the third team practice, I made a suggestion for extra practice, and he immediately agreed, which surprised and moved me. The next afternoon, the two of us were alone in the quiet player rest area for the first time and had a long talk . Timothy, have you always played baseball? He was sitting on a bench very close to me, his legs so short they couldn't touch the ground.He stared down at his dangling feet for several minutes, then slowly shook his head and replied: No.My dad used to be in the army, and the family lived for a long time near Berlin, Germany, where all the kids played football.I like football, but I can't play it well.Can't run fast enough.We moved back to America last year and settled here in Brantown, but not long after, my dad left us and never came back, and my mother was very sad.Later she divorced.

Just like on the phone earlier, Timothy spoke in a flat, emotionless monotone that sounded almost like a toy robot.My father is far away.All right, let me tell you the truth.Let's stop talking about this in the future. So you've been playing baseball for about a year, right? He nodded vigorously, pushing back a few strands of blond hair that had slipped out of his old baseball cap, and a smile appeared on his face.Then he straightened his small chest, kicked his legs forward, raised his fists with both hands above his head, and shouted loudly: But, day after day, in every level, I will improve more and more!

What did you say?I gasped. Day after day, on every level, I am getting better and better! I couldn't believe what I heard.This is impossible!I took a few breaths, trying to calm myself down, wondering how the child could repeat exactly what was once an extremely important and powerful sentence in my life.One of the most powerful and positive things for me during my youthful years climbing the corporate ladder was the introduction by the French therapist Émile Emile.A small book by Emile Coue at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Self-Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion.Coue believes that he can help others overcome almost any affliction, from serious illness to negativity, as long as they learn to give themselves positive and healthy advice over and over again.Couet eventually became a great figure, a cult figure, and his lectures attracted thousands in England and America in the early twentieth century.The masses listen attentively, believing that it is really possible to escape the pain and injury in life as long as they keep repeating the positive goals and desires in their minds.The results of this Frenchman's efforts are best demonstrated by his most famous self-affirmation: Day after day, in every level, I will improve more and more!Time and time again, day after day, millions of people repeat it aloud to themselves, and I do the same after I found it in a leather-bound booklet in some second-hand bookstore.This powerful statement of self-affirmation works for me.The main reason is that I believe this sentence.It keeps me optimistic and hopeful.Despite temporary setbacks, my mentality is always positive.I know things will get better tomorrow.I am important!I will succeed!While holding negative thoughts, I have to find a way to shout to the world and myself that day after day, on every level, I will improve more and more! , the two are almost impossible to hold simultaneously.

It was a long time before the Great Depression hit when the Cuetis and his frenzy of self-suggestion faded, as all pioneers in the fields of medicine and psychology were treated, and so did Cuetis. criticize.However, from personal experience, I know that positive thinking embedded in the subconscious mind through self-suggestion repeated aloud or whispered produces positive results, and my favorite line is that day after day , at every level, I will improve more and more! Timothy, I finally asked after closing my mouth and taking another deep breath, where did you learn that? He frowned and gave me a suspicious look.At last he spoke: Learned it from Dr. Magcenture.He is a good man.I am very old, but whenever my mother and I are sick, he always takes care of us.The last time I saw him, he was playing catch with me, and he told me that if I keep saying this, many times a day, I'll improve in everything I do, even in baseball.Sometimes, he would come to see me practice.

oh?Is he here today too? Here we come.He sat alone in the seat behind first base.Today he's wearing a cowboy hat and waving at me.He has a white beard. Did he teach you any other maxims? Timothy nodded, puffed out his small chest, and said. ．Never ever ever never never never give up! I have also heard this sentence.Winston.Winston Churchill's famous speech to the graduating class at the graduation ceremony of Oxford University one year.Fifteen words, fifteen powerful words.Having said this, the great man turned away from the audience and walked slowly back to his seat. Timothy, do you believe this statement?Should one never give up?

He nods.I never give up. For the first one-on-one practice, we focused on Timothy's striking moves.I stood next to him, also holding the bat, and asked him to imitate my stance and swing.The effect is even better than I expected.After about ten minutes of practice, I started feeding him the ball and correcting any deviations in his stance or stroke.After a while, Timothy was swinging the bat at a horizontal angle while stepping slightly in my direction and maintaining his balance.He hasn't hit the ball a lot, but I can see his confidence is growing and he seems to be enjoying the practice sessions.We also spent some time on bunting, and although he had trouble turning his turns and keeping his arms relaxed, I eventually managed to keep him squatting low and knees bent until he hit a few decent shots. A sideline bunt at third base.

That night, I called Bill from home.Are you okay?He asked quickly, with unconcealable concern in his tone. It's okay for now. How about that little angel? good.good.he will improve What? nothing.Bill, I want to know, do you know this doctor in town named Mason? Everyone knows him, John.The old Dr. Maccenture has been practicing here for a long time.He was a big shot at Johns Hopkins University. After retiring, he came to our town of Bran to plant a few tomato plants and play golf, that's what he told everyone.Later, the only doctor in Bran Town moved to Seattle, and the health of the townspeople was left unattended. Therefore, the old gentleman decided to relist his license and became the savior of Bran Town.In order to visit sick children and elderly people, he even went to the house to see a doctor.Why did you ask him?What's the matter, John?Do you need to see a doctor? No, no.Timothy mentioned this kind doctor to me.He seems to be a very special person.According to Timothy, I guess he even came to see us practice a few times. I figured he was the one sitting in the high seat behind first base with an old hat on his head.When we were busy teaching football, we never really thought about who he was.I didn't expect him to take the time to watch Little League practice teams practice. Timothy said the doctor had come to see him. Well, because almost everyone in the team is delivered by him, and so are other teams in the league. I guess he is also taking care of every child when he comes to the game.What an amazing person!He must be nearing ninety, but he still has a way of hitting the golf ball far, trust me. The last two practices, Timothy and I focused on catching and running.With the fly, at first I just toss the ball in the air and instruct him to catch it with both hands above his head.After he'd caught about a dozen of these upflips, I grabbed a bat and had him stand on the front edge of center field, and I started swinging soft lobs.He seemed to spend too much time figuring out where the ball was in flight before moving toward it.I don't know if there is any problem with his eyesight, but he claimed to have had an eye exam at school in May, and the inspector told him that his eyesight was normal.Is it possible that there is something wrong with his reflexes?I am not sure.Plus, he runs very slowly, whether it's chasing down fly balls or running from one base to the next, and he always has that little face on his face when he's running. Desperate expression.Finally, I asked him: Timothy, does it hurt when you run? No, he gasped.I've been trying to get my legs to run faster, but I just can't get up.It's bound to get faster though, just wait and see.It's bound to get faster.I never give up never!I will run faster! After the last practice before the season, each player received a set of official Angels gray jerseys with a large dark blue letter A on the left chest of the shirt.The caps and socks are also dark blue. When Bill handed the boxes containing the jerseys to the players one by one, he said that he hoped that the size he measured for everyone was correct. I was packing the bat and ball into the duffel bag when I noticed Timothy standing nearby.Timothy, what's the matter? Mr. Harding, thank you very much for helping me so much.My mother also wants me to thank you on her behalf.I know I've improved a lot now.He grinned, and went on to say: Day after day, day after day I smiled and held out my hand.Good luck to you all season long.Believe me, you will do very well. He nodded eagerly.I wanted to pull him into my arms the way I hugged Rick before. Good night, Mr. Harding. Good night, Timothy.Don't forget, Game 1 is next Tuesday at five o'clock in the afternoon against the Yankees.Get here before four forty-five. I stood and watched until the boy on a bicycle turned the corner and out of my sight.Then I went back to the rest area and sat until the sky turned dark for a long time, praying to God for the strength to persevere