In this clip I talk about noticing the trigger. On the field, a borderline call or a swing you wish you had back can trigger a rushed decision on the next pitch. Start a live round in a two-strike count. After a tough pitch, ask the hitter to reset and recommit to their plan. When the round ends, ask what they saw on the next pitch and how they chose to respond. Grade the decision separately from the outcome. What situation tends to pull your hitters away from their plan? — Coach JT

Dr. Heber C. Crockett’s research, covered during the 2000 College World Series, described differences in the shoulders of professional pitchers. It wasn’t a study of how much a high school pitcher should throw. For that decision, I want current age-specific guidance and a complete picture of the athlete’s week. Here’s the situation: school game Tuesday, lesson Thursday, showcase Saturday. Who knows about all three? Decide who confirms game counts and required rest, and who flags additional throwing sessions before anyone commits the player to a start. If the other staff has different rules, agree on the plan before the weekend instead of negotiating in the dugout. Travel and high school coaches, what’s worked for you when the same athlete is on two staffs’ pitching plans? — Coach JT Archive: Doug Thomas, “New Twist Offered on Pitching,” Omaha World-Herald, June 13, 2000. Dr. Heber C. Crockett and colleagues’ published baseball study. MLB Pitch Smart

Ira Rosen’s message about follow-up made me think of a postgame conversation that ends with “we’ve got to execute better.” What exactly are we going to see at Tuesday’s practice that tells us we followed through? Pick one situation, like a runner on second with nobody out. Ask the hitter what they saw and what their plan was. At the next practice, recreate the situation with a live pitcher and a runner. Check the hitter’s decision against the pitch they got, then give them another rep. Now the debrief has a place to go, and you can see whether the adjustment holds at game speed. Travel and high school baseball coaches: what’s one play from your last game you’d put back on the field this week? — Coach JT Source: Ira Rosen, The Daily Mojo Day 2: How To Follow Up

Ira Rosen’s point about owning the day made me think about hitters who give away a pitch because they’re still replaying the last one. For a travel or high school hitter, being a badass might look like stepping back in at 0–2 with a plan instead of trying to get the whole at-bat back in one swing. Start a live round at 0–2. Give the hitter time to choose their approach, and let the pitcher compete. After a tough pitch, watch whether the hitter resets and makes a decision on the pitch they actually see. In the debrief, ask what they committed to and what they’d carry into a game. A quality decision deserves attention even when the ball finds a glove. What game situation exposes hesitation on your team? How do you recreate it at practice? — Coach JT Inspiration: Ira Rosen on The Daily Mojo (Mojo Global)

Travel and high school coaches, I’d start your winter plan with something you remember from the first games last spring. Maybe your infielders were clean in warmups but rushed the transfer with a runner going. Maybe your hitters looked good in the cage and then chased the high pitch they’d never practiced taking. Pick one thing you want to see change and build backward. I like starting with a high tee to work on firm contact on an upper-zone strike. Then I’d move to a mixed-location round where the hitter has to decide whether to swing. Give them a count or a job for the at-bat. A tee lets you isolate contact; the next round should ask them to read a pitch and make a decision. On defense, get the throwing motion and footwork repeatable first. Work quick picks out in front, secure the short hop, and move through it. Then vary the angle or pace and let a coach call the base late enough for the player to have to listen and adjust. Track the clean decision and the catch-to-throw sequence along with whether the throw reached its target. Take the same cues outside when you get back on dirt. What’s one play you’re building backward from this winter? Tell us how you go from the basic rep to the game situation. If you have a short clip of the progression, put it in the comments. — Coach JT