I'm nobody.

Due to shoulder problems, experienced due to poor pitching mechanics, I never played baseball beyond grade school.

And I have helped multiple clients, incuding...

• Andres Torres
• Tommy Pham
• Mark Trumbo

...make it to and then stick in the big leagues or reach never before seen levels of performance.

Most recently, in order to test, develop, and improve what I teach about hitting, from February 2016 through March 2017 I worked as the (volunteer) hitting coordinator for HSSU.

On the pitching side, I'm working on a comprehensive analysis of the pitching mechanics of Justin Verlander and how he creates velocity.

This study has been in progress since March 2016 when I tweeted that.

Who I Am And How I Got Here

In June of 2008 I concluded my second year of consulting with a cross checker for the New York Mets. The goal was to identify pitchers with problematic mechanics who should either be avoided or regarded with caution.

It was interesting work.

I know a number of other scouts, coaches, and others in other major league baseball organizations who are interested in my ideas and who follow my work. I also get calls of encouragement every month or so from major league scouts and coaches who want to let me know that they were impressed by my work.

While I don't work or consult for an MLB team any more, I continue to evaluate the mechanics of pitchers on Twitter @thepainguy. I have also collected many of my predictions on The List.

Dr. Mike Marshall

I will be the first to admit that, when I first got started, I was influenced by the work of Dr. Marshall and his approach and his ideas. However, because of some concerns I have about possible shoulder injuries experienced by his pitchers, and the fact that Dr. Marshall does not advocate hip/shoulder separation, I do not advocate Dr. Marshall's pitching mechanics.

Having said that, I am a big believer in his ideas about pronating every pitch, limiting the reverse-rotation of the shoulders, not leaving the Pitching Arm Side (PAS) foot behind on the rubber, and being a fanatic about conditioning.

My beliefs about Dr. Marshall's ideas are consistent with the views of a couple of people who work at the Major League level and who are also familiar with Dr. Marshall's ideas.

My Approach

Let me now say a few things about my approach to coaching and evaluating pitchers.

When evaluating pitchers, I try to do so relative to two groups of people...

• Major leaguers who had long, generally injury-free careers (e.g. Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Greg Maddux).
• Major leaguers who had short, injury-plagued careers (e.g. Mark Prior, B.J. Ryan, and Bobby Madritsch).

I look at a player's pitching mechanics and then see what major league player's motion(s) they resemble. If they look like Nolan Ryan or Justin Verlander, than that's a good thing. If they look like Mark Prior, then that's a problem.

This approach is very different than the one that others use, some of whom evidently involve comparing everyone to the person they believe has the ideal mechanics: Mark Prior. I view this as at least curious and potentially dangerous given Prior's history of injuries.

I believe that it is better (and safer) to compare pitchers to people like Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, and others who had long, successful, and generally injury-free careers.

You Make The Call

If you think the above qualifies me to evaluate and coach pitchers and hitters, then read on and/or feel free to contact me. If not, then have a nice day.