MLB offseason no longer a time to rest

In 1970 we played at Tinker Field in Orlando. You had 60 guys playing on one field and another half-field across the street. We had two hitting cages down the right field line. If it rained, you just went home. And we didn’t have a weight room, just some dumbbells in the training room. Nowadays guys get ready on the field, do all the workouts required as a team, then they go to the weight room. They put a lot more time into their bodies, thanks in part to the facilities.

We never lifted weights like they do now. In fact, I’m still not a fan of weight lifting for pitchers, at least not for the upper body. Lifting is good for the legs and abs, but for the upper body a pitcher should focus on elasticity, in my opinion.

IT STILL TAKES DEDICATION
Players today are in better shape, as they have more money and time to focus on conditioning. But it still takes a certain dedication to improve as a ballplayer. Every player should know what works best for him to prepare for the season.

Despite having to work in the offseason, I still worked out and dedicated myself to the upcoming season. Every year I would tell myself I’d go into camp in the best shape in my life. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid injuries. I wanted to be able to start the season strong, to be able to go nine innings on Day 1. I would look at my failures more than my successes and think “how can I improve, how can I learn from my mistakes? What can I do to avoid injuries?”

When I came to camp, I studied established pitchers like Jim Kaat and Jim Perry. Wherever they went, whatever they did, I tried to follow. If they ran 20 laps, I would try to run 22.

I grew up in Southern California so there were always guys available to play with in the offseason. I’d pitch against high school of college kids, in scout leagues, pretty much pitching year round. I knew what I needed to do. This sort of thing is a lot more common nowadays.

If you’re a young guy, you have to be 100 percent ready to go for camp. You want to make an impression right off the bat so if the team needs a player later they will think of calling you up. That happened to me in 1970. Twins manager Bill Rigney fell in love with me as I came to camp physically ready. I left a good impression, and when they needed a pitcher in June of that season, I got the call.

You just know what you have to do. You might sacrifice going out with the buddies, or going out to parties. You know you have to get up early in the morning to run, your mindset is to get ready for spring.

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