The hidden side of pitching: life lessons from the National Pitching Association

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THE
HIDDEN
SIDE
OF
PITCHING:

LIFE
LESSONS
FROM
THE
NATIONAL
PITCHING
ASSOCIATION

By

Kira
Elizabeth
Jones

A
Thesis
Presented
to
the

FACULTY
OF
THE
GRADUATE
SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA

In
Partial
Fulfillment
of
the

Requirements
for
the
Degree

MASTER
OF
THE
ARTS

(SPECIALIZED
JOURNALISM)

May
2014

Copyright
2014

Kira
Elizabeth
Jones

ii

Table
of
Contents

Abstract

iii

The
Hidden
Side
of
Pitching

1

Bibliography

13

iii

Abstract

Being
a
professional
pitcher
is
about
so
much
more
than
just
the
physical
act
of

throwing
a
baseball.
Pitchers
must
be
mentally
and
emotionally
stable.
They
must

have
healthy
habits
both
on
and
off
the
field.
They
must
learn
to
deal
with
failure.
All

of
these
things,
and
more,
are
necessary
for
success
at
the
professional
level.
At
the

National
Pitching
Association—founded
by
former
major
league
pitcher
and

pitching
coach
Tom
House—the
coaches
provide
their
athletes
with
more
than
help

with
their
training
and
insights
into
the
biomechanics
of
their
pitching,
they
also

teach
life
lessons
designed
to
have
positive
effects
both
on
and
off
the
mound.

1

It’s
9
on
a
beautiful
Southern
California
morning.
Twelve
pitchers
converge
on
the

campus
of
the
University
of
Southern
California
to
train
with
“the
father
of
modern

pitching
mechanics.”

The
athletes
aren’t
on
the
field
but
in
the
9,000-‐square-‐foot
brick,
green-‐roofed

building
next
to
the
left
field
bullpen
at
Dedeaux
Field,
which
is
home
to
the
National

Pitching
Association
(NPA)
and
its
renowned
and
revered
founder,
Tom
House.

Although
the
facility
houses
state-‐of-‐the-‐art
strength
training
equipment,
the

athletes
aren’t
lifting.
They’re
listening.
Every
morning
session
at
the
NPA
begins

with
a
lecture.
Because
it’s
Monday,
today’s
lecture
is
about
biomechanics
or,
as

House
explains
it,
“the
laws
of
physics
applied
to
the
human
body.”

Pitching,
it
turns
out,
is
about
so
much
more
than
just
pitching.
It’s
about
being

mentally
and
emotionally
stable.
It’s
about
learning
good
habits
both
on
and
off
the

field.
It’s
about
learning
how
to
deal
with
failure.

All
these
things,
and
more,
go
into
making
a
pitcher
a
success.

If
you
closed
your
eyes
and
just
listened,
you
might
think
you
were
in
a
college

kinesiology
class.
Open
your
eyes,
however,
and
you
definitely
are
not
in
a

university
classroom.
The
white,
slanted
roof
is
reminiscent
of
a
barn;
the
metal,

sliding
door
looks
like
the
entrance
to
a
garage,
but
the
exercise
ladders
and

weightlifting
equipment
make
it
clear
you’re
in
a
workout
facility.

One
“SC
Baseball”
banner
hangs
proudly
from
the
ceiling
between
two
pitching

tunnels.
The
black
netting
that
contains
them
sets
the
background
for
the
coaches

who
are
balancing
on
large
green
exercise
balls
in
the
front
of
the
circle.
The

athletes
are
sitting
on
weight-‐training
benches
or
white,
rusty
metal
chairs
grabbed

from
a
stack
next
to
the
entrance.

The
coaches
at
the
NPA
teach
life
lessons
designed
to
have
positive
effects
both
on

and
off
the
mound.

For
pitchers
especially,
as
you
progress
to
higher
skill
levels

with
tougher
competition,
each
competitive
advantage
becomes
essential.
Properly

hydrating
could
be
the
difference
between
throwing
seven
strong
innings
and

having
your
outing
cut
short
by
a
cramp.
Taking
a
deep,
calming
breath
before

throwing
to
a
hitter
when
the
bases
are
loaded
could
be
the
difference
between

striking
the
batter
out
and
walking
in
a
run.

House
and
his
staff
don’t
just
teach
pitchers
how
to
throw
fast,
they
teach
them
how

to
“throw
hard,
easy.”
1

They
help
pitchers
eliminate
mechanical
inefficiencies
so

they
gain
velocity
while
putting
less
stress
on
their
bodies.

1

House,
Tom.
Conversation
with
author.
November
7,
2013.

2

The
lessons
taught
at
the
NPA
are
grounded
in
science;
many
of
them
are
based
on

original
research
conducted
by
House
and
his
colleagues.
The
coaches
aim
to
avoid

spreading
untested
conventional
wisdom,
something
all
too
common
in
every
level

of
baseball.
They
don’t
dumb
down
their
complex
lectures,
but
teach
in
such
a
way

as
to
keep
the
athletes
interested
and
engaged.

The
atmosphere
is
decidedly
casual.
Interspersed
with
specific
information
about

the
biomechanics
of
pitching
are
stories
from
House’s
days
in
pro
ball.
Having
spent

seven
seasons
as
a
major
league
pitcher
with
the
Atlanta
Braves,
Boston
Red
Sox

and
Seattle
Mariners
before
becoming
a
pitching
coach
for
the
Houston
Astros,
San

Diego
Padres
and
Texas
Rangers,
House
has
a
seemingly
infinite
supply
of

entertaining
stories.

“Have
I
told
you
about
the
time
Nolan
{Ryan}…”
he’ll
sometimes
ask
before
going

into
a
story
about
Ryan’s
antics
during
his
later
years
with
the
Rangers.
If
one
of
the

guys
who
has
been
around
for
a
while
has
heard
the
story
a
few
times
House
will

ask
him
to
tell
it.
But
no
one
can
imitate
Ryan
the
way
House
can.

This
is
hardly
surprising
as
the
two
have
a
meaningful
relationship.
True
baseball

aficionados
may
remember
Ryan
thanking
House
in
his
Hall
of
Fame
induction

speech
and
crediting
him
with
adding
several
years
to
his
career.

Biomechanics
is
the
topic
of
the
day
on
Mondays;
the
athletes
learn
about
nutrition

on
Tuesdays,
strength
and
conditioning
on
Wednesdays,
mental
and
emotional

techniques
on
Thursdays
and
pitching
strategies
on
Fridays.

“You
guys
have
to
become
your
own
best
pitching
coach,
your
own
best
conditioning

coach
and
your
own
nutritionist,”
2

says
House,
who
aims
to
give
his
athletes
a

“toolkit”
they
can
use
both
on
and
off
the
field.
This
toolkit
includes
everything
from

simple
techniques
for
dealing
with
stress
(smile
and
take
a
deep
breath)
to
what

kinds
of
food
to
eat
and
when
on
game
days
to
general
information
to
help
self-‐
diagnose
and
treat
common
pitching
ailments.

“The
National
Pitching
Association,”
its
website
proclaims,
“is
dedicated
to
the

education
of
baseball
pitchers,
their
parents,
and
their
coaches,
so
that
they
can

pitch
more
effectively,
stay
healthier,
develop
a
positive
mental
attitude,
and
a

greater
love
of
the
game.”
3

That
they
include
parents
in
their
mission
statement
is
significant.
Parents
are

encouraged
to
sit
in
on
both
the
morning
lectures
and
the
training
sessions.

2

House,
Tom.
"Mental/Emotional
Techniques."
Lecture
from
The
National
Pitching

Association,
Los
Angeles,
December
5,
2013.

3

"The
National
Pitching
Association
|
HOME."
The
National
Pitching
Association
|

HOME.
http://nationalpitching.com/
(accessed
December
18,
2013).

3

The
variety
in
the
coaches’
personalities,
interests
and
backgrounds
is
one
of
their

greatest
assets
as
teachers.

In
addition
to
his
many
years
of
pitching
and
coaching
experience,
House
also
has
an

M.B.A
in
marketing
and
a
Ph.D.
in
sports
psychology,
both
of
which
he
puts
to
use
in

his
work
at
the
NPA.
He
verbally
quizzes
the
athletes
during
the
morning
lectures
to

make
sure
they
understand
what
he’s
saying.
If
a
point
is
particularly
important,
he

has
no
problem
asking
you
to
repeat
it
three
times
before
moving
on.

The
staff
wants
to
avoid
an
“us
vs.
them”
mentality,
so
if
one
of
the
athletes
is

stumped
on
a
question,
sometimes
a
coach
will
mouth
him
the
answer.

These
coaches
include
Randy
Wishmeyer,
Charlie
Nootbaar,
Jordan
Oseguera
and

Adam
Dedeaux.

Blonde,
tan
and
muscular,
Wishmeyer
looks
like
your
typical
SoCal
jock.
He’s
been

working
with
House
longer
than
some
of
the
athletes
training
at
the
NPA
have
been

alive—18
years—but
when
he’s
tossing
a
baseball
or
football
with
them,
you
can’t

tell
him
from
the
athletes.
Described
by
one
of
the
high
school
pitchers
as
“always

encouraging,”
Wishmeyer
sees
his
job
at
the
NPA
as
to
“inform,
instruct
and
inspire

the
players
to
be
the
best
they
can
be.”
He
became
involved
with
the
NPA
through

his
son,
a
former
pitcher.

Talk
to
anyone
at
the
NPA
and
you’ll
discover
they
also
became
involved
with
the

organization
through
a
personal
connection
with
House.
Nootbaar’s
son—currently

a
junior
at
USC
and
a
pitcher
on
the
baseball
team—was
recruited
by
House
when

he
was
the
Trojans’
pitching
coach.
The
NPA
moved
to
USC’s
campus
when
House

became
USC’s
pitching
coach
in
2008;
it
has
remained
there
despite
his
retirement

in
2011
from
the
position
at
his
alma
mater.

When
Oseguera,
House’s
protégé,
was
eight
or
nine
years
old,
he
went
to
a
clinic
run

by
the
NPA
in
his
home
state
of
Utah.
He
continued
working
with
House
through

high
school
and
spent
the
entire
summer
after
his
freshman
year
of
college
working

out
at
the
NPA.
House
helped
Oseguera
find
a
university
to
play
for—Vanguard,
an

NAIA
school
in
Costa
Mesa,
California.
Oseguera
has
been
working
at
the
NPA
for

about
two
years.

Adam
Dedeaux
(yes,
that
Dedeaux,
the
grandson
of
legendary
USC
baseball
coach

Rod
Dedeaux,
after
whom
the
field
is
named)
played
under
House
at
USC
before

going
pro.
He
spent
two
years
in
the
Dodger
organization,
reaching
Triple-‐A,
before

hanging
up
his
cleats.
Dedeaux
works
mainly
with
the
NPA’s
quarterback
clients,

including
the
likes
of
Drew
Brees,
Tom
Brady
and
Carson
Palmer.

Even
House’s
biomechanist,
Marty
Butterick
(who
is
also
the
director
of
baseball

operations
at
USC),
was
recommended
to
House
by
his
nephew.

4

Oseguera—the
pitching
coach
at
Vanguard
University—is
only
a
few
years
removed

from
college
ball
and
often
seems
more
like
a
peer
to
the
guys
than
a
coach.
He’s

working
on
his
master’s
in
kinesiology,
but
his
biggest
asset
is
his
youth
as
he’s
able

to
break
down
the
jargon
into
terms
high
school
and
college
athletes
understand.

When
one
of
the
athletes
is
confused,
he’ll
often
provide
a
metaphor
or
one-‐liner
to

help
clarify
the
concept.

In
addition
to
leading
the
strength
and
conditioning
sessions,
Wishmeyer
is
also

uniquely
suited
to
work
with
the
volleyball
players
who
occasionally
pass
through

the
NPA
as
he
has
coached
high
school
volleyball.
He
knows
how
to
relate
even
the

lectures
about
pitching
techniques
to
volleyball.
For
example,
he
once
pointed
out

that
in
the
way
pitchers
throw
their
changeups
to
contact
hoping
the
batter
will

make
an
out,
sometimes
volleyball
players
intentionally
hit
the
ball
into
the
blockers

in
the
hopes
it
will
go
out
of
bounds
off
an
opponent’s
body.

Tall
and
thin
with
short
gray
hair,
the
bespectacled
Nootbaar
looks
more
like
a

professor
than
a
coach.
Fittingly,
his
background
is
in
mathematics
and
he
enjoys

the
research
side
of
the
NPA.
The
coaches
at
the
NPA
strive
to
stay
on
top
of
the

current
research
related
to
all
aspects
of
athletics
and
they
also
contribute
to
that

research.
One
way
they
do
this
is
by
testing
new
products
and
working
on
product

development.
One
such
item,
the
Velocity
Shaft,
is
a
great
example
of
this.
“We
were

looking
for
ways
to
increase
hip/shoulder
separation
and
strength,”
4

says
Nootbaar

before
explaining
the
original
idea
was
to
use
a
heavy
bat
and
a
light
bat,
but

because
they
couldn’t
find
what
they
wanted,
they
used
a
light
shaft
and
built
a

heavy
one.

Swinging
the
different-‐weighted
shafts
enables
the
athletes
to
work
on
both
their

accelerators
and
decelerators.
The
muscles
that
slow
pitchers’
(and
other
rotational

athletes’)
arms
down
were
largely
ignored
in
the
athletic
community
until
House

recognized
their
importance.

If
an
athlete
doesn’t
have
strong
decelerating
muscles,
his
brain
will
only
allow
his

arm
to
move
so
fast
to
avoid
potential
injury.
This
discovery
led
House
to
create
the

Velocity
Program,
a
routine
that
uses
a
variety
of
weighted
balls
and
a
combination

of
throws
and
holds
to
build
both
sets
of
muscles.
“It’s
a
health-‐first
program
that

was
started
to
repair
shoulders,”
5

says
House
of
the
Velocity
Program.

Perhaps
no
one
better
understands
the
health
benefits
of
the
program
than
Steve

Delabar,
currently
a
pitcher
for
the
Toronto
Blue
Jays
and
the
subject
of
a
recent

episode
of
HBO’s
Real
Sports
with
Bryant
Gumbel.
Delabar
was
out
of
baseball
for

more
than
a
year
after
breaking
his
elbow
while
pitching
in
a
Single-‐A
game.
While

working
as
an
assistant
coach
at
a
local
high
school,
he
started
doing
the
Velocity

4

Nootbaar,
Charlie.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December
11,

2013.

5

House,
Tom.
Conversation
with
author.
October
28,
2013.

5

Program
with
his
young
athletes.
Soon,
his
arm
started
to
feel
better
than
it
ever
had

before.
He
went
from
washed-‐up
former
athlete
to
MLB
All-‐Star
in
just
two
years.

The
Velocity
Program
helped
Delabar’s
arm
become
and
stay
healthy,
but
a
motion

analysis
done
at
the
NPA
enabled
him
to
see
any
remaining
inefficiencies
in
his

mechanics.

The
human
eye
can
only
see
32
frames
per
second,
but
most
of
the
important
parts

of
a
throw
occur
within
1/200
th

to
1/600
th

of
a
second.
Sophisticated
motion

analysis
makes
these
essential
split
seconds
visible.

It’s
6:30
on
a
Wednesday
morning
and
the
sun
is
just
starting
to
peek
over
the

horizon
in
Los
Angeles.
Most
of
USC’s
campus
is
still
and
silent,
but
not
at
the
NPA.

The
facility
is
lively
as
the
staff
is
preparing
for
a
motion
analysis.

All
of
the
equipment
is
locked
up
in
a
converted
food
stand
on
the
concourse
at

Dedeaux
Field,
which
also
serves
as
the
NPA’s
front
office.

Oseguera
and
Dedeaux,
the
NPA’s
youngest
members,
are
responsible
for

transporting
the
heaviest
pieces
of
equipment
down
to
the
training
facility
where

the
motion
analysis
will
be
done.
Always
happy
to
be
at
the
baseball
field,
Oseguera

smiles
at
everyone
he
passes
while
a
bleary-‐eyed
Dedeaux
looks
as
if
he’d
much

rather
still
be
in
bed
and
can
barely
summon
the
energy
to
grunt.

Oseguera
and
Dedeaux
each
claim
a
huge
rolling
suitcase,
about
the
size
of
a
4-‐year-‐
old.
Although
they’re
both
in
their
mid-‐20s
and
former
professional
athletes,
the

suitcases
are
too
heavy
for
the
pair
to
lift.
A
careful
combination
of
brute
strength

and
finesse
enables
them
to
lug
the
suitcases—which
thud
loudly
on
every
step—
down
to
ground
level
where
they
can
be
rolled
into
the
facility.
Because
the

suitcases
are
so
heavy
and
unwieldy
this
process
takes
a
good
five
minutes.

Their
older
counterparts,
Wishmeyer
and
Nootbaar,
bring
two
carry
on-‐sized

suitcases
downstairs.

Once
they
get
into
the
facility,
the
equipment
must
be
taken
into
the
pitching
tunnel,

which
is
surrounded
by
a
large,
black
net
to
keep
the
ball
from
escaping.
The
net

must
be
manipulated
in
such
a
way
that
both
the
equipment
and
the
person
carrying

it
can
slip
through
the
small
“door”
where
two
pieces
of
the
net
can
be
separated.

Working
together
as
a
team,
the
four
finally
get
all
four
suitcases
into
the
pitching

tunnel
and
begin
unloading
their
contents:
eight
tripods
over
six
feet
tall,
eight

motion
capture
cameras,
one
approximately
five-‐foot-‐tall
tripod,
one
video
camera

and
lots
of
black
cables.
They
set
up
a
portable
pitching
mound,
which
they

surround
with
the
cameras,
leaving
a
space
in
front
for
the
pitcher
to
throw
the
ball.

6

Everyone
is
dressed
in
workout
clothes
except
Butterick,
who,
wearing
dress
pants

and
a
button-‐down,
sits
off
to
the
side
in
the
space
between
the
mound
and
the
net,

about
halfway
between
the
mound
and
home
plate.
He
places
his
laptop
on
one
of

the
big,
empty
suitcases.
Once
his
colleagues
finish
setting
up
the
equipment,

Butterick
prepares
to
calibrate
it.

Wishmeyer
grabs
a
T-‐shaped
piece
of
silver
metal
and
walks
around
while
spinning

it.
“That
was
pretty
good,”
Butterick
calls
out.
“Do
you
think
you
can
beat
it?”
Always

a
fierce
competitor,
even
with
himself,
Wishmeyer
nods
and
tries
again.
He
gets
the

same
number.
Now
the
system
has
a
baseline
so
it
can
accurately
collect
data
from

the
pitchers
who
will
soon
be
throwing
off
the
mound.

Around
7
a.m.,
Delabar
and
fellow
pitchers
Nate
Adcott
and
Stephen
Shackleford

arrive.
Although
each
pitches
for
different
organizations—the
Toronto
Blue
Jays,

Arizona
Diamondbacks,
and
Seattle
Mariners,
respectively,
they
all
train
at
the
same

facility—Players
Dugout
in
Elizabethtown,
Kentucky—during
the
off-‐season.
They

flew
to
LA
from
Kentucky
with
their
coach
and
the
owner
of
Players
Dugout,
Joe

Newton,
who’s
also
a
longtime
friend
of
House.
A
little
bit
nervous,
they’re
all

excited
to
see
what
exactly
motion
analysis
entails.

The
Velocity
Program
helped
Delabar’s
arm
become
and
stay
healthy,
but
motion

analysis
enables
him
to
see
any
remaining
inefficiencies
in
his
mechanics.

Butterick,
House
and
their
colleagues
at
the
NPA
use
high-‐end,
high-‐precision

motion
capture
cameras,
which
enable
them
to
view
a
pitcher’s
mechanics
at
1000

frames
per
second.
This
enables
them
to
look
at
the
pitcher
from
three
dimensions

and
see
what
his
movement
looks
like
from
multiple
perspectives.
“And
we
also

have
the
ability
to
measure—to
the
millimeter—the
velocities,
or
the
movements,
or

the
angles
of
these
different
things,”
says
Butterick.

Bundled
up
in
sweatshirts
and
sweatpants
in
the
cool
autumn
air,
the
pitchers

stretch
and
throw
outside
while
the
equipment
is
being
set
up.
Once
they
are
warm

and
loose,
Shackleford
volunteers
to
go
first
and
is
told
to
strip
down
to
his

compression
shorts,
socks
and
cleats.
He
is
given
an
SC
baseball
cap
to
put
on
his

head.

Wishmeyer
and
Nootbaar
then
place
approximately
50
hard
peppermint
candy-‐
sized
sticky
dots
all
over
Shackleford’s
body,
from
the
top
of
his
hat
to
the
back
of

his
cleats.
Some
key
places
include
the
back
of
his
neck,
shoulders,
elbows,
arms,

wrists,
hands,
lower
back,
outer
hips,
outer
thigh,
outer
knees,
outer
calves,
outer

ankles
and
back
of
his
cleats.
His
wrists
and
the
top
of
his
throwing
hand
are
taped

to
give
the
dots
something
to
which
to
stick.

7

Once
all
the
dots
are
secured,
Butterick
tells
Shackleford
to
stand
as
still
as
possible

for
two
seconds
before
circling
his
hips
in
an
exaggerated
motion
for
eight
seconds.

This
allows
Butterick
to
see
the
lateral
range
in
which
the
pitcher
will
be
throwing.

Shackleford
throws
at
a
plastic
octagon
affixed
to
the
net
behind
home
plate
that

serves
as
a
makeshift
target
positioned
approximately
where
the
catcher’s
glove

would
be.
He
throws
five
samples
of
each
of
his
three
pitches:
fastball,
slider,
and

changeup.
“Ready
and
go,”
Butterick
says
before
each
pitch.
More
compact
than
the

other
pitchers,
everyone
is
surprised
by
how
much
pop
Shackleford’s
fastball

registers.

Sometimes
the
dots
fall
off
and
must
be
found
so
Wishmeyer
can
tape
them
back
on.

This
causes
a
slight
delay
in
the
process
but,
overall,
it
is
quick
and
simple.

Eight
of
the
cameras
pick
up
the
dots
and
show
their
position.
When
you
look
at
the

monitor,
you
see
darkness
except
where
the
dots
are—these
spots
appear
neon
and

create
a
kind
of
outline
of
the
human
to
whom
they’re
attached.
The
video
camera
is

used
to
give
a
more
complete
picture
of
the
pitcher’s
motion.

Although
House
wasn’t
present
for
this
particular
motion
analysis,
he’s
an
essential

part
of
the
process
of
making
pitchers
more
efficient
and
effective.
Based
on
the

results
of
the
motion
analysis,
House
creates
a
personalized
program
tailored
to
the

pitcher’s
specific
needs.

Butterick
analyzes
the
data
collected
from
the
motion
analysis
and
then
sits
down

with
House
to
explain
his
findings.
The
two
have
been
working
together
since
2007

when
House
accepted
the
position
as
USC’s
pitching
coach.

House
and
Butterick
have
collected
data
from
about
680
pitchers—on
both
the

collegiate
and
professional
level,
about
half
of
them
major
leaguers;
this
database

helps
them
come
up
with
protocols
for
effective
throwing.
“When
we
first
got

motion
analysis,
we
captured
a
bunch
of
images
and
just
sat
there
and
said,
‘Okay,

what
do
we
do
now?’”
House
recalls.
“And
then,
with
enough
numbers,
you
start

seeing
repetition
and
some
consistencies.
The
more
capture
we
get,
the
better
our

model
becomes.”
6

Over
time
they’ve
isolated
a
variety
of
factors
that
have
the
biggest
impact
on
a

pitcher’s
effectiveness
and
risk
of
injury.
Some
of
the
most
important
include
timing,

hip
and
shoulder
separation,
balance,
posture,
and
glove
placement.
Most
of
these

things
are
impossible
to
see
with
the
human
eye.

6

House,
Tom.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
November
4,
2013.

8

House
decided
to
start
incorporating
motion
analysis
into
his
training
programs

when,
as
a
coach,
he
couldn’t
figure
out
why
his
athletes
were
failing.
“Technology

allowed
us
to
get
better
at
what
we
were
looking
at,”
7

he
says.

Once
House
and
Butterick
slow
down
the
images,
some
of
the
problems
immediately

become
obvious.
They
have
equally
simple
solutions.
“We’ll
see
the
throwing
arm
at

90
[degrees]
and
the
glove
side
arm
at
120
[degrees]
and
all
we
have
to
do
is
make

sure
that
both
angles
are
the
same,”
8

House
explains.

Other
issues
are
not
so
easy
to
correct
(or,
for
that
matter,
understand).
An
example

is
the
relative
velocity
of
the
pitcher’s
various
body
parts.
“We
see,
as
the
body

turns,
how
energy
is
transferred
along
the
hips,
up
to
the
shoulders
and
down
the

arm
to
the
hand,”
9

Butterick
explains.

Butterick
has
learned
that,
in
an
ideal
situation,
velocity
doubles
as
energy
moves

through
the
body.
So
if
your
hips
are
moving
at
x
speed,
your
shoulders
should
move

at
2x,
your
arm
should
move
at
4x
and
your
hand
should
travel
at
8x.
It
is
rare
for

the
numbers
to
completely
match
up,
but
ideally
the
athlete
will
be
in
the
45
to
55

percent
range.
“What
that
tells
me
is
that
each
of
the
different
joints
are
contributing

equally
to
the
acceleration
of
the
hand,”
Butterick
explains.
“If
I
see
something
that’s

an
imbalance
there,
then
that
tells
me
that
one
or
more
of
the
joints
are
having
to

carry
more
of
the
load
and
potentially
would
be
an
injury
risk.”
10

In
the
post-‐motion
analysis
meeting
with
House,
Butterick
translates
his
findings.

House
then
combines
this
information
with
the
first-‐hand
experience
he
has
from

working
with
the
pitcher
to
develop
a
solution
to
whatever
issue
the
motion

analysis
uncovers.

“I’ll
show
Tom
where
the
problems
are
and
he
will
decide,
based
on
the
athlete,

what
the
right
training
steps
are
for
them.
Because
it
can’t
really
be
a
one-‐size-‐fits-‐
all,”
11

says
Butterick.

While
other
organizations,
such
as
the
American
Sports
Medicine
Institute
(ASMI),

also
use
motion
analysis
to
detect
problems
with
a
pitcher’s
mechanics,
few,
if
any,

use
this
information
to
develop
training
programs
specifically
for
that
athlete.

“We
tell
them
[athletes]
what
to
fix,
but
we
don’t
train
them,”
12

explains
Glenn

Fleisig,
ASMI
Research
Director
and
a
leading
biomechanical
expert.
Some
members

of
the
NPA
refer
to
this
as
“information
without
application.”

7

Ibid.

8

Ibid.

9

Butterick,
Marty.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
October
21,

2013.

10

Ibid.

11

Ibid.

9

According
to
Fleisig,
the
NPA
is
“essentially
a
one-‐stop
shop.”
13

Not
only
does
the

NPA
figure
out
what
areas
an
athlete
needs
to
improve,
they
help
him
do
it
on
the

field.

The
NPA
actually
goes
beyond
that,
seeking
to
help
their
athletes
improve
both
on

and
off
the
field.
After
the
motion
analysis,
Delabar,
Adcott
and
Shackleford
stay
for

the
Wednesday
morning
lecture
on
nutrition.
Topics
including
hydration,
food
and

supplements
are
covered.
It’s
not
surprising
that
the
high
school
athletes
who
come

into
the
NPA
often
know
very
little
about
these
topics;
nutrition
is
rarely
a
part
of

their
athletic
curriculum.
But
even
the
college
and
pro
athletes
have
trouble

answering
most
of
the
questions
posed
to
them
during
the
lecture.

Often
when
athletes
are
asked
seemingly
simple
questions,
they
are
surprised
when

they
can’t
answer
them.
For
example,
most
pitchers
expect
to
ace
Friday’s
pitching

strategy
lectures—House
often
verbally
quizzes
the
athletes
throughout
the

lesson—and
are
caught
off
guard
by
the
specificity
of
House’s
questions.
For

example,
most
pitchers
know
to
throw
their
changeup
to
contact,
but
they
don’t

know
that
a
first-‐pitch
breaking
ball
is
often
a
good
choice.
They
are
perplexed
when

asked
what
the
most
important
pitch
is
(the
correct
answer
is
“the
next
one”)
and

even
more
confused
when
asked
to
name
the
most
important
count
(1-‐1
because

the
spread
is
100
points—a
.250
hitter
becomes
a
.200
hitter
with
a
strike
and
a

.300
hitter
with
a
ball).

After
the
lecture,
it’s
time
for
the
workout.
One
of
the
younger
pitchers,
17-‐year-‐old

Kyle,
is
thrilled
Delabar
is
staying
for
the
workout.
The
Real
Sports
episode
featuring

Delabar
is
what
inspired
Kyle
to
come
to
the
NPA.

A
high
school
senior
in
Orange
County,
Kyle
was
certain
he
was
going
to
pitch
at
a

Division
1
college
until
he
bulked
up
and
his
velocity
plummeted.

Kyle
and
his
family
decided
he
would
go
up
to
LA
for
almost
a
month.
His
parents

wanted
to
make
sure
he
fully
understood
the
program
before
attempting
it
on
his

own.
His
mom
drove
him
to
USC
during
morning
rush-‐hour
traffic
(if
you’ve
ever

driven
in
LA,
you
know
this
is
not
a
fun
experience)
several
days
a
week
for
three

weeks.

In
order
to
miss
so
many
classes,
Kyle
had
to
be
granted
independent
study
from
his

high
school.
Baseball
isn’t
typically
an
appropriate
reason
to
take
a
leave
of
absence,

so
his
parents
told
the
school
he
was
visiting
a
sick
relative
in
LA.
He
took
the

maximum
20
days
off.
“I’m
glad
I
didn’t
just
do
it
for
a
couple
days,
that
we
did
take

time
off
school
to
get
the
routine
down
because
it
didn’t
seem
like
it
could
be

12

Fleisig,
Glenn.
Interview
by
author.
Phone
interview.
Los
Angeles,
November
7,

2013.

13

Ibid.

10

learned—especially
by
high
school
kids—in
one
or
two
times,
it
has
to
be
a

commitment
for
a
few
weeks.
At
least
that
worked
for
us,”
14

says
Kyle’s
mom,
Kristi.

The
results
are
undeniable:
Kyle
gained
4-‐5
miles
per
hour
on
his
fastball
in
the

three
weeks
he
trained
at
the
NPA.
The
change
was
substantial
enough
for
scouts
to

ask
about
Kyle’s
increase
in
velocity.
When
they
found
out
he
was
training
at
the

NPA,
they
were
hardly
surprised;
the
success
of
the
organization
is
well
known

throughout
baseball.

The
experience
was
positive
for
Kristi
as
well.
She
sat
in
on
the
morning
lectures

and
in
the
bullpen
during
the
workouts.
When
there
was
down
time,
House
would

sometimes
quiz
her
in
the
bullpen
making
sure
that
she
understood
everything
as

well
as
Kyle.

Oseguera,
a
college
pitching
coach,
with
the
inside
scoop
regarding
recruiting,

answered
all
of
Kristi’s
questions
about
the
recruiting
process
and
went
over
Kyle’s

options
with
her.
Oseguera
told
her
about
his
personal
experience
and
offered

guidance
about
what
he
thought
would
be
the
best
path
for
Kyle.
He
noted
that
Kyle

should
be
careful
to
consider
a
school’s
success
in
the
MLB
draft
in
addition
to
its

prestige.

It’s
Presidents’
Day
and
it
feels
like
a
garden
party
in
the
bullpen.
Parents,
coaches

and
athletes
cluster
in
groups
of
two
to
four,
occasionally
mingling
outside
their

little
cliques.
The
NPA
coaches
are
the
hosts,
moving
seamlessly
from
group
to

group.
There
are
maybe
three
times
as
many
pitchers
today
as
there
have
been
for

the
past
month
and
it’s
unclear
how
they’re
all
going
to
get
their
work
in
without

staying
at
the
field
all
day,
yet
somehow
they
all
do.
The
coaches
have
to
work
a

little
harder
to
keep
everything
moving
smoothly,
but
their
attention
to
detail

remains
the
same.

National
holidays
usually
mean
an
abundance
of
high
school
pitchers
at
the
NPA

because,
unlike
Kyle,
most
of
them
can’t
take
time
off
of
school
for
baseball.

House
has
the
ability
to
effectively
coach
high
school,
college
and
pro
athletes.
The

NPA
focus
on
life
skills
is
most
obvious
when
there’s
a
large
group
of
high
school

athletes.
“Thank
your
catcher,”
House
instructs
one
of
the
younger
guys.
He
subtly

teaches
them
everything
from
manners
to
how
to
stand
up
for
themselves.
He

pushes
everyone,
but
the
high
school
guys
especially,
to
be
not
just
better
athletes,

but
better
people.

House
makes
no
distinction
between
the
athletes
whether
they
are
in
high
school
or

the
major
leagues.
One
day
you
might
see
a
high
school
pitcher
who’s
been
around

for
a
while
helping
a
college
junior,
the
next
a
World
Series
champion
is
asking
a

14

Kristi.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
October
14,
2013.

11

junior
college
player
about
his
role
on
the
pitching
staff.
When
Philadelphia
Phillies

ace
Cole
Hamels
was
at
the
NPA
for
a
day
during
the
off-‐season—he’s
been
working

with
House
since
he
was
a
teenager—he
was
quick
to
share
training
tips
with
a

pitcher
from
the
Orioles’
organization
who’s
knocking
on
the
door
to
the
big
leagues.

“They
all
check
their
egos
at
the
door
and
they
all
realize
that
they’re
just
an
athlete

like
the
next
guy,”
explains
Wishmeyer.
“And
if
they
take
their
ego
with
them,
they

find
out
right
away
that
there’s
no
place
for
an
ego
here.
You’re
here
to
help
each

other,
help
each
other
get
better,
mentor
each
other
and
be
the
best
that
you
can

be.”
15

Mentoring
is
an
important
part
of
the
learning
process.
“When
we
get
a
new
guy
in,

we’ll
have
one
of
the
existing
guys
mentor
him
through
the
protocols,”
explains

Nootbaar.
“The
process
of
him
teaching
somebody
else
really
sinks
it
in
for
him
as

well.
You
never
really
know
something
until
you
try
to
start
teaching
it.
That’s
when

you
really
understand
something.”
16

When
Kyle
returned
from
an
important
showcase
in
Arizona,
not
only
the
coaches,

but
also
the
other
players
were
quick
to
ask
how
it
went.
Everyone
is

simultaneously
competing
with
and
rooting
for
everyone
else
at
the
NPA.

Like
the
coaching
staff,
the
athletes
who
work
out
at
the
NPA
found
it
through
word

of
mouth.
A
few
of
them,
like
Kyle,
saw
the
Steve
Delabar
episode
of
Real
Sports
and,

when
they
realized
House
was
at
USC,
decided
to
check
it
out.
Some
of
the
guys

found
out
about
the
NPA
through
friends
and
teammates,
coaches
or
even
scouts.

The
baseball
world
is
small
so
when
something
is
working,
it
doesn’t
take
long
for

word
to
spread.

Many
of
the
guys,
especially
those
in
their
early-‐
to
mid-‐20s
have
been
working
with

House
since
they
were
kids.
At
least
one
of
them
even
refers
to
House
as
“Uncle

Tom”
because
he’s
been
such
an
influential
person
in
his
life.
During
baseball

season,
when
one
of
the
guys
who’s
trained
at
the
NPA
has
a
bad
outing
or
is

questioning
whether
he
wants
to
continue
playing
baseball,
House
is
often
the
guy

he’ll
call.

Although
supportive,
House
is
also
bluntly
honest
when
the
situation
calls
for
it.

He’s
been
around
baseball
long
enough
to
know
that
scouts
rarely
give
pitchers
a

true
second
chance.
He’s
also
quick
to
take
an
athlete’s
financial
situations
into

account
before
encouraging
him—or
not—to
keep
pursuing
a
pro
baseball
career

(which,
by
the
way,
is
not
cheap).

15

Wishmeyer,
Randy.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December

11,
2013.

16

Nootbaar,
interview.

12

“You’re
in
charge
of
your
workout,”
says
House
to
a
pitcher
who’s
trying
to
decide

what
to
throw
in
his
bullpen.
House
describes
his
programs
as
“personally
adaptive”

and
he
expects
the
athletes
to
figure
out
what
works
for
them—with
his
help,
of

course.
When
he
does
give
an
athlete
a
particular
routine,
he’ll
ask
them
why
he

chose
that
specific
program
to
make
sure
they
understand.
“See
the
logic?”
is
one
of

House’s
favorite
expressions.

Being
an
elite—high
school,
college
or
professional—pitcher
is
about
so
much
more

than
pitching.
Sure,
a
90-‐mile-‐per-‐hour
fastball
is
important,
but
it’s
by
no
means

the
only
important
thing.

What
does
make
a
great
baseball
pitcher?
A
98-‐mile-‐per-‐hour
fastball?
Consistency?

Staying
healthy
enough
to
pitch
every
fifth
day?
Remaining
calm
after
giving
up
a

home
run?
If
you
think
about
it,
it’s
all
the
above
and
more.

There’s
an
old
adage
that
says,
“Do
one
thing
and
do
it
well.”
While
it
may
seem
the

NPA
is
trying
to
do
many
things
well,
the
essence
is
to
simply
understand
all
the

factors
that
go
into
working
with
pitchers
and
take
a
holistic
and
science-‐based

approach.
As
explained
by
Nootbaar,
“We
are
pitching-‐specific
and
we
cover
all

aspects
of
pitching,
not
just
mechanics
but
conditioning,
nutrition,

mental/emotional.
We
cover
the
full
gamut
that
the
pitchers
will
run
into
in
their

game
and
in
daily
life.”
17

17

Ibid.

13

Bibliography

Butterick,
Marty.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
October
21,

2013.

Fleisig,
Glenn.
Interview
by
author.
Phone
interview.
Los
Angeles,
November
7,

2013.

House,
Tom.
Conversation
with
author.
October
28,
2013.

House,
Tom.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
November
4,
2013.

House,
Tom.
Conversation
with
author.
November
7,
2013.

House,
Tom.
"Mental/Emotional
Techniques."
Lecture
from
The
National
Pitching

Association,
Los
Angeles,
December
5,
2013.

House,
Tom.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December
11,
2013.

Kristi.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
October
14,
2013.

Nootbaar,
Charlie.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December
11,

2013.

Oseguera,
Jordan.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December
11,

2013.

"The
National
Pitching
Association
|
HOME."
The
National
Pitching
Association
|

HOME.
http://nationalpitching.com/
(accessed
December
18,
2013).

Wishmeyer,
Randy.
Interview
by
author.
Tape
recording.
Los
Angeles,
December
11,

2013.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Being a professional pitcher is about so much more than just the physical act of throwing a baseball. Pitchers must be mentally and emotionally stable. They must have healthy habits both on and off the field. They must learn to deal with failure. All of these things, and more, are necessary for success at the professional level. At the National Pitching Association—founded by former major league pitcher and pitching coach Tom House—the coaches provide their athletes with more than help with their training and insights into the biomechanics of their pitching, they also teach life lessons designed to have positive effects both on and off the mound.

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