Derek Holland developing from Matt Harrison’s reading material, Scott Kazmir picks up pace
Texas Rangers’ Derek Holland faced his first defeat of the season against the New York Yankees on April 16, 2011. Earning five runs off eight hits, the ball thrower ended his perfect start with a sore result.
Whatever the case may be, the hurler is now looking to rebound from a dismal performance and he is seeking guidance from Matt Harrison’s reading material.
On the other hand, Scott Kazmir is looking good, as his recent camp game saw him pitch up faster deliveries. The Los Angeles Angels’ ace pitcher has been working on going back to basics and he’s holding that up as the key to his form in the Major League
format.
Holland picked up a reading list that helped Matt Harrison through Spring Training in Arizona. The hurler availed a copy of the ‘Mental Game of Baseball’ by Karl Kuehl and he keeps the book in his locker. At home, the starter has a copy of ‘ABC’s of Pitching’
by Dr. Harvey Dorfman. The two issues focus more on the mental aspect of the game.
"It's helped me mentally in not letting anything distract me," Holland said. "Keep my focus on the field. It also keeps me occupied between starts instead of sitting around and playing games. It helps a lot.
"You always get your physical work in between starts, but you always have to be doing something mentally to get yourself prepared. This game is a big-time mental game".
Scott Kazmir, on the other hand, is also trying to get back to his good form. In the light of all the dangers of pitching, the player is looking at his old videos in an effort to learn more from earlier pitching characteristics. The hurler was at Arizona,
throwing three innings in a camp game.
"All fastballs", Angels’ manager, Mike Scioscia said of Kazmir. "His velocity picked up as he went on. He felt strong. We'll see when he gets back on the mound".
The fifth starter with the Angels finished 2010 with 9 wins and 15 defeats. He is fighting soreness in his lower back and is trying to work at his strength, as he is looking for a return to the game soon.
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