An MLB Tryout might be your ticket into professional baseball with a chance to chase the big league dream. This article will help you prepare for the big day so you can show the scouts in charge what you're best stuff.
1) First of all, make sure you’re in shape—baseball shape, that is. There’s a big difference between training your body to say, run a marathon, or to compete in your local Strongman competition, or to strut around in a man-thong at the beach; and preparing to try out for a professional baseball team. If you haven’t been throwing, hitting, and doing some type of sprint work—in other words using the muscles that are crucial for a serious baseball player—for at least a few weeks, skip the workout and get ready for the next one. Firing 120 pitches to your dad or taking 500 hacks in the batting cage two days before an MLB tryout isn’t going to cut it. If your body isn’t baseball ready, not only will your performance be subpar, there’s a good chance you’ll end up hurting yourself…and no one wants to see some guy with a pulled groin try to waddle around the beach in a man-thong.
2) If you’re hurt or have recently sustained an injury, DO NOT tryout unless you’re back to 100%. It’s just not worth it. Why risk putting yourself on the shelf for even longer, maybe for good? If you’re not at your best, you probably won’t impress any scouts that day anyway. There will be other MLB tryouts.
3) If you’re on a lifting program, keep the weights light in the week leading up to an MLB tryout. Lifting heavy causes tight¬ness in the muscles, which will slow you down during the 60 yard dash, rob your swing of some extra juice, and inhibit you from generating your best fastball. You can go back to screaming at the top of your lungs while maxing out your bench press (an antic guaranteed to repel of every female within a half-mile radius) once the MLB tryout’s over.
4) You’ll be pumped up the night before an MLB tryout, but try your hardest to get a good night’s sleep. Whatever helps you catch some z’s—warm milk, a hot shower, a bedtime story from mom¬my—do it so you’re refreshed and ready by the morning.
5) Make sure your equipment bag is packed before you go to bed. You’ll obviously need spikes and a glove, but don’t forget the little things like your protective cup (hopefully that’s not TOO little), batting gloves, and a jacket or windbreaker in case it cools off at some point during the day. If you have a bat—particularly one made of wood—bring it, as well as a batting helmet if you own one. Scouts should provide the lumber and helmets at an MLB tryout though. It’s also not a bad idea to pack an extra undershirt in case you sweat through one in the morning. You’ll want to be dry in time for the afternoon portion of the workout.
6) Pack a light lunch or a couple of energy bars along with plenty of water to keep you sustained throughout the day. There may be a water cooler in the dugout, but bring your own to be on the safe side.
7) The morning of the MLB tryout, get up extra early and fuel up your system. Try to eat three to four hours before (figure on starting at 10:00 AM). Keep your breakfast fairly light; stick with fruits, cereal, breads, and fruit juice. You may need a coffee to get your engine started in the morning, but try to limit your caffeine intake as it will require you to urinate more frequently and possibly cause dehydration. Also try to avoid a lot of fat, protein, and foods that give you gas. Cutting an air biscuit in the batter’s box will not help your bid to secure a contract.
8) Dude, be on time. If you’re rolling into an MLB tryout at 9:30 you’d better throw 95 on the gun, hit 500 foot bombs at will, or have time in the big leagues. Period.
9) Make sure your uniform is washed and neat, wear a belt that matches your socks, and a hat and shirt that don’t completely clash with the rest of the ensemble.
10) Along those lines, look like a professional. I know you think the Camaro-mullet and porn ‘stache (a simple yet tacky looking moustache commonly showcased in adult films of the 1970s and 80s) make you look like Dennis Eckersley; but they really make you look like a Tijuana gas station attendant. Leave the jewelry at home too. Once you break into The Show, you can grow the hair back, pierce your nose and start your own metal band. But while you’re looking for a job in baseball, try to keep it clean.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be fully prepared to get the job done at an MLB tryout!
Bear in mind that there are a number of steps an aspiring pro player can take in order to maximize his chances of playing professional baseball—both in the U.S. AND overseas. An MLB tryout is just one of them. If you do decide to go this route, preparing yourself to be at your best brings you one step closer to the goal of cashing a baseball paycheck.
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