Author: Neal Heaton
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
There were so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’t the problem. ...
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
There were so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’t the problem. ...
Neal’s Knowledge: What Should a January Throwing Program Consist Of?
(Editor’s Note: Neal Heaton is a 12-year MLB Veteran pitcher. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft in 1979 and is in the University of Miami’s Hall of Fame. He now gives pitching lessons at Play Like a Pro in Hauppauge, NY. The following words are his own.) A pitcher should be treated like a race horse–carefully groomed and you cannot accelerate that process. When a pitcher picks up the ...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Control the Running Game
I had the pleasure of playing for Jim Leyland for three years. Sitting next to him was like going to Harvard for 12 years and studying baseball. I learned a lot from him and he taught me if you don’t hold guys on properly you will run yourself right out of the game. It is very important for pitchers to keep the running game in check and there’s several ways to do it. I will break it down for lefti...
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
by Neal Heaton There were so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Approach Your Draft Season
You only get one shot at this. For me it was in 1979, when I was a senior at Sachem High School. When you have dreams of getting drafted, you have to learn how to make sacrifices. That means staying in when you’re friends are going out. It could mean not going to prom. It means not going to the beach when your friends are. Not many kids now want to make the sacrifices necessary or put in the work....
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
There was so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’t the problem. I...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Control the Running Game
I had the pleasure of playing for Jim Leyland for three years. Sitting next to him was like going to Harvard for 12 years and studying baseball. I learned a lot from him and he taught me if you don’t hold guys on properly you will run yourself right out of the game. It is very important for pitchers to keep the running game in check and there’s several ways to do it. I will break it down for lefti...
Keeping Your Composure As a Pitcher Amidst Difficult Situations
by Neal Heaton Control what you can control. As a pitcher, you have a lot on your plate. Staying healthy, providing length in your outings, executing quality pitches, controlling the running game, fielding your position. But once the ball leaves your hand, the rest is out of your control. There’s going to be times your teammates don’t make the plays, umpires make awful calls and your o...
What is Dead Arm – And How to Deal With It?
(Editor’s Note: Neal Heaton is a 12-year MLB veteran pitcher. He was the 1st overall pick in the 1979 MLB Draft out of Sachem HS. He opted to attend the University of Miami where he set several program pitching records including most victories in a season (18), most victories in a career (42), most strikeouts in a game (23), most strikeouts in a season (172) and most strikeouts in a career (...
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
There was so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’t the prob...
Neal’s Knowledge: How To Approach Your Draft Season
You only get one shot at this. For me it was in 1979, when I was a senior at Sachem High School. When you have dreams of getting drafted, you have to learn how to make sacrifices. That means staying in when you’re friends are going out. It could mean not going to prom. It means not going to the beach when your friends are. Not many kids now want to make the sacrifices necessary or put in the work....
