Mike Matheny Letter To Parents
Message from Kevin Seitzer - Mike Matheny is the new St. Louis Cardinals Manager. Mike lived with me in Milwaukee his rookie year. He's one of the most respected, wonderful people you will ever be around.
Mike coached his kids after retirement and this is a letter to the parents on his team. This may be the BEST letter I've ever read regarding youth baseball and is exactly what "The Mac-N-Seitz Way" is all about. Please enjoy and help us get there!
Letter from Mike Matheny.....
I always said that the only team that I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are. The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents. I think that it is best to nip this in the bud right off the bat. I think the concept that I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys. If there is anything about it that includes you, we need to make a change of plans.
My main goals are as follows:
(1) to teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way,
(2) to be a positive impact on them as young men, and
(3) do all of this with class.
We may not win every game, but we will be the classiest coaches, players, and parents in every game we play. The boys are going to play with a respect for their teammates, opposition, and the umpires no matter what.
With that being said, I need to let you know where I stand. I have no hidden agenda. I have no ulterior motive other than what I said about my goals. I also need all of you to know that my priorities in life will most likely be a part of how I coach, and the expectations I have for the boys.
My Christian faith is the guide for my life and I have never been one for forcing my faith down someone's throat, but I also believe it to be cowardly, and hypocritical to shy away from what I believe. You as parents need to know for yourselves and for your boys, that when the opportunity presents itself, I will be honest with what I believe. That may make some people uncomfortable, but I did that as a player, and I hope to continue it in any endeavor that I get into.
I am just trying to get as many potential issues out in the open from the beginning. I believe that the biggest role of the parent is to be a silent source of encouragement. I think if you ask most boys what they would want their parents to do during the game; they would say "NOTHING". Once again, this is ALL about the boys. I believe that a little league parent feels that they must participate with loud cheering and "Come on, let's go, you can do it", which just adds more pressure to the kids. I will be putting plenty of pressure on these boys to play the game the right way with class, and respect, and they will put too much pressure on themselves and each other already. You as parents need to be the silent, constant, source of support.
Let the record stand right now that we will not have good umpiring. This is a fact, and the sooner we all understand that, the better off we will be. We will have balls that bounce in the dirt that will be called strikes, and we will have balls over our heads that will be called strikes. Likewise, the opposite will happen with the strike zone while we are pitching. The boys will not be allowed at any time to show any emotion against the umpire. They will not shake their head, or pout, or say anything to the umpire. This is my job, and I will do it well. I once got paid to handle those guys, and I will let them know when they need to hear something.
I am really doing all of you parents a favor that you probably don't realize at this point. I have taken out any work at all for you except to get them there on time, and enjoy. The thing that these boys need to hear is that you enjoyed watching them and you hope that they had fun. I know that it is going to be very hard not to coach from the stands and yell encouraging things to your son, but I am confident that this works in a negative way for their development and their enjoyment. Trust me on this. I am not saying that you cannot clap for your kids when they do well. I am saying that if you hand your child over to me to coach them, then let me do that job.
A large part of how your child improves is your responsibility. The difference for kids at this level is the amount of repetition that they get. This goes with pitching, hitting and fielding. As a parent, you can help out tremendously by playing catch, throwing batting practice, hitting ground balls, or finding an instructor who will do this in your place. The more of this your kids can get, the better. This is the one constant that I have found with players that reached the major leagues....someone spent time with them away from the field.
I am completely fine with your son getting lessons from whomever you see fit. The only problem I will have is if your instructor is telling your son not to follow the plan of the team. I will not teach a great deal of mechanics at the beginning, but I will teach mental approach, and expect the boys to adapt. If I see something that your son is doing mechanically that is drastically wrong, I will talk with you and clear things up.
The same will hold true with pitching coaches. We will have a pitching philosophy and will teach the pitchers and catchers how to call a game, and why we choose the pitches we choose. There is no guessing. We will have a reason for the pitches that we throw. A pitching coach will be helpful for the boys to get their arms in shape and be ready to throw when spring arrives. We will not over use these young arms, and will keep close watch on the number of innings/pitches that they are throwing.
I will be throwing so much info at these boys that they are going to suffer from overload for a while, but eventually they are going to get it. I am a stickler about the thought process of the game. I will be talking non-stop about situational hitting, situational pitching, and defensive preparation. The question that they are going to hear the most is "What were you thinking?" What were you thinking when you threw that pitch? What were you thinking during that at bat? What were you thinking before the pitch was thrown, were you anticipating anything? I am a firm believer that this game is more mental than physical, and the mental may be more difficult, but can be taught and can be learned by a 10 and 11 year old.
If it sounds like I am going to be demanding , you are exactly right. I am definitely demanding their attention, and the other thing that I am going to require is effort. Their attitude, their concentration, and their effort are the things that they can control. If they give me these things every time they show up, they will have a great experience.
The best situation for all of us is for you to plan on handing these kids over to me and the assistant coaches when you drop them off, and plan on them being mine for the 2 or so hours that we have scheduled for a game, or the time that we have scheduled for the practice. I would like for these boys to have some responsibility for having their own water, not needing you to keep running to the concession stand, or having parents behind the dugout asking their son if they are thirsty, or hungry, or too hot, and I would appreciate if you would share this information with other invited guests...like grandparents. If there is an injury, obviously we will get you to help, but besides that, let's pretend that they are at work for a short amount of time and that you have been granted the pleasure of watching.
I will have them at games early so we can get stretched and loosened up, and I will have a meeting with just the boys after the game. After the meeting, they are all yours again. As I am writing this, I sound like the little league Nazi, but I believe that this will make things easier for everyone involved.
I truly believe that the family is the most important institution in the lives of these guys. With that being said, l think that the family events are much more important than the sports events. I just ask that you are considerate of the rest of the team and let the team manager, and myself know when you will miss, and to let us know as soon as possible. I know that there will be times when I am going to miss either for family reasons, for other commitments. If your son misses a game or a practice, it is not the end of the world, but there may be some sort of repercussion, just out of respect for the kids that put the effort into making it. The kind of repercussions could possibly be running, altered playing time, or position in the batting order.
Speaking of batting order, I would like to address that right from the top as well seeing that next to playing time this is the second most complained about issue, or actually tied for second with position on the defensive field. Once again, I need you to know that I am trying to develop each boy individually, and I will give them a chance to learn and play any position that they are interested in. I also believe that this team will be competitive and when we get into situations where we are focusing on winning; like a tournament for example; we are going to put the boys in the position that will give the team the best opportunity. I will talk with the boys individually and have them tell me what their favorite position is and what other position they would like to learn about. As this season progresses, there is a chance that your son may be playing a position that they don't necessarily like, but I will need your support about their role on the team. I know that times have changed, but one of the greatest lessons that my father taught me was that my coach was always right...even when he was wrong. The principle is a great life lesson about how things really work. I hope that I will have enough humility to come to your son if I treated him wrong and apologize. Our culture has lost this respect for authority mostly because the kids hear the parents constantly complaining about the teachers and coaches of the child.
I need all of you to know that we are most likely going to lose many games this year. The main reason is that we need to find out how we measure up with the local talent pool. The only way to do this is to play against some of the best teams. I am convinced that if the boys put their work in at home, and give me their best effort, that we will be able to play with just about any team. Time will tell. l also believe that there is enough local talent that we will not have to do a large amount of travel, if any. This may be disappointing for those of you who only play baseball and look forward to the out of town experiences, but I also know that this is a relief for the parents that have traveled throughout the US and Canada for hockey and soccer looking for better competition. In my experiences, we have traveled all over the Midwest and have found just as good competition right in our back yard. If this season goes well, we will entertain the idea of travel in the future.
The boys will be required to show up ready to play every time they come to the field. Shirts tucked in, hats on straight, and pants not drooping down to their knees. There is not an excuse for lack of hustle on a baseball field. From the first step outside the dugout they will hustle. They will have a fast jog to their position, to the plate, and back to the bench when they make an out. We will run out every hit harder than any team we will play, and will learn how to always back up a play to help our teammates. Every single play, every player will be required to move to a spot. Players that do not hustle and run out balls will not play.
The boys will catch on to this quickly. The game of baseball becomes very boring when players are not thinking about the next play and what they possibly could do to help the team. Players on the bench will not be messing around. I will constantly be talking with them about situations and what they would be doing if they were in a specific position, or if they were the batter. There is as much to learn on the bench as there is on the field if the boys want to learn. All of this will take some time for the boys to conform to. They are boys and I am not trying to take away from that, but I do believe that they can bear down and concentrate hard for just a little while during the games and practices.
I know this works because this was how I was taught the game and how our parents acted in the stands. We started our little league team when I was 10 years old in a little suburb of Columbus, Ohio. We had a very disciplined coach that expected the same from us. We committed 8 summers to this man and we were rewarded for our efforts. I went to Michigan, one went to Duke, one to Miami of Florida, two went to North Carolina, one went to Central Florida, one went to Kent State, and most of the others played smaller division one or division two baseball. Four of us went on to play professionally. This was coming from a town where no one had ever been recruited by any colleges.
I am not saying that this is what is going to happen to our boys, but what I do want you to see is that this system works. I know that right now you are asking yourself if this is what you want to get yourself into and I understand that for some of you it may not be the right fit. I also think that there is a great opportunity for these boys to grow together and learn some lessons that will go beyond their baseball experience. Let me know as soon as possible whether or not this is a commitment that you and your son want to make.
Thanks,
Mike Matheny
Tuesday October 21st 2008
by: Bob Howdeshell
High School Baseball Web
The statement above is a common one used on this web site. It means that a player should hustle and give his best effort every time he steps on the field. That includes practice and games.
Because You Never Know Who’s Watching
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be allowed to sit with several college coaches as they evaluated talent at a very good high school baseball tournament. This was a small tournament with only six invited teams, held at a major division 1 college campus. A “showcase” tournament.
No player’s names are being used, no teams are being mentioned and I will try to stay as generic as possible with the description of these players. The focus of this article is to make a point, not to embarrass any particular player.
The following are some of the comments and discussions that I was allowed to listen in on:
If you think that college coaches and professional scouts do not notice the “little things” you are mistaken. As one coach told me …. “We have to pay attention to each of the intangibles, it is the only real separator between some of these guys.” He went on to explain that each recruiting year they will have several players on their board that are essentially equal in athletic skills and ability. What then makes the difference is the “Little Things.”
- The first involves a player with a “national reputation” listed as a top prospect in several sources that I am familiar with. He is a position player. The coaches were in agreement that this player had several nice tools …. Good arm strength, good glove and good speed. The question that each of them had was his ability to hit at the upper end of college baseball.
Some coaches told me that the solid tools that the player had would make him a prospect to them even without “plus” hitting abilities.
What happened next amazed even me. The player was struggling with his bat but showed flashes of an “upside.” However on defense the player did not move well. Did not show good anticipation, did not follow foul balls (showing a jump). More often than not only moved from his position if he was involved in the play.
Some of the coaches REALLY did not like the “lazy” (their words – not mine) attitude shown. On a couple of stolen base attempts (where the player was covering the bag) he did not make an attempt to stop a “less than perfect” throw. Basically he flagged at the ball and got out of the way.
One coach told me that he wanted players that were interested in “sticking their nose in there and getting dirty.” This coach is with a team that would be considered a “national power.”
Some of the coaches told me that they would have to see the player again – later this summer before making any decision regarding a potential scholarship offer. Other coaches told me that they probably would not pursue this player any further.
- Next Up - A right handed pitcher that was throwing solidly in the upper 80’s. He has a slight movement on his fastball, an okay breaking ball and a fair change-up.
This player however did impress many of the coaches. WHY ????
He did not have his best control at times. At times was getting penalized by a “moving” and small strike zone, and had 5 errors made behind him, by his defense.
What caught the coach’s attention was his ability to battle and keep challenging the hitters. He did not drop his head or slump his shoulders when things went against him. He showed no expression when a ball was called on an obvious strike.
He even went so far as to walk over and speak to his second baseman, after a costly error and then pat him on the back as he walked away. The coaches I was sitting near did not miss this!
Each of the coaches that I spoke to admitted that they did not have the player on their lists of potential recruits. Each also said that they would be making a point to see the player pitch again this summer.
This player became a prospect with several “big time” schools on a day when he was the losing pitcher and did not have his best stuff. Because of his attitude and the heart he showed.
- Third Example: Is a big first baseman. This young man does not run like a gazelle, does not have a great arm. (average at best) He is not what you would term “athletic” but he is not fat. However he made points with several of the coaches in attendance.
Of course you have guessed it by now …. The young man can hit with the best of them.
There is a little more to the story though. He can hit to all fields with power. He displayed a good ability to “go with a pitch.” He showed a good knowledge of the strike zone. I personally did not see him chase a bad pitch.
With runners on second and third and no outs in a one run ball game this young man hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield. He did this with a 2-strike count. He made an out and the run scored. He did his job for his team.
He hit a home run or two over the weekend, a double or two to the spacious gaps, had several “screaming” singles, but more importantly he hustled!
This player ran hard on and off the field, every inning He did not quit as most of his teammates did in a blow out loss at one point in the tournament. As one pro scout commented to me …. “A “player” never changes his game, no matter what the score. A “player” plays as hard if his team is behind seven runs or ahead seven runs, or if his team is in a one run ballgame."
So the next time you think that it doesn’t matter how you hustle or present yourself maybe you should revisit that part of your game. As another coach told me … “A player can hustle and give his maximum effort even on a day when he and/or his team is not playing their best game. It doesn’t take any athletic ability to hustle.”
WOLFORTH THROWING MENTORSHIP: ARTICLE 58
Where Does Your Pitcher Rank?
Velocity Perspective: What Matters, What Doesn’t, and What to Watch Out For
If you’d been away on a space mission for the past 50 years and just landed back on Earth, you might be stunned by how much more weight is given to velocity in today’s competitive baseball landscape compared to the 1970s.
Truth is, velocity has always been coveted. But with the rise of radar guns in every dugout and technologies like Trackman® giving instant feedback on pitch data, velocity has evolved from being just one desirable quality into a central metric that often defines a pitcher’s value, future opportunity, and status…sometimes even more than it should.
It’s not hard to see how we got here. In a playoff game between the Yankees and Rays in 2020, the average fastball velocity of that game hit a record 97.1 mph. Imagine that!. As someone who grew up idolizing guys like Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, and Nolan Ryan, I can tell you… even I had a hard time wrapping my head around that number.
And I don’t see the trend slowing down anytime soon.
With the obsession around velocity continuing to intensify, it’s no surprise that myths, misinformation, and anxiety have crept in, especially among parents wondering how their Johnny stacks up when it comes to mound time, college recruiting, or draft buzz. Velocity is often, fairly or not, right in the middle of those conversations.
So, as someone who’s spent over 30 years training pitchers…with 141 draft picks and hundreds of scholarship athletes coming through our doors…allow me to offer some perspective. Consider this a grounding reminder, especially if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or uncertain.
Lesson #1: The 8–14 Age Range Is a Fragile Window
Let’s get something straight from the beginning. At the Texas Baseball Ranch®, we absolutely support developing a powerful, healthy arm at any age. But chasing radar gun numbers or obsessing over them during ages 8 to 14? That’s a very dangerous game.
It’s tempting, I get it. But here’s why we strongly caution against it…
• No one earns a college scholarship or gets drafted at 10–14 years old. Yes, a few freshmen or sophomores might get early verbal offers. But make no mistake, those offers aren’t binding. Whether or not they hold up depends on how that athlete performs during the spring and summer of their junior year. Unfortunately, every year we meet seniors who thought their recruiting process was behind them, only to find out it's just beginning. Those are tough conversations, and my heart breaks for those families.
• Physical development is wildly inconsistent. I’ve seen 12-year-olds throwing in the upper 70s who plateau at 82 by age 17… and others who topped out at 58 mph as preteens only to eventually hit 90+ and pitch in the big leagues. No one has ever asked me how good I was at 12, and that’s because everyone instinctively knows that performance at that age isn’t directly predictive of success later on.
• Soft tissue is still developing. That means pushing for max-effort throws at high volumes can be a fast track to injury. We see it all the time, young athletes racing up the wrong mountain, only to discover the summit doesn’t offer what they hoped. Some stress is necessary for adaptation, yes, but the dosage, frequency, and duration must be carefully managed. It’s not about avoiding effort, it’s about applying it with precision and patience.
In the frenzy to chase velocity, we often overlook four other vital components of development, areas that usually deserve more attention, especially in young throwers.
1. Pain and discomfort should always come first. If a pitcher is in pain, chronic or acute, our top priority must be eliminating it. Gains don’t stick when the arm isn’t healthy. Velocity should never come before durability.
2. Recovery is a red flag. Big swings in velocity or inconsistent performance often point to a recovery problem. If recovery is poor, everything else will eventually break down.
3. Command keeps pitchers in the game. Velocity might get you noticed, but command keeps you pitching. Throwing hard doesn’t mean much if you can’t throw strikes or if you’re constantly behind in the count.
4. Stuff, spin, and deception are essential to long-term advancement. Plenty of guys have hit 95+ on the gun but never advanced because they didn’t miss enough bats. Getting swings and misses…neutralizing the barrel…is what separates pitchers who flash from those who last.
Lesson #2: Where You Live Matters (Even If It Shouldn’t)
It might sound strange, but 85 mph doesn’t mean the same thing in every part of the country.
A 17-year-old in Kimball, Nebraska who throws 85 may be seen as an absolute stud… while the same velocity in Houston, Miami, or Southern California might barely raise an eyebrow. We all tend to gauge ourselves relative to those around us. And that can either inflate or deflate our true perception of ability.
So parents, keep perspective. Don’t get too high or too low based on where your son stacks up regionally.Look broader, zoom out, and remember, this is a long game. One game, one tournament, one radar reading doesn’t define anything.
So How Hard Is “Hard Enough”?
Here’s how we currently assess velocity benchmarks by age at the Ranch. These aren’t absolutes, but they give you a helpful sense of where your athlete stands and where the real constraints may lie.
12 Years Old:
<55 mph: Significantly behind
56–60 mph: Slightly behind
61–64 mph: On track
65–69 mph: Slightly ahead
70 mph: Significantly ahead
13 Years Old:
<60 mph: Significantly behind
61–65 mph: Slightly behind
66–71 mph: On track
72–75 mph: Slightly ahead
76 mph: Significantly ahead
14 Years Old:
<68 mph: Significantly behind
69–73 mph: Slightly behind
74–79 mph: On track
80–83 mph: Slightly ahead
84 mph: Significantly ahead
15 Years Old:
<72 mph: Significantly behind
73–78 mph: Slightly behind
79–82 mph: On track
83–86 mph: Slightly ahead
87 mph: Significantly ahead
16 Years Old:
<75 mph: Significantly behind
76–80 mph: Slightly behind
81–85 mph: On track
86–89 mph: Slightly ahead
90 mph: Significantly ahead
17 Years Old:
<80 mph: Significantly behind
81–83 mph: Slightly behind
84–87 mph: On track
88–91 mph: Slightly ahead
92 mph: Significantly ahead
18 Years Old:
<82 mph: Significantly behind
83–85 mph: Slightly behind
86–89 mph: On track
90–92 mph: Slightly ahead
93 mph: Significantly ahead
19–22 Years Old:
<84 mph: Significantly behind
85–87 mph: Slightly behind
88–92 mph: On track
93–95 mph: Slightly ahead
96 mph: Significantly ahead
What It All Means
Velocity matters. It opens doors. It creates opportunities. But it’s just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.When pursued recklessly, especially too early, it can do far more harm than good.
Our goal isn’t to stir fear or discourage ambition. We’re here to bring clarity, context, and a long-term approach that prioritizes each athlete’s health and development. Let the radar gun inform your progress, not define your identity. And if your numbers are ahead of the curve, great but don’t let that success pull your attention away from the other skills that truly drive advancement at the next level.
Personally, I believe a smart and sustainable goal for any aspiring college or professional pitcher is to reach and stay in the slightly ahead category…while also developing a durable, healthy arm, commanding the baseball at a high level, building elite secondary pitches, and recovering well between outings.
In my 30+ years of experience, chasing the significantly ahead category at all costs has led to far more pain, injury, frustration, and disappointment than it has to lasting success. Yes, velocity can help but successful pitching at the higher levels is about so much more than a number on a radar gun.
But what if you're currently behind for your age group, either slightly or significantly? First, welcome to the club. Far more pitchers are behind in velocity than ahead. You’re not alone.
Second, where you start is never where you have to finish. As of this writing, we’ve had over 650 athletes at the Texas Baseball Ranch® touch 90 mph.
Now, without question, some of those players were going to hit that milestone with or without us. But many of them reached it because of the structure, support, and mentorship they received here. The point is, progress is possible…real, measurable, meaningful progress, even if you’re starting from behind.
No matter where you currently stand, you are not fixed. You’re not stuck. You can improve your standing. You just need a system that meets you where you are and guides you with precision through the next steps in your pitching journey.
And always remember…yes, the radar gun is easy to see, but the real work... and the real rewards... live in everything that number doesn't show.
The topic of velocity sits just below politics and religion in terms of how much heat and emotion it stirs up. But our goal at the Ranch is always the same: to help you sort fact from fiction and make the most informed, thoughtful decisions possible.
Until next time…
Stay curious and keep reaching for the stars,
Coach Ron Wolforth
Coach Ron Wolforth is the founder of The Texas Baseball Ranch® and has authored six books on pitching, including the Amazon Best Seller Pitching with Confidence. Since 2003, The Texas Baseball Ranch® has had141 of their players drafted, and 651 have broken the 90 mph barrier. Coach Wolforth has consulted with 13 MLB teams, numerous NCAA programs, and is often referred to as “America’s Go-To Guy on Pitching.”
Coach Wolforth lives in Montgomery, TX with his wife, Jill. They are intimately familiar with youth select, travel baseball and PG events as their son Garrett (now a professional player) went through the process. Garrett a former catcher in the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros organization still holds the PG Underclass All-American Games record for catcher velocity at 89 mph which he set in 2014 at the age of 16.
