Letting Go of Unfavorable Calls
Do you get upset when you strike out?
Are you more upset when the umpire calls a strike 3 that you don’t agree with?
Can you let that strikeout go before stepping to the plate for your next at-bat?
Striking out can be extremely frustrating for baseball players. Going down looking, especially when the ump makes a “bad call” can be even more upsetting.
It happens though, right? Even the professionals strike out looking.
For example, Juan Soto, the Washington Nationals young stud went down looking in his second at-bat against the Braves this past Wednesday.
The umpire had several questionable calls throughout the game, and Soto thought his third strike was one of them.
As Soto stepped to the plate for his next at-bat, he continued to question the home plate umpire about his previous call.
This probing led to Soto being ejected for the first time in his major league career.
Soto’s third strike in his second at-bat could have been a strike, or it very well could have been out of the strike zone.
While umpires have a “zone” to judge, some calls are subjective. Some umpires call a tight strike zone and others have a wide one.
As a baseball player, you have no control over whether or not an umpire calls a strike that is in or out of the strike zone.
Therefore, it’s not within your control and you have to let it go.
All you can do with two strikes is protect the plate and make a confident swing if it’s close.
Also, you want to make sure you let go of your last at-bat before entering the box for your next at-bat.
You can’t be completely focused if you are still worrying about a call or how you did previously at the plate.
Use the 10-second rule to help you let go of the past.
Count to 10 and be as frustrated as you want in those 10 seconds.
After those 10 seconds, throw out the mistake or bad at-bat so you are able to stay composed, refocus on the next one, and move on without a “monkey on your back.”
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Do you feel embarrassed after striking out and carry this with you for longer than one inning?
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