The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement [Paperback]

H. A. Dorfman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Author H.A. Dorfman brings his years of expertise as instructor/counselor with the A's, Marlins, and Devil Rays to provide an easy-to-use, A-to-Z handbook which will give insight and instruction on how to pitch to peak performance at every level of the game. Perfect for pitchers who need that extra edge or hitters who want to better understand the mental moves on the mound.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Mental ABC's of Pitching should be next to Ted Williams' The Art of Hitting on any player's bookshelf, and any team that does not give every pitcher in its organization a copy of The Mental ABC's of Pitching...is living in the dark ages." -- Peter Gammons, ESPN Baseball Analyst

"The Mental Game of Baseball is a book I've traveled with for eight years. Now I'll travel with The Mental ABC's of Pitching. Many of us are blessed with God-given talents for the baseball field, but few of us figure out the mental part of baseball to truly succeed. This book helps pitchers dedicate themselves to that aspect of the game." -- Jaime Moyer, Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

"Wherever he is in any given year, we find him and bring him in. The players wouldn't have it any other way. He 'opens doors' and provides insight like no one else. This book is vintage Dorfman. Every player and coach will have one." -- Pat Murphy, Head Baseball Coach, Arizona State University

About the Author

Harvey A. Dorfmans background has been in education as a teacher, counselor, coach, and consultant. He has a Masters Degree in Communications/Psychology and is most knowledgeable about baseball and the factors necessary for success in the game. He was employed from 1984 through 1993 as the Oakland As full-time instructor/counselor and from 1994 through 1997 with the Florida Marlins. He joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the same capacity in 1998. In 1999 Dorfman became full-time sport psychologist for Scott Boras Corporation. He lectures extensively on sports psychology, management and leadership training, and personal development. He has, as well, been a consultant to the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Islanders of the NHL, and to a number of major universities. In addition, he has experience as a newspaper columnist and freelance journalist, writing for The New York Times, Boston Globe, and Miami Herald, among others. In 1989, his first book, The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance, co-authored with Karl Kuehl, was released. Published by Diamond Communications, Inc., this bestselling book is considered to be the classic guide to developing the mental mechanics of the game.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888698292
• ISBN-13: 978-1888698299
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Baseball

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars College Coach Finds Book Helpful, December 16, 1999

By 

Aaron Weintraub (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement (Paperback)

I am an assistant coach at the University of Virginia and love Dorfman's work (see The Mental Game of Baseball). The information he provides in this book allows pitchers to take control of their performance. So often, players work hard, but cannot figure out why they don't perform better. This book shares the experience of a person who has actually taught major league pitchers how to perform near the highest level that their ability allows. It is well-written and a must for any high school (and up) pitcher who truly wants to find out how good he can be (that is - he is willing to pay the price of hard work for success on and off the field).

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully wise and inspirational book, August 31, 2001

By 

Sator (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement (Paperback)

This is a really beautiful book to read. It is a must for all pitchers and their coaches. But it is more than that because it is also about life in general though especially relevant to anyone who loves baseball. It is about being philosophical about our failures and being courageous enough to go out to win in the face of them. In that sense anyone who reads this book will feel a little wiser about life both on and perhaps also off-field regardless of whether they are a baseball player or not.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roy Halladay read this book cover to cover. Perfect game., May 29, 2010

By 

Hanie E. Cole III "HC3" (Chocowinity, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement (Paperback)

Roy Halladay read this book cover to cover. He threw the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 29, 2010 versus the Florida Marlins.