Randy Johnson's Power Pitching: The Big Unit's Secrets to Domination, Intimidation, and Winning (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jim Rosenthal (Author) "The goal of this book is to teach you how to be a complete pitcher..." (more)
Key Phrases: mound presence, power pitcher, pitch selection, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Little League (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twelve years after the publication of Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible comes this pitching manual from Ryan's successor as King of the Ks, with a foreword by Ryan. Whether the world needs yet another power pitcher's how-to is debatable, but Johnson certainly knows of what he writes, and he brings a particular emphasis on a pitcher's mental stance in this clear, well-illustrated (albeit b&w photos) volume, as evidenced in the subtitle. About pitching inside, that is throwing a fastball close to a hitter, Johnson writes, "the plan is never to hit the batter, because that's like handing him a free pass to first base"-never mind a free pass to the hospital. It's this emphasis on getting the job done no matter what that Johnson emphasizes over and over, with little modesty ("that emotional intensity is what makes me unique") but with justification based on his record. The book covers not only the mental aspects of the game but also pitching mechanics, conditioning suggestions, and two particularly interesting chapters, one on "a day in the life of a power pitcher," chronicling a 2002 game in Colorado, the other on how a pitcher works with a catcher, which extend the book's reach slightly beyond the aspiring pitcher to the general baseball fan. Two appendices, one a list of all the batters Johnson has struck out, fill out the volume.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Learn the secrets of pitching success from the most dominating and electrifying hurler in the game: Randy Johnson.

Randy Johnson, the most overpowering pitcher since Sandy Koufax, has devised a teaching system that reveals the intelligent, methodical approach to pitching that has produced five Cy Young awards, nine strikeout titles, and a co-MVP Award in the 2001 World Series. The secret behind all of Randy’s Hall of Fame credentials has been his ability to transform raw power into controlled precision.

In Randy Johnson’s Power Pitching, Randy teaches:

•The fundamentals of pitching
•Control, control, control—how to benefit from patience and precision
•The importance of proper mechanics
•Physical conditioning drills for injury prevention and high-performance pitching
•The mental side of pitching
•How to make the most of your natural talent

Fully illustrated with previously unpublished photographs from Randy’s personal archive and enlivened with his reminiscences of a life in baseball, this is today’s most essential instructional guide for players and coaches at every level.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400047390
• ISBN-13: 978-1400047390
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #724,511 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Ran what do you expect?, January 2, 2005

By	RamMan03 "Rob" (Houston) - See all my reviews

A great all around book with a great story and great pictures. I really enjoyed reading this book because it showed techiques about pitching. Johnson gives great stratagies on pitching and life. The book sheds light on some of Johnson's other talents such as basketball and takes us into a world where Johnson's erradic pitching gets transformed into fine techique. I also liked the way Nolan Ryan was put in this book. His HOF comments in the foreward serve the book well.


A GREAT READ

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Randy Johnson's Power Pitching, December 14, 2007

By	G. Wood - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My son is a highly recruited college and pro pitching prospect. I've brought him up on Randy Johnson's mental side of the game. This book is short and to the point, perfect for my son's reading attention span...but, he read this book cover-to-cover in one setting. It's good to read one time over, but like my son said, this is a book to go back to time and again to remind him of setting the right mind set during a game. Randy also stresses the importance of mechanics and physical conditioning. It's just a good reference book, a Pitching Bible brought to you by the Unit...