Pinch Hit Friday #56 - Is it Time to Course-Correct in Youth Baseball?

In this episode, Eric interviews two Emory Healthcare sports medicine physicians, Dr. Eric Wagner and Dr. Robert Bowers, on the complexities of diagnosing and treating thoracic outlet syndrome and peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes. They discuss relevant functional anatomy, the etiology of these conditions, and conservative and surgical management. Support Our Sponsor: AG1

In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida hitting coach Ronnie Bernick discusses the key principles in youth hitting development and addresses the misconceptions within the space. He further emphasizes the need for coaches to focus on helping athletes develop body awareness and feel, not just replicate movements.Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm

In this episode, Eric chats with Boston Bruins Director of Performance, Kevin Neeld. They discuss the lengthy competitive hockey season, strategies for managing stiff hips, the skill-specific nature of work capacity, and how teams are evaluating and developing hockey athletes. There are many parallels to the baseball world, so this is a great listen for players, parents, and coaches.Support Our Sponsor: AG1

In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida pitching coach Matt Minnick takes a quick dive into what pitchers should know about spin - and more importantly, how they often overvalue spin rate. Matt shares insights on what really matters for creating pitch shape and, in turn, success.Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm

Renowned golf instructor and PGA Tour consultant Mark Blackburn shares fascinating insights on how the baseball world can borrow a variety of key competencies from the golfing community. From technology, to individualization, to long-term athletic development, this conversation delivered a lot of value for athletes, coaches, and parents alike.Support Our Sponsor: AG1

In this episode, Eric reflects on the yearly baseball calendar and how we're at a crucial point in time where players, parents, and coaches may need to make tough decisions regarding developmental paths.Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm

In this episode, Eric interviews Alabama Baseball strength and conditioning coach Brett Price. They discuss how strength and conditioning has changed in college baseball over the past decade. From technology, to recruiting, to collaboration among support staff, Brett shares some of the key components of Alabama's success.

In this episode, Eric discusses both the challenges and benefits youth athletes experience during adolescent growth spurts.Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm

In this episode, Eric goes into detail on the sports hernia diagnosis, from symptoms, to functional anatomy, to preventative training and treatments, to surgical interventions. Also known as athletic pubalgia and core muscle surgery, this is a modern sports medicine challenge that all practitioners should seek to understand.Support Our Sponsor: AG1

In this episode, Eric discusses the findings of a recent study that looked at the injury implications of scapular positioning in a population of baseball pitchers. More importantly, he offers a rationale for how these injuries occur, and what training modifications need to be in place to keep pitchers healthy.