TRAINING
Being a professional baseball player is a full-time job. The off-season is just as, if not more important than the regular season. It takes physical and mental strength to get through a full season of professional baseball. Training in the off-season is very important. Working out and maintaining a strong and stable body is a key part to being successful in baseball. Jason and Matt both have their own personal trainers. Jason works out with Jim Beilowitz, owner of Natural Sports. He has been working out with him for the past four years. Matt works out with Michael Payne, a former Division I football and basketball player. Michael currently works for Natural Sports. To read more about Michael click HERE. Michael also runs a website called The Trainers Table. The Trainers Table is an online social network similar to MySpace and Facebook where fitness professional can meet, exchange information and gain new clients.
Not only is being pysically strong a necessity for professional baseball, being mentally stable and strong is just as important. Yogi Bera once said, "Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is mental." With everything that occurs during a game, it is a must that one is mentally strong. The Hirsh brothers found that mental stability through yoga. They have been doing yoga for about 3 years now with Alan Jaeger, founder of Jaeger Sports. Jaeger Sports is a Southern California-based organization founded on the principle that training should address more than just an athlete's physical skills and preparation. The essence of their training programs integrate both physical and mental skills at all times, thus, preparing the entire athlete (body and mind) for both the practice and performance environment. Alan founded Jaeger Sports on the principle that developing the athlete's mental approach was the key to succeeding in game situations. As a former College Baseball player and coach Alan saw how even the most talented players were limited by their mental skills and approach. The result of several years of research and personal mental training was Alan's first book, Getting Focused, Staying Focused. This book serves as a driving force behind all of Jaeger Sports' training programs. As a personal trainer and consultant Alan has spent the past nine years working with hundreds of amateur athletes, including over 70 professional baseball players. With a teachers training background in Yoga and practitioner of such Far Eastern Arts as Zen and Taoism, Alan has been able to merge the "mechanics" of the Western athlete with the "insight" of the Far Eastern mind, a unique combination of resources that has enabled him to teach athletes how to realize their potential in game situations.