CBNL Winter Ball Special: Chris Swauger - Focus

(Mark Shorey, Adron Chambers, Chris Swauger)

It rains all the time here.

However, just like everything else in baseball, something can be learned from this. I think the lesson here is how to maintain focus. Baseball tends to be a streaky sport. When everything is clicking it seems like the pitcher is throwing a beach ball at you. If the ball comes anywhere near the strike zone it's getting whacked. Other times, it feels like they are throwing Tic-Tacs. It doesn't matter if it's an underhand softball toss the ball seems to find someones mitt (and most of the time it belongs to the catcher). But, you play so many games that the hot and cold streaks seem to even out. So, what happens when you only get to play one or two games a week?

In this league we are supposed to play 5 games a week, with Mondays and Thursdays reserved as off-days and travel days. On paper it looks like a great schedule because you play a lot of games but have ample time to rest your body and travel. However, the rainy season has thrown a monkey wrench into our schedule. Thus far, we've played 8 games in almost 3 weeks. We have won all of our games and enjoy a 3 game lead in the standings. Still, the game is fighting some of our players. It is difficult to find a groove and have confidence in your swing when you rarely get to take batting practice, much less see a live arm. This situation has taught me a very valuable lesson. The power of focus.

Each time I step into the box, I know I have to be locked in. I have to know (or at least have a really good idea) of what the pitcher likes to do and what I want to do based on the situation and count. It is definitely more difficult to do this when you only play a couple times a week. So, what I have learned to do is step up my mental game. Visualization and anticipation have become more a part of my game. It is something that the Cardinals have started to implement with the help of sports psychologists, but I really never utilized it until some of the older players mentioned it to me. They told me that even when we don't play, I can still get better. Visualization of the game in my head can make it feel as if we actually did play and keep my senses sharp. I don't want to try and sound like some Zen master, but it seems to help me. Not playing games used to really impair my ability to perform, but now I seem to be able to roll with it a lot better. I think this is exactly what it would be like to be a bench player. Pinch-hitting and playing a couple times a week seems like a really tough job but I feel like because of the weather and the schedule here, I have gotten a taste of it. It is surely a positive experience that has come out of a negative situation.