To the MLB: Let’s Have Mind Power Instead of Steroid Power!

Since I’m a natural health professional by trade, I got to thinking on things that could help professional baseball players play better, have better attitudes and ideally, win more games. So, I started looking for information on using hypnosis, creative visualization and the like.

From what I’ve read, psychology and its associated techniques, have been employed - from as far back as 1920 with the God-like slugger, Babe Ruth, to the early to mid-1980s. Interestingly, I couldn’t find much on CURRENT use of techniques such as visualization and hypnosis in MLB.

But, what I did find is interesting…

Baseball is a mental game

“Succeeding in pro ball is 90 percent mental. It’s big,” said Diamondbacks infielder Andy Fox. “Baseball is 80 percent mental,” said one manager, “you have got to make players believe in themselves to perform well.” [2]

Or, in the words of former Kansas City outfielder Jim Wohlford, “Baseball is 90 percent mental half the time.” Actually, Wohlford’s Yogi-ism is probably the most accurate of the three in that some aspects of baseball are more mentally demanding than others. [2]

Psychology and Professional Baseball

One of the first examples in which a baseball player’s mental abilities were assessed occurred at Columbia University in 1920. Babe Ruth was brought to a Columbia University psychology laboratory so that researchers could try to determine what physical and psychological abilities made him one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball. [1]

The researchers assessed various measures, including Ruth’s reaction time, attention span, memory, learning and coordination. The results of Ruth’s psychological tests gained media attention and were printed on the front page of the New York Times. [1]

A second example of psychology applied to baseball is Coleman Griffith’s work with the Chicago Cubs in 1938, when he was hired as a consultant to conduct a psychological analysis of the Cubs team. Griffith was given filming and laboratory equipment to observe the players. [1]

During his research he analyzed each player psychologically and produced a report. After completing his work he was offered a full-time consulting position with the Cubs but did not accept the position. [1]

But what about hypnosis? Is there a history of that?

According to David F. Tracy he began to receive attention from the media about his use of psychology with professional athletes while speaking at a New York City psychology meeting during the summer of 1949. At this meeting Tracy presented information on his psychological work with semi-pro baseball players.He explained the performance improvement made by these athletes as they implemented psychological skills into training and competition. [1]

Tracy also suggested that he could help other professional baseball players and teams enhance their performance through the use of psychological skills. Subsequently a media report was released stating that Tracy offered his services to the St. Louis Browns. [1]

After the Browns hired Tracy, the media began to publish stories on the work that Tracy would be doing with the team. Although Tracy used various psychological interventions, hypnosis was the one most often discussed by the local and national media. [1]

Most articles viewed his hiring as the first time a psychologist had been hired to work with a Major League baseball team. As Tracy began his work with the Browns athletes, he suggested that there was a definite place for a psychologist working in the sports world. [1]

He stated: “I think there’s a great field in sports for the work I’m going to do with the Browns, and I’m confident that in a few years psychology wilt be used to a great extent. After all, if a successful business man frets and worries and then freezes up when called upon to make a speech, or an actor suffers stage fright on opening night, consider the tension on a young ball player. A stage play doesn’t change, but every ball game is different. I’m sure I can help the Browns.” [1]

To help the athletes improve performance, Tracy’s classes consisted of teaching hypnosis, autosuggestion, relaxation, and confidence-building techniques. The intended outcome was to help the Browns overcome their fear of crowds and thus play relaxed. [1]

To this end, Tracy based much of his work changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts. For example, he taught the Browns pitchers to step off the mound and take three deep breaths when they were feeling nervous. Tracy stated, “My primary work was to get pitchers to reject all negative thoughts from their minds and force themselves to think confidently.” [1]

The reaction to Tracy’s work was positive overall. Tracy believed that he had helped baseball realize the importance of psychology and that he had succeeded in helping athletes learn to relieve nervous tension, to relax, and to use hypnosis and autosuggestion. [1]

Tracy’s work is an important part of the history of baseball because it may represent the first time the application of psychology to professional baseball received a great deal of attention from management, media, and fans. Tracy brought national attention to the psychologist’s role–and, specifically, his own use of hypnosis–in professional baseball. [1]

Very interesting, but what about now? Do we still use these types of techniques in professional baseball?

Vizualization in Modern Major League Baseball

About one-third of the (modern) players interviewed said they visualize before games. Visualization, or what many sports psychologists alternatively refer to as imagery or mental rehearsal, is used to create and concentrate on the mental images of a physical act before doing it. [2]

Cognitively, visualizing is similar to watching a video, except that the player runs the images through his mind instead of looking at them on a screen. For example, a hitter may call to mind images of himself hitting a particular pitch; a pitcher might conjure up images of himself going through his motion and delivering a pitch to a particular location. [2]

One of the advantages of visualization is that it can be done anywhere, even away from the ballpark. “The mind becomes the practice field,” said Harvey Dorfman and Karl Kuehl, and “that field is always accessible. In the mind someone is always available to throw BP or, for pitchers, to hit against you.” [2]

Visualization is certainly not unique to baseball. In fact, it is widely and systematically used by elite athletes in gymnastics, diving, running, figure skating, tennis, and many other individual sports. [2]

Downhill ski racers with eyes closed going through their moves as they visualize the course before the start of a race are sometimes captured on television. It is used by performers outside of sport as well. A jazz musician once described to me how he prepares for performances by visualizing himself at the piano playing the difficult parts of the pieces he will soon perform. [2]

Hypnosis in Modern Baseball

~ Perhaps one of the most famous examples of hypnosis assisting a sportsman, is the story of Rod Carew, one of American baseball’s finest. Carew had suffered an injury, which while technically had healed, left him nonetheless with some pain (perhaps psychosomatic, but real enough to him), and an elevated sense of self doubt.

A hypnotist was consulted, and he was instructed in mastering self-hypnosis. Carew then came back to the best season of his entire career, with a batting score of almost .400, and went on to win an MVP award.

~ Mark McGwire (baseball player/home run champ) uses hypnosis to help him relax.

~ Other popular and famous major league baseball players such as George Brett and Damion Easley used hypnosis to improve their games.

~ The entire 1983 Chicago White Sox team used hypnosis to help win their division and reach the playoffs that year.

~ (From 1982) At first glance there’s nothing unusual about Bill Buckner ’s batting routine. Buckner , 32, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman for the Cubs, smooths the dirt on the right side of the plate and digs a hole deep in the batter’s box to plant his left foot. He points his right foot toward first while surveying the pitcher and then assumes a conventional stance perpendicular to the rubber. After lightly tapping the plate with his bat, he’s ready to swing. [3]

Ah, but that slight, seemingly insignificant tap has made Buckner the scourge of the National League , by triggering in his mind a posthypnotic suggestion. In early August a hypnotist taught Buckner to visualize himself being selective and attacking only those pitches he wants to hit. Feeling nothing but positive vibes, he would see himself making nothing but perfect swings and hitting line drives. [3]

Ever since, Buckner has been in a zone of his own. As the National League ’s Player of the Month in August, he batted .405, with six homers, 35 runs batted in and seven game-winning RBIs. [3]

At week’s end he was among the league leaders in batting (.307), runs batted in (91), hits (170), game-winning RBIs (13) and doubles (30) and was headed for the best season of his distinguished 12-year major league career. [3]

My opinion on all of this?

Well, since there is absolutely NO harm in visualization, hypnosis and positive thinking; and since many sports professionals find that one of the biggest challenges which face them is simply keeping a productive, positive attitude, I don’t see how it could hurt for MLB teams to enlist the help of mental health professionals, motivational counselors and licensed hypnotherapists.

If it causes no harm and has the very good chance of improving both the quality of play and the quality of life for the game’s players - how could you go wrong?

In this era of steroid and viagra abuse headlines, it’s my humble opinion that a little positivity injection could be a very good thing for both this sport and its fans. I’d much rather my son learn about how these techniques are affecting his role-model pro ball players than constantly hearing about which latest major league golden boy is being investigated for drug use, wouldn’t you?

Besides, both my Rockies and my Reds need some sort of shot in the arm - and I’d prefer it be a healthy and legal one. If baseball (like life) is a ‘mental game’ - then let’s help our players (and our kids) develop all the tools they need in order to be successful.

Dee ~ Baseball Mom

References:

[1] The Use of Psychology in Professional Baseball: The Pioneering Work of David F. Tracy. by Alan S. Kornspan , Mary J. MacCracken

[2] Baseball’s Mental Game. by GEORGE GMELCH

[3] Sports Illustrated; September 13, 1982 - He’s Off In A Zone Of His Own; A hypnotist helped Cub Bill Buckner get back into the swing of things; by Jim Kaplan