Oakland A's Home Run Power
RUN POWER "I lift weights six days a week in the off season. That's something ballplayers once were told never to do."
FINAL 87 STATISTICS HOME RUNS 49 RBIS 118 BAT AVERAGE .289 6-5 When rookie Mark McGwire was asked about why the major leagues hit a record number of home runs in 1987 he responded, "We're just getting stronger." McGwire's 49 homeruns smashed the major league rookie home-run record set by Wally Berger in 1930 and Frank Robinson in 1956 who hit only 38 homeruns in their rookie year. There was even talk in July about McGwire having a shot at Roger Maris' record of 61 homeruns.
Due to a partial homerun slump, McGwire had to settle for leading the majors with 49 homeruns. It had to happen and it will continue to happen. More and more coaches and baseball players will catch the vision and will train with weights, stretch, jump and run. There are three weird things. First, why has it taken so long for some players and coaches to see the light? The benefits of a total conditioning program for football players and track athletes have been around for years. The second weird thing is that thousands of coaches at the high school level and on up will not allow their players to train this year in the off-season or the in-season.
It's incredible that this should happen in 1987-88. It's also sad because tens of thousands of athletes will NEVER reach their potential. Later, they can only dream of what might have been. The third weird thing is that each sport seems to have an unbelievable urge to find out things the hard way. Football in the 60's and 70's went through a myriad of really bizarre screwed up training ideas. All they had to do is look at the track athletes. r guess it was too easy. The smart basketball and baseball coach would do well to Jearn and prosper from all the knowledge and research accumulated by todays track and football athletes.
Indeed, most strength coaches at our major universities have that knowledge. It doesn't make sense for a coach to make the same mistakes in training that were made twenty years ago in another sport. All athletes should train with a total athletic development concept. In high school, many athletes play more than one sport. Multi-sport high school athletes should work on a coordinated program that involves a smooth transition from sport to sport. All athletes should squat, clean, bench and do straight leg deadlifts in addition to 3 to 5 auxiliary exercises that are beneficial to winning a particular sport. Time and energy should be allotted for flexibility, running, jumping and technique work.
When you have a coordinated program, you've got a chance to reach your potential.
From BFS Magazine — November/December 1987. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
