Marty Miller Not Working Out
From Peter Abraham – with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org
Within the last seven weeks, six players have missed time with muscle strains. The list includes Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang (right hamstring), Hideki Matsui (left hamstring), Johnny Damon (right calf), Bobby Abreu (oblique) and Andy Pettitte (back).
“There’s a lot of different things that are going on, and obviously fingers get pointed,” Damon said. “Hopefully, it’s an unnecessary thing and something that’s going to help us out in the long run. But, obviously, it raises some eyebrows.”
As Damon and other players discussed the situation after a 5-1 loss at Minnesota, the man charged with preventing injuries, Marty Miller, looked across the room with a stunned expression.
Miller, 34, has been in the employ of the Yankees for only a few months, taking the newly created title of “director of performance enhancement.”
According to several players, Miller’s program de-emphasizes running as a way to increase leg strength. He also took away the large rubber bands that Mangold used to help players stretch before games.
Some players have chosen to ignore Miller’s methods, believing the lunges and other calisthenics he prescribes are too strenuous.
“We’re all out there on the field for stretching. Some guys do it and some guys don’t,” one player said. “Half the guys are just standing there talking. They do their own thing later. They don’t trust (Miller).”
Where’s Torre on this? Shouldn’t he be addressing the players “just standing there talking”? Isn’t Joe supposed to be the master at working out conflict situations? Doesn’t this seem like one?
Ugh, no. Torre is responsible for getting them ready for the game, not for making sure they stretch. This isn’t your high school baseball team, these are professionals.
Does your manager make sure you did the tasks from the prior day, like a high school teachers makes sure you did your homework? I bet not. You are a professional and I bet your manager expects you to do your job and tasks that you need to get done so like that you are prepared for the current/next project, deadline, or meeting.
But if it makes you a happier man to blame this on Torre, then go for it (I do recognize you already have). What else would you like to pin on him? I think we should blame him for global warming, Iraq, and Imus’ comments. We used to blame ARod, but he’s hitting….albeit for that new contract….so let’s look for our new scapegoat, looks just like the scapegoat we’ve used in the past.
Can’t we blame Cashman for hiring this guy? Now that would have made sense to me. Does Torre look like a strength coach to you? Do you think Torre knows what stretches are the one’s the players should be doing? For me, all that research falls on Cashman.
~~Can’t we blame Cashman for hiring this guy? ~~
No question. You have to wonder why, the Yankees, would not have the best person qualifed for the job – and not someone who was working in a healthclub or something like that.
No question. You have to wonder why, the Yankees, would not have the best person qualifed for the job – and not someone who was working in a healthclub or something like that.
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How do we know he wasn’t the best person qualified for the job?
Regardless of what the players think, he’s the “director of performance enhancement” (I get a chuckle out of that title, given the PED issue), and it would behoove them to listen. Especially if the injured players listed above are/were the ones not listening.
Good God. Even the personal trainers are scrutinized in New York.
The guys who have been hurt don’t strike me as the lazy kind. This guy’s program supposedly de-emphasizes running, but Wang got hurt jogging. Bobby’s oblique strain happened very early on.
Matsui and Damon’s injuries seemed to have a lot more to do with the cold.
The article says that some people ignored his exercises, but did their own thing later — meaning no one stopped working out. They just did what they wanted to do. And if those people are on this list, then you can’t blame the trainer.
Strains and pulls aren’t really about the TYPE of working out you do. It’s about warming up. Miller is right if he’s adding lunging and other exercises to their routines if they’re only running, but it’s really about getting warm enough before exercising, playing and even stretching.
~~~The article says that some people ignored his exercises, but did their own thing later — meaning no one stopped working out. They just did what they wanted to do. And if those people are on this list, then you can’t blame the trainer.~~~
Isn’t it the job of the trainer to get these guys “on board” with “the program” though – win their trust, etc. – rather than turn them off to the point where they’re off doing their own thing?
~~~How do we know he wasn’t the best person qualified for the job?~~~
Have you seen his resume?
Have you seen his resume?
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Have you?
Point still stands. When was the last time Dr. Mike Marshall, was interviewed for a pitching coach position?
Raf – from Pete Abe’s article:
Miller, 34, has been in the employ of the Yankees for only a few months, taking the newly created title of “director of performance enhancement.” According to information provided by the Yankees, Miller has no experience in professional sports beyond a two-year stint as a minor-league trainer in the Montreal organization 10 years ago. He spent the previous nine years working as the “fitness director” of the private Ballen Isles County Club in the retirement community of Palm Gardens, Fla.
Apparently everyone forgets that with the exception of Wang, all of those guys who got hurt are OLD (in baseball terms of course).
~~~~~He spent the previous nine years working as the “fitness director” of the private Ballen Isles County Club in the retirement community of Palm Gardens, Fla.~~~~~
~~~~~Apparently everyone forgets that with the exception of Wang, all of those guys who got hurt are OLD (in baseball terms of course).~~~~~
With experience working out the geriatrics, wouldn’t you say he fits right in on this team?
http://tinyurl.com/29vjrs
” According to a Yankees official who asked not to be identified because he was discussing players’ medical issues, Wang came to spring training with a sore left hamstring and might have been hurt while compensating for that, and Pettitte hurt himself doing squats — an exercise recommended by his personal trainer but not used by the Yankees.
Miller and Cavalea now stress “core” (midsection) and “functional” (targeted for the sport) training. The weight room at Yankee Stadium no longer has machines for bench presses or leg curls.
Matsui, speaking through interpreter Roger Kahlon, said the only thing he could have done to prevent his injury was “not swing at that pitch. (The new stretching program) has absolutely nothing to do with it.”
This is all really a silly argument. There’s no way to train to avoid injury. A lot of times people get hurt in odd, unusual, non-stress ways. Years ago a professional bodybuilder tore his bicep curling a seven-pound dumbbell. You can run ten miles a day, and then you’re playing with your kid and take a false step and twist your ankle. Mo Rivera hurt himself tying his shoe last year. Sammy Sosa threw out his back sneezing.
It’s good that the Yanks are targeting muscles and designing workouts for the specific muscles you use while playing baseball, but regular strength training still has a place in the game, and anyone who thinks a certain routine will prevent injuries is fooling himself.
The only way to avoid injury completely is to strap yourself to a chair and not leave the house.
I’m a Performance director for a soccer club in the UK. When I took the job 10 yrs ago (without direct experience) the training revolved around 10m runs and sit ups. 10 yrs on its all about sprints, change of direction, high intesity intervals….offset by specific strength training and core stability work. All thing laughed off by experienced coaches even 5 yrs ago….these things are standard now. The change has to start somewhere…..this guy is very highly qualfied, if not ecperienced within baseball….training needs to be specific to the sport….how much jogging do you see on a baseball field????! Activating deep muscle tissues by stretching, lunging into jumping/sprints is the absolutely correct way to warm up a baseball player……sorry for the thesis!!!!!
how much jogging do you see on a baseball field????!
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A lot, but that’s just Manny being Manny
the Yankees should contact this guy: http://www.myspace.com/baseballfitness