"It is the job of our staff," says Gorden Herz, Ph.D., chair of the Acme psychological staff, "to get the players in the Greens' organization to believe, to imagine, to execute, but always, always, to play. Baseball is a child's game, and we try to return players to that mind set while simultaneously sharpening their concentration powers in order to release the inner child at play while unleashing the man's muscle memory."
At the heart of such focused concentration, at least from the offensive end, is the Seed Drill, developed by staff psychologist Jethro Tull. The drill calls for batters to imagine the pitched ball no bigger than a seed. "When they can hit an object that small," says Tull, "they are ready for a two-seamer from a major league pitcher."
Pitching drills include Blindman's Bluff, which asks pitchers throw from the mound blindfolded. "Teaches them to trust their stuff," notes Tull. "We don't ask any hitters to stand in there, though." Acme also teaches speed reading as part of a program to train the mind to work quickly. "Fast thinking leads to fast pitching," declares Herz. Does it work? League veterans Jason Bere and ex-Green Tom Candiotti swear by it.
Beyond pure psychological training, Acme offers the Cow Pasture, which promotes foot speed, agility, and courage for all players, pitchers and position players alike. Players negotiate a circuitous path through a real pasture dotted with manure in under a minute. "Plus, it's good practice for dealing with the media, too," adds Herz.
For all its emphasis on individual mental toning, Acme training stresses the team concept. The individual cannot exist without society. "This is baseball, it's a team sport," says Herz, "and there's no me in team."