This continuation of Episode 9 is one our strongest episodes yet. Frank and Donald continue their chat about batting and the overall approach in the batter’s box (and life). Donald talks about the cat and mouse game that is high-level hitting and using video analytics to gain an advantage. Frank drops some valuable baseball and life advice as well as the importance of slowing down and listening to your breathing. Plus, too many other amazing stories and morsels of wisdom to list here. Then, Frank debuts another new tune, “Someone once told me that simple was the way… Slow down… We’re in Love.”

In this episode, Donald talks about his favourite non-homer parts of hitting and how he learned to not be afraid of getting jammed. Frank shares the story of his bullpen misadventures in the big leagues and Lutzy talks about the biggest factors in translating the drills you work on in BP to your in-game at-bats. Then, the guys reflect on hitting and life advice from Reds coaches including Delino DeShields and Barry Larkin. Plus, we learn which pro stadium has the best German bratwurst and Frank introduces his future worldwide #1 hit, “A Little Thank You”.

In this episode, Donald and Frank cover topics like where the line is between an appropriate on-field celebration and being disrespectful. Lutzy also talks about what advice he’d give to his 12-year-old self and they introduce a new feature on the podcast called “Frank’s random page”. Plus, Lutzy’s cold tub pro tips and Frank debuts an awesome new song called "どこの国出身ですか〜♪ Doko no kuni shusshindesu ka (Where are you from? – thanks Digable Planets)" That bass line goes hard!

In their final episode from Arizona spring training, Donald and Frank continue with the theme of dealing with panic in life and on the field and how those moments can sometimes turn into celebrations. Donald also shares a few stories about his journey to the big leagues, what he did with his Reds signing bonus, and catching up with mentors like Eric Davis at this year’s Reds camp. Plus, Frank explains the themes behind his song “Another wave” (featured at the end of episode 5) and we learn the secret ingredient that makes the Lutz family’s homemade German potato salad so special!

Recorded during spring training in Arizona, Donald and Frank cover topics like dealing with anxiety on the field, the art of playing like you don’t care, and finding patience and comfort through the chaos. Plus, Donald shares his spring training experiences seeing old teammates, mentors and friends as well as his first preseason as a Reds scout.

Donald and Frank share their experiences as rookies at their very first spring trainings. They talk about what they did to try to stand out, their preparation and mindset going in and how that changed in subsequent preseasons. Plus, the world debut of the song “Another Wave” from Frank Pfister. Warning: it’s a real ear worm!

Frank and Donald talk about the importance of communication and transparency in dealing with teammates, coaches and parents. Then, both share their personal stories about the toughest conversations they’ve had in baseball and the valuable life lessons learned from them.

On this episode, Frank and I take listener questions and go deep on topics like mental approaches to breaking out of slumps and moving past “the funk”, life lessons learned from our baseball journeys, what makes a good mentor, teacher or coach (including those we worked with in Cincinnati), and much more.

In this episode we cover the following topics:

- Different cultural expressions in baseball

- How observation is one of the most powerful tools

- Respect greatness

- How to achieve your goals

- How kids have to enjoy the game of baseball - Piggybacking on the joy of others

- To never take the game of baseball for granted

- Importance of adapting to a new environment

- The joy of hitting homers

- How to bring the energy for your teammates

Donald Lutz also shares story’s on his first 18 pro at bats, his first time taking ground balls with Didi Gregorius and much more fun stuff.

If you hang in there until the end you also get to enjoy Donald making Frank talk about how great Donald is 😂

Enjoy!

Frank and I discuss how important positive mentorship is, not just in baseball but in life. We talk about a hot topic which is “Should baseball be fun?” Accountability is another topic we touch on while simply sharing a few things we learned during our combined 30 years of experience in professional and international baseball. This podcast isn’t just for young athletes pursuing a dream, we also try to help athletes who are nearing the end of their playing career and struggle with the transition. Thanks for listening and if you see any value in this or any future episodes, feel free to share it with someone you think could benefit from it. We would love to build a small community! 🤙🏽