— Submitted photo
Walsh, a 12-year-old Corner Brook native, was one of the blossoming young arms who participated in the Elite Pitchers Bootcamp at the Texas Baseball Ranch in Montgomery, Texas.
The Texas Baseball Ranch, under founder Ron Wolforth, lays claim to being the place an athlete can dream as big as his work ethic will allow. It touts itself as being a “place of great hope, high expectations and even greater passion, energy and encouragement for pitchers who want to take their game to a higher level.”
Walsh suited up for the Corner Brook AA peewee baseball team last summer. While he was throwing strikes at Jubilee Field former minor baseball instructor Steve Angeline spent a few weeks lending a helping hand.
It was during this time that Geordie Walsh — Brogan’s dad — got to know Angeline on a personal level. Dad asked Angeline if he could recommend a pitching camp in the United States that could provide an environment conducive to learning so the right-hander could get better.
There’s no place like the Texas Baseball Ranch it appears, as Angeline recommended Brogan invest his time in attending the camp.
It turned out to be a great experience for the son of Geordie and Jacqui Walsh. It’s a venture he figures has already made him a better pitcher and he’s confident if he follows the advice given to him he can take his game to a higher level.
He was impressed with the wealth of knowledge the coaching staff was armed with, and he particularly enjoyed rubbing shoulders with Houston Astros pitching coach Brent Strom.
“I learned a lot of new movements and mechanics to help me and I learned how to not hurt myself,” Brogan said of the busy three days of instruction.
He was just there to soak up every bit of information he could. But, he also knows the only way to really take advantage of the instruction is to put it to good use by practising over and over.
Yes, the importance of having a good work ethic shone through as he participated in a bunch of training exercises at a place that takes pride in having no less than 75 Texas Baseball Ranch athletes drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
The Ranch boasts of being able to have players see a dramatic difference in their pitching in just three days.
Walsh can vouch for that one. His challenge has been keeping his arm strength up to avoid soreness, or worst, a nagging injury.
“By the third day I was perfect and my arm didn’t hurt,” he said.
His plan is to come home and work on what he was told would make him take his game to the next level.
“They taught you to dream as big as your work ethic would allow,” he said.
“You need to keep on working on the plan that you realized you need to make yourself better.”
It was like no other ranch he’s seen.
He’s ready to apply what he learned. He expects to be a better pitcher when summer rolls around.
