Late-Season MLB Rookie Success Story Continues!

The September call up of Mike Hinckley to the Washington Nationals continues to be a resounding success. Mike's numbers through his first 11 appearances, all in relief:

ERA - 0.00
9.2 innings pitched, 0 runs allowed
5 hits, 2 walks, 1 HBP (WHIP less than 1, awesome!)
7 K's

Mike called me the other night with an update on his experiences as a big-leaguer, and yes, it's all it's cracked up to be! While his weight is down a bit, to 190 lbs, this is the most he's weighed this late in the season, so he's done a good job of maintaining the strength & growth he made last winter. Major League pro sports seasons are long and draining, yet, due to his continuing hard (and smart!) work, he's performing his best ever this late in his competitive season.

Even better for him, he's been used in a number of pressure-relief situations, not just as a lefty specialist. Obviously, this bodes well for Mike's future. We'll be getting back to his strength and conditioning work in October. We may even publish a few of our workout "secrets" on BaseballFit.com as the winter progresses, so stay tuned!

Mike Hinckley, First Game Appearance for the Nationals!

Called up on Monday, it didn't take long for Mike Hinckley to make his first appearance for the Washington Nationals. Tuesday, September 2, 2008, the dream came full circle, and in a most impressive way. I quote from Federal Baseball:

"Top Of the 7th Inning, 2 on, 1 out, 3-0 Philadelphia...

"First and third, Speigner’s done, and Mike Hinckley’s set to make his Major League debut. Hinckley vs Utley. Lefty vs Lefty. Hinckley gets a double play ball, but it’s awkward, as Rollins avoids the tag on a grounder to second, to let a run in, but gets tracked down and tagged after Anderson Hernandez first throws to first. 4-0 Phils... (both runs on Speigner)...

"Top Of The 8th...4-0 Philadelphia...

"Mike Hinckley faces Jayson Werth in the top of the eighth. 75 mph curve on the outside corner for a backwards K, his first in the Majors. Howard grounds into the shift. 92 mph curve, outside corner, Burrell K’s staring. Hinckley’s first scoreless frame."

Wow - talk about baptism by fire! Mike faced a fearsome array of hittiers - Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell - and came away unscathed! So, 1 2/3 innings pitched, 2 strikeouts, 0 hits - an awesome start to a big league career!

Looks like those early morning training sessions in the dark and cold of an Oklahoma winter are paying off. Time to go celebrate with a chocolate milk!

Mike Hinckley, Major League Pitcher

The dream of every ball player has come to pass for Mike Hinckley, as of today a pitcher with the Washington Nationals.

More details here.

Mike called me a couple of nights ago to pass on the good news, telling me in the process that his fastball has been clocked at 94 mph, and he's regularly at 92-93.

Now we can look forward to more "firsts" for Hinckley: first appearance, first win, first save, etc. We'll keep you posted on Mike's progress right here.