Rating: 
Summary: Not much substance.
Review: As a little league coach I had hoped there might be something I could use. There's a good page on the pitcher's fielding obligations, and some good photos. Beyond that though a big part of the book is devoted to telling the reader what the Braves' pitchers do between starts. All in all, though, there isn't much here. Tom House's book, for example, is far more useful.
Rating: 
Summary: A common sense approach
Review: Don't let the refreshing lack of complexity fool you. This book provides sound, common sense advice in easy to understand language. Many books on pitching advocate a "cloning approach" to a pitcher's delivery. Other books on pitching drills are confusing and overly technical. As Leo puts it, "Why turn throwing a baseball into a science project?" I got away from attempting to perfect my son's wind-up and delivery after reading this book. As long as the delivery is sound, I really don't think it matters exactly where you break your hands, how far away from the body the hands are when they break, exactly where the glove hand is when this is happening, etc, etc. If you find that other books are confusing you, how confused do you think your youngster is? Give Leo's approach a try.
Rating:
Summary: A common sense approach
Review: Don't let the refreshing lack of complexity fool you. This book provides sound, common sense advice in easy to understand language. Many books on pitching advocate a "cloning approach" to a pitcher's delivery. Other books on pitching drills are confusing and overly technical. As Leo puts it, "Why turn throwing a baseball into a science project?" I got away from attempting to perfect my son's wind-up and delivery after reading this book. As long as the delivery is sound, I really don't think it matters exactly where you break your hands, how far away from the body the hands are when they break, exactly where the glove hand is when this is happening, etc, etc. If you find that other books are confusing you, how confused do you think your youngster is? Give Leo's approach a try.
Rating:
Summary: A Pitching Balk! - Not a Book!
Review: I bought this book with a leap faith, believing that since it had been authored by one of the most capable, recognizable pitching coaches for the most pre-emininent pitching staffs in all of baseball, it couldn't help but be great. t's full of "Glavine does this, "What Maddux as he..." and "Smoltz is great when he...". The book is of little use for coaches of little league teams who wish to impart valuable information to their players or correct pitching flaws. Maybe coaching the Braves pitchers is the easiest job in baseball because you don't have to tell those players anything at all. Personally, as a coach, I've read quite a few books on the subject and view a number of videos. For step by step, clear instruction, I've found, essentially without exception the best to be ones produced by coaches of little league, high school or college instructors. This book is not for you if you're looking to be helpful to kids with pitching problems and questions. By buying on a leap of faith, I violated one of literature's oldest axioms; you can't tell a book by looking at the cover.
Rating:
Summary: A Pitching Balk! - Not a Book!
Review: I bought this book with a leap faith, believing that since it had been authored by one of the most capable, recognizable pitching coaches for the most pre-emininent pitching staffs in all of baseball, it couldn't help but be great. t's full of "Glavine does this, "What Maddux as he..." and "Smoltz is great when he...". The book is of little use for coaches of little league teams who wish to impart valuable information to their players or correct pitching flaws. Maybe coaching the Braves pitchers is the easiest job in baseball because you don't have to tell those players anything at all. Personally, as a coach, I've read quite a few books on the subject and view a number of videos. For step by step, clear instruction, I've found, essentially without exception the best to be ones produced by coaches of little league, high school or college instructors. This book is not for you if you're looking to be helpful to kids with pitching problems and questions. By buying on a leap of faith, I violated one of literature's oldest axioms; you can't tell a book by looking at the cover.
Rating: 
Summary: Simplicity, simplicity
Review: I cannot but help notice the two earlier reviews which completely pan this book. I cannot disagree more with them even though my own personal inclination still favors ultra-detailed and scientifically based stuff on the subject of pitching mechanics. This book comes as a breath of fresh air because it makes pitching into an 'elevated game of playing catch'. There is an outright refusal to enter into how to manipulate pitching mechanics in minute detail, in favor of laying down a couple of broad absolute pitching fundamentals and then allowing the pitcher the freedom to do what comes naturally dictate the rest. John Smoltz is quoted as saying something to the effect that before he was traded to the Braves, the Tiger's coaches had screwed around with his natural mechanics to his utter detriment and it is this sort of interventionalist thing that Manzone avoids.Of course the book has passages in which it is written: "Glavine does this, "What Maddux as he..." and "Smoltz is great when he..." But these are just illustrations of how the Braves apply their highly controversial ideas on throwing/pitching daily as part of training/conditioning to specific pitchers and how these pitchers got the Brave's program to work for them. Nor is that all. There is the almost predictable advocacy of the change-up pitch, used to such devastating effect by the top Brave's pitchers. Even on the subject of breaking pitches the minimalist philosophy shines through and the results are fascinating. I can understand how some readers might feel short-changed by the 'less is more' philosophy but that would be to completely miss the whole point of this book. This is one of the most important books on the subject of pitching ever written and you would be damned a fool to overlook it.
Rating: 
Summary: pitch...a lot
Review: Pitch a lot is the message of this book. OK, Leo has made his point, but if you accept that there's not much else this book has to offer. I was hoping for a bit more insight and didn't get it here.
Rating:
Summary: pitch...a lot
Review: Pitch a lot is the message of this book. OK, Leo has made his point, but if you accept that there's not much else this book has to offer. I was hoping for a bit more insight and didn't get it here.
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to pitching skills and throwing programs
Review: Reasons to buy this book include: a) its emphasis on THROWING b) the simple presentation of proper technique c) throwing schedules and pitcher checkpoints d) the emphasis on supervision of the pitchers while they throw This book is not so much about techniques as it is about a developing a philosophy concerning the training and conditioning of pitchers. As Mazzone points out, all the technique in the world is of no use if the pitcher can't go to the post when he is scheduled to. This book is not all inclusive concerning pitching, but how many books are? There is valuable information in this book, and coaches everywhere who are interested in getting the most from the arms on their staff should take the time to read it.
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to pitching skills and throwing programs
Review: Reasons to buy this book include: a) its emphasis on THROWING b) the simple presentation of proper technique c) throwing schedules and pitcher checkpoints d) the emphasis on supervision of the pitchers while they throw This book is not so much about techniques as it is about a developing a philosophy concerning the training and conditioning of pitchers. As Mazzone points out, all the technique in the world is of no use if the pitcher can't go to the post when he is scheduled to. This book is not all inclusive concerning pitching, but how many books are? There is valuable information in this book, and coaches everywhere who are interested in getting the most from the arms on their staff should take the time to read it.
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