By Coach Ron Wolforth –
Every so often, usually during a break between throwing sessions, one of our young athletes works up the nerve to ask the question:
“Is it true Unspeakable is your neighbor?”
The answer is yes. And the look on that young man’s face when he hears it… well, let’s just say none of our velocity numbers have ever gotten quite that reaction.
A Confession
We should tell you right up front: we don’t know much about Unspeakable. We couldn’t tell you exactly what they do day to day or how they do it. It’s fair to say we are not their target audience.
What we do know, we’ve learned secondhand, mostly from watching the faces of the young people who train here. When a thirteen-year-old from one coast or a sixteen-year-old from the other hears that name, he lights up. That tells us everything we need to know about how well known and well loved they are.
The Mystery
What we can tell you is what anyone can see: stunning gates. Beautiful landscaping. A property cared for by people who clearly pay attention to the details.
And there’s a bit of mystery to it, which we suspect is part of the charm. You can’t help but wonder what kind of imagination is at work on the other side of those gates.
The Irony
Here’s the part that makes us smile:
In the same quiet corner of rural Montgomery County, Texas… the kind of place where you’re more likely to meet a tractor than a traffic jam… sit two organizations known around the world. Each is working, in its own way, at the cutting edge of its industry.
Neither operation looks like what people might expect. You’d think a worldwide social media sensation would be headquartered somewhere with skyscrapers. You’d think a place where Big League pitchers come to rebuild their careers would sit next to a Major League stadium.
Instead, here we both are.
In 2006, our property was little more than a barbed-wire fence, with cattle standing in the training tent. We’d guess our neighbors have a few “you built what out here?” stories of their own.
What We Suspect We Share
We don’t know their process, but we’d bet we share a few things.
Imagination. Somebody had to picture something that didn’t exist yet and then go build it.
Thinking outside the box. In both of our worlds, the easy road is to copy whatever is popular this year. The harder road is to make something nobody has seen before.
A willingness to look a little odd until it works. When we started putting pitchers on extreme slopes and handing them connection balls, plenty of people sneered. We suspect anyone who builds something original on the internet has heard their share of “that’ll never work,” too.
That’s the common thread: neither place became known around the world by doing what everybody else was doing.
So, to the young athletes who ask us about our neighbors: whatever it is that fascinates you about them, hold onto it. The imagination, the creativity, the nerve to try something new… bring all of that to your craft. It works on a pitching mound, too.
A Neighborly Note
We’re proud to share this part of Texas with them, and we wish them nothing but continued success.
One request: If you’re visiting The Ranch, please respect our neighbors’ privacy. They’ve earned their peace and quiet just as surely as they’ve earned their fame.
Stay curious and keep fighting the good fight.
Ron and Jill Wolforth
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Important TBR Updates
- Early Bird Savings for our Advanced Alumni Camp on January 2 & 3 ends November 10th. Space is limited to 32 pitchers and over half of those spots are reserved. We will be joined by special guest instructor, Brent Strom. You won’t want to miss this. You must have attended a previous Ranch event to participate. CLICK HERE to register.
- Join us for a Fall/Winter Elite Pitchers Boot Camp!
November 21-23 (Sat-Mon) ONLY 4 SPOTS REMAIN
December 28-30 (Mon-Wed)
January 16-18 (Sat-Mon)
February 13-15 (Sat-Mon)
To register or learn more CLICK HERE
- Attention Catchers! Our annual Elite Catcher’s Boot Camp will be held December 11th – 13th. Registration is now open. CLICK HERE to learn more and reserve your spot.
- Our November night classes started this week. Classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, and you can choose to attend one or both days each week. Spots are limited. Email Info@
TexasBaseballRanch.com or call our office at (936) 588-6762 to secure a spot or ask any questions.
- There’s still time to sign up for our Pitching Coaches Workshop taking place December 4th & 5th. We’re excited by the response and registrations so far. For more information or to register go to www.CoachesBootcamp.com or email info@texasbaseballranch.com.
- Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST. If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register.
