Dan ‘Gunner’ Genovese Perfects a Solitary Workout Routine to Stay Sharp

Fifty-eight-year-old, Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Famer and member of the Western Massachusetts Over 25 Wood Bat League (WMWBL) Dan “Gunner” Genovese “wants to be ready”. A long-time member of the WMWBL Brownstone Bullies and 2020 inductee to the Western Mass Baseball Hall of Fame, Genovese is getting himself in condition with simulated ball games. Actually, his pre-season routine began in early January (not aware of what was to come) on the turf at Westfield State University’s football field occasionally sharing space with the WSU baseball team until the university closed and now, twice a week finds him at a local a local diamond that would normally be packed with early season action. “Of course, now my local gym has closed, I keep getting boxed in so but I’ve got to get outside,” noted Genovese, “and the best way to prepare is doing simulated ball game action.”

Here is my ball game simulation routine, two times per week:

• Stretching legs and arms (critical in cold weather)
• five fifty-yard sprints
• five Home to First Base Sprints (focus on rounding the base and returning)
• five Steals of Second (focus on first step explosion)
• five Second Base to Home (running start as if stealing on the pitcher, focus on rounding third)
• Batting T-Work – 50 swings
• Long Toss to Back Stop (start close and gradually move back and target spot on back stop. I finish at 128 feet from back stop, the distance from home to second for a catcher’s throw).

“I would love to play in an MSBL national tournament this fall. I’ll be ready!”

Here are a few more details about ‘Gunner’.  He lives in Westfield, Massachusetts and has been playing in the league for 11 years.  He has been filling his time by staying connected with his books on hitting by the likes of Rod Carew, Don Mattingly and Pete Rose.

What have you and your family been doing to deal with the current virus situation? “With my kids out of the house, my wife, who is a retired nurse, has been busy making face masks while I am able to work from home.  My final comment about that is nurses deserve much, much greater pay, especially now.”