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Getting the mind, body on same playing field

Ex-Royal Buddy Biancalana is in town to help players hone their performances.

By DAWN REISS
Published December 5, 2006

INVERNESS - Besides Mike Hampton, not many former or current major league players have been in Citrus County since the Ted Williams Museum moved to Tampa. But former Kansas City Royals shortstop Buddy Biancalana is about to change that.

Biancalana, who flew into Orlando on Monday night, will give a "mind-body" baseball workshop tonight from 7-8:30 in Citrus High's cafeteria. The cost is $45.

This likely is the first time a major leaguer, who isn't an alum, has graced Citrus' hallways, at least in the 28 years athletic director Vicki Overman has been at the school.

"It's the first time I can think of," Overman said.

Biancalana garnered a cult-like following in 1985 when he was part of the Royals' World Series championship team. David Letterman charted his hits on a countdown calendar and compared him to Pete Rose, who was chasing Ty Cobb's career hits total, bolstering Biancalana into pop culture, despite his batting .188 that season.

"I was a young player," Biancalana said. "Letterman decided I was chasing Cobb's record even though I wasn't. I had like 50 major league hits, but he made a blue hit counter that looked like he made it in his garage and every couple of nights he would compare Pete Rose and I. By the end, Pete had like 4,200 hits and I had 51."

After a five-year career in the majors, Biancalana's life took a downward turn. The World Series glory days were replaced by back and neck problems, a difficult transition out of professional sports and divorce.

That's when he became more acquainted with transcendental meditation, or TM.

"Part of it was derived from the pain he was in after baseball," said Kerri Biancalana, his wife of seven years. "When things weren't going well for him, the transition from professional sports, divorce and such. He was introduced to TM. That's when he started meditating."

The premise of TM is that learning certain breathing and visualization exercises helps athlete have better self awareness and they will adapt more quickly to change.

"It's about extraditing the learning process to help players get to a deeper emotional level," said Biancalana, who has coached for Class A affiliates of the Devil Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. "You settle the mind and consequently you have better mechanics and better productivity."

Biancalana declined to go into specifics about his technique but said professional athletes have found success with it.

"Take two hitters," Biancalana said. "One hits .350 and the other .250. They are on the same team, which happens a lot in Major League Baseball. Do you really think the guy who is hitting .250 knows as much as the .350 hitter? Of course.

"He is just not as productive so there must be something on a much more subtle level."

Biancalana first realized this during Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between Kansas City and St. Louis.

"There was no score and I threw back-to-back plays," Biancalana said. "I backhanded the ball in the hole to threw out Willie McGhee, then ranged far to left and threw on the run to nail Tommy Herr. It was really a wonderful feeling."

It is what many athletes call being in the zone - when the game slows down and someone can think clearly in a high-pressure situation.

Biancalana, who worked as Amarillo Texas Dillas' field manager this past season, decided to visit Citrus County after working with Citrus' Brady Bogart, the Dillas' pitching coach this summer.

"You've got to have a tool box," Biancalana said. "Electricians have theirs and for baseball players it's more than just a bat, glove and baseball. Their tool box is learning how to respond to any situation."

Dawn Reiss can be reached at dreiss@sptimes.com or (352) 860-7303.

Meet Buddy Biancalana

Age: 46

Birth name: Rolando Americano Biancalana.

Native of: Larkspur, Calif.

Major-league debut: Sept. 12, 1982.

What he did this summer: Field manager for Amarillo (Texas) Dillas, an independent baseball team.

Claim to fame: Starting shortstop for Kansas City Royal in 1985 World Series

Professionally: A former No. 1 pick by the Royals in 1978, Biancalana played 11 years of pro baseball, five (1982-1987) in the majors as an infielder with the Royals and Houston Astros. He hit six career home runs and started all seven games in the 1985 World Series, which the Royals won by beating St. Louis.

Also known for: David Letterman's Biancalana countdown calendar started in 1985. Letterman charted how many hits the light-hitting Biancalana had compared to Pete Rose, who was trying to break Ty Cobb's hits record.

Post-playing career: Worked as an agent; served as minor league infield coordinator for the Devil Rays; spent two years managing Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs, a Devil Ray's affliliate, and one year with Lakewood (N.J.) BlueClaws, the Class A affiliate of Philadelphia Phillies before being fired in Sept. 2003. He taught private lessons in 2004 and 2005, before becoming the field manager of the Amarillo (Texas) Dillas in 2006, a position he will retain for the 2007 season.

Personal: wife Kerri, three sons, Gavin, 2, Alex, three months and Bryn, 20 (from pervious marriage).

Web site: http://www.buddybiancalana.com

[Last modified December 4, 2006, 22:18:41]