Ninety Percent Mental

An All-Star Player Turned Mental Skills Coach Reveals the Hidden Game of Baseball

By: Bob Tewksbury, Scott Miller

Narrated by: Bob Tewksbury

Former Major League pitcher and mental skills coach for two of baseball's legendary franchises (the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants) Bob Tewksbury takes fans inside the psychology of baseball.

In Ninety Percent Mental, Bob Tewksbury shows readers a side of the game only he can provide, given his singular background as both a longtime MLB pitcher and a mental skills coach for two of the sport's most fabled franchises, the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants. Fans watching the game on television or even at the stadium don't have access to the mind games a pitcher must play in order to get through an at-bat, an inning, a game. Tewksbury explores the fascinating psychology behind baseball, such as how players use techniques of imagery, self-awareness, and strategic thinking to maximize performance, and how a pitcher's strategy changes throughout a game. He also offers an in-depth look into some of baseball's most monumental moments and intimate anecdotes from a "who's who" of the game, including legendary players who Tewksbury played with and against (such as Mark McGwire, Craig Biggio, and Greg Maddux), game-changing managers and executives (Joe Torre, Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean), and current star players (Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Miller, Rich Hill).

With Tewksbury's esoteric knowledge as a thinking-fan's player and his expertise as a "baseball whisperer", this entertaining book is perfect for any fan who wants to see the game in a way he or she has never seen it before. Ninety Percent Mental will deliver an unprecedented look at the mound games and mind games of Major League Baseball.

Critic reviews

"Tewks and I were teammates when Tewks was ending his career with the Twins. I saw him use his mind to be successful on the mound. Years later, we were once again on the same team with the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox, and I again saw him use his mind--this time to help others. I know he helped us win, and I know this book can help anyone who reads it."—David Ortiz, 10-time All-Star, 3-time World Series champion, and New York Times bestselling author of Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits; called "the most important player in Boston Red Sox history."

"Nobody I've come across in my almost 30 years in the game did more with his God-given talent than Tewks. But more than that, he was always different. Not just an athlete, but a deep thinker, a good teammate, and an even better friend. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants an inside look into the mental aspects of baseball."
—Joe Buck, lead play-by-play broadcaster, Fox Sports

"Tewksbury relied on control and guile, a testament to his ability to think and adjust. His intellect and devotion to helping others came with the credibility of knowing what it is like to stand on a major-league mound with three tiers of stands staring down on him. Few better understand that baseball is a human game, and humans are fragile beings."—Peter Gammons, Hall of Fame and J.G. Taylor Spink Award-winning baseball writer and MLB Network on-air analyst

"Cutting edge stuff in the new frontier of baseball readiness. Forget WAR and heartless analytics, former All-Star pitcher Bob Tewksbury and veteran scribe Scott Miller explain that baseball success and failure is 'Ninety Percent Mental.' This book should be required reading for all ballplayers, coaches, and parents."
—Dan Shaughnessy, New York Times bestselling author and 2016 Spink Award recipient at Baseball Hall of Fame

"Bob became an All-Star not through physical gifts, but because he excelled on the mental side of a game that constantly challenges its players and their resilience. A must read for baseball fans."—Joe Torre, Hall of Fame and Four-Time World Series Champion Manager, and Chief Baseball Officer, Major League Baseball

"A highly entertaining, often hilarious peek inside the game from Bob Tewksbury, one of the sport's smartest yet most self-deprecating souls. Whether you're a casual fan, a baseball parent, or a player yourself, Ninety Percent Mental is 100 percent for all."—Ken Rosenthal, MLB on FOX reporter, senior writer, The Athletic, MLB Network insider

"Bob Tewksbury and Scott Miller combined to produce a must-read book for anyone fascinated by the mental side of baseball. This is about so much more than the journey of a veteran pitcher. It's about the journey of one of baseball's most inquisitive minds."—Jayson Stark, former senior columnist, ESPN.com

Fantastic for Sports & Life

Great listen for you, your kids, your job, whatever. Loved all of the subtle baseball references too. Loved to watch BT work as a pitcher. Now I know why! Thanks!!!

Baseball coach and player must read.

Also applicable to every day life. I will suggest listening to it at least at 1.25x speed.

Didn't need the F word. Great otherwise

I would love to recommend this book to my entire 12U fastpitch team but I am not going to because of some of the language. It takes away from the message of this book. Great content otherwise.

Good Listen

Not too much new stuff here that isn't mostly common knowledge, but a good refresher. Enjoyed it. Some good insight into specific player stories and hardships on the road to MLB.

It's a mental game

This book was a great listen. I think it should be a standard for any player that has the desire to take a shot at playing at the highest levels. I found myself hitting bookmarks to mark parts I wanted to come back to.