KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
Your identity has to hold on a 4-for-4 night and an 0-for-4 night.
A BOOK BY KEVIN SAUER
MADE FOR
THE FIGHT.
Faith, Brain Science, and
Mental Toughness for Baseball.
For the player with dirt on his uniform
and another pitch in front of him.
THE KNOB. THE VERSE. THE REMINDER.PS 144:1
01 / THE BOOK
THE LAST PITCH
IS OVER.
WHAT NOW?
You train your swing.
You train your arm.
Train what happens between your ears.
Some days the barrel finds everything. Other days you wear the strikeout all the way back to the dugout. This book is about the work that helps you step in again.
Made for the Fight brings Christian faith, brain science, and baseball together in 14 articles. Each one gives you a cue, a verse, a prayer, and something to practice.
Read the first chapterUNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE.
Explore attention, self-talk, repetition, and the habits you take into a game.
HAVE A NEXT-PITCH PLAN.
A release. A focal point. One cue. Something you can actually do.
02 / PUT IT TO WORKFROM ARTICLE 09
EVERY PITCH
GETS A ROUTINE.
Run it in practice.
Bring it into the game.
Start with these five steps.
01 / 05Take the routine with you
THE LAST PITCH IS OVER.
Adjust your batting glove. Rub up the ball. Smooth the dirt. Use your physical release to leave the last pitch behind.
Let it go.
FROM INSIDE THE BOOK
“Toughness gets built the same way a swing gets built: one focused rep at a time.”
MADE FOR THE FIGHT · CHAPTER 103 / THE CREED14 ARTICLES. ONE SEASON OF WORK.
SOMETHING FOR
THE HARD DAYS.
Read a chapter. Work the drill.
Keep the cue. Come back when you need it.
01You Were Made for the Fight
Start with who you are. Put your gifts to work before the big moment arrives.
YOUR CUEWho is like God?
02Your Last Outing Doesn’t Get a Vote
Build a release that lets you take the lesson and leave the last play behind.
YOUR CUERise again.
03Fear Is Fuel
Give the nerves a job. Bring a breath and a cue into the moment.
YOUR CUE“I’m ready.”
04Think in the Cage, Compete in the Box
Do the thinking in practice. Give yourself one target when it is time to compete.
YOUR CUE“Right-center gap.” (or your own target)
05See It Early
Train your attention and learn where to put your eyes before the pitch.
YOUR CUESoft eyes, hard focus.
06You Choose the Voice You Listen To
Hear the voice in your head, then choose what you say back.
YOUR CUEI am relentless.
07Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Practice under pressure so the game is not your first encounter with it.
YOUR CUECarry the boats.
08Win It Before You Play It
Use a clear picture of your next rep before you take it onto the field.
YOUR CUEI’ve already been here.
09Every Pitch Gets a Routine
Release. Breathe. Spot. Cue word. Go. Give every pitch the same preparation.
YOUR CUEBreathe. Spot. Go.
10Stay in the Fight
Shrink the game to the work in front of you. Stay with the next rep.
YOUR CUEGo 1-0.
11Slumps End
Return to a process you can work on when the numbers will not cooperate.
YOUR CUEArise and eat.
12Nobody Fights Alone
Be the teammate who shows up, and learn to let people show up for you.
YOUR CUEName, next play.
13Grace Puts You Back on the Mound
Own the mistake, accept grace, and return to the work.
YOUR CUEFeed my sheep.
14Small Things, Every Day
Put the work on a calendar. Keep showing up for the small things.
YOUR CUEMake your bed.
Plus The Season Plan: bring the drills together from the offseason to the last out.
THE BATTLE CARDSPUT THE PLAN
PUT THE PLAN
IN YOUR BAT BAG.
One article. One cue. One verse. One prayer.
A reminder small enough to take to the field.
BATTLE CARD / 09
EVERY PITCH
GETS A ROUTINE.
CUEBreathe. Spot. Go.
MY PLAN
If I skip a step, then I step out and start over.
PRAYER
KEEP IT. PRACTICE IT. KNOW IT.Lord, be my strength on this pitch.
04 / FOR PARENTS & COACHESTHE WORK TRAVELS.
BRING IT
INTO THE
DUGOUT.
Give your players a shared language for the next pitch.
The book ends with a season plan that connects the drills: offseason work, preseason preparation, and habits to keep during the season. Start with one article and one cue. Practice it together.
01OFFSEASON
Build the habits.
02PRESEASON
Practice under pressure.
03IN SEASON
Work the daily plan.
BEFORE YOU
STEP IN.
A FEW GOOD QUESTIONSWho is this book for?
It is written for baseball players, especially high school players learning to handle pressure, failure, and the work between games. Parents and coaches can use the same cues and drills with them.
How does faith fit into it?
The book is grounded in Christian faith, with Catholic influences. Scripture and prayer sit alongside brain science, baseball stories, and practical drills. You do not need to be Catholic or belong to a church to use it. Players of any faith, or no faith, are welcome.
Do I have to read the whole thing before using it?
No. Start with chapter one, or choose an article for something you are working through. Put its cue into practice and keep the Battle Card with your gear.
What can I use right now?
Read chapter one, work through the five-step pitch routine, or print the 14 Battle Cards. The preview and reader resources are available here without an account.