Insight Pitch

You're straddling the pitcher's mound in Shea Stadium. The game rests in your hands. Your heart is pounding. Big money is at stake. You feel thousands of eyes burning your jersey as they wait for a pitch. You gulp at the air trying to settle your nerves. It's go time.

Insight Pitch is a sports story that spills over three decades. Retired Major League Baseball pitcher Skip Lockwood tells anecdotes from throughout his career as a ballplayer, starting with his days as a Little Leaguer through his professional tenure with the Kansas City Athletics, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox, before his retirement in 1980. Along the way, he details both the on- and off-the-field shenanigans as well as the enormous psychological process that he underwent each and every time he took the mound.

Readers will find some laughs along the way and marvel as they share the locker room with legends like Jesse Owens, Satchel Paige, Catfish Hunter, and Yogi Berra.

Humorous but insightful, this book makes the perfect addition to any baseball fan's shelf.

Skip Lockwood enjoyed a professional baseball career from 1965 to 1980, most of which time he spent pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers (1970-73) and the New York Mets (1975-79). Pursuing his longtime interest in game-day visualization and mental preparations, he proceeded to earn a master's degree from Fairfield University and another master's in science from MIT as a Sloan Fellow. In the following years, he continued to study and practice in the field of sport psychology. Today, he makes frequent appearances and delights audiences with humorous behind-the-scenes baseball stories and inspirational messages of how elite athletes excel despite unyielding pressure.

“Joining the Mets in mid-season, Skip quickly became the dependable ‘closer’ we needed. He and I had long conversations about exactly how to prepare for each game and what it meant to leave nothing to chance. As a result, he always pitched with intensity and mental toughness. I told him, ‘Every time you go cross over that foul line, it’s Green Light...it’s Go Time.’ In his new book he takes you with us, onto the field and into the action.”
—Tom Seaver, MLB Hall of Famer, friend, and teammate; author, The Art of Pitching

“Skippy, my boy. Great job on your new book. You’re still throwing strikes.”
—Luis Tiant, Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and longtime friend

“The mid and late 1970s are hardly remembered as the best of times for the New York Mets, but that’s not Skip Lockwood’s fault. Lost in the midst of mediocrity was some truly fine work out of the bullpen by a man who was as introspective and observant as any player of his generation. Armed with a keen sense of humor and self-deprecation, Skip’s memoir, Insight Pitch, provides a unique look at life in the major leagues before the players enjoyed the riches and security of today’s big leaguers.”

--Howie Rose, Broadcaster, New York Mets, WOR Radio 710 AM, New York

“The stories Skip shares in Insight Pitch of his major league career are sprinkled with humor and sensitivity. He shares with us his feelings and emotions when facing hitters in tough situations. This is a terrific book.”

-Rico Petrocelli, Red Sox Hall of Famer

“Skip Lockwood writes he might have been the "most ill-equipped person" to ever don a major league uniform, yet few seem better suited to tell the story of a baseball life. Skip’s glasses may have fogged up on the mound, but his perspective on the challenges, rewards, and realities of the game as it was truly played couldn’t be more clear-eyed. Hop in the bullpen cart with Skip Lockwood and settle in for a most Amazin’ ride.”

—Greg Prince, Faith and Fear in Flushing

“Insight Pitch was particularly poignant as I read it during my stint playing soccer in the National Championships. It helped me conceptualize.”
—Johann Clendenin, USMC

“From throwing a ball against the wall at his home as a boy to the major leagues, Skip takes us on a remarkable journey. He really knocks it out of the park. This book is a must read for any boy or girl and coaches, for that matter, interested in sports.”
—Dr. Harvey Dulberg