The word "Putsch" meaning a violent attempt to overthrow a government: was the nickname given to Cristina Del Castillo who despite being labeled disabled from birth was a miracle in disguise. Cristina had an optimism that became one of her best qualities, and earned her lots of followers and friends at a young age. Girls and boys were both attracted to her, for her glee, often hidden behind a down to earth sense of reality in her own world. Growing up outside of Chicago Cristina was a different child, special, and very easy to get along with in real life. Then the spells took a hold, and she began to act in a way that seemed possessed. As she grew older, she was surrounded by a never-ending puzzle. And she was never able to communicate fully in any language. Having to find other ways to communicate such as a talker with action buttons, sign language, and notably many speech therapists who were unable to cure her autism in real life. Being autistic she learned how to do things differently than others including swimming and traveling with her family. This novel chronicles her journey from child hood into adult hood, and her ongoing life with autism.

The general objective of Pivotal Swing(r) is to improve the hitting process. The specific object is to see .400 hitters in MLB again. Pivotal Swing(r) is about strategic and effective change I have blended the art and science of hitting by developing a robust design methodology that will impact the game of baseball forever. Caution: if you read this book, you will never think about hitting the same way ever again. Legitimate, positive change in any endeavor is greatly enhanced with process improvement (PI) methods. This book provides an actionable Six Sigma - PI methodology that, if applied according to the detailed instructions presented, will result in improved hitting performance. Even if you have never played the game of baseball, this book will provide insight into how to improve anything. Pivotal Swing(r) is like a David & Goliath situation. I (as David) am an 'outsider' of the formal baseball industry (as Goliath). The book shows how 'David' can and should challenge the huge 'Goliath'. With knowledge, specific skill and precise execution 'David' put all these pieces together and improved something the 'Goliaths' haven't. My experience includes extensive work with Six Sigma and process improvement (PI) application and deployment in the corporate world. In that world I have seen Six Sigma and PI applied to every process imaginable. There have been many enormous & dramatic results. It was no stretch for me to decide to apply these methods to the hitting process. I am very excited about how successful the effort was. The challenge now is to communicate the development and results to those that can benefit. There are various ways the readers can join the endeavor. The value of a better hitting process is very high. Players of all ages have been trying to improve since the start of the game. The difference today is the application of PI tools. The use of practical and logical Six Sigma methods allows us to see any process dramatically differently than without them. The Pivotal Swing(r) method is a core level process improvement. It improves the most important output of the hitting process. Most think that output is base hits. Hits are very important for historical purposes but they are not the best measure of whether the hitting process is optimized or can be improved. The statistics are clear that a change of 30 points will be enough to 'fundamentally change the game'. If the change is in that range or higher, a player or team that doesn't use it may not be able to compete with those that do. As a player, you can bet you wouldn't catch me on the short-end of that stick. Competition is what this world is all about. In many aspects of life we are seeking to gain a 'competitive advantage' that will set us apart from the crowd. Everyone wants to win the 'World Series' or be a 'Champion' in some endeavor. Those that choose to implement and perfect the Pivotal Swing(r) will have a 'competitive advantage'. Roger U. Hart www.Pivota