Levine: Mental Toughness Being Taught At Wrigley
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- How does Cubs manager Joe Maddon keep an overexposed group of bullpen pitchers confident and functional after a particularly stressful week?
The Cubs prevailed over the Pirates, 11-10, in a wild 12 innings Friday, but Maddon knows it came at a cost to an overexposed and battered bullpen. He also knows it's his job to keep the relievers focused and performing at their best.
"You got to keep talking to them," Maddon said. "You have to keep putting them out there. For me, the whole thing is about location. I believe every pitch is the right pitch to throw, if it is thrown in the right spot with conviction."
The Cubs bullpen has three pitchers on pace to throw in 81-plus games and two others at a 75-game clip through 35 games. The physical part can be handled. The mental wear and tear is a different animal to deal with.
"You have to get them beyond that moment when they start doubting themselves," Maddon said. "That is true for any player, but (if) a pitcher starts doubting themselves or expect something bad to happen again, it probably will. That part is hard. With bullpen pitchers, to not know what to expect (next) is very difficult. I think it is conversational in nature. It can be about taking a breath as opposed to anything else."
Even the ultra-positive Maddon can be tested by bullpen meltdowns. In the latest debacle Friday, the Cubs allowed two four-run innings to occur. By calling up Brian Schlitter, the Cubs went to a nine-man bullpen Saturday, truly an unheard of number of relief pitchers. The reason for the exceedingly high number is based around poor results and excessive need.
So after 42 years as a professional, can Maddon see that self-doubt in a pitcher's body language creeping in after multiple failures?
"You can see guys getting quicker in their actions," Maddon said. "I really like when things get hot that you see a guy step off of the rubber and maybe pick up the rosin bag. A lot of times you will see him turn away and look at a focal point and breathe. When you are unable to control your heartbeat when it gets hot, it just doesn't work. We are really into this stuff. It totally exceeds all of (the physical) stuff. If you are able to control yourself in stressful moments, that's when it can get really good."
From the pitcher's point of view, mental exercises don't always solve the problem.
"Every guy in this locker room understands it's not easy to go out there and get it done every time," setup man Justin Grimm said. "There is not one guy in the league that will get it done every time out. You must find your own good routine to be sure you are mentally tough enough to go every day and be ready to compete."
Maddon leaves you with this bit of street psychology to live by in the bullpen.
"You must have a real short memory," he said. "You almost have to be senile. You can't afford to remember things. If you can get them in good and out before it's bad, that really matters."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
