Thanks Doc, I'm Back On Trach?

[Max Power]

After Steve Trachsel's session with psychologist Harvey Dorfman and his return to the Mets (after getting sent to the minor leagues) on June 1, 2001, his ERA is 3.36, fourth-best in the majors.

Think he can keep it going in 2003?

[rcartman28]

Didn't Smoltz have a shrink for a while in the mid 90's, too ??? He seems to have turned out okay......

[Fuzzy Bear]

My own opinion is that it depends as to why Trachsel was seeing the psychologist.

There are many therapeutic devices that I view as not real useful, in that they teach false skills. Assertiveness training is an example. A patient will learn to use assertive communication, learn to use words that tell how he/she is being affected without shrinking or aggressively lashing out. This skill works somewhat when interacting with civilized people, but the minute the patient tries this skill with someone with a convict mentality, they encounter the response of "Yeah, punk, what are you going to do about it?" This brings the patient back to the point where he believes that there is no benefit in assertive communication because not all communication is verbal, and a punch in the mouth is a more powerful communication tool than vocabulary for the uncivilized. And lack of civility is, unfortunately, a fact of life.

Self-esteem is another, IMO, bogus concept (at times). Positive affirmations, "I am worthy." "I am capable." "There is nothing I can't accomplish." are taught, and reinforced. Then the person performs badly, and re-classifies themselves as bird turd. Why? Because self-esteem, in fact, is rooted in what you do; the #1 way to gain self-esteem is to DO ESTEEMABLE THINGS! Many people suffer from low self-esteem because, IMO, they are realistic; they are well aware of the choices they have made, often knowing better, often doing the easy thing as opposed to the right thing, or the best thing. It is the people who think highly of themselves even though their choices and behavior are abominable that are MEGA-DELUSIONAL. For most people, though, positive affirmations are washed away when people have to address the behaviors and actions in their lives that are NOT esteemable that has resulted in their low self-esteem.

When people have temporary life crises, a therapist can be of great, and lasting help because of the temporary nature of the problem. When the problem is more deep-seeded, the chances of whether or not therapeutic intervention will work depends as to whether or not the client can ACT HIS/HER WAY INTO BETTER THINKING. No one THINKS THEIR WAY INTO BETTER ACTION; it just doesn't happen.

If Steve Trachsel's participation in therapy has led to him acting differently in some way, his chances of building on his success are enhanced. A part of his foundation has changed. If his participation is built on re-framing his view of himself, or his situation, whatever that is, he is less likely to sustain his success; he will be re-confronted with the old adversity, and he will return to old, familiar bad habits which have not been broken.

Unfair as it is, the old adage, "Nothing succeeds like success." is right on the button. Persons who succeed begin to expect success, and view failure as an abberation. Persons who begin by failing often trap themselves into a cycle of failure. (Lincoln's failures were often exaggerated, he was a prominent corporation lawyer at the time he was running for offices and losing; he was a power in his party, much as Dick Cheney was in the years he was out of public view). Steve Trachsel's best chances for continued success lie in the success he experienced late last season. If that success was built on a therapeutic mirage, however, it will crumble the next time he walks two batters in a row, IMO.

[shortstop]

Harvey Dorfman is not just any old psychologist, he's a pitching psychologist, so-to-speak, and his book, The Mental ABC's of Pitching is interesting stuff. I know Leiter is a big fan of his and many other pitchers are mentioned in the book as well. He also worked with Ankiel after his playoff "problem."

That's interesting that Trachsel worked with him. He certainly has improved, though I find myself still waiting for that one melt-down of an inning he used to have. Now if Harvey could just get him to pick up the pace a little...

Fuzzy: Dorfman's teachings are all about dealing with challenging situations like walking two batters in a row. So I don't get the impression his work creates a therapeutic mirage, as much as he actually teaches the pitcher a new mind-set from which to approach such a situation. It's then a matter of practice. His work is more like NLP than straight therapy.

[hmrsf]

I have coveted Trach for years. I have wanted that pitcher....... and a good shrink is key. Yes I do believe he can keep it up. Look for great amazing things from him and Mo Vaughn in '03. Wholers is another kid that a little couch time may heal his ills. If players were treated like people and not throw away garbarge........teams would get more out of them. Teams need to invest more into healthcare and people skills.

[SmedIndy]

Speaking as a Cubs fan - the farther away he is from my team - the better - you could read The Brothers Karamazov and get halfway through Anna Karenina while he was on the mound.

[hmrsf]

Please----------!!!!

Not a bad book if you omit that book II or is part III. Best to see the movie................I vaaaaaant to be left ahhhhlone!


Back on topic, I saw Trak beat Pedro at his best 1-0. Pedro had a 17 K game but Trek did not surrender a run. The kid was on fire!!!
WOW!!!!!!!!!

[gyb13]

he got hot during one week and beat both Pedro (CG 3-hitter with 11 Ks) and a yankee pitcher (Clemens?) in 1-0 duels... had the one game you saw with him been one in which he'd given up 8 runs in 3.2 innings, you wouldn't feel the same way, even though his total performance in the season/career would be the same.

i think it's a forest/trees issue here. for example, would you like to have Desi Relaford as your SS or Darren Bragg and George Lombard in your OF? They were among the top players, at their positions, against BOS this past season. Likewise, Rodrigo Lopez went 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA vs Boston and Tim Hudson went 0-2 with a 6.57 ERA vs the bosox. Would you take Lopez over Hudson?

having said all that, trachsel had a career-best 3.37 ERA in 2002 (age 32), and that would be an improvement over many teams' pitchers. In Boston, he would be a decent #3-4 guy.