I let previous instances creep up in my thought process sometimes. I think that's where things go awry, and that's where the walks come in. I'm not giving up many hits, just putting them on base for free.
I think flexibility in general is something that needs to be reinforced, and not only baseball players but all sports.
I try to start every day with some sort of vegetable and fruit juice before I eat any kind of solid food. Because that really jump starts your body and digestive system with the high content of micronutrients that your body needs.
I like to get the body temperature up, the heart rate up. I'll do anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes either on a bike, a rower, a StairMaster, or a combination of the three of those. And then I'll normally run through a 20- to 30-minute session either on the Pilates reformer, the Cadillac, or the Pilates chair.
Time flies really quickly. It feels like only a few months ago that I was traded over here and started my career as a Cub in 2013.
I've had some incredible experiences with this organization. I owe a lot to this team and this organization and the ownership. I don't want to see that time come to an end, my time as a Cub.
That's why it's so important to have that gap between your fastball and off-speed pitches: then, when you effectively locate your fastball, it plays at a higher velocity.
Everybody here has the ability to throw a fastball down and away or throw a breaking ball in the dirt for a swing and a miss. But are we able to stay in that moment and understand what we're trying to accomplish and see it in our mind before we execute and then make the pitch?
I've got some good movement on my sinking fastball, and I rely on that.
There's so many things running through your mind. If you can formulate a game plan that works for you and allows you to block outside distractions and get to what matters, that's how the talent is able to come out.
The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency.
Unfortunately, the business side of the game shows its head every once in a while. But I still think there's opportunity and chances that we can have good conversations as far as an extension's concerned.
A lot of guys are starting to get away from trying to jerk these heavy weights and throw all these heavy weights around.
You want to be the team that is on the field when the last out is made on the winning side. That's obviously the holy grail in the game that I play, and that's what every player strives for.
I want to shoot an elk with a bow. Mind you, I've never hunted in my life. But I feel like if I'm ever going to hunt, it's going to be with a bow. I just feel like a bow requires more skill.
Just know, especially when they were infants and toddlers, the thought these two children depend on us for everything in their lives 24/7. That's a pretty incredible responsibility.
It is good to kind of put your pride aside for the betterment of the ball club. We are all on board for that, even if you want to go another inning.
Really being able to harness my mental approach has kind of taken me to the next level, and obviously maturing as a player and a teammate and as a person. Those are things that are necessary to achieve success in this game. There's no other way around it.
As far as my mental approach, I really think it's just knowing that the past is really irrelevant.
I think the beard plays a slight factor to my presence on the mound. It's kind of part of the persona now. Everyone in Chicago embraced it, so I got to keep it. I can't ditch it now.
