Being a baseball player requires a sharp mind and elite management of emotions. Those who don’t let the moment get to them will be more prepared to stick to their plan and succeed.
This is especially true for pitchers. they are in control all the time, unlike batters and fielders. One mistake could be costly, and New York Yankees starter Carlos Rodon knows it.
Andy Pettitte helped Carlos Rodón “lock in” for the playoffs
In his start against the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, the Yankees’ $162 million man cruised through the first three innings and was letting the world know about it.
Things went south in the fourth and you could see the frustration in his face. Evidently, he needed to do a better job managing the highs and lows of postseason baseball.
For that, he got some special help from Andy Pettitte, who still finds a way to help the Yankees like he did in his playing career — he was one of the most accomplished postseason pitchers in the history of the game — as a pitcher.
“On Sunday, Carlos Rodón was on the phone with Yankees postseason wins leader, Andy Pettitte, who’s been a mentor to Rodón. Rodón knew he needed help on how to lock in. “It’s hard to do. It’s not easy for me.” So, Pettitte shared his wisdom with Rodón,” Yankees insider Chris Kirschner posted on X.
Staying composed was crucial for the Yankees star
“We were just talking about how do we stay composed,” Rodón told The Athletic. “The energy here in The Bronx is pretty high. I do feed off that. How do you channel that energy? How do you stay composed, even when it’s going well or when it’s going bad? It’s hard to do. It’s not easy for me.”
Rodon recently praised Gerrit Cole for his composure and his “poker face”. Well, Pettitte was the master of the poker face. He rarely reacted, either positively or negatively. He just went out and took care of business. Rodon is trying to master that craft and if Monday was any indication, he is off to a good start.
He cruised through five innings and allowed a home run to Brayan Rocchio in the sixth. However, he kept his cool, didn’t let his frustration get to him, and regained composure to solve that sixth frame.
He finished his outing with no walks, nine strikeouts, and three hits over six frames. That got him the win for the Yankees and the respect of fans and observers.
A locked-in Rodon is, as we saw on Tuesday, almost unhittable.
