Tewksbury pitching psychology

PORTLAND, Maine -- There were moments when all Bob Tewksbury needed was someone with whom he could talk. Life as a Major League pitcher could be more taxing on your psyche than on your arm, and Tewksbury believes that occasionally having someone with whom he could confide would have made a world of difference during his playing days.

So Tewksbury, who used all of the components of sports psychology -- such as visualization -- during his 13-year career, found it only natural that he would be able to use those ideas to help young players today. That's one of the reasons why Tewksbury, a 19th-round pick by the Yankees who won 110 games for six teams during his career, went back to school after he retired in 1998.

And that's why he was in a Portland Sea Dogs uniform Tuesday night before the opener of the Eastern League Championship Series at Hadlock Field. While Tewksbury was throwing batting practice, his primary responsibility is to help the players in the Boston system as a sports psychology coach.

It's actually an ingenious idea. Teams have employed psychologists for years, but most are university types who are more theoretical than literal. Tewksbury, who received a master's degree in sports psychology and counseling from Boston University, has the practical experience to go with the all the theories he learned in school. And the combination is a great recipe for success.

"We didn't have stuff like this when I was a player," said Tewksbury, who finished his undergraduate work at Saint Leo University (Fla.) before attending BU. "I played for the Yankees as a young kid, and I would have died to have someone to talk to. Though you have good friends on a team, you don't really have someone with whom you can speak confidentially and let your hair down. So doing this seemed natural with my career and interests.

"I used visualization and all the other ideas associated with sports psychology when I played. As an athlete, you tend to beat yourself up and lose confidence. So when I say that I've been there and use my counseling background, it makes the players feel better. I had two surgeries, I was demoted seven times, released, traded, and I won 100 games. There's a lot I can share with players."

Tewksbury's role in the organization is to work on the mental aspect of the game, not the mechanical. He's not a pitching coach and does not tinker with deliveries or teach anyone how to throw a slider. Sometimes the two areas overlap, and it's at those times that Tewksbury draws on his own experience to make his point.

He lives in New Hampshire, so it's an easy ride for him to get to Portland, Triple-A Pawtucket (International League) and Class A Lowell (New York-Penn League). It's also a short flight to Class A Wilmington (Carolina League) and Greenville (South Atlantic League). Tewksbury is a valuable resource when he is in town, but most of his work is done over the phone, which seems to provide a greater comfort level for the players.

Tewksbury said the players with whom he speaks ask him a lot about his playing career and that it's a good ice-breaker to get the conversation started. And since he's been around for a few months, the level of trust he has with the players is growing rapidly.

"I had to gain the trust of the players," said Tewksbury, who won 16 and 17 games, respectively, for the Cardinals in 1992-93. "As a former player, I respect the sanctuary of the locker room and the importance of gaining the player's trust regarding the issues of confidentiality. Without that trust, I can't do my job effectively.

"I am a resource to the players from two perspectives: my playing experience and my educational background, in what I have learned and how I apply it to specific areas while helping the players. And I've received a couple of calls from guys who say I've helped, and that makes me feel good. I have gotten feedback that I've been able to help."

Tewksbury works with hitters as well as pitchers, pointing out he could swing a bat pretty well for a hurler. He had 50 career hits and 19 RBIs and, as he points out, "I even got a hit off Dwight Gooden. How many pitchers can say that?"

Where all this takes Tewksbury, he has no idea. He's happy, though, and he's helping and is still involved in baseball, combining two of his passions to make a difference.

"I didn't know what to expect when I started this," he said. "But it's been very rewarding, and next year it will be even better."