Lester & Lackey - Two Head Cases

[marklmw]

I have to give big props to Lackey for the season that he is having. Who would have thought it.

However, while watching games on NESN and always having the Amica Pitch Zone it is easy to see that umpires are at times calling a lot of good pitches - balls. The NESN camera's always go to Lester and Lackey when an umpire misses a call in the hitters favor. They both get flustered with painful looks on their faces. It obviously bothers them and throws them off their game. Maybe they can go half's of a therapy session. When I see ace pitchers from other teams in the same situation you can not tell anything from their reaction after the suspect call. Lackey and Lester need to grow up and accept that there will be so many missed calls working against them each game and keep their focus on the next pitch. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Bellhorn04]

Of course. Lester & Lackey are both demonstrative, and it probably does affect them negatively at times. I'm sure they're aware of it and I'm sure their coaches have talked to them about it many times. But it's part of their personalities I guess.

[Dojji]

I do not want to watch a squadron of 25 robots on the field for this team. Neither do you. When that emotionality backfires in a given game, I consider that OK -- it'll play in his favor again just as much later.

[mvp 78]

So competitiveness = being a head-case?

 

I didn't like when like would be demonstrative if his fielder's didn't make a play. He's been better about that this year.

[User Name]

So competitiveness = being a head-case?

 

I didn't like when like would be demonstrative if his fielder's didn't make a play. He's been better about that this year.

 

Sometimes you just gotta skip the logical connections and reach your desired conclusions anyways.......

[marklmw]

Of course. Lester & Lackey are both demonstrative, and it probably does affect them negatively at times. I'm sure they're aware of it and I'm sure their coaches have talked to them about it many times. But it's part of their personalities I guess.

 

Yeah ... probably so!

[Standing Room]

Who the hell cares? I care about the production players provide, not this feel good personality ********.

[User Name]

I think what OP's trying to say is that the "feel good personality ********" negatively impacts their performance.

[Standing Room]

Based on what? Lackey's having one of the best years of his career.

[User Name]

That's a question for him. I have no idea.

[carolinapianoman]

I think the truth lies in the middle, here. I think some people's personalities make it nearly impossible to hide their feelings on their faces. However, I think both of these guys let non - calls eat at them too much and starts them down a bad path as the game goes along. They have to be able to master their emotions better - but that does not make them robots either!

[mvp 78]

I think it bothers fans more than it bothers players/umps.

[sk7326]

So competitiveness = being a head-case?

 

I didn't like when like would be demonstrative if his fielder's didn't make a play. He's been better about that this year.

 

With Lackey the body language is bad on TV. But you have to sort of take what his teammates say as the truth, and from off the record stuff I have read (from the Rosenthal-Verducci sorts), Lackey is really respected on that team. I suspect perhaps pitching a season or two with his elbow hanging from his body has earned a lot of respect.