Never take the job lightly

Part of what makes up a big league pitcher is learning the major league hitters. It's as big a part of your game as mastering off-speed pitches when you are behind in the count. You have to know when they aren't catching up to your fastballs and when they're setting you up to throw another breaking ball. What makes this such an important part of your game is that all hitters want to be the hero; all hitters get paid to beat you; and they don't care if you lose your job. Baseball is a game of mental toughness, matching wills, and I always knew my will would win out. Why? Because first, I never took any hitter, even the pitchers lightly. Anyone at the Major League level is capable of beating you. Knowing that, you can never, and I mean NEVER let up on a pitch or think you have this game figured out. When I wasn't in a game, I was a student of the game; I asked everyone from Pete Rose to Ken Griffey Sr., from Paul O'Neill to Gary Sheffield what they looked for at the plate, what Hall of Famers like Tony Gwynn were trying to do off of me and other pitchers; any hitting coach who wouldn't be annoyed with me for the last 20 years; anything I could do to better myself. I knew that was part of the job of being a pitcher. If you think you have this game figured out from one side or the other, you're only fooling yourself. Know the hitter. Think like a hitter. And don't ever trust a hitter. His job is to beat you and beat you bad! Period.