Many players insist psychologist Strickland is integral part of team

MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs are not only working overtime on fundamentals in Camp Sveum, but also looking to improve the mental side of the game.

Team psychologist Marc Strickland is in camp trying some techniques the Cubs hope will lead to more wins.

"We had our meeting with Dr. Strickland (on Tuesday) about controlling your breathing and keeping yourself under control," outfielder Reed Johnson said. "Visualization and the mental side of things. … If a big situation comes about, (learning) how you use your breathing to kind of slow yourself down and be under control.

"Those types of things are big, not only for veteran players but for young players."

Strickland has worked with Cubs minor leaguers since 2009 and was brought in to work as a consultant with the major leaguers in 2010. He doesn't talk to the media and has been criticized for suiting up in practice and acting like a player instead of a doctor.

The Cubs finished fifth both years Strickland has been on board, so it's hard to quantify what he brings to the clubhouse. But many players insist he's an integral part of the club, and management agrees.

"It's a mistake to ever ignore that part of the game," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "We talk about that as soon as they start in the minor leagues, the mental part of the game. Playing major league baseball is a challenging thing. You've got media pressure, fan pressure. … It's a failure game, and you have to deal with that failure.

"Having someone for these guys to talk to, it's invaluable. You hope that these guys establish that trusting relationship where they can go and talk through that. It certainly can make the club better."

More and more teams have hired psychologists to work with players, and the Red Sox have had more than one person work on the mental aspect.

"Kind of like the way Dr. Strickland is around, we had (a psychologist) in Boston, and (former pitcher) Bob Tewksbury has also done a really nice job with them," Hoyer said. "He can relate to the players because he played in the big leagues and has a degree. It is important that these guys have an outlet."

Former Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena was a big believer in visualization, and Johnson said the breathing exercises are a good way for players to learn how to stay calm in pressure situations.

"It's just being able to keep that adrenaline under control, especially when you get into that atmosphere and later in the season when things are on the line," he said. "I remember my first year in 2008, being a five- or six-year player and a veteran kind of guy, going into Wrigley Field, and it's just a different beast.

"I was in Toronto, where you play at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, but when you're in there playing in front of the home crowd under the same type of atmosphere, it's different. You have to really learn how to control things."

Manager Dale Sveum is a believer. He said the Brewers had one of the first sports psychologists in Milwaukee in 1987.

"When we saw him, we were two games under .500," he said. "And after we saw him for a couple hours, we finished the season winning 91 games. So we were about 25 games over .500. … We were a very young team at that time, and he helped a lot of us out, no doubt about it."

Sveum said the psychologist simply reinforced positive thinking in the players' minds, helping them "block out" negative things. Booing by fans, criticism in the media and even tongue-lashings by the manager can affect a player's mindset.

"So you get a lot of that out of you when you're thinking positive all the time instead of all the negative things that can happen in baseball," Sveum said.

It's easy to make wisecracks about the Cubs and psychology, considering most Cubs fans tend to agonize over the team's century-plus championship drought. But times have changed, and Hoyer said most people understand what the Cubs are trying to accomplish.

"Most people that have been around the game a lot see how it's benefited certain players," he said. "I don't think it's something that's taboo at this point. It's readily accepted."

psullivan@tribune.com

Twitter @PWSullivan

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