I guess life just isn't the same once you've taken a nasty spill down the stairs while carrying a package of venison. Well, at least things weren't the same for Clint Barmes after Todd Helton handed him that ill-fated compartment of Bambi. Clint went from heading to an All-Star game to finishing the year at .289 in '05, and a dismal .220 in 131 games last year. And now it appears as if Barmes' worst enemy is...well Barmes
"That's what makes this game so hard. You can have all the tools, but the mental part comes in and just grinds away at you," Barmes said. "I struggled all last year with it. I have the talent. But if you aren't right in the head, it doesn't matter. I'd tell myself I was the worst player on the field or a piece of junk."
Something tells me that "piece of junk" has been filtered for our virigin eyes. Regardless, Barmes' quotes are indicative of how difficult and mentally taxing the game can be on a player. That's why it's so impressive when players can go 162 games without a slump, turning in MVP type years.
Barmes' self-deprecating remarks still beg the question -- do players make a bigger deal of the game than they should? Whatever happened to see ball, hit ball, catch ball?
