Unfortunately, the business side of the game shows its head every once in a while. But I still think there's opportunity and chances that we can have good conversations as far as an extension's concerned.
— Jake Arrieta
I've got some good movement on my sinking fastball, and I rely on that.
Just so many special moments that make you feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to be able to have healthy, beautiful kids. And I'm sure the emotions will continue to change over time, and as I get older, I'll probably want to yell and scream at them.
The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency.
I like to get the body temperature up, the heart rate up. I'll do anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes either on a bike, a rower, a StairMaster, or a combination of the three of those. And then I'll normally run through a 20- to 30-minute session either on the Pilates reformer, the Cadillac, or the Pilates chair.
There are still things I can do better.
I let previous instances creep up in my thought process sometimes. I think that's where things go awry, and that's where the walks come in. I'm not giving up many hits, just putting them on base for free.
Regardless of how long it took or what I had to go through to get there, I had visualizations of throwing no-hitters or throwing shutouts.
Building strength is very important, but there are many ways to do that.
Really being able to harness my mental approach has kind of taken me to the next level, and obviously maturing as a player and a teammate and as a person. Those are things that are necessary to achieve success in this game. There's no other way around it.
Everybody here has the ability to throw a fastball down and away or throw a breaking ball in the dirt for a swing and a miss. But are we able to stay in that moment and understand what we're trying to accomplish and see it in our mind before we execute and then make the pitch?
I know the Cubs don't typically do six- or seven-year deals, but I think there are obviously times when there should be exceptions. I think I've done pretty well here.
I consider myself a really good racquetball player. I'm sure that I would get waxed by some actually good racquetball players, but I consider myself a pretty versatile athlete.
I'm extremely hairy. It pretty much connects from the top of my head to my toes with a nice upper body sweater/track jacket type of thing.
I've been through a lot in my career, and the failure that I've gone through makes me really appreciate the moments of success much more.
You can struggle for a little while. It's going to happen. If a guy hits .200 for a while, it doesn't mean he's a .200 hitter.
I wouldn't change anything I went through for the world, because it got me here.
I've had some incredible experiences with this organization. I owe a lot to this team and this organization and the ownership. I don't want to see that time come to an end, my time as a Cub.
I'm never trying to hurt or hit anybody.
It's something that is very comforting. Just the process of them moving throughout their stages of early childhood. Learning to walk, learning to talk. Reaching out for you for the first hug, telling you they love you.
When I do train heavy, it's typically one to two days a week, but the training I do just about on a daily basis is Pilates-based.
The initial desire to train at an elite level started when I was probably 12.
As far as my mental approach, I really think it's just knowing that the past is really irrelevant.
It's going to come down to executing, trying to keep guys off balance and disrupting timing. That's something you can do regardless of how many times you face a lineup or face certain hitters.
If people call into question my work ethic, that's fine, because I know what I'm doing behind the scenes.
A lot of guys are starting to get away from trying to jerk these heavy weights and throw all these heavy weights around.
There's so many things running through your mind. If you can formulate a game plan that works for you and allows you to block outside distractions and get to what matters, that's how the talent is able to come out.
I feel, that I'm only going to get better.
Look at all of the pitchers getting six- and seven-year deals at 30, 31, and 32. You see what's going on and the money that's out there. You'd be a fool not to try to benefit from that, or at least try to get what you feel you're worth.
You want to be the team that is on the field when the last out is made on the winning side. That's obviously the holy grail in the game that I play, and that's what every player strives for.
We know St. Louis is a great club. They have been for a long time.
It's one thing to have a scouting report and not be able to execute it, and it's completely different if you're able to kind of work your way through that report, attack guys certain ways, use different sequences, and be effective with them.
How many people can do what I do, anyways? A handful of guys?
I had teammates like Chris Davis. Manny Machado was really young and such a good kid. Seeing his development, it's ridiculous. He's going to get bigger. He's going to get stronger. He's going to get even better.
Time flies really quickly. It feels like only a few months ago that I was traded over here and started my career as a Cub in 2013.
Just know, especially when they were infants and toddlers, the thought these two children depend on us for everything in their lives 24/7. That's a pretty incredible responsibility.
Just having two kids now, regardless of what happens in the field, they're there to receive you with open arms every night after every game.
My flexibility is probably my No. 1 asset. Obviously we need to have a strong shoulder, strong scapula, strong lats, and a durable elbow to have longevity as a pitcher, but being mobile in the hips and flexible in the hamstrings takes so much pressure and stress off of my arm.
It is good to kind of put your pride aside for the betterment of the ball club. We are all on board for that, even if you want to go another inning.
It's about just staying in the moment.
I've never had anything to hide.
That's why I got into Pilates: because I can reduce the stress and impact in my joints while still being able to increase strength and flexibility, and it's going to pay dividends.
I try to start every day with some sort of vegetable and fruit juice before I eat any kind of solid food. Because that really jump starts your body and digestive system with the high content of micronutrients that your body needs.
Sports psychology or mental training has been viewed as a weakness, and I think that's a pretty silly way to look at it.
As you get a little older, you understand what you need to do to be good, regardless of who likes it or doesn't like it. It's my career. And at the end of the day, it's going to be how I think I can do it best.
The back hair doesn't get all that long; it's just really thick. So if I don't keep it shaved once a week, it's a problem, and it could take two hours. And my wife's got to do it, so it's her problem. I told her we just need to buy a laser hair removal machine because it would take three or four years and probably 50 sessions to get rid of it.
I want to shoot an elk with a bow. Mind you, I've never hunted in my life. But I feel like if I'm ever going to hunt, it's going to be with a bow. I just feel like a bow requires more skill.
A lot of guys came together quickly as a group, as more than just teammates, as friends. Your family get to know each other, and you become really close, and that's a big part of the team aspect is caring about your teammates off the field, getting to know their kids, their families, their wives.
Everyone wants to have a career year, but if I stick to what I'm doing, I like my chances. I'll be fine.
People have confidence in you. It's easy to have confidence in somebody that's going out there every night and giving the team a chance to win.
