Kuo pushes on after mentor's death
23.05.12
"It has to come from inside here," Kuo said, pumping his fist against his chest. "It has to come from inside me."
Kuo, 30, really doesn't know what caused him to throw two balls over his second baseman's head and into center field during pitchers' fielding practice last April. The Dodgers later put him on the disabled list when he couldn't throw a strike while warming up in the bullpen.
That initial DL stint was termed a "back strain" issue, though Kuo admitted at the time the problem wasn't just physical. After struggling in his return, he was put on the DL a second time in May with what was called an "anxiety disorder." He had experienced similar inexplicable throwing issues-known as "the yips"-in 2009 that caused a game stoppage when one of his bullpen pitches sailed out on to the field. The yips refer to a sudden inability to control throws despite no physical problems.
Dorfman had helped ballplayers like Roy Halladay, Brad Lidge, Rick Ankiel and Jim Abbott deal with mental performance issues, and Kuo went to him for help. By the 2010 season, Kuo's issues were under control and he became one of the game's top relievers, posting a 1.20 earned-run average with 73 strikeouts and only 18 walks allowed in 60 innings of work.
Source: Bellingham Herald