Essays & Opinions
An Interview with Phillies Legend Larry Andersen by Sarah Bloom
Larry Andersen is known to be a Philly legend, but no one really knows what he overcame in order to be where he is today. With his ability to be authentic, resilient and open about himself and his struggles, Andersen built a strong career. In the midst of a professional baseball career, Andersen dealt with poor habits, isolation, and mental struggles. People like to look at him and say that he had an “easy” life, but do people know what he went through in order to become one of the best relievers in Astros and Phillies history?
Andersen grew up with his dad who was a pilot. At a young age, Andersen wanted to be a pilot in the future to be just like his dad. As he was growing up, he and his dad would play sports and quickly formed a bond over baseball. Whenever his dad was home, spending quality time with his favorite person doing something he loved was the answer. Sadly, Andersen’s father passed away due to a plane crash when Larry was 13. Even though Andersen was offered a scholarship at the University of Oregon, he decided to enter the Major League Baseball Draft right out of highschool. The main reason for this being that Andersen just felt at ease on the mound. Also, it was something that helped him feel closer to his dad. Luckily, Andersen was picked in the MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians in June of 1971.
During the start of his career, Andersen was struggling with not having a parent to turn to. Furthermore, he was 18 years old trying to navigate a significant change to his life without knowing anyone. He did not know if he would stay in Cleveland permanently or move constantly among the trades. One of the big factors which made the adjustment to a new lifestyle even harder was not having his dad. Andersen stated that he had no one to ask his questions to. Additionally, some of the other challenges he faced were excessive partying and having a lack of discipline. Looking back on it now, Andersen regrets his prioritized party time due to the fact it cost him time in the big leagues.
In 1975, Andersen had his major league debut versus the Detroit Tigers. In his one inning pitched, he pitched perfectly. After having a rough debut in the Triple-A affiliate in Cleveland, he was demoted to Double-A. To bring down his ERA of 6.02, he had to throw perfectly. Eventually, Cleveland reshaped Andersen into a relief pitcher that ultimately saved his career. When asked if playing in an area he didn’t particularly like affected is success, Andersen answered urgently with, “if you are not happy in your environment, it affects everything.” Thankfully, Andersen got out of Cleveland when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 1981.
Being a relief pitcher has some pros and cons. One pro is the fact you aren’expected to throw five to seven innings every start. On the other hand, not knowing if you’re going to be put in a game. The anticipation Andersen collected when it was time to turn to the bullpen was horrible. Although you could be warming up, you may just sit back down to watch the game from afar. For many relief pitchers, the anxiety of going in is high, but as Andersen stated, he felt comfortable on the mound. The timing between warming up and going into the game to either keep the lead or keep the winning team’s lead the same has messed many players' mental games up.
Over time, Andersen’s ERA was at a high of 6.02 in a game versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Andersen had a runner on first and third with one out. Fortunately, he had forced the hitter to hit into a double play, resulting in his ERA being brought down to a 5.99. Due to his underperformance, Andersen was close to giving up in 1981. Struggles in the game were common for Andersen. “Was there ever a time that I did not have a mental block? Catchers, managers, and coaches are there for a reason.” The Mariners had made him a right-handed closer in spring training. After asking for help countless times, he was given poor advice by Dave Duncan. He felt like the 11th man on a 10 man pitching roster as well as being neglected. In the 1980s, it was discouraged for men to ask for help because they would be seen as being “soft” and “not a true man”. Now for many retired players, if they felt comfortable asking for help, could they have had better and longer playing time in the majors?
At the time, Andersen’s former coach, Rene Lachemann, was no help for his attempt to get his mechanics under control. Lachemann simply told him that he, “was not good enough.” Along with being told that, Andersen struggled with having an appropriate approach to pitching when down in a game. Coming directly from Andersen, he stated that he got a feel if he could throw a certain pitch. If he couldn’t throw it, he would curse himself out and proceed to throw it where he wanted to. Steve Carlton, Andersen’s teammate in Philly, explained to him that, “thought precedes the action.” In order to control your pitches, staying away from “I can’t” was crucial. Changing your thought process to say “I will, I am going to, I have to” is life changing. Getting out of a negative mindset eventually would bring Andersen out of a slump.
Winding down on his 17th season, Andersen retired in 1994 with an average ERA of 3.15 and a win-loss record of 40-39. Andersen knew it was time to retire because “the hitters let him know.” Almost 20 years later, when asked if he would play again he did not know. He loved the game he played. “Baseball was good to me.” With the changes of money, rules, the pressure he had, and that he would have to live “like that” again he is unsure. He feels like he is stuck in old school. With many changes in Major League, such as the pitch clock and base size being bigger, Andersen is not a big fan. Many of his other retired teammates feel the same.
People like Andersen began playing baseball because they had a true passion for it. Because of the new rules, players haven’t been enjoying the game as much. Players have so much pressure put on them that their performance is decreasing. Trea Turner is a perfect example. After 10 errors and an angry ejection, Turner’s season turned around tremendously. Since the standing ovation he received on August 8th, Turner’s batting average is .347, tying back to Andersen’s point of the importance of having a baseball mindset and showing resilience. Crowds can be extremely useful to turn around the game of an individual.
This generation of baseball is different from others. With rules constantly changing, baseball is not the same as it was. Pitchers have been struggling tremendously. Not only for pitchers on the Phillies, Zack Greinke for the Kansas City Royals has had one of the worst seasons of his career. With a career ERA of 3.49, his ERA of 2023 is 5.28 and a 1-13 win-loss record. Clearly, the pitch clock is making pitchers perform negatively.
Aaron Nola, who is currently playing his eighth MLB baseball season, has not lived up to his usual performance of an average ERA of 3.69. Due to the pitch clock changes and the mental effect it has on players, his ERA for the 2023 season is a 4.30. Andersen vouches for Nola, talking about how batters are allowed to take a timeout, but how pitchers are not allowed to request time. Pitchers are expected to adjust to these 15-20 second intervals in less than 5 months. Additionally, that does not include the teams who were participating in the playoffs. Baseball is a mental game, and for Nola to know that he is not doing his best affects his pitching.
Mental health and struggles are taken more seriously during this generation. Sadly, the stigma around men’s mental health is not broken entirely today. Men in professional sports do not reach out because they have always been told to “suck it up and deal with it by yourself,” but more men are struggling today than they ever have. About 85 percent of Major League Baseball teams have sports psychologists or mental skill coaches. Andersen thinks that the approach players are getting will enhance their performance. Overall, mental struggles in baseball have decreased because of the attention they have received. Although the pitch clock has made many players underperform, players will continue to push through the slump with the help of their coaches and psychologists.
Today, Andersen offers his advice to anyone who is not performing their best. “People are gonna tell you that you aren’t good enough. It is your right to tell them you are good enough. Even though it is your job, it is okay to fail. Trust and believe in yourself. To be a player in the big league, you have to have resilience. Picture yourself at your happy place. It will put you at ease. Don’t give up. Install in your head that you are going to do [what you want to accomplish.]”
"Thankful." by JR
I am thankful for breakfast. Nothing makes me happier than when I have the motivation to get up and make breakfast. As a wise man once said, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” so when I get the chance to make pancakes or even just a simple bagel, my day is off to a great start. I am a firm believer in the notion: if you eat breakfast, your day has to be good by default. So sometimes, I don’t eat breakfast because you have to keep the balance of good days and bad days. No rain, no flowers, am I right?
I am thankful for lunch. Halfway through a chaotic day, nothing makes me happier than getting to sit down and eat something different everyday. Whether it’s the Tennent cafeteria or Chick-fil-a ™, lunch, as a wise man once said, is the most important meal of the day. Personally, and this might be a bit controversial, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The balance of peanut butter and jelly is a balance that is unmatched, it is simply perfection.
I am thankful for dinner. Nothing makes me happier than getting to sit down at the end of a long day with my family and eat a home cooked meal (except the days where both my parents are working so I get take-out for me and my brothers). As a wise man once said, “dinner is the most important meal of the day,” because it’s an opportunity to reflect on your day while eating something amazing, like quesadillas.
I am not thankful for midnight snacks, however. Nothing makes me angrier than when I wake up at 2am craving spaghettios. This leads to me not being hungry for breakfast, and then eating lunch too early, and then eating dinner too early, which leads to another midnight snack. I am an insomniac, or an insomniSNACK as some might say. I slept for 2 hours last night.
"What Really Sets My Heart On Fire?" by Taylor Weidman
Something that really sets my heart on fire is playing sports and competing. This has been a part of my life since I can remember and it has helped shape the person that I am today. Along with shaping my personality, it has helped me make forever friendships. It’s one thing that never fails to make me happy and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Some reasons it sets my heart on fire is because it has given me many opportunities in life, getting to experience the thrill of winning and improving every time I play is an amazing feeling, finally and most importantly it makes my family proud.
One reason sports make my heart set on fire is because of the opportunities it has given me throughout the years. When I played softball, I played on various travel teams. With that being said, we traveled to play different teams almost every weekend. This has given me the ability to travel to different states and see how beautiful the world is. I’ve been able to see so many beautiful places that I would never be able to without sports. Other than that I’ve been able to meet forever friends. Playing with the same team for a few season makes your teammates feel like family. Even though most of us have gone down our own paths, none of us will forget the times we’ve shared playing together.
Another reason is the feeling of winning and getting the thrill of making a great shot and feeling like nothing can stop you. I’ve always been pushed to be number one and when you get there it feels amazing and gives me more fuel to get better, because there's always someone better than you. When I play a sport, it takes away any worries I have and makes me feel myself. I am a very competitive person so winning is a must. I do anything to ensure my win and absolutely love the feeling of it.
What truly lights a fire in me is making my family proud. They never had the opportunity to play sports as kids and having me be an accomplished athlete makes them so proud. No matter how tired I am I always make sure I put out 100% of effort because they do so much for me and that is one thing that I can do for them. My parents never had the chance to go to college, so getting offers to play college sports brings pure joy to my family.
Sports have set an eternal flame in my body that will not die. It’s been there for me through rough times and through happy times. I hope that I can continue playing until my body allows me. As you see it's helped me formed friendships, give me countless opportunities and makes my family very proud.
A student’s education should also instill passion in students and spark their interests for learning and life. It should teach students to accept and embrace diversity. It would help our society become a better place for all people so that we do not discriminate against anyone, and allow for easy access to a productive education for all members of our society. It wouldn’t be equitable to have opportunities for one group of people and not another.
In addition, the only way our society is going to become a better place is by providing a decent education for all young people in our country. We have many people graduating from our schools struggling to read and write. This should not be the case. Opportunities should be provided as early as preschool to assist students in respecting and placing value in receiving an education.
Schools should also prepare students and give them paths for future careers. I feel when more students have paths and goals directing them toward their future plans, education suddenly becomes a lot more meaningful and relevant. Students should be screened for interests and steered toward an educational path that will benefit them and assist them in achieving a life goal that will interest them for their future careers. I feel if schools took the time to focus on helping students achieve these accomplishments, then we would have happier and more productive members of society that enjoy going to work each day and value their profession.
I also feel as if tech schools serve a definitive purpose in our educational system. Many students have a disconnect with the typical subjects within our schools and systems. They are turned off by long lectures and information they feel will not really benefit them down the road. Our goal should be to make a student well-rounded and respect our world, but not at the price of boredom and useless fact regurgitation. Perhaps some of our teachers should incorporate more career education within each subject matter taught in school. To make education more relatable is something that all teachers need to consider.
For instance, if you are teaching about World History, incorporate lessons about international trade and the job opportunities associated with a History degree. If you are teaching Biology, include lessons about the various careers a student might be able to obtain when or if they get a Science degree. Encourage them to visit job fairs associated with this subject and arrange field trips to provide firsthand information that would be helpful for career and planning for employment. These are just some examples of ways we could incorporate career readiness into our curriculum, and help prepare our students for a more successful life. Our world would probably be a better place if more people enjoyed and respected their chosen career paths.
As Nelson Mandela so eloquently stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
What is an identity? Well, an identity is what makes a person that person, and we determine our identities by what we do and who we are as a person. We even determine who we are through what we do and how we go through life. An example is how hard do I work. Am I determined or do I hold myself back? do I stand up tall and take pride in what I do or do I sit back and think negative about myself? Even society has a big influence on who we are through things as small as complements and negative judgements or as big as successfulness or lack thereof, so everything can have effect on who we are no matter what it is. It makes us, well, us, but don’t you think that who you are now is who you will be in 20 years or 10 years or even 1 year? Because, your personality is always changing and even if it’s the smallest change it’s a change nonetheless. But this might not always be true. Some parts of your personality will always be the same, like if you're an anxious person then you most likely will be that way all through life.
There are also things that we didn’t choose to be a part of our personalities, like our name. Our names have a huge affect on who we are and what society expects us to be. An example of this is if you heard the name Kelly Murphy; people automatically assume that she's irish and that she's a drunken, ragen mess. Or if you heard the name Chen Zhang, people will automatically assume that that person is chinese and smart and knows chinese. We had no choice in what we are named, yet it is a part of who we are. Another thing that is a big part of who we are as people is what we look like, and yeah, sure we can control what we wear and how we do our hair, but we have no control in hair colour or skin colour, and society judges us on these things. Like say you see a blonde girl walking down the street– people will right away think that this girl is a cluts and is not very smart. Now imagine the same scenario, but instead of having blonde hair, this girl is black. In this situation people will automatically think she is a rebel and poor. The point of this is that sometimes these stereotypes actually affect who these people are and can change their personality. And yes, your identity is malleable, but you can’t change everything about your personality. That is what an identity means to me, but what does an identity mean to you?