CHICAGO (AP) – The story of how Jake Arrieta transformed himself from one of baseball’s most thoughtful pitchers into one of the hottest is the opposite of an overnight sensation.
The Cubs right-hander didn’t wake up one morning and discover a magic grip or even find an extra 5 mph on his fastball. The closest he came to an epiphany was two years ago as he shuttled between the big league Orioles and their minor league affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia, wrestling with the possibility that his talents were used up.
Arrieta was 27.
“There was this moment in Triple-A where I didn’t want to play anymore,” he said. “This game beats you up, makes you feel sometimes like you’re not good enough. For a couple months, I was in a mindset, ‘This is hurting my life off the field and I’m way too worried about this game. It’s affecting me, mentally, way too much.'”
Up close, it’s easy to see the intensity that’s unnerved National League hitters for the better part of two seasons. Just recalling that time, though, puts Arrieta on edge; he leans in and fidgets with the buckle on an expensive watch.