The game of baseball is not for everyone. We know that, but we tend to make the assumption that all of those who play baseball for a living enjoy it. We look at professional baseball players and their multimillion-dollar contracts and assume they must be happy and love their jobs. Players like Mets reliever Taylor Buchholz remind us that that is not always the case.
Sports psychologists make a living from the fact that there are athletes out there — including grown men — that need their help. Depression has sidetracked multiple MLB players in the past, but that doesn’t make Buchholz’s tale any less surprising when you actually hear it. Deadspin passed some of the story along on Thursday, via Patch.com:
He reached for the stubble on his chin as he dragged his feet across the natty hotel room rug that morning, eyelids half-mast and not too eager to begin a new day with a hot shower. He hated the dark place where he was; only he didn’t know he was in a dark place. Maybe today will be different, he tried to convince himself. Maybe I’ll look forward to going to the ballpark and throwing again, he thought.
That’s when Taylor Buchholz hit his nadir.
He had no idea what was coursing through his body. But something gripped him. Clutched him hard. His joints locked. He couldn’t stand. Buchholz remembers bracing himself up against the bathroom tile of the shower stall and realizing the water falling from his face wasn’t coming from the showerhead. They were his tears.
Buchholz said he spoke with team psychologist Ron Svetich one day and lied to him by saying he felt great. The next day, he had the crying fit in the shower and decided to see Dr. Svetich. Although he says he was embarrassed, Buchholz couldn’t help by cry again. Now, the Mets have placed him on the DL to give their reliever time to work on his issues. As cliche as it may sound, money doesn’t guarantee happiness. It can certainly help, but there’s more to life for some than a seven-figure contract.
