Bert Blyleven

As we close in on the playoffs, it’s time to tackle the topic of clubhouse chemistry.

How important is it that players get along? Can good chemistry turn a good team into a great one? Can bad blood sink a good team? Or is it just a matter of winning breeding good will?

These are complicated questions, and there is no clear-cut answer. But in light of Milton Bradley being suspended for the season by the Chicago Cubs, it seems like a good time to address it.

I thought Milton Bradley could have been a success in Chicago. He has had his share of problems on the field, usually due to his fiery demeanor and intense nature, but I thought manager Lou Piniella — a fiery player himself in his day — would get along with and understand Bradley. Piniella probably thought he could help Bradley control his emotional issues and let his natural ability take over.

It’s a shame that is hasn’t worked out because the young man has so much baseball talent.

It’s also a shame that Chicago has had to deal with all the negativity in the clubhouse, especially in a frustrating year where they were supposed to challenge the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s not only Bradley’s blowups on the field that cause problems, it’s his conduct in the clubhouse as well.

That’s not to blame Bradley for the Cubs’ disappointing season. But it doesn’t help if you have any form of negativity in a clubhouse. You want guys who enjoy each others’ company, and that really starts in spring training.

In my 22 seasons in the big leagues, I never played with a guy with that kind of hot-and-cold personality. I guy who you don’t know what you’re going to get when you walk into the clubhouse every day. Is he going to be in a good mood or a bad mood?

That carries right onto the field, too.

LEADERS SET THE TONE
Winning can cure a lot of clubhouse problems, it cures a lot of bad habits. But chemistry is still important in baseball. It’s 25 guys, your coaches and your manager all trying to win games. It’s up to a good manager and veteran players to tell people when they need to get back into line.

Every clubhouse needs leaders: guys who set the tone and lay down the law for what kind of behavior is acceptable. That’s an important role, and when you get older it’s your responsibility to carry the torch.

I was very fortunate when I came into the majors with the Twins in 1970. We had great chemistry as a team, and it helped us win our division and go on to the playoffs. I was so young at 19, and I knew that being a rookie, you’re to be seen and not heard. I knew that going in. I was lucky to have guys like Jim Perry, Jim Kaat, Ron Perranoski and Stan Williams to learn from. For me, those were my mentors, guys I looked up to. I sat and listened and tried to keep my mouth shut.

Later in my career I became one of the veterans who was not afraid to speak my mind if I saw a problem. When I came back to the Twins in 1985, Frank Viola was the ace of the ballclub. He was very talented, but he was very immature at that time. If a guy made an error behind him he would slump his shoulders and show his emotions on the field.

At one point I had to take him aside and set him straight. I told him he had to be competitive and expect more out of himself, that he couldn’t control what went on behind him. I told him he needed to focus on what he could control: his performance, and his mental strength. He has given me credit in the past for that talk. That helped change Viola a lot. He became a better pitcher, and a better teammate. Maybe in a small way it helped him reach his potential as a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher, just as the veterans I learned from helped me reach my potential.

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The bottom line is that it’s a long season and you have to find a way to get along. I’m sure there were a lot of teammates who didn’t care for me. I know there were teammates who I didn’t care for. But it’s like a having a sibling. Your brothers or sisters sometimes do things that you don’t like. You need someone there to be the father and set you straight when you need it.

The biggest thing is communication. You have to be able to talk about it. You have to be able to tell your teammates you made a mistake. People are forgiving. As long as you admit to your faults people will accept you a lot better. If you never admit to your faults then your teammates will stay away.

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