I don’t think saying someone has mental issues (confidence, concentration, whatever) is pejorative in the sense of equating them with being a “head-case”…

The actual physical act of pitching is a skill which operates on an unconscious, motor-functional level, but obviously that can be affected (in terms of control or even velocity) based on your mental state. Maybe “mentality/attitude” are the wrong words, but how a pitcher “feels” in a game-situation absolutely affects their control and effectiveness. The ability to shut-out nervousness, pressure, anxiety, etc. on the mound in a high-leverage situation in front of 30,000 people is a separate skill from the physical ability to pitch well. It’s not an insult or personal criticism to suggest that somebody who we all know is good at the motor-skill of throwing/locating pitches (i.e. – Parra) might need to work on the tangential skill of being able to calm down and do what he’s capable of doing in a game situation. Nor is it an assessment in any way of his “mental ability” – that’s an assessment of psychology about two centuries outdated…

(And also, I think people do make the same distinctions when they classify basketball players or quarterbacks for being good/bad under pressure or at the free-throw line or whatever)

Maybe I’m remembering wrong. Of course accuracy and control are skills that can be developed. But, like virtually any other human endeavor, the ability to develop that skill can be negatively impacted by problems with attitude, outlook and psychological tendencies that might make it more difficult to develop and consistently display those skills. Just because it’s learned behavior doesn’t mean a player’s psychology can’t play a role in his inability to learn the behavior.

Here’s a non-athletic real life comparison: when I was in law school I participated in a clinic that got law students into court rooms to get some real life experience. Almost uniformly, the people in that clinic were intelligent, talented folks. We had practice sessions with professors and lawyers who were experts in the field and even off duty judges, and everyone did well.

Then the real life court appearances came, and about 10% of the class fell apart. One guy, who had done very well in the practice sessions, even getting compliments from the off duty judge, locked up entirely and stared at the table unable. He panicked. Finally the superising attorney stepped in and did the hearing. The guy tried a couple more times on other days, but experienced similar problems (though less dramatic). He graduate with his JD and never practiced as a lawyer for a single day, in part because of his inability to execute hearings he was perfectly capable fo executing. That didn’t make him weak, or a head case, or nuts, or a bad guy. He just had a hang up he needed to overcome, but he opted to do something else instead. My guess is he would have made another choice if he had the potential to make millions as a pitcher…

Generally, a negative connotation, the same way “crazy” and “nuts” are.

If you want to be rude/mean, you can refer to Dontrelle Willis as a “headcase”. He, quite publicly, has a social-anxiety disorder.

Stress is something one must learn to deal with. Some handle it very well, some handle it poorly. Some (like our li’l Manny) give the appearance of folding like a lawn chair when the pressure is turned up. To most folks, that seems to suggest he does not handle stress very well.

As cliche as it is, the ‘power of positive thinking’ can do wonders. Only Manny knows what’s going on in his head. If he’s supremely negative about his failure to execute pitches, he can load up a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I think assuming there is zero mental aspect with regard to the body/mind’s reaction in stress-laden situations is silly.