Off-season requires adjustment

   Brian Anderson
   Special to the Republic
   The Arizona Republic
   Sept. 24, 1998
   
   Well, our first season is almost over. In a way, the season has gone
   fast. In other ways, you can tell it has been lengthy because that's
   what your body is telling you.
   
   This weekend's games will be the last you'll probably see of many of
   the players, as they head back to their hometowns. I'm going to Ohio.
   
   It's not much of an off-season for baseball players anymore. Between
   the games and staying in shape, getting ready for the next season,
   it's a year-round-type deal.
   
   There are a lot of young, hungry players out there, and you always
   want to stay a step ahead. Just because you might be ahead now doesn't
   mean you will be in four months.
   
   After the season ends, there's an adjustment at first. It's literally
   a withdrawal from the pace of the season that has been going since the
   beginning of March (counting spring training).
   
   You have your routine before and after the game, and now you're in a
   different environment. You're like, "OK, now what? Do I get up and
   work out or do I veg out, be a slob for the rest of the day?"
   
   Some of the guys will go hunting or play golf during the off-season. A
   few might play winter ball. I'll probably do some hunting and attend
   quite a few college football games.
   
   Jeff Forney, our strength and conditioning coach, will give us a
   program to follow to help us improve. To follow the program, you
   really have to be self-motivated.
   
   We had a bad stretch at the beginning of the season. Nothing seemed to
   go right. The consistency wasn't there. But we started to improve, and
   we righted the ship and showed flashes of our true capabilities.
   
Signing off

   When I was approached before the season about doing this column, I
   wasn't sure what to expect. But I'm glad I did it.
   
   Coming up with fresh ideas about baseball that are informative and
   entertaining is not as easy as it looks. I've developed a new-found
   respect for the writers who have to do it every day - within reason, I
   don't want to get carried away.
   
   But I really did enjoy it, and I hoped that at some point, you readers
   did, too.
   
   And thanks from all of the players for supporting us this season.
   We'll see you at Bank One Ballpark in 1999.
   
   Diamondbacks left-hander Brian Anderson has shared his comments each
   week in Baseball Extra this season.