Of the seven closers named to the 1996 All-Star team, none earned a return trip this year. Actually, such turnarounds are no longer shocking. Mesa himself was something of an apparition, suddenly emerging as the 1995 Cy Young Award runner-up in the 14th year of an ordinary pro career. The good ones have guts and a short memory. The traits that serve you well in society, like humility, don't serve you well on the mound.
Closing is a big mental game.
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