Sunday, April 18, 1999
Wohlers set for long road back
No timetable for reliever's rehabilitation
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[wohlers]](http://reds.enquirer.com/img/mugs/wohlers.jpg)
Mark Wohlers
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Mark Wohlers knows where he wants to end up — “I want to be on the mound, giving high-fives after we win a game” — but Wohlers isn't sure how to get there or how long it's going to take.
Wohlers, the hard-throwing closer the Reds got in the trade Friday with the Atlanta Braves, arrived in Cincinnati on Saturday. Cincinnati is just a stopover. Wohlers will report to Indianapolis on Monday for a rehabilitation assignment.
The rehab won't be physical; Wohlers will work strictly on his mental approach to the game.
“I've got to work on not making every pitch life or death,” Wohlers said. “I have to trust my physical ability, not dwell on the past or worry about the future.”
Wohlers, a 29-year-old right-hander with a 100 mph fastball, mysteriously lost his ability to throw strikes last season. He converted his first seven save opportunities. Then he suffered a pulled left oblique muscle and began struggling. Two trips to Triple-A Richmond could not get him back untracked. (He walked 36 in 12ô innings there).
He walked 15 batters in 4ô innings during his last stint with the Braves. He spent the last five weeks of the season on the disabled list with the “inability to pitch” tag. Off-the-field problems — Wohlers went through a divorce — didn't help.
“I don't want to use it as any excuse,”Wohlers said. “But I took some of that onto the field.”
He seemed to find himself this spring. He came north with the Braves.
“I was even OK when I got to Atlanta,” he said. “I pitched well against Cleveland in an exhibition game. But once the regular season started, I was trying to do too much. I wanted to be better than I ever had. I was trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.”
Wohlers made two appearances. He walked six and allowed two runs in a total of two-thirds of an inning.
When the Braves wanted to send him to Richmond again, Wohlers refused to report. That meant the Braves had to trade or release him. The Reds offered John Hudek, and the Braves offered to pay Wohlers' $5.2 million salary.
That gave Wohlers the fresh start he wanted.
“If I had been optioned, this would have been one of my first choices,” Wohlers said. “I'm familiar with a few guys here. I'm familiar with the success Don Gullett has had with other pitchers. And my agent, who's a good friend, has a good relationship with Jim Bowden.”
Wohlers met briefly with pitching coach Gullett, then watched Saturday's game with general manager Bowden.
Wohlers will meet with Gullett more extensively before going to Indy. The Reds say Wohlers' problem is not physical. How long it will take to straighten Wohlers out mentally is anyone's guess.
“There's no timetable,” Wohlers said. “It could be two weeks. It could be two months.”
Wohlers had no reluctance about going to Indy, even though he declined to go to Richmond.
“I felt like I used all the resources the Braves had to offer,” he said. “The second time I went to Richmond last year, it just got worse. Richmond just brought back bad memories.”
Wohlers emphasized things are not nearly so bad as they were last year.
“I had it back two weeks ago,” he said.
If Wohlers gets it back for an extended period, the Reds really have something. Wohlers saved 97 games from 1995-97. He struck out 282 batters in 211 innings in that span.
Of course, he's a long way from that now.
“I'm going to set reachable goals,” he said. “Take baby steps, instead of trying to go from A to Z, go through the alphabet.”
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