On the Couch : By Dr. Richard Lustberg

An Analysis of Current Topics and Issues in Sport
September 30, 1997

At the start of the season who would have ever imagined that the Mets would have played as well as they did? In spite of a decimated pitching staff and a number of weaknesses in the lineup and in the field, the Mets have shown a resiliency that few thought they had. Yet a great deal of focus has been devoted to the way Bobby Valentine has handled this team. He has come under scrutiny regarding his relations with his players and the press.

The recent incidents involving Lance Johnson, Pete Harnisch, and Todd Hundley revealed insights about personalities of those involved. Pitcher Pete Harnisch – who struggled both on and off the field, and who was eventually traded this season – clearly disagreed with Valentine over his role with the team. He also apparently did not appreciate the way Valentine handled Harnisch’s depression. His responses to these problems, both on and off the field, left much to be desired. First and foremost Harnisch when challenged by Valentine, did not respond on the playing field since he did not produce wins which was a major condition of his employment. In spite of being well liked in the clubhouse, not being in the Mets’ rotation hindered Harnisch’s ability to produce in a manner that would have stemmed his manager’s displeasure with his performances. Keeping in mind that no one likes to be rejected or feel unwanted, Harnisch’s statements that Valentine was unpopular with all the players, besides sounding like sour grapes, reminded one of a regressive childlike response, one that is frequently heard among nine-year-olds. Furthermore, no one knows what was really said behind closed doors between Valentine and Harnisch, about his depression. Finally, in the case of Harnisch’s bout with depression we were so eager to label it a physical malady, we lost sight of the fact that his total life experiences, including his personality and upbringing affect his actions as well. Baseball and sport remain in a state of mental illness phobia. No one is mentally ill, everyone has a physical malady or chemical imbalance.

Todd Hundley is probably by all accounts, the Mets’ only true star. However, if he is staying out late and not taking care of himself, clearly it is the manager’s responsibility to address the issue. Hundley showed not only great media savvy and maturity, he also responded with a number of resounding on-field performances which demonstrated a great deal of ego strength. These types of personalities are generally more successful in coping with the stresses and strains of the work environment. Moreover, by playing in constant discomfort, Hundley has gained the respect of management, fans and teammates.

Lance Johnson’s remarks that Valentine is disliked in the clubhouse and is not a winner spoke volumes about Johnson. When confronted, Johnson never admitted to making those statements and had his agent go on the radio to refute the writer who wrote the story in which his comments appeared. So what if he made those comments? We seem to be so fragile and sensitive to every word and utterance that is said. Johnson has feelings, too. As with Harnisch, keep in mind that nobody likes to feel unwanted and rejected and that everyone wants to look good. This frequently leads to people not always telling the truth or standing by what they said. People who lie - and research suggests this happens with great frequency - usually do so in order to avoid perceived consequences.

As for Valentine, who can argue with his team’s performance? The Mets have given us some great moments, and he and his staff should be commended for their efforts. This is a man with a complex personality. It appears that he attempts to control intense feelings with an outward charming persona. His ever-present smile appears to be a defense against having to deal with intense and perhaps uncomfortable feelings. Valentine is often portrayed as a bright, sophisticated individual who can be manipulative in nature. There are clear indications that he enjoys the spotlight and exhibits grandiose features. People with these traits, while sometimes appearing arrogant, frequently are quite insecure and crave validation. Valentine seems to evoke intense responses from those with whom he comes in contact with. This suggests that people sense and then respond to his true inner feelings and are not responding to his outward demeanor. His tenure so far in New York suggests that he is able to out-maneuver others when it comes to inter-personal relationship struggles.

The public squabbles also gave us some insight into the status of personal relations in our society. We seem to place such great importance on harmony and on people getting along and we have great difficulty tolerating disagreements, criticisms, and lingering ill feelings when things don’t go our way. Yet, this happens all the time in personal relationships. While the reasons for this are complex in nature it seems that a number of common cognitive assumptions and misinterpretations that lead to emotional discomfort are occurring. For example: Everyone should be liked, everyone should get along, everyone should be happy in their jobs all of the time. These are all common feelings people experience. But the world does not function in this manner and neither does the world of sports. Try spending time with 40 or so individuals in the glare of the public spotlight, and it is a miracle that we do not have more interpersonal outbursts. It is why supposedly intelligent and achieving people assume equal relationships with their manager or boss, and speak out vociferously and angrily in a public forum that deems inspection. What is appropriate and what the consequences are is what maturity is all about.