Beyond Endurance: Mental Flexibility during the 18-Inning Game

The 18-inning World Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays was decided not only by physical endurance but by the application of mental skills in real-time. As the clock approached close to seven hours, both physical and mental fatigue became a primary obstacle. To maintain high performance when faced with distractions and fatigue, psychological flexibility, or the ability to stay present and take action aligned with your values, is critical.

For Dodgers and Jays players, they all showed high levels of psychological flexibility and adaptability. Let's take a closer look into a few critical components of this mental flexibility that help players stay connected to the present, remain resilient, and align their in-game actions with values.

Acceptance & Present Moment Focus

In a physically exhausting game, players may feel the urge to quit or avoid discomfort, but trying to fight the thoughts of feeling fatigued actually draws attention away from where it is needed most: the game. Or in this case, the 18th inning. Maintaining the elite level of performance required in the World Series and engagement during such a long game requires acceptance and adaptability. Accpetance of their internal experience (ex. tired legs or sore arms) and adaptability around the length of the game, something that was not 100 percent in the players’ control. For example, Dodgers pitcher Will Klein, who pitched four innings, summarized this mental process in his post game interview: “I felt my legs were tired… I’m like, who cares. The hitter doesn’t care, so why should I.” 

Klein wasn’t denying the discomfort of tired feelings, he was accepting it. He acknowledged the internal sensations (“My legs were tired”) and made a choice to not engage in the mental tug-of-war (“who cares”) that comes when our thoughts hook our attention elsewhere. Later, Klein mentioned, “I just knew like every inning I went out there was going to be another zero. And if I had to keep going out there were going to be more zeros put up”. This redirection and self-talk allowed Klein to lock into the present moment task (pitching) and accept that the game was long, likely would continue, and he had to remain resilient in order to perform, regardless of the fatigue he felt.

Committed Action

Another aspect of mental flexibility that allows players to adapt in the moment includes commited action, or taking purposeful action no matter the situation and aligning these behaviors with personal or group values. Of course, in the World Series, each team is competing to win. But, in addition to having a will to win, values of teamwork, collectiveness, and trust were present. Will Klein stated, “I was just going to go out there and do all that I can to help all these guys who work their butt off… 18 innings of pure grit and determination… everyone was into that game with their all and that was just the epitome of what the team has done all year. And having Freddie do it like you know he would was the cherry on top.”

This statement sheds light on the foundation of the Dodger’s resilience and commitment toward playing for the team’s collective goal. The focus of the game was not only on Klein or his career pitch record, on Ohtani reaching base 9 times, or Freeman’s walk-off, but on the collective effort that the team shared in the battle to get to the World Series and through Game 3. This commitment to the team’s mission gave Klein the fuel to keep pitching, just as it gave Freddie Freeman the laser focus required to hit a walk-off home run. 

This 18-inning game showed that on baseball’s biggest stage, psychological flexibility is required to perform excellently. Consistently. Inning after inning. These athletes are willing to accept their internal state, direct focus to where it is required, and take action to honor the team’s values and effort, a true testament to their championship mindsets.

Watch Will Klein’s interview here.

References

Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical psychology review, 30(7) 865-878