Rest pays off for introspective Wong in his return in the desert
St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny read the situation perfectly. Kolten Wong needed a break, physically and mentally, from the grind.
Matheny gave Wong 2 1/2 days off to recharge and allow the self-confessed harsh self-critic to take a step back and take in the bigger picture. Wong collected a pair of hits in his return, helping the Cardinals to take a second consecutive road game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Wong told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he learned he doesn't like sitting out, but expanded to say: “I just learned about myself and ... not taking things so serious. I’ve done a lot for this team this year and, instead of looking at the bad picture of me kind of having to scuffle right now, I need to realize the good things I’ve done so far.”
Matheny decided it was time to let Wong sit Saturday when he replaced Matt Carpenter, who had been ejected. Wong struck out and hit into a double play. Matheny decided then he would give the pressing Wong two more full days off.
“There were a couple of things he was working on," Matheny told the Post-Dispatch. "He cares so much and he tries to take in so much that sometimes that can get in your way. You try to listen to so many things from different people and everybody tries to help. He’s been able to sift through it and get back the feel he’s looking for in his swing.”
The 24-year-old Wong might look back upon his brief time off as an eye-opening experience for the next time he falls into a slump, which will happen.
"It was good,” Wong said. “It brought me back to perspective — that it’s a tough game. And when you feel like you’re better than the game and that you shouldn’t be going through this, that’s when it bites you in the butt.
"It's time for me to start enjoying the game and realizing that slumps are going to happen."
(h/t St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
