In his younger days, Chris Sale would simply do what came naturally to him.
He would rear back, unleash some of the God-given talent embedded in his left arm, and dominate.
There were the occasional adjustments that were necessary, but for the most part, Sale could almost pitch on automatic pilot. Let the batters do the thinking; Sale was just doing what came naturally.
Now in his mid-30s, that equation has changed. Sale finds that he had to tinker -- not because of his advancing years -- in baseball terms, anyway -- but rather, his inactivity in recent seasons.
What he once did as part of muscle memory is now not so automatic anymore. For one thing, there's his lanky frame which can occasionally fall out of alignment during his delivery.
But mostly, it's about teaching his body what it needs to do again. Sale missed all of 2020 after Tommy John surgery, the first two-thirds of 2021 as he recovered from the procedure and all but 5.1 innings of 2022, a season which dealt him one injury or mishap after another.
Like a car that has been sitting idle in the garage, it's not as simple as taking it out on the race track and navigating hairpin turns. There's a process, which Sale was reminded of as recently as earlier this week in Baltimore. He had his fastball smacked around Camden Yards and for the first time in his career in which he pitched more than an inning, failed to record a single strikeout.
That required some remedial lessons before Sunday. There were two bullpen sessions, some long looks at video from last seasons and some tinkering, all in search of one thing: better fastball command.
"When things aren't going right,'' said Sale, "that's usually my biggest downfall -- just the command of my fastball especially. Being able to command that is going to help me be successful, for sure. This has been a work-in-progress since spring training.''
Two starts ago, Sale looked like he had uncovered some issues, fanning 11 Minnesota Twins while going six innings. But last Monday, it was as if that start against Minnesota never happened. Sale looked like he was throwing BP against the Orioles, bringing no end of frustration to the lefty, who smashed a cooler in the dugout in frustration and confessed afterward that he "(bleeping) sucked.''
This week, the goal was to make some alterations to his mechanics, to get him to become more athletic on the mound.
"Trying to get a little more loose,'' said Sale, "trying to get a little more whip back in my arm. I felt a little stiff the last few times. I needed to get more athletic, get a little more fluidity (to my delivery). It worked today.''
Still, Sale knows better to conclude that he's solved all of his issues. He might have been tempted to think after his last home start, only to be convinced otherwise by the Orioles. But there's reason to feel more confident that what he did Sunday might represent a real turning point.
"This one had more of what I used to do in it, especially with my delivery,'' said Sale. "Not being quite as stiff, upright...things like that. Gotta stay on course, keep trusting my guys.''
But there's also an awareness that is required on the mound. Because it's been so long that he simply took the ball 30 or so times per season and let his talent take over, it's now incumbent upon him to provide himself with checkpoints on the mound. Are his mechanics set? Is his release point in order.
These are things he never had to do before.
"I say this a lot -- if I were smart, I'd have a real job,'' cracked Sale. "I'm here because I'm somewhat athletic. So for me, it's more about just going out there and feeling things out and just doing it. Thinking about it can get you in trouble sometimes. That's never been a strong suit of my game. For me, I just like to go out there and let it eat, no matter what it is. You call a pitch and I'm going to throw it. Rinse and repeat for however times it happens.''
Perhaps in time, he can go back to being on autopilot.
For now, though, he's got some thinking to do along with his throwing.