It’s not a memory that he likes to ponder on, but Cardinals lefty Randy Choate does believe that his wide throw that let the Giants walkoff in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series has made a lasting impact on him. From Cardinals.com’s Jenifer Langosch:

“I think it’s part of what drove me to come in here and be a little better,” Choate said. “Because when you let your teammates down like that, it just stinks. I don’t want to be unprepared.”

…What struck Choate as he replayed that moment wasn’t what he accomplished on the field, but the reaction it drew from his teammates.

“It gave me, I don’t want to say a renewed love for the game because that’s not the right phrase, but it gave me more of an appreciation for feeling like a family in here,” Choate said. “These guys knew how tough it was for me in Game 3. The way they know how 3 was and the way they picked me up, Game 4 is just as awesome of a moment as Game 3 was a bad one.”

In his conversation with Langosch, Choate admitted that he let his frustration with his role affect him too much last season. Langosch reports that Choate committed to a new conditioning program this offseason and is encouraged with the moves the club made to address their bullpen this offseason. It certainly appears both the Cardinals and Choate are on the same page with Choate expected to transition back to a more traditional lefty-specialist role in 2015.

Read Langosch’s full article from Cardinals.com.

 

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