"Roy Halladay and 46,480 Phillies fans left Citizens Bank Park with smiles on their faces Saturday night.
Somewhere, Harvey Dorfman was smiling, too.
Dorfman was the famed sports psychologist/performance-enhancement specialist that helped Halladay transform himself from a near washout to arguably the best pitcher in baseball a decade ago. Dorfman died in February, but Halladay still lives and pitches by the lessons he learned from the master of mental sharpness. Halladay's performance in the Phillies' 11-6 win (see game breakdown) over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday night was a testament to all he learned from Dorfman.
Don't worry about what's already done, Dorfman used to say to Halladay. Control your emotions. Stick to your plan. Move on. Breath. Execute the next pitch."