ST. LOUIS - The mental side of baseball, David Hernandez said, is the game's most taxing aspect. And last month the Phillies righthander was dealt a heavy challenge.
Hernandez labored through spring training with a sore arm. Then he was pelted in his season debut, allowing three runs in Cincinnati without registering an out on opening day. This was the season for Hernandez to prove that Tommy John surgery two years ago did not seize his ability. The rough start allowed doubt to creep into his mind.
"When things aren't going well, you kind of just think, 'Do I belong here?