Wade Miley could pitch with a chip on his shoulder next season.
Miley, who was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Boston Red Sox last week, is joining his new club amid chatter that his preparation habits weren’t sitting well with his old club in the weeks leading up to the deal. The 28-year-old left-hander has no concerns about his diet or work ethic, though. Instead, he’s confident in his ability to be ready when called upon every fifth day.
“My first couple of years going into camp, I hunted more than I worked out,” Miley told The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro on Tuesday. “It was kind of a wake-up call.”
“That was kind of when it hit me,” Miley continued in reference to his 2009 struggles. “I said, ‘I’ve got to do something to get better.’ And I’ve kind of done that. And I might not have a six-pack and be shredded and this and that, but I feel like I eat healthy enough. I’ve made it through three full seasons. I feel fine. My body feels great. I don’t understand why they’d make such a big emphasis on the health part of it.”
Miley has weighed 220 pounds each of the last three seasons. However, it wasn’t until this season, when the lefty struggled, that the D-Backs began to question his routine. Miley told Piecoro that he “head-butted” with the organization about his diet at some point during the year. The pitcher simply wished the club didn’t treat every player exactly the same as far as diets are concerned.
“It might work for some people, but I didn’t feel like it worked for me,” Miley said. “I did what I felt like I needed to do to pitch every five days.”
“After a while, they left me alone,” Miley added. “But it was always that elephant in the room.”
Miley apparently left Arizona on amicable terms despite any disagreements there might have been regarding his regimen. He now sounds ready to show his new team what he’s all about.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
