By J. Brady McCollough / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Major League Baseball players like to keep their thinking simple. During the 162-game grind of the regular season, clutter can pile up quickly, almost out of nowhere, and get in the way of what’s important.
As a relief pitcher trying to stay on the roster, Jared Hughes can’t afford any distractions. When he stepped to the mound Monday afternoon in the seventh inning of the Pirates’ home opener against the Detroit Tigers, all that was on his mind was helping his team get out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to preserve a two-run lead.