SURPRISE, Ariz. — When you ask Matt Bush to say the first thing that comes to mind in one of those word association exercises, he nods.
March 22, 2012?
“Prison.”
One word. That’s it. … Then you notice his eyes.
There’s vulnerability — the kind that’s a powerful mix of pain and regret and embarrassment and unmitigated fear. It’s a look rarely seen in professional athletes, a group whose mental toughness is fired brick-tough by stressful sports situations that would reduce most of us to puddles.
Baseball player Matt Bush, who played at Mission Bay High School in San Diego, has returned to the game.