Orel Hershiser says a deep run through October can take a toll on a pitcher that often lingers into the following season.
"The effort level, the intensity, the taxing nature of every pitch, it's completely different," Orel Hershiser said. "Do you always feel it? I'm not sure, because you're so amped up that the adrenaline is covering it up. When you find out is later — the next day, the next week, even the next year."
For example, Jon Lester threw a career-high 213 1/3 innings during the 2013 season, then added nearly 35 innings in the playoffs.
Hershiser believes the secret is starting your offseason program later than usual.
"I started my offseason throwing a lot later than I told people," Hershiser said. "We were just getting into the generation where working year-round was the right thing to do. I still thought the rest component was a key. I would tell people, 'Oh yeah, I'm working out,' but I was playing racquetball or playing golf. I didn't pick up a baseball until Christmas."