Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure’s first-hand experience comes rooted in 19 MLB seasons spent on the mound. Of nearly 9,000 major league pitchers in history, just 55 have pitched across more seasons than McClure. He knows, as well as any, that to succeed and maintain success, you have to be open to change. Aaron Nola, McClure’s disciple for the young right-hander’s entire Phillies career, learned as much this season.



“Talk to any pitchers,” Nola said, “there’s always going to be some tweaks.”



Pitching necessitates adjustments. It tests the extreme limits of the human body. Of accuracy. Of velocity. Of identical repetition. Aaron Nola’s 2016 season, cut short by an elbow injury, is case in point. He is well aware you have to be willing to change, to be malleable, to adapt to your circumstances instead of waiting for them to adapt to you.



Cautious optimism was the suggested entree for 2017, what would...