The Chicago Cubs are the favorites to win the World Series this year, led by an overpowering starting rotation and the National League’s best slugger. But the team’s success also can be attributed to something beyond the field: an organizational commitment to players’ mental health. Like an increasing number of MLB teams, the Cubs—whose National League Divisional Series Game 3 on Monday coincides with World Mental Health Day—employ a psychologist.
“To me, it’s just another coach, another skill,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon explained last spring. The club launched its “mental skills program” in 2014, directed by a former IMG mental conditioning consultant, with help from Dr. Ken Ravizza, a professor of kinesiology and applied sports psychology at California State University at Fullerton.
The program aims not just to treat players’ mental health issues like anxiety and depression, but to destigmatize and normalize the process. Theo Epstein, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, describes mental health care as, simply, “player development—understanding that your young players are human beings.” This mindset has spread across the league and has led players like Zach Greinke, Evan Gattis, and Ben Zobrist to open up to the public about their own mental illness.
[quote position="right" is_quote="true"](Mental health care is) player development—understanding that your young players are human beings.[/quote]
The Cubs have long been at the forefront of sports psychology. In 1938, gum magnate and Cubs owner Philip Wrigley hired University of Illinois professor Coleman Griffith to apply his research on the mental aspects of college sports to the struggling Chicago club—the first time a professional sports franchise employed a psychologist. But Griffith’s tenure with the team was short-lived and unsuccessful. Players and coaches actively undermined and ignored his recommendations, while manager Charlie Grimm called Griffith a “headshrinker.”
Despite this early failure, Major League Baseball has outpaced other professional sports when it comes to mental health. In 1981, the league became the first to mandate team employee assistance programs for managing personal issues—originally with a focus on substance abuse but eventually developing into a framework for psychological care.
These programs are covered by confidentiality, but experts estimate at least 19 MLB franchises currently employ baseball psychologists, while eight clubs employ someone who travels full-time with the team.
“People realize now that we've tapped the physical conditioning aspect. We've tapped the mechanics aspect. We're tapping the computer aspect and all the numbers,” Ravizza told USA Today. “I think now they're realizing the next edge is the six inches between the ears.”
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.