[Garcia's ear problems began in 2002, when he ruptured one eardrum by sneezing as the Mariners' plane was landing on a road trip to Texas. The other eardrum burst on the return flight. Garcia finished out the year and elected not to have off-season surgery. During his up-and-down performance last season, however, Garcia sometimes wore earplugs when he pitched to help with his equilibrium.] He'll say it didn't affect him, ... but I know there were times he was struggling with his ears. It only takes a small thing to make the difference between winning and losing at this level, and I don't think there's any question that some of Freddy's problems were physical.
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