Hendrickson finds help with his focus

DENVER —  There isn’t incense or candles in his locker, but Mark Hendrickson seems to have gained a certain serenity since his flameout as a starting pitcher last season.

He answers questions by calmly repeating the aphorisms of Ken Ravizza, professor of applied sports psychology at Cal State Fullerton whose shingle touts him as a “peak performance consultant.”

Hendrickson says he is focusing only on what he can control. He is mindful of his breathing. He is eliminating distractions by concentrating on nothing beyond the next pitch.

It’s the same stuff Ravizza has been imparting to athletes in many sports for more than 20 years.

So far, Hendrickson is a success story who has allowed one run in 11 innings over three relief appearances and will make his first start today against the Colorado Rockies, in place of the injured Jason Schmidt.

Hendrickson began working with Ravizza in September after he lost seven of eight decisions as a starter and was banished to the bullpen. Improvement was immediate and Hendrickson pitched well in the playoffs against the New York Mets.

“Last year when I came [to L.A.], I tried to do too much,” Hendrickson said. “I tried to fit in and make an impression, and that’s not important.”

He won’t discuss what else contributed to his poor showing as a starter last year.

“There were a lot of things I choose not to discuss,” he said.

Is it fair to say the problems were mental?

“Without a doubt,” he said. “This game is played from the neck up. I finally recognized that.”

Ravizza teaches athletes how to relax while in the midst of competition -- no easy task. He says it’s OK to be angry after a bad pitch, bad swing or a misplay, but the anger must be gone before the next pitch.

His pupils release negative feelings in specific ways, such as flinging a handful of dirt as if tossing the anger away. Another technique is for a player to remove his cap -- he can be angry until he puts the cap back on his head, then it’s time to move on.

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Juan Pierre has created “Pierre’s Pack,” a season-long initiative that will provide youngsters from the Blazer Youth Center in South L.A. with tickets to Dodgers games. Pierre will play host to 40 kids at five games, with the first coming Saturday.

“This program is very important to me because I really want to give inner-city kids, who might not otherwise have the chance, an opportunity to come out to a big league ballgame,” said Pierre. “Hopefully they’ll come out and spend some time on the field and it will spark their interest in playing baseball.”

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The plate umpire was Jim Wolf, brother of Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf. Major League Baseball does not allow Jim to be the plate umpire in games started by Randy, but Manager Grady Little had a question.

“What if I bring him out of the bullpen?” he said. “Would they change umpires in the middle of the game?”

Answer: Jim Wolf would be replaced behind the plate and moved to the bases.

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Nomar Garciaparra’s first day off is scheduled Sunday. Olmedo Saenz will play first base.... Reliever Yhency Brazoban will make his second appearance at Class-A Inland Empire on Friday.

steve.henson@latimes.com