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Don't let anyone kid anyone here.  Going down to AAA does not remove pressure, it reassigns it.  I don't care how much the team may say that there is no pressure going down there to 'refine' things.  The fact is there are still good players in AAA that can still hit a fastball and hit your 'work-in-progress' pitches.  Don't think for a minute that it wouldn't affect a pitchers' psyche.  Don't think for a minute that second thoughts wouldn't happen among the higher-ups if your golden arm goes through growing pains in the minors.  The idea that there is less pressure there is a myth, IMO, because your job is still on the line, no matter where you are pitching.  Especially so if your pitcher has already had big-league success.
A AAAA pitcher pitching in AAA is pitching under a tremendous amount of personal pressure.  Just as a Roy Halladay was when he was being reset.  The fact that he came through it as well doesn't mean the pressure wasn't there.