Maxbialystock

Sounds facetious, but I think that's exactly how most MLB (and minor league) pitchers have felt. Plus the cheating was definitely tolerated.

Agree with both points. I think ERod very possibly wasn't using the sticky stuff, or, if he was, he wasn't using it right.

I think it's most, including most of the Sox pitchers, all of whom seem to be adjusting. Richards has also adjusted, but to little effect and apparently with the belief that this enforcement of an old rule is unfair. For $10M and future considerations, I would expect more effort and less whining.

Great stuff, thanks. That said, your points 1 and 2 seem diametrically opposed to points 3 and 4. If who is indeed far more important than where, why worry about the #1 and #3 slots? If, however, OBP is indeed king, then this lineup might make sense: Verdugo, Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Devers, Renfroe, Arroyo, Hernandez, Vazquez, Dalbec. If nothing else, the Sox 6 best hitters (OBP and OPS) get the most at bats.

Yup.

The "optics of enforcing the rule have not been good" only because MLB is actually enforcing it. That requires umpires to check the pitchers on the field of play. Unseemly, perhaps, but necessary. The really bad optics occurred largely because Joe Girardi was determined to make a fool of himself.

I disagree. I loved it. Why? Because Girardi was absolutely certain Scherzer was cheating and insisted on that third (or was it the fourth?) check of Sherzer's cap, belt, whatever. Scherzer may very well have used illegal substances to doctor up the ball in the past, but apparently has found a way not to do so and still pitch effectively enough to make Girardi look foolish and get tossed from the game. I will agree that that the Commissioner's edict is somewhat draconian, but think it is called for. And so far it sure looks as though the pitchers--despite the ridiculous claims that 1) you can't throw a baseball accurately without doctoring it up and thus might hit the batter in the head, that 2) not using illegal substances will do damage to your arm, and that 3) not using illegal substances to doctor the baseball is tantamount to allowing hitters to hit off a T--are actually adjusting to an old rule that is finally being enforced.

Why is Manfred the bad guy in all this? The pitchers have been breaking a longstanding MLB rule with impunity and with the result that batting averages are the lowest in 50 years. Even though those computerized defensive formations have been a contributing factor, pitchers have in fact been cheating, and the Commissioner took action. We're just 3 days into actual implementation, but so far what I've seen is good pitchers adjusting and lousy ones like Garrett Richards moaning and groaning about the unfairness of it all. And last night's game, Sox @ Rays, is a perfect example. Richards stunk. No other pitcher in that game--and there were 9 of them--seemed to be in shock as Richards clearly was. Andriese, it's true, gave up that 3 run dinger, but it was simply a bad pitch--a fat slider that didn't break much--to a good hitter. But even Andriese went 2 innings and managed to strike out 5 guys. Hill, the Rays starter, went 5, giving up 1 run, and their bullpen went 4, giving up another. And the Sox' Workman, Rios, and Taylor pitched 4.1 innings while giving up 0 runs. All MLB pitchers are adjusting to the new implementation of a very old MLB rule. Some are adjusting better than others. Kershaw, who was checked 3 or 4 times by the ump in his well-pitched game vs. the Phillies, apparently adjusted so well that it drove Joe Girardi completely nuts. The ump finally had to toss him.

Right. My bad. I saw $14M somewhere--I think--and now can't find it.

Actually, the shock treatment is already upon us--the Commish's dictum that foreign substances, long banned by the MLB rule book, will no longer be tolerated and violators will be suspended for 10 days. Pitchers all over MLB are going ape and claim this horrible rule will cause them to "involuntarily" throw at hitters heads because, well, it's impossible to throw a baseball accurately without recourse to various ointments, nostrums, etc. Garrett Richards is one of the more extreme examples of the Commish's "shock treatment," but in shock he very definitely is. And, in case you haven't noticed, Barnes devastating knuckle curve has lost a little magic and his ERA--2.57 in April and 2.70 in May--is 4.26 in June. I am by no means opposed to bringing back Sale, bringing up Houck, whatever. But first the entire Red Sox organization needs to address the simple fact that most or all of their pitchers have been cheating and now have to relearn their very remunerative trade.

You live in Houston. A couple hundred miles to your NW is an Army post, the home of the 1st Cavalry Division. They still have horses for ceremonial purposes. Fort Hood also has several Army chapels, and in them on occasion there might be a mention or two of a place called Calvary.

Game was already out of reach. Guys ain't hittin'.

Th-Th-That-that's all, folks!

Too soon to be sure about Dalbec. Santana is another story. I think he is intentionally playing poorly.

WEEI guys cannot contain themselves in their praise of every aspect of Wander Franco.

Dalbec leads the Sox in K's and is 8th in at bats.

Dalbec 2 K's tonight so far and 4 K's last night.

Camera in CF gives us a great closeup of the pitcher's grip on the ball during a pitch. Rios's splitter was clear as a bell.

Workman and Rios, 3.1 innings, 0 runs and 0 hits.

Ump caught that foul tip that hit him. He's got ten times the heart of cheater Richards.

How is it possible for the Sox pitchers to keep walking a non-hitter like Phillips? Plus he can steal 2b.

Meh. Simple fact is that tonight Hill has his number. He owns Devers.

First 5 guys in the Sox batting order have each faced Hill 3 times and clearly can't figure him out.

Rios throwing great splitters to good effect. Nice adjustment. Too bad cheater Richards can't adjust. He went 1.2 innings and gave up 4 earned runs. Workman and Rios, neither one an ace reliever, have gone 2.1 innings and given up 0 runs. Plus Workman saved cheater Richards from more damage in the bottom of the 2d.

I might add that I like the fact that this rule enforcement was not done in the offseason, which would only have allowed guys like Richards to figure out a different way to cheat.