Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 9:19:07 GMT -5
The evolution of Garrett Richards has taken a turn for the better
Current Time 0:06
By Rob Bradford
3 hours ago
We know the Garrett Richards story. He has been supplying the audio book version of it for the past month or so.
The pitcher with the crazy spin rate who looked to be quite the find for Chaim Bloom suddenly throws his hands up in the air, flummoxed by how one lives life without rosin and sunscreen.
While the quotes kept getting spicier and spicier ("adapt or die"), the actual on-field images were dulled significantly.
But, to Richards' credit, he didn't sit back and resign himself to this new lot in life. He has actually figured out a new way of doing things.
That was clear in watching the starter Wednesday night.
Against the Blue Jays, gone was the much-ballyhooed curveball (throwing it just six times) and in its place was the pitch he invented over the course of the last month, a changeup.
Richards threw the pitch 20 times, which was just seven fewer than his bread-and-butter fastball. The three-pitch pitcher has managed to keep the identity thanks to the new offering.
"I’m trying to evolve, too," Richards said after his 5 2/3-inning, four-run outing against Toronto. "I developed a changeup a few days ago, I guess you’d call it maybe with the All-Star break, a couple weeks ago, I guess. But this is the first game I've gone into it and I trusted it enough to throw it, I think I threw it 25 percent of the time. I think that’s going to be a real big pitch for me as something going into righties and away from lefties, because everything else I have is going into lefties and away to righties. It’s definitely a different look. It’s something I can use in the middle of the count, early in the count, late in the count to try to get weak contact. I’m just trying to evolve right now man. Me and BUshy have been grinding in the bullpen as far as bouncing things off each other mechanically, but I feel really good as far as the progress I’m making right now. And I’m just trying to go out there and give us a chance to win every time."
He added, "We’re moving in the right direction, getting more comfortable with every one of my pitches. Adding a changeup and having enough confidence in it to go out and throw it 25 percent of the time tonight. I’m starting to evolve and I know I use that word but I’m getting older and the game is changing a little bit. I’m just happy with the direction I’m moving towards. It’s not a finished product but definitely making strides in the right direction."
What the future holds for Richards remains to be seen. What we do know is that he has offered competitive outings the past three times out, with this appearance in Buffalo actually more impressive than the final line might suggest.
What we do know is if the righty keeps going down this path, he can serve as part of the solution throughout the be-all, end-all final two months of the regular season.
Current Time 0:06
By Rob Bradford
3 hours ago
We know the Garrett Richards story. He has been supplying the audio book version of it for the past month or so.
The pitcher with the crazy spin rate who looked to be quite the find for Chaim Bloom suddenly throws his hands up in the air, flummoxed by how one lives life without rosin and sunscreen.
While the quotes kept getting spicier and spicier ("adapt or die"), the actual on-field images were dulled significantly.
But, to Richards' credit, he didn't sit back and resign himself to this new lot in life. He has actually figured out a new way of doing things.
That was clear in watching the starter Wednesday night.
Against the Blue Jays, gone was the much-ballyhooed curveball (throwing it just six times) and in its place was the pitch he invented over the course of the last month, a changeup.
Richards threw the pitch 20 times, which was just seven fewer than his bread-and-butter fastball. The three-pitch pitcher has managed to keep the identity thanks to the new offering.
"I’m trying to evolve, too," Richards said after his 5 2/3-inning, four-run outing against Toronto. "I developed a changeup a few days ago, I guess you’d call it maybe with the All-Star break, a couple weeks ago, I guess. But this is the first game I've gone into it and I trusted it enough to throw it, I think I threw it 25 percent of the time. I think that’s going to be a real big pitch for me as something going into righties and away from lefties, because everything else I have is going into lefties and away to righties. It’s definitely a different look. It’s something I can use in the middle of the count, early in the count, late in the count to try to get weak contact. I’m just trying to evolve right now man. Me and BUshy have been grinding in the bullpen as far as bouncing things off each other mechanically, but I feel really good as far as the progress I’m making right now. And I’m just trying to go out there and give us a chance to win every time."
He added, "We’re moving in the right direction, getting more comfortable with every one of my pitches. Adding a changeup and having enough confidence in it to go out and throw it 25 percent of the time tonight. I’m starting to evolve and I know I use that word but I’m getting older and the game is changing a little bit. I’m just happy with the direction I’m moving towards. It’s not a finished product but definitely making strides in the right direction."
What the future holds for Richards remains to be seen. What we do know is that he has offered competitive outings the past three times out, with this appearance in Buffalo actually more impressive than the final line might suggest.
What we do know is if the righty keeps going down this path, he can serve as part of the solution throughout the be-all, end-all final two months of the regular season.