Blue Jays (31-29) at Red Sox (38-25), right about now and also June 11th-14th

[Randle McMurphy]

There's also an unusual element in trying to acquire a reliever at this particular moment in time: given that everyone's cheating, and baseball has indicated that it intends to crack down by midseason, how do you identify the ones that are less likely to turn back into pumpkins? With starters, the answer would be guys who experienced spikes in their velocity or spin rate, but that's a class of pitcher also broadly known as "relievers".

Predicting future performance for relievers is a nightmare at the best of times (see: the incredible amount of money the Rockies spent over the years on proven relievers who combined to be below replacement level), but it's even more high-variance right now.

Word is they’ve already cracked down on spider tack.
Dolis hasn’t looked the same this past week.

SI story came out earlier today with a text from Chatwood a few years ago asking for sticky stuff from an Angels clubhouse attendant.

[JaysRule15]

“If you’re at home, you bring the closer in,” Montoyo said. “If you’re on the road, you bring the other guy in.”

Well, there we have it. This has to be karma for us laughing at Showalter all those years ago

I don't get it. How do we get someone from an analytics driven Rays organization, and end up with Montoyo of all people.

[Schad]

SI story came out earlier today with a text from Chatwood a few years ago asking for sticky stuff from an Angels clubhouse attendant.

My assumption is that the only pitchers who aren't using sticky stuff are those who tried it and didn't like the results. With baseball ignoring it for years and years, and pitchers experiencing clear results, you'd be crazy not to. It's not like steroids, which have pronounced negative health effects...worst thing that'll happen with the sticky stuff is that your post-game hoagie will get permanently affixed to your hand.

[s e n s i]

manitoba secondary school board level skipper, except he will take the boys out for ice cream after the game while coach mcfartsmith of friggin thompson high will have them run the warning track at 8am tomorrow morning

[Randle McMurphy]

SI story came out earlier today with a text from Chatwood a few years ago asking for sticky stuff from an Angels clubhouse attendant.

My assumption is that the only pitchers who aren't using sticky stuff are those who tried it and didn't like the results. With baseball ignoring it for years and years, and pitchers experiencing clear results, you'd be crazy not to. It's not like steroids, which have pronounced negative health effects...worst thing that'll happen with the sticky stuff is that your post-game hoagie will get permanently affixed to your hand.

Oh I have no doubt that the vast majority of pitchers (95%+) have used something but one hypothesis for Chatwood’s success followed by such struggles could have something to do with cutting back on that. Or he could just suck for the same reasons he kind of sucked before.

[Schad]

Oh I have no doubt that the vast majority of pitchers (95%+) have used something but one hypothesis for Chatwood’s success followed by such struggles could have something to do with cutting back on that. Or he could just suck for the same reasons he kind of sucked before.

My suspicion is that it's just Chatwood being Chatwood, because the texts were from his rookie season, and in the following 10 years he literally has the worst walk rate of any pitcher in baseball.

Which offers the frightening possibility that this is Chatwood with artificially-enhanced command.

[johanliebert]

There's also an unusual element in trying to acquire a reliever at this particular moment in time: given that everyone's cheating, and baseball has indicated that it intends to crack down by midseason, how do you identify the ones that are less likely to turn back into pumpkins? With starters, the answer would be guys who experienced spikes in their velocity or spin rate, but that's a class of pitcher also broadly known as "relievers".

Predicting future performance for relievers is a nightmare at the best of times (see: the incredible amount of money the Rockies spent over the years on proven relievers who combined to be below replacement level), but it's even more high-variance right now.

Word is they’ve already cracked down on spider tack.
Dolis hasn’t looked the same this past week.

SI story came out earlier today with a text from Chatwood a few years ago asking for sticky stuff from an Angels clubhouse attendant.

Didn’t know about that.

Dolis has always been blatant about it lol. He’s always rubbing his forearm,touching his hair or adjusting his cap while pacing before every pitch.

[johanliebert]

Oh I have no doubt that the vast majority of pitchers (95%+) have used something but one hypothesis for Chatwood’s success followed by such struggles could have something to do with cutting back on that. Or he could just suck for the same reasons he kind of sucked before.

My suspicion is that it's just Chatwood being Chatwood, because the texts were from his rookie season, and in the following 10 years he literally has the worst walk rate of any pitcher in baseball.

Which offers the frightening possibility that this is Chatwood with artificially-enhanced command.

The texts are from 2018.

Also

Harkins also claimed that MLB has evidence implicating several star pitchers — including Cole, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez, Corey Kluber and Adam Wainwright — for using foreign substances to improve their grip on the ball.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2021-01-07/fired-angels-employee-bubba-harkins-names-players-illegal-product

This story was swept under the rug a few months ago lol

[Schad]

The texts are from 2018.

In an opposition to the motion, filed Thursday, Harkins claimed many Angels used his concoction of rosin and pine tar over the years, “including Troy Percival, Brendan Donnelly, Tyler Chatwood, Kevin Jepsen and, most recently, Cam Bedrosian, Keynan Middleton, Yusmeiro Petit, Luke Bard, Matt Andriese, Dylan Peters, Jose Suarez and Dylan Bundy.”

Tyler Chatwood was an Angel for exactly one season, in 2011. So the implication is that he was using substances from his rookie season.

[johanliebert]

The texts are from 2018.

In an opposition to the motion, filed Thursday, Harkins claimed many Angels used his concoction of rosin and pine tar over the years, “including Troy Percival, Brendan Donnelly, Tyler Chatwood, Kevin Jepsen and, most recently, Cam Bedrosian, Keynan Middleton, Yusmeiro Petit, Luke Bard, Matt Andriese, Dylan Peters, Jose Suarez and Dylan Bundy.”

Tyler Chatwood was an Angel for exactly one season, in 2011. So the implication is that he was using substances from his rookie season.

Article I read said the texts were from 2018 when he was a cub. Harkens was delivering the substance to players.

[Hottie McShotty]

Tough loss. Boggles my mind why Montoyo went with Dolis who has been struggling. Romano was healthy and ready and the right call in that situation. Could have given us a chance to win the game against a divisional rival, and one that we are trying to catch in the standings. What a bufoon of a manager we have.

Management needs to get us some bullpen help if we are planning to make a push for that wild card spot.

Vladdy is unreal! Get that brinks trucks out! $300+ million contract incoming.

[Parataxis]

The texts are from 2018.

In an opposition to the motion, filed Thursday, Harkins claimed many Angels used his concoction of rosin and pine tar over the years, “including Troy Percival, Brendan Donnelly, Tyler Chatwood, Kevin Jepsen and, most recently, Cam Bedrosian, Keynan Middleton, Yusmeiro Petit, Luke Bard, Matt Andriese, Dylan Peters, Jose Suarez and Dylan Bundy.”

Tyler Chatwood was an Angel for exactly one season, in 2011. So the implication is that he was using substances from his rookie season.

Article I read said the texts were from 2018 when he was a cub. Harkens was delivering the substance to players.

This is part of what gets me - that team staff would give their opponents sticky stuff.

[johanliebert]

Tyler Chatwood was an Angel for exactly one season, in 2011. So the implication is that he was using substances from his rookie season.

Article I read said the texts were from 2018 when he was a cub. Harkens was delivering the substance to players.

This is part of what gets me - that team staff would give their opponents sticky stuff.

He had to get his side hustle on

[Randle McMurphy]

Read on Twitter

[Schad]

Article I read said the texts were from 2018 when he was a cub. Harkens was delivering the substance to players.

It's clear that he delivered it to be players who weren't Angels/had moved on from the Angels, but that brief filed in court specifies Angels, and all of the players in that list share something in common: namely, playing for the Angels. It certainly doesn't suggest that this is a recent development either, because Troy Percival has been retired for twelve years.

So my assumption is that Chatwood was using sticky stuff in 2018, but also 2011, and probably every point in between, and the years following. Now, it's possible that he has used a more refined mixture in recent years -- the science has clearly improved over time to the point where, instead of mixing stuff already in the clubhouse, they're now turning to purpose-made substances to improve grip -- but the same probably goes for everyone.