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| (Philly.Com Photo) |
A simplified delivery and some re-tooled mechanics converted
Clay Buchholz from a Red Sox after-thought to a major contributor in the second half of 2016. Over almost sixty innings, he re-bounded with a 3.22 ERA—and 40 strikeouts. He even started
Game Three of the ill-fated
AL Division Series. All of this second-half success raised his stock among rival GMs. After getting
Chris Sale, Buchholz became an un-needed (and some would say un-wanted) extravagance at $13.5 million. So, he was dealt to the Phillies for the immortal
Josh Tobias. Now,
Clay is looking to re-charge his career in The City Of Brotherly Love—with the same simple mechanics that brought success at the end of last year. Said Buchholz,
"It energizes anybody. There are expectations that are brought back to you. That sense of complacency, being in one spot for an extended period of time, that's gone." Who knows? Maybe that kid who pitched a 'no-no' in his second MLB start will re-emerge.
