Every five days brings with it a new episode of The Garrett Richards Experience. It's a fascinating reality show that threatens to get canceled at any moment, and yet somehow you can't look away.
The Garrett Richards Experience is typically divided into two parts. The first involves Richards entered into a skills competition in which he is charged with getting out major league hitters with an important provision: He's not allowed to use any of the pitches that have made him successful in the past!
Naturally, this often leads to some hijinks. Watch as, for the first time, Richards throws a curveball that barely reaches the speed limit, a pitch he's never thrown before. Next, hold on as Richards attempts funky changeup-splitter hybrid, a pitch he began experimenting with just days ago.
Occasionally, all of this threatens to go off the rails, as it did Monday night at Fenway. Three batters in, whatever Richards was trying wasn't working as Carlos Santana hammered a three-run homer over the bullpen. The high-wire act resumed in the second inning as Richards allowed a leadoff homer to Michael Taylor, and then, one batter later, another to Whit Merrifield.
Five runs allowed to the first 10 hitters. Wow, what will that zany Garrett Richards character think of next?
In the dugout, of course, none of this is the least bit entertaining to Alex Cora and the rest of the Red Sox, who, one suspects, watch some of these starts with their hands covering their eyes, afraid of what might happen next.
None of this was that complicated as recently as a few weeks ago. But then Major League Baseball ordered a crackdown on scofflaws doctoring baseballs with a combination of potions, each designed to provide a better grip, and in some cases, not so incidentally, extraordinary movement on breaking pitches and extra ride on fastballs up in the zone.
Without any of the tricks of the trade at his disposal, Richards feels as though he's been stripped bare on the mound. Watching him on the mound is to watch someone having that recurring dream of someone showing up for the all-important final having not attended class all semester. He's unprepared and making it up as he goes along.
Occasionally, Richards stumbles upon something that works. After the Merrifield homer, something clicked. The only hits against him the rest of the way were all singles, rather than the tape-measure shots he was shelled with in the first two innings. Somehow, he not only didn't allow another run -- he also didn't allow another baserunner to reach scoring position.
"Going out there and competing,'' said Richards after the Red Sox had managed to outslug the Royals, 6-5. "Grinding man. That's all I've been doing. Trying to figure out how to pitch again, man.''
And here's where the second part of the show comes in: the post-game presser.
Over his last three starts, coinciding with the enhanced enforcements, Richards has dutifully met with the media over Zoom each time, and each time, has flashed a variety of coping mechanisms. It's like watching someone publicly navigate the Five Stages of Grieving.
In this case, Richards is grieving that he can no longer mix resin and sunscreen to improve his grip. So we have heard denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. If I'm not mistaken, I thought a detected a strain of defiance mixed in Monday night.
You get the distinct sense that the Red Sox wish that Richards would ... just ... stop ... talking about all of this and cut back on the melodrama. All it does is call attention to his plight, while sending a message to opponents that he feels completely lost on the mound during this New World Order ushered in by commissioner Rob Manfred.
Richards isn't the only pitcher being forced to adapt mid-season, but you wouldn't know it listening to some of his post-game monologues. While others -- including Trevor Bauer -- have taken to social media to express their strong displeasure with the in-season change, none have seemingly been as consumed by it as Richards.
His borderline obsession may be taking its toll with others. There was a hint of exasperation mixed with admiration from Cora post-game.
"You've got to compete with what you have,'' said Cora. "It doesn't matter ... That's the way it works. Sometimes you're going to have your 'A' stuff and feel great. And sometimes, you're going to be just a regular pitcher with no stuff and you've got to find a way to do what he did.''
Hunter Renfroe, who bailed out Richards with two moonshots and was his teammate in San Diego before being reunited with him here, was a tad more blunt.
"I think it's all in Garrett's head more than anything,'' said Renfroe flatly. "He doesn't believe in himself. I think that's kind of his biggest thing. I think if he goes out there and pitches the way he's able to pitch, I think he does fine. If he believes in himself, that's half the battle. He's got to go out there, keep believing in himself and keep throwing the ball.''
If only it were that simple for Richards.
In the meantime, the reality show is scheduled to resume Saturday in Oakland, on, fittingly, national TV.
Will Richards be voted out of the rotation? Will he use his immunity card to survive six innings?
Don't miss it.
