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WEEI.com's Alex Speier takes on the pressing issue of
"What the heck is wrong with Clay Buchholz?" and suggests that it's
lack of confidence in his arm strength that explains the righty's crappy start to 2014 (0-2, 7.71 ERA). Says Buchholz,
"It all starts with arm strength. Arm strength creates movement on the pitches that I throw. A couple of them are flat right now. Sinker's getting some sink, but not on every pitch. It's a little different from the start I had last year, because everything was working pretty well last year for me at the beginning of the season. It just comes from arm strength and then confidence. It's hard to go out there and be confident whenever you're getting hit around. That’s sort of where I'm at right now." So, because of his recovery from
last year's injuries, he needed time "not to throw" in the off-season—resulting in the current lack of arm strength. This all seems a little too touchy-feely for us. Buchholz may have the best stuff of Boston's starters—along with the equally baffling
Felix Doubront—and he has to be ready from the get-go with his full arsenal (
including arm strength).
