Phenom Phriday

"And what will it be today, sir? A tall, cocky Texan, maybe, to start today against the Angels?

"Oh, you have two games today, do you? Well, it just so happens we have another one, tucked away in the back room for special occasions. He comes highly recommended:"

In the plan drawn up for Buchholz before this season, the idea was to improve his command of the [changeup] and increase its use in games. Check.

"I can throw it any time I want to throw it," Buchholz said. Or, as Cather said, "Now that pitch, he's throwing it 2-1, he's throwing it 2-0. He's throwing it 3-1. He'll throw it 3-2. He loves the pitch. The thing about it is, he's looking at probably 14- to 15-miles-an-hour separation off his fastball with the same arm speed and intensity."

"Enjoy the game, sir."