Searching for Carl Willis

This isn't a post about the fact that David Price hasn't gotten off the to best of starts (I'm willing to be optimistic, even if I didn't love the signing). It also isn't a post chastising the pitching coach of the Red Sox... not really anyway. It's more a question about a couple of recent headlines:

• At the end of April, rookie pitcher Henry Owens got beat up, giving up 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Not the start he was looking for to be sure, but one of the more interesting story lines was about how it was Chris Young, a reserve outfielder, and Clay Buchholz, a pitcher that pulled the rookie into the video booth to review a mechanical flaw that was tipping pitches, and letting the Astros know what pitches were coming.
• Speaking of Price, the story today on the lefty is that Dustin Pedroia, the team's all-world second baseman, is helping him get back on track.

For those of you keeping track, it's an outfielder, an infielder and a pitcher that are helping the starting pitching get things rolling. None of those guys are a pitching coach.

There are a couple of possibilities as to why these stories are popping up. On one hand, maybe the PR team for the Sox is anxious to promote the team vibe (maybe after a couple years of rough finishes, the team is looking to build the impression of a rah-rah group of guys?). Boston is famous, after all, for having a team full of 25 guys who need 25 cabs. It could also be that Willis is a shy fellow who doesn't want a lot of credit and isn't interested in seeing his name in the paper.

I have a problem with this, mainly in terms of optics. Juan Nicasio, a pitcher who signed with the Pirates as a typical Pirates reclamation project, said "Everybody talks about, 'You go here, you get better...'". Stories highlighting how players are doing the coaches' job don't exactly inspire courage for a player who desperately needs a change of scenery to get thing going (Jake Arrieta being a terrific example).

As I'm typing this, Stephen Wright just wrapped up a complete game, 3 hitter in the Bronx, allowing a garbage time run in the 9th. Carl Willis probably deserves some credit for the way that Wright is pitching (unless do-it-all player Brock Holt worked on a knuckler in the off-season?). It would be nice to get an idea of how much credit he deserves.

Maybe this is far more typical than I think it is... player noticing things and sharing with their teammates doesn't sound like a bad thing. Maybe it's just the narrative the Sox want to craft. But maybe, just maybe, there is something to keep an eye on here. The backup OF sure seems to be doing so.