Remember Eduardo Rodriguez's pitch-tipping problems? Alex Cora is here to declare them a thing of the past.
The new Red Sox manager is well aware of the issues Rodriguez had tipping his fastball in both 2015 and 2016, depending on the position of his glove as he came set.
"It got to a point a few years ago where just watching from the couch, I saw the tipping," Cora said. "I know that was a big deal here. We're working on that. I guarantee that."
The previous regime worked extensively with Rodriguez on the issue, which didn't trouble him last season. Cora knows what kind of pitcher he has if E-Rod isn't giving away pitches.
"He's tough," he said. "That fastball is explosive in the strike zone, and when he has that extension, he gets swings and misses. It's just a matter of him maturing, obviously, going over the game plan. We'll put him in the situation where game-plan-wise, he'll be better."
And as for tipping?
"The other stuff that the whole league knows probably won't be there anymore," Cora said. "Now you'll see the ball and hit it. You won't see the glove and hit it. It was obvious. As long as you knew the fastball was coming, you were fine. It won't be there this year."