CHICAGO – One of the big unwritten rules for reporters inside the clubhouse is no talking with starting pitchers before the games they’re pitching.
Every five days during the season, starters have an opportunity to control the game. Momentum, as the cliché goes, is the next day’s starting pitcher. All starters have different pregame routines, but there are some who barely make eye contact with teammates, let alone talk to them before their outings.
Chase Anderson probably personifies it best in the Cincinnati Reds’ starting rotation. Anderson is loose and jokes around on the days he’s not starting.