How does a rookie manager for the Boston Red Sox stop a young hitter from chasing pitches out of the zone?
Bribes him with a meal.
Third baseman Rafael Devers, 21, has been swinging wildly at pitches outside the zone and needed to improve his plate discipline.
Manager Alex Cora saw Devers’ struggles and found a creative way to motivate Devers to lay off bad pitches. While this strategy may not work for someone like Pablo Sandoval, Devers has responded well to the bribe.
According to NESN’s Darren Hartwell, Cora approached Devers with a proposal.