The idea that umpires’ impromptu checks of pitchers would drag down pace of play? The mini-patdowns took place at the end of innings, when the pitchers were already walking off the mound, and they were over in a matter of seconds.
It was a moment that neatly demonstrated the worst of what this enforcement might possibly look like; it was also a moment that was deeply, weirdly funny, with a mix of personalities ideally suited to the over-the-top drama of this screwed-up theater.
There is no way to make them more resonant, or more important, or more humorous; there is nothing to be gained with additional context or analysis or a joke.
When he left the field later that night after his fifth inning of work, Scherzer stared down Girardi, who began jawing at him, and it unraveled from there.
It might have seemed like a clear example of a manager pushing the limits of what it means to request a check in good faith—Scherzer had already been examined twice, there had been no signs of any illegal substances, and yet the manager called for a third check mid-inning, when it was bound to more disruptive to the pitcher’s rhythm.
Not every manager will be willing to test the limits of how the league might interpret discipline for “bad faith,” and not every pitcher will be a well-regarded veteran in union leadership, like Scherzer, who is willing to start undressing just to make a statement.
Scherzer, for his part, was adamant that he’d had nothing on him.