The New York Yankees are essentially the Pittsburgh Steelers of baseball. Both teams are rich in history, championships and most of all, annoy every other fan base in their respective sports with their incredible amount of fair-weather and bandwagon fans that “follow” the team.
Even though both of these teams raise my blood pressure to unhealthy levels, I’m not so much of a homer to deny the fact that those in New York or Pittsburgh uniforms usually display tremendous talent.
Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is undoubtedly the greatest closer of all time; no ifs ands or buts about it. Rivera didn’t invent the specialized role of closing a game, but he perfected it.
On Sunday, Rivera blew a rare save opportunity, allowing a two-run home run to Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones, which proved to be the difference maker in the game. The blown save was the 75th of Rivera’s career, a number that seems high until you realize that he’s halfway through his nineteenth and final season in Major League Baseball.
Even though a modern day player like Rivera has all but perfected a specialized role, is it possible that the actual role of a closer is overrated?
This is a question that Orioles manager Buck Showalter has to be asking himself as he sees his closer, Jim Johnson, struggling (although he did pick up his MLB-leading 30th save at Rivera’s expense). On the surface, statistically it would appear that Johnson is excelling, but he also blew his sixth save opportunity of the season during a 3-2 loss to the Yankees on Friday.
I have never understood why managers pull pitchers who are being effective just to allow someone to come in for a save situation in the ninth inning. Whether the guy getting yanked started the game or came in for relief in the seventh or eighth innings, it’s still a head-scratcher.
It should be simple – if the pitcher is doing well, keep him in. In baseball, this seemingly happens more and more, as specialists now dominate the landscape. Though, most of these guys won’t be in their current roles for year after year like Rivera has been.
Even though I think Johnson will eventually rebound, I’m through with the closer position in general. Buck has forgotten more about baseball this past weekend than I’ll ever know in my lifetime, but these labels for players besides their positions have got to go.
Rivera has an amazing 2.19 ERA in eighteen and a half seasons – spectacular, to say the least. But, unless you find someone who can trend in the direction that Rivera has done consistently (remember the key word is consistently), you shouldn’t have anyone on your team labeled as the “closer.”
If I’m an MLB manager, I’m only worried about one statistic – wins. Racking up a large number of saves is absolutely useless, unless the guy can consistently prove himself like Rivera, year after year.
Rivera may be defying the odds, but that’s because he’s a talent the game of baseball is likely never going to see again. When Enter Sandman is cued, the game is highly likely to be closed out. As Orioles fans have seen this year, Johnson has essentially been a Pretender when it comes to closing out games.
I have nothing against Johnson at all, but I’d just rather see Showalter stick with the hot hand, and put Johnson into less pressurized situations. There is a way for the back end of this bullpen to be successful, and that’s a “closer” by committee between Johnson, Tommy Hunter and Darren O’Day.
I love fantasy sports as much as the next guy, but at some point you just have to say that a pitcher is a pitcher – or, a reliever is a reliever – and move on. Enough said.
One Response
One of the most amazing things about Rivera aside from the facts that age hasn’t impacted him that much and he’ll probably go out still at or near the top of his game after this year is the consistency year in and year out. He’s been a top closer for over 15 YEARS.
Other closers have had great or better seasons (in terms of saves totals – which is somewhat overrated) and these other closers have also come and gone. Hoffman faded at the end of his career, guys like K-Rod, JJ Putz, Jon Broxton, Chris Perez, Keith Foulke or Papelbon have a few dominant years then fade back to mediocrity. The same will probably happen with Johnson on the O’s (a sinkerball closer doesn’t project all that great for the long term). The shelf life on relievers in general but especially closers is short. This post sort of hits on that underlying factor and theme but doesn’t overtly realize such when you stated a preference of staying with the ‘hot hand’ rather then a prescribed closer, since in reality most closers these days only have an extended hot hand/dominant stretches as closers for a short time.
I would say be careful what you wish for. Closer by committees have turned out to be disastrous the past few years (notably the Red Sox were trying it out in 2003 and that was a trainwreck).
I really think the O’s might be better served using and grooming Gausmann into an alternate closer much like the Rays did with David Price in his rookie season (he closed out Game 7 of the ALCS that year).