05-25-2010, 11:55 AM
<!--quoteo(post=98183:date=May 25 2010, 01:13 AM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 01:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Or take closers. Every closer has to be clutch. The job is to be clutch. To come in and pitch one inning in a save situation and get it done.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm glad you brought this up. I've long felt that the notion of a "closer" as high-pressure is vastly inflated, spurred on by the stat--as a matter of fact. The growing acceptance of the "save" as something as value from the '70s forward spiked the salaries of so-called closers and created a mythic appreciation for pitching in the ninth inning. With this increased belief in the stat and the role, baseball folk feel that coming in to pitch the ninth is "high pressure," no matter if you're coming in with the bases clear and facing the bottom of the order.
And over the last 20 years, many relievers who have racked up saves have gotten into the HOF for their ability to pitch the end of games (although Fingers, Sutter, and their contemporaries often pitched more than one inning at a time). I'm not saying that I wouldn't want Rivera out there in the ninth inning, but I can't help but think that we collectively put too much importance on the closer role.
I'm glad you brought this up. I've long felt that the notion of a "closer" as high-pressure is vastly inflated, spurred on by the stat--as a matter of fact. The growing acceptance of the "save" as something as value from the '70s forward spiked the salaries of so-called closers and created a mythic appreciation for pitching in the ninth inning. With this increased belief in the stat and the role, baseball folk feel that coming in to pitch the ninth is "high pressure," no matter if you're coming in with the bases clear and facing the bottom of the order.
And over the last 20 years, many relievers who have racked up saves have gotten into the HOF for their ability to pitch the end of games (although Fingers, Sutter, and their contemporaries often pitched more than one inning at a time). I'm not saying that I wouldn't want Rivera out there in the ninth inning, but I can't help but think that we collectively put too much importance on the closer role.
One dick can poke an eye out. A hundred dicks can move mountains.
--Veryzer
--Veryzer