Did Mariano Rivera
Kill the Closer Role?
At the end of last season when Mariano Rivera retired from
the game of baseball, could anyone have predicted he would possibly retire the
closer role as well? This season has seen perhaps the shakiest outings by “closers”
in recent memory. Quite a few teams (A’s, Mets, Cubs, and Indians) have already
switched closers at least once this season and there are other teams whose
closers should be on a short leash (Tampa, Seattle, and Detroit).
There are currently three closers I would feel absolute
confidence in to get the job done and shut the door on a game. Those three
closers are Craig Kimbrel, Greg Holland, and Huston Street. Three closers out
of 30! Granted maybe this could just be a bad year for closers but pitching
continues to dominate the game like its 1968 all over again. So how exactly can
pitching be so dominant yet closing pitchers be so ineffective?
Despite having three excellent closers still left in the
game, it might be time managers and front office personnel shift away from
having one specific pitcher to do the job in the 9th inning. We’ve
already seen such an analytical adjustment when it comes to shifts against the
offense, lefty specialists in the bullpen, and things of that nature, maybe it’s
time we institute the old closer by committee.
Even as a Yankee fan watching Mariano Rivera dominate for
his whole career it has always struck me as kind of funny that all the pressure
of winning a close game and getting a “save” has fallen on the shoulders of one
guy. To designate one guy to be the man who is in charge of finishing the job.
Basing a decision on a statistic, which is exactly what a manager is doing when
it comes to saves and closer usage always seemed crazy to me. They wouldn’t do
the same thing in another game situation so why that one?
As stated before, in the year 2014, with all the changes and
advancements that have taken place in the game lets add one more. Eliminate the
closer’s role and let your best guys, not guy, get you the victory. There are
not and will never be guys who can close like Rivera or Kimbrel. They are the
exception not the rule.
