Seven. That's how many saves Twins closer Matt Capps has blown this season. To put that in perspective, Pittsburgh Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan has given up a total of seven earned runs thus far this season. That's as many earned runs as Matt Capps has blown saves. The sad fact for the Twins is, sitting six games out of first place, they can ill-afford to lose any ground, especially when it's a game in hand. With Matt Capps closing, those games are subject to losses.
Ron Gardenhire made the right decision on Saturday, opting to remove Capps from the closer's role after his pathetic outing on Friday night, in which he gave up a two-run home run to Kansas City's Eric Hosmer in the top of the ninth inning with two outs to give the Royals a 2-1 victory. What bothers me, however, is how Gardenhire went about doing it, proving to me that he is more interested in coddling his players than actually making good decisions.
In his post game press conference, Gardenhire defended Capps to the end, almost acting as though this blown save was a rare occurrence. Gardenhire was quoted as saying:
"The young man's a very good pitcher and our closer. We give him the ball and we have all the trust in the world in him. He didn't get it done tonight, that's all that happened."
Really Ron? He didn't get it done "tonight", as if this is something startling or shocking? Friday night was his seventh blown save, which leads Major League Baseball. This isn't anything new. This has been happening...regularly!
"We scored one run tonight. In defense of him, we scored one run, we had plenty of opportunities to score more runs. Everything gets thrown on the closer. Sure, he gave it up at the end, but a lot of people misfired, too."
Should you have scored more than one run? Absolutely! There were plenty of chances to do so. That doesn't excuse a closer from doing his job! As a closer, your responsibility and duty to the team is to ensure that the lead you're given, whether it be one run or three runs, is safe and protected. That's your job! It doesn't matter if the score is 1-0 or 10-9. You are placed in that position to close out the game, hence the name "Closer". What Gardenhire failed to realize in making that statement was how ridiculous it actually sounded. That's like a football head coach whose place kicker missed three field goals saying "The kicker takes all the rap, but we had plenty of chances to score in the red zone, so we shouldn't have lost this game 3-0." That all might be true, but the kicker's only job is to KICK FIELD GOALS (and extra points, but that's a different thing). Whether the team scores or not does not change his job description.
For the Twins to save their season, this change absolutely had to be made, and unfortunately, it was made two weeks too late. Now that it's been made, the Twins should feel a little more comfortable with those tight leads once again.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
All-Star, Or All-Whosever-Available?
All-Star games are supposed to be showcases for the fans. In all sports, fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite players to see them play on a stage of superstars. Dream team-like rosters dueling it out to see whose stars are superior. Whether it be the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL, or the NFL, All-Star games are meant to showcase the best talent each sport has to offer.
So, why does it feel as though every year, in every sport, All-Star games have become more of a "who wants to play" than a "who we want to see" atmosphere?
Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is the one that has the most significance, given the recent change to the format making the All-Star Game the determining factor for home-field advantage in the World Series. The NFL's showcase of stars, the Pro Bowl, occurs after the season and the Super Bowl have been completed. The NBA's All-Star Weekend arrives every February, just past the mid-point in the season, as does the NHL's All-Star Game.
With tickets to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night going for between $67 and $5,500, the event is pricy for the average Joe. It is an event, no doubt about it, but one where people would more than likely be interested in watching stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Justin Verlander and not as interested in watching guys like Jhonny Perolta, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Montero, Ricky Romero, and Craig Kimbrel. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes determine who it is we all get to see, and more often than not, that's the case. In the event of some pitchers, however, their normal starts on Sunday prevent them from taking part in the showcase.
This year, it seems as though more of the superstars of the game are absent from the event. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez will all be out of the game itself, having pitched on Sunday. That's a combined 44-19 record that won't be throwing during the game. Yankee stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will be out of the game, nursing injuries (Rodriguez opting to have surgery on his knee on Monday). Perennial all-stars Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins will not be present, thanks to sub-par years on their parts (although Pujols has come on late in the first half, despite a wrist injury). So, is it really an "All-Star" game if the game's best players won't actually be playing?
Sure, it's disappointing for fans who tune in to the game to watch their team's stars or to see players they don't normally see, when those players aren't playing for a variety of reasons, but that's not the true point of the game. The All-Star Game, regardless of sport, is to showcase the best talent in the league that season. To reward those players who are deserving of that spotlight, regardless of popularity. The fact that the fans get to vote in the starters is one thing, but the overall game itself is where players performing at their best get to become household names. Let's be honest and say that, aside from his 3,000th hit coming just three days prior to the game, Derek Jeter has not done much at all this season to warrant a starting spot in the All-Star Game, and that's coming from somebody that would consider himself a Derek Jeter fan. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians has been the best shortstop in the American League throughout the first half, and is truly deserving of the start.
What becomes irritating is when players decline to partake in the All-Star Game to "avoid" injury. You tend to see this more in the NFL and NBA than you do in Major League Baseball, but it occurs anywhere. With the NFL, the Pro Bowl takes place after the season. When you're on a team that has just played two, even three games in the playoffs, you tend to see players decide to just end their season after that final loss, as opposed to suiting up just one more time for the fans. That's where it becomes unfair to the fans. For the NBA, it's even worse. When each conference has 15-16 players on their roster, in a league with only about 15-20 superstar names like Kobe, KG, and LeBron, it can be devastating for one of these superstars to back out of the game to avoid injury or to just "rest up" for the second-half of the season.
We as fans deserve to see the best players on this special stage. If there are injuries, it's understandable that you not participate. If you're electing to stay away to remain healthy and not risk hurting yourself, stop being selfish.
So, why does it feel as though every year, in every sport, All-Star games have become more of a "who wants to play" than a "who we want to see" atmosphere?
Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is the one that has the most significance, given the recent change to the format making the All-Star Game the determining factor for home-field advantage in the World Series. The NFL's showcase of stars, the Pro Bowl, occurs after the season and the Super Bowl have been completed. The NBA's All-Star Weekend arrives every February, just past the mid-point in the season, as does the NHL's All-Star Game.
With tickets to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night going for between $67 and $5,500, the event is pricy for the average Joe. It is an event, no doubt about it, but one where people would more than likely be interested in watching stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Justin Verlander and not as interested in watching guys like Jhonny Perolta, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Montero, Ricky Romero, and Craig Kimbrel. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes determine who it is we all get to see, and more often than not, that's the case. In the event of some pitchers, however, their normal starts on Sunday prevent them from taking part in the showcase.
This year, it seems as though more of the superstars of the game are absent from the event. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez will all be out of the game itself, having pitched on Sunday. That's a combined 44-19 record that won't be throwing during the game. Yankee stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will be out of the game, nursing injuries (Rodriguez opting to have surgery on his knee on Monday). Perennial all-stars Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins will not be present, thanks to sub-par years on their parts (although Pujols has come on late in the first half, despite a wrist injury). So, is it really an "All-Star" game if the game's best players won't actually be playing?
Sure, it's disappointing for fans who tune in to the game to watch their team's stars or to see players they don't normally see, when those players aren't playing for a variety of reasons, but that's not the true point of the game. The All-Star Game, regardless of sport, is to showcase the best talent in the league that season. To reward those players who are deserving of that spotlight, regardless of popularity. The fact that the fans get to vote in the starters is one thing, but the overall game itself is where players performing at their best get to become household names. Let's be honest and say that, aside from his 3,000th hit coming just three days prior to the game, Derek Jeter has not done much at all this season to warrant a starting spot in the All-Star Game, and that's coming from somebody that would consider himself a Derek Jeter fan. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians has been the best shortstop in the American League throughout the first half, and is truly deserving of the start.
What becomes irritating is when players decline to partake in the All-Star Game to "avoid" injury. You tend to see this more in the NFL and NBA than you do in Major League Baseball, but it occurs anywhere. With the NFL, the Pro Bowl takes place after the season. When you're on a team that has just played two, even three games in the playoffs, you tend to see players decide to just end their season after that final loss, as opposed to suiting up just one more time for the fans. That's where it becomes unfair to the fans. For the NBA, it's even worse. When each conference has 15-16 players on their roster, in a league with only about 15-20 superstar names like Kobe, KG, and LeBron, it can be devastating for one of these superstars to back out of the game to avoid injury or to just "rest up" for the second-half of the season.
We as fans deserve to see the best players on this special stage. If there are injuries, it's understandable that you not participate. If you're electing to stay away to remain healthy and not risk hurting yourself, stop being selfish.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Derek Jeter: The Newest Member To The 3,000 Hit Club
There are some players in sports you just want to dislike. It's easy to dislike guys like LeBron James. It's not tough to root against guys like Alex Rodriguez. Heck, some could make the argument that Michael Jordan, possibly the greatest basketball player of all time, was the most hated man in the NBA. In many cases, we dislike the successful players who play on the best teams. It's safe to say that the New York Yankees and their players could be the team in sports more hated and disliked than any other.
Try and try as you might, there is one Yankee player that is difficult to dislike. That player is Derek Jeter.
Throughout his 17-year career, Derek Jeter has been nothing but the consummate professional. He's not a trash-talker. He's not a hot dog. He is the definition of a "team leader". Within baseball, he is one of the most respected players in the game. "The Captain" is as appropriate a nickname as any in the game. On Saturday, Jeter became the 28th player in Major League history to reach the 3,000 hit milestone, going 5-5 in the game, and reaching the magical number with a solo home run in the third-inning.
Over the last 20 years, with players embracing the free agent idea more and more, it's rare to see someone of Jeter's caliber remain with the team that drafted him, but, he has. He is easily one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game, and when you're mentioned with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Babe Rute, Joe Dimaggio, and Lou Gehrig, that is truly saying something. Of those Yankee greats, Jeter became the first of them all to reach that amazing feat. Truly a special moment in that team's rich history.
Being a Minnesota Twins fan, the Yankees have been our playoff nemesis over the last few years. We have nothing compared to the great rivalry between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Regardless, both Twins and Red Sox fans, as well as all baseball fans alike, have to respect what Derek Jeter has done over his career. In this day and age, it's difficult to find players like him. We've seen some fantastic shortstops come and go over the last 20 years, but Jeter stands head and shoulders above them all. His yearly numbers may not be as great as some others (Alex Rodriguez when he was with the Rangers, Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies to name a few) but there hasn't been a better leader and a more consistent guy in baseball over that time. If you're building a team from scratch, Jeter is the type of player you would want to build around.
Congratulations to Derek Jeter. Easily one of the greatest Yankees of all-time, and a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer!
Try and try as you might, there is one Yankee player that is difficult to dislike. That player is Derek Jeter.
Throughout his 17-year career, Derek Jeter has been nothing but the consummate professional. He's not a trash-talker. He's not a hot dog. He is the definition of a "team leader". Within baseball, he is one of the most respected players in the game. "The Captain" is as appropriate a nickname as any in the game. On Saturday, Jeter became the 28th player in Major League history to reach the 3,000 hit milestone, going 5-5 in the game, and reaching the magical number with a solo home run in the third-inning.
Over the last 20 years, with players embracing the free agent idea more and more, it's rare to see someone of Jeter's caliber remain with the team that drafted him, but, he has. He is easily one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game, and when you're mentioned with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Babe Rute, Joe Dimaggio, and Lou Gehrig, that is truly saying something. Of those Yankee greats, Jeter became the first of them all to reach that amazing feat. Truly a special moment in that team's rich history.
Being a Minnesota Twins fan, the Yankees have been our playoff nemesis over the last few years. We have nothing compared to the great rivalry between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Regardless, both Twins and Red Sox fans, as well as all baseball fans alike, have to respect what Derek Jeter has done over his career. In this day and age, it's difficult to find players like him. We've seen some fantastic shortstops come and go over the last 20 years, but Jeter stands head and shoulders above them all. His yearly numbers may not be as great as some others (Alex Rodriguez when he was with the Rangers, Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies to name a few) but there hasn't been a better leader and a more consistent guy in baseball over that time. If you're building a team from scratch, Jeter is the type of player you would want to build around.
Congratulations to Derek Jeter. Easily one of the greatest Yankees of all-time, and a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Enough Is Enough! It's Time To Be A Man, Joe!
The Atlanta Braves have played a total of 88 games thus far in 2011. Brian McCann has played in a total of 76 of those games. With the Braves playing in the National League, McCann hasn't had the luxury of playing any of these games at the Designated Hitter position. He's played each of those games behind the plate as the Braves' catcher. Only three times this season has he taken two days off within the span of five days. His season totals thus far: .314 BA, 14 HR, 48 RBI. After six seasons in the big leagues, there are no stories out of the Atlanta area asking for McCann to shift down the line to play first base.
Joe Mauer came into the league with high expectations, primarily because of his hometown hero status amongst those in the state of Minnesota. He's been one of the best catchers in baseball over his seven year career. As we all know, Joe's biggest challenge has been to stay healthy. That's always been the big question in Minnesota. But, when you see numbers like those put up by the Braves' Brian McCann, the bigger question in Minnesota should be, why can't we expect those kind of numbers from Joe?
Joe's knee problems started early, so it's not a surprise that the Twins, namely Ron Gardenhire, are trying to protect his body by giving him days off. No one is angered or outraged over that fact. As I just stated, McCann has had 12 days off thus far throughout the first half of the season for the Braves. What many like myself are irritated with is how many days off behind the plate Mauer seems to get. Here are Joe's last 10 days:
So, here's my next question: Understanding the idea of giving Joe a day off behind home plate every now and then, why was he given three days off from catching (28th, 30th, 2nd) in a span of five days? If he's not able to catch five days a week, then why is he off the disabled list? That would indicate to me that he's not fully healthy. I think we'd all be very happy if he caught five days a week, and then was given a day off. Instead, he's catching two days, then either DH'ing or being taken out of the lineup all together. Gardy might be making out the lineup card, but if a player of Joe's caliber wants to play, he finds a way to play.
Some are saying part of the reason Mauer is struggling this season after returning from his stint on the disabled list is because the Twins rushed him back when he wasn't ready to return this spring. What people should be more angered and outraged over was why he wasn't prepared to start the season in the first place. Mauer's thought process from the beginning after he had his knee operated on was to "be ready for Opening Day," rather than to be ready for Spring Training. What that meant was that, rather than using Spring Training to fine-tune his game like most players, he was using Spring Training to more or less rehabilitate his knee. It's been stated by some that Mauer was conducting his own rehab during the offseason after the surgery. As we can see, that meant "taking it easy" and not pushing anything too hard. In fact, he didn't start playing in games until half-way through the Spring Training season. The question is, had the Twins been running his rehab, would he have been ready to do that fine-tuning in Spring Training instead of trying to get healthy? We'll never know that answer.
Joe needs to take a lesson from Brian McCann and keep himself in the lineup, whether that be catching, DH'ing, or playing first base. For the record, I don't agree with moving him to a different position permanently, but on a one-off basis, it makes sense to keep his bat in the lineup. But again, if Gardy is telling Joe he's not playing today, Joe needs to tell him, "Yes, I am," and get himself in there. His teammates deserve it, the fans deserve it, and, for $23 million a year, the Twins as an organization deserve it.
The talk of Mauer and his three batting titles as a catcher being the foundation of a solid Hall of Fame-type resume is valid. But, looking at the following...what does that make McCann? Right now, I can tell you where I'd rather spend my money.
Career Stats
Joe Mauer came into the league with high expectations, primarily because of his hometown hero status amongst those in the state of Minnesota. He's been one of the best catchers in baseball over his seven year career. As we all know, Joe's biggest challenge has been to stay healthy. That's always been the big question in Minnesota. But, when you see numbers like those put up by the Braves' Brian McCann, the bigger question in Minnesota should be, why can't we expect those kind of numbers from Joe?
Joe's knee problems started early, so it's not a surprise that the Twins, namely Ron Gardenhire, are trying to protect his body by giving him days off. No one is angered or outraged over that fact. As I just stated, McCann has had 12 days off thus far throughout the first half of the season for the Braves. What many like myself are irritated with is how many days off behind the plate Mauer seems to get. Here are Joe's last 10 days:
- June 28th - DH
- June 29th - C
- June 30th - No game
- July 1st - C
- July 2nd - DH
- July 3rd - C
- July 4th - C
- July 5th - C
- July 6th - PH in 9th.
So, here's my next question: Understanding the idea of giving Joe a day off behind home plate every now and then, why was he given three days off from catching (28th, 30th, 2nd) in a span of five days? If he's not able to catch five days a week, then why is he off the disabled list? That would indicate to me that he's not fully healthy. I think we'd all be very happy if he caught five days a week, and then was given a day off. Instead, he's catching two days, then either DH'ing or being taken out of the lineup all together. Gardy might be making out the lineup card, but if a player of Joe's caliber wants to play, he finds a way to play.
Some are saying part of the reason Mauer is struggling this season after returning from his stint on the disabled list is because the Twins rushed him back when he wasn't ready to return this spring. What people should be more angered and outraged over was why he wasn't prepared to start the season in the first place. Mauer's thought process from the beginning after he had his knee operated on was to "be ready for Opening Day," rather than to be ready for Spring Training. What that meant was that, rather than using Spring Training to fine-tune his game like most players, he was using Spring Training to more or less rehabilitate his knee. It's been stated by some that Mauer was conducting his own rehab during the offseason after the surgery. As we can see, that meant "taking it easy" and not pushing anything too hard. In fact, he didn't start playing in games until half-way through the Spring Training season. The question is, had the Twins been running his rehab, would he have been ready to do that fine-tuning in Spring Training instead of trying to get healthy? We'll never know that answer.
Joe needs to take a lesson from Brian McCann and keep himself in the lineup, whether that be catching, DH'ing, or playing first base. For the record, I don't agree with moving him to a different position permanently, but on a one-off basis, it makes sense to keep his bat in the lineup. But again, if Gardy is telling Joe he's not playing today, Joe needs to tell him, "Yes, I am," and get himself in there. His teammates deserve it, the fans deserve it, and, for $23 million a year, the Twins as an organization deserve it.
The talk of Mauer and his three batting titles as a catcher being the foundation of a solid Hall of Fame-type resume is valid. But, looking at the following...what does that make McCann? Right now, I can tell you where I'd rather spend my money.
Career Stats
- J. Mauer
- 6'5", 235 lbs, 7 years pro, .324 Average, 81 HR's, 479 RBI's, .996 Fielding %
- B. McCann
- 6'3", 230 lbs, 6 years pro, .291 Average, 126 HR's, 513 RBI's, .989 Fielding %
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Capps Out; Perkins In?
Ron Gardenhire should know what to do right now. For the second time in the last three games, he's had to take his closer out of the game in favor of Glen Perkins to try and save two wins. This after Matt Capps had an inexcusable blown save Saturday against the Brewers, coughing up a three-run lead in the ninth inning. With the starting rotation doing everything in its power to keep this team relatively above water (albeit still in the shallow end), Gardy needs to make the right decision here. Demoting Matt Capps from the closer role, and promoting Perkins, who is proving to be the most consistent asset out of the bullpen this season.
With the blown save Saturday, Capps now leads Major League Baseball with six blown saves. That's six times he's let his starters down this season. When closers are as shaky as Capps has been, it begins to affect the rest of the team. Fortunately, the bullpen instability seems to have improved the performance of the starting rotation. Until leaving in the fifth inning with a right elbow strain, Scott Baker was throwing a terrific game, locating his pitches well, and throwing a minimal amount of pitches through those first few innings. Knowing that turning the ball over to the bullpen this season has likely meant either a no-decision or a loss, the starters have been really bearing down, putting together a great run over the last five weeks, and pulling the Twins within striking distance going into the All-Star break.
In order for the Twins to stay within range of the Indians and Tigers atop the division, Gardy will need to ensure that the leads his lineup are staking the starters to are not wasted away by the bullpen, namely a closer like Capps. As I've said before, just because you were great last year doesn't mean you will always be great. As a manager, Gardenhire needs to look at the current status of the team. Right now, that status indicates that Capps is not the right guy for the job. As he begins to show continued improvement coming off his Tommy John surgery, maybe Joe Nathan will be ready to reassume his role later this season, but for right now, the choice should be Glen Perkins, who has proven his worth this season as the best option in an otherwise forgettable bullpen.
Before the season began, it seemed like a perfect scenario, to have both Capps and Nathan in the closer role, given Nathan's injury status. Having that alternative, that back-up, was more than the team could ask for. Now, as we sit five days into the month of July, the question should be asked: Would Capps have any value for a team as we near the trade deadline? If the Twins begin to utilize both Perkins and Nathan in that closer role, and move Capps back into the bullpen as more of a set-up man, would be become expendable? The answer should be..."yes". Hindsight is always 20/20, and given what we'd seen last season from the closer role (remembering that Nathan was out from the beginning) it's possible that maybe trading for Capps wasn't the best decision. Even John Rauch, who began the year in the closer role, only blew four (4) saves last season. Here we sit on July 5th, and Capps, an established closer, has blown six (6). Moreover, the man the Twins traded for Capps, Wilson Ramos, has outhit both Drew Butera and Rene Rivera this season. With the Twins knowing their All-Star catcher has some lingering knee and leg issues, it might not have been the smartest idea to unload your best option to back him up behind the plate. But, they did, and here we sit. Like I said...hindsight's 20/20.
Just because a closer loses his spot at the end of the game doesn't mean he's done being a closer. Brad Lidge went through a difficult time back in 2007 with the Astros, and was feeling probably just like Capps is feeling now, as though nothing you do can go right. The following season, after changing teams, Lidge was 41-41 in save opportunities. Maybe Capps needs nothing more than a change of scenery. Fortunately for the Twins, the trade deadline is approaching. It's time to start testing the waters for those in need of some bullpen help.
With the blown save Saturday, Capps now leads Major League Baseball with six blown saves. That's six times he's let his starters down this season. When closers are as shaky as Capps has been, it begins to affect the rest of the team. Fortunately, the bullpen instability seems to have improved the performance of the starting rotation. Until leaving in the fifth inning with a right elbow strain, Scott Baker was throwing a terrific game, locating his pitches well, and throwing a minimal amount of pitches through those first few innings. Knowing that turning the ball over to the bullpen this season has likely meant either a no-decision or a loss, the starters have been really bearing down, putting together a great run over the last five weeks, and pulling the Twins within striking distance going into the All-Star break.
In order for the Twins to stay within range of the Indians and Tigers atop the division, Gardy will need to ensure that the leads his lineup are staking the starters to are not wasted away by the bullpen, namely a closer like Capps. As I've said before, just because you were great last year doesn't mean you will always be great. As a manager, Gardenhire needs to look at the current status of the team. Right now, that status indicates that Capps is not the right guy for the job. As he begins to show continued improvement coming off his Tommy John surgery, maybe Joe Nathan will be ready to reassume his role later this season, but for right now, the choice should be Glen Perkins, who has proven his worth this season as the best option in an otherwise forgettable bullpen.
Before the season began, it seemed like a perfect scenario, to have both Capps and Nathan in the closer role, given Nathan's injury status. Having that alternative, that back-up, was more than the team could ask for. Now, as we sit five days into the month of July, the question should be asked: Would Capps have any value for a team as we near the trade deadline? If the Twins begin to utilize both Perkins and Nathan in that closer role, and move Capps back into the bullpen as more of a set-up man, would be become expendable? The answer should be..."yes". Hindsight is always 20/20, and given what we'd seen last season from the closer role (remembering that Nathan was out from the beginning) it's possible that maybe trading for Capps wasn't the best decision. Even John Rauch, who began the year in the closer role, only blew four (4) saves last season. Here we sit on July 5th, and Capps, an established closer, has blown six (6). Moreover, the man the Twins traded for Capps, Wilson Ramos, has outhit both Drew Butera and Rene Rivera this season. With the Twins knowing their All-Star catcher has some lingering knee and leg issues, it might not have been the smartest idea to unload your best option to back him up behind the plate. But, they did, and here we sit. Like I said...hindsight's 20/20.
Just because a closer loses his spot at the end of the game doesn't mean he's done being a closer. Brad Lidge went through a difficult time back in 2007 with the Astros, and was feeling probably just like Capps is feeling now, as though nothing you do can go right. The following season, after changing teams, Lidge was 41-41 in save opportunities. Maybe Capps needs nothing more than a change of scenery. Fortunately for the Twins, the trade deadline is approaching. It's time to start testing the waters for those in need of some bullpen help.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Closing The Door On Closers
Another day, another blown save. That's been the story for the 2011 Minnesota Twins. Between Joe Nathan early in the season, and Matt Capps shortly thereafter, the Twins have been having a very difficult time showing confidence in their closers. With Saturday night's blown save and subsequent loss against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Twins ran their total to 17 of 30 in save opportunities this season. Something to think about, especially for a team sitting nine games under .500 for the season. Imagine what those additional 13 games could mean in the standings, considering the Twins are only 8 games back of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the American League Central.
So, exactly how important is it to have a reliable closer in baseball? It's something we've heard about for many years, that having that "terminator" type hurler at the back of the bullpen is a must for any team considering a run at the World Series Championship. Would you believe that in 2009, the Phillies advanced to the World Series after having blown a total of 22 saves during the year? Strangely enough, the 2010 Texas Rangers blew 20 saves and still made it to the World Series, only to go down to the San Francisco Giants. Are saves really the end-all-be-all when it comes to making it into the playoffs? For that matter, are closers even really that important?
With the roller coaster ride that's been the Twins' season thus far, it's obvious that it hasn't been just the bullpen that has cost them many games. It's also fair to say that they are where they are in large part to the bullpen's ineffectiveness throughout the first half. Nathan and Capps have both been the reason for many nervous stomachs in Twins Territory, but the middle relief has been equally to blame. In fact, during the Twins 8-game win streak earlier in June, it almost seemed clear to everyone that Ron Gardernhire and Rick Anderson had such little faith in their bullpen that the phrase "pitch count" seemed to escape both of their vocabularies. We saw pitch counts in the 110-120 range for almost all of the starters at one point during that stretch. Kudos to the starters for putting the team on their backs and throwing some of the best baseball they have in a long time. But at some point, the bullpen needs to hold its own.
Given Capps recent tendency to give up the lead late, it seemed as though Gardy was sending a message on Sunday afternoon, handing the ball to Glen Perkins to close the game out. His reasoning was almost as nonsensical as the defense's closing arguments in the Casey Anthony murder trial. His explanation for allowing the left-handed Perkins to face Prince Fielder of the Brewers was more about the "match-up" than it was about a lack of confidence in Capps. Really? Since when do you play the match-up card when dealing with closers? I'm sure we'll hear the same logic from Joe Girardi of the Yankees when he decides to lift Mariano Rivera for the left-handed Boone Logan to face two lefties in the top of the ninth.
The save is the most over-rated statistic in all of sports. The object in baseball, as in any sport, is to win the game. What I've never been able to figure out is why the idea of match-ups are forgotten when it comes to closers. As fans, we can sit and watch managers come in and out of the dugout three or four times in the seventh or eighth inning, going from lefty to righty to lefty again based on which side of the batter's box the next hitter steps in to, yet, in the ninth inning, we will see that same manager bring a right-handed closer into the lineup to face the middle of a team's lineup comprised of all left-handed hitters. Really? So...the match-ups don't matter now? How does that work?
What the Twins need to do is just win games. If that means playing the match-up game in the ninth inning instead of giving the ball to either Capps or Nathan, then that's what Gardy needs to do. The closer-by-committee option isn't a bad one, it's just not the norm.
So, exactly how important is it to have a reliable closer in baseball? It's something we've heard about for many years, that having that "terminator" type hurler at the back of the bullpen is a must for any team considering a run at the World Series Championship. Would you believe that in 2009, the Phillies advanced to the World Series after having blown a total of 22 saves during the year? Strangely enough, the 2010 Texas Rangers blew 20 saves and still made it to the World Series, only to go down to the San Francisco Giants. Are saves really the end-all-be-all when it comes to making it into the playoffs? For that matter, are closers even really that important?
With the roller coaster ride that's been the Twins' season thus far, it's obvious that it hasn't been just the bullpen that has cost them many games. It's also fair to say that they are where they are in large part to the bullpen's ineffectiveness throughout the first half. Nathan and Capps have both been the reason for many nervous stomachs in Twins Territory, but the middle relief has been equally to blame. In fact, during the Twins 8-game win streak earlier in June, it almost seemed clear to everyone that Ron Gardernhire and Rick Anderson had such little faith in their bullpen that the phrase "pitch count" seemed to escape both of their vocabularies. We saw pitch counts in the 110-120 range for almost all of the starters at one point during that stretch. Kudos to the starters for putting the team on their backs and throwing some of the best baseball they have in a long time. But at some point, the bullpen needs to hold its own.
Given Capps recent tendency to give up the lead late, it seemed as though Gardy was sending a message on Sunday afternoon, handing the ball to Glen Perkins to close the game out. His reasoning was almost as nonsensical as the defense's closing arguments in the Casey Anthony murder trial. His explanation for allowing the left-handed Perkins to face Prince Fielder of the Brewers was more about the "match-up" than it was about a lack of confidence in Capps. Really? Since when do you play the match-up card when dealing with closers? I'm sure we'll hear the same logic from Joe Girardi of the Yankees when he decides to lift Mariano Rivera for the left-handed Boone Logan to face two lefties in the top of the ninth.
The save is the most over-rated statistic in all of sports. The object in baseball, as in any sport, is to win the game. What I've never been able to figure out is why the idea of match-ups are forgotten when it comes to closers. As fans, we can sit and watch managers come in and out of the dugout three or four times in the seventh or eighth inning, going from lefty to righty to lefty again based on which side of the batter's box the next hitter steps in to, yet, in the ninth inning, we will see that same manager bring a right-handed closer into the lineup to face the middle of a team's lineup comprised of all left-handed hitters. Really? So...the match-ups don't matter now? How does that work?
What the Twins need to do is just win games. If that means playing the match-up game in the ninth inning instead of giving the ball to either Capps or Nathan, then that's what Gardy needs to do. The closer-by-committee option isn't a bad one, it's just not the norm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)