Storyline: The pen is nearly as important as starters in today’s baseball. And the mentality of the bullpen is almost as important as the talent. It’s an organism.
We witnessed a battle of strengths during the highly entertaining Jays/Orioles series. We watched the Jays offense strike at an Orioles pitching staff. We observed the Orioles relievers shutting down Toronto’s big bats.
Courtesy: kansascity.com
What was the end result? It doesn’t matter how many runs you score, when the pen can’t hold the lead. The Jays’ bullpen is leaky. Not one pitcher on the backend can get consistent outs.
Many of the best teams now want to shorten the game. One of the biggest reasons the Royals made it as far as they did last year is because they were able to play a 6-inning game. By the 7th inning teams know they’re going to have to face Herrera, Davis, and Holland. Game over!
This causes batters to put pressure on themselves–to put up some runs early to prevent the bullpen from coming into the game. Mentality shifts completely. You don’t have the first time through the order to feel out a starter. You need to jump on him early and often. What does that cause? It produces impatience and overly-aggressive swings.
KC starting pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie (Photo courtesy Zimbio.com)
Why do you think Jeremy Guthrie, Joe Blanton, and Chris Young can start for KC? Starting pitchers for playoff teams are asked to do less and less. Give a solid 5 or 6 innings and turn it over to the bullpen. Even the way relievers are constructed is important.
If you look at the Orioles, they have a bunch of parts thrown together to make their bullpen. Smart managing and scouting have been their key. Tommy Hunter, Darren O’Day, and Zach Britton aren’t household names, but they have their purpose. O’Day’s unorthodox delivery can lead directly into Britton’s sinker. They change eye levels and leave a hitter adjusting constantly at the plate. Even Chaz Roe has been a pleasant surprise. His slider gives the players something else to think about.
What’s it all mean? The pen is nearly as important as the starters in today’s MLB.
The mentality of the bullpen is almost as important as the talent. It’s an organism.
You’ll see all pitchers do well or all pitchers struggle. Pitchers feel comfortable in certain roles, but completely uncomfortable in others. The most talented guy doesn’t necessarily need to be the closer. The player who has that ‘closer mentality’ is the key. Confidence and an intimidating presence are nearly as important as ‘stuff.’
Courtesy; slate.com
Trevor Hoffman, who threw change-up after change-up, was the best in the business for a decade. You do need an out-pitch as a closer, though, something that the batter can’t foul off constantly until he gets something to hit You need an arsenal that includes a weapon that has a 95 mark in a video game rating.
There are multiple closers on the market this year in baseball: Chapman, Rodriguez, Papelbon, and Clippard are all available for the right price. You now see many teams load up on closers for the post-season, throwing them in the 7th and 8th innings, trying to emulate what the Royals did last year.
Sometimes they will be planted into the organism and be rejected. You need the perfect fit for this rare species. These are players who spend the majority of the game sitting together, doing very little, for nearly the entire game. They might only be called upon for one batter. You might need a side-armer who throws 86 mph with a devastating slider. Or you might need a herky-jerky left handed specialist with a loopy curve-ball.
Courtesy: jdbaseball.com
It’s not an exact science. Not every team can afford three would-be closers as the Royals have. Sometimes you just have to plug pitchers in to see what works.
The one thing I can guarantee is this: the two teams in the World Series won’t have bullpen question marks.
