Jim Caple wrote an interesting and well-written article today about how saves are overrated and so are the closers who garner them. In a half-devil's advocate mood, here's my response in favor of closers.
First off, the save is an overrated statistic. At least in that it equates "saving" a three-run lead with a one-run lead, it is overrated and false. If you want a "save", they should change it to coming in with a one-run lead and leaving with that one-run lead, but it shouldn't matter what inning one comes in during. Maybe have the hold mean from innings 1-8 and the save for the ninth because I still think closers are not overrated. However, that saving a game means coming in at the beginning of the ninth inning with a three-run lead is a bit ludicrous. I could probably come in and do that. No, I want to see the guys who buckle down and don't allow that run to cross in those close-and-late situations. Give me the guy who can stand up when the pressure's on and shut down the other team. Because according to saves, Francisco Rodriguez is better than Joe Nathan even though Nathan's ERA is half of K-Rod's. Which would you rather have? I'll take Nathan. Add in that Nathan has walked almost three times fewer hitters and has almost as many K's in fewer innings, and Nathan seems the better choice. No, show me the guy who can come in with a one-run lead in the ninth and shut the door. Is the save statistic overrated? Yes, but not the closer.
Why can I say this when the save and the closer are inextricably linked? Because they don't have to be. Just because they represent the statistic doesn't mean they are the statistic. It would be like saying that peanut butter is bad because a PB&J sandwich is bad. It's not the peanut butter's fault. It's the jelly's, but the two are always linked.
So why is the closer not overrated? Why do we want to save that one guy for the ninth inning? The seventh inning and the ninth inning both have 3 outs, and if the 3-4-5 batters are up in the 7th, shouldn't the closer pitch then than against the 9-1-2 hitters of the ninth? If you have bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning, wouldn't you want your best pitcher out there finishing that situation instead of coming in with no one out in the ninth? My answer is simply no.
Well, the seventh and ninth innings do have 3 outs each, but my point is the timing of the inning. In the back of the hitter's mind in the seventh inning is, "I'll still have one more chance if I screw this up." They may have another chance given that it is unlikely the next two innings will go by 1-2-3. In the ninth inning, the hitter knows this is his last shot. If they are down, he has to come through. The adrenaline pumps, the focus level goes up, and the determination goes up. You can't tell me the hitter isn't more focused in the ninth inning. Now, whether or not he succumbs to the pressure is another story. I want my best pitcher facing that pressure, that focus, and that determination. I want the guy with the biggest fastball, the nastiest slider to take them out. You need the high cheese or the low and off the corner slider to counter the adrenaline. You need the better stuff to counter the focus. You need the pitcher's determination to equal the hitter's. Some can handle it. Others can't. Should he only pitch the ninth? Maybe not. Maybe he should pitch the seventh or eighth along with the ninth, but he should be there with the game on the line in the ninth. Closers in college go longer times than professionals do, and granted, the seasons are shorter. Yet, if you're team needs the victory, shouldn't you (as the closer) pitch an extra inning. Sure, but that's not necessarily what we're talking about. You need the guy in the ninth. The guy who hungers for the chance, who hungers for the opportunity, whose competitive drive may make him crazy one day. If you want to win, you need that guy. There's no worse feeling in baseball than leading after eight, long innings to all the sudden lose it in the ninth. It kills the series. It kills any momentum. It causes doubt to creep into the players' minds the next time they lead after eight. They begin to doubt themselves. The closer is the guy to end that. The guy who inspires faith and fear. He's the guy you don't want to face. Is he going to throw the 96 mph heater or the devasting 88 mph slider? You don't know, but both scare the hell out of you.
Leave the set-up guys for the other situations. The ones willing to accept that they can fail because someone can bail them out next inning. Sorry, the closer is not overrated.
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