Is the guy who pitches an inning or less at the end of a game really more deserving of a save than the guy that comes in with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and nobody out, and retires the side, then pitches two more scoreless innings? Of course not, but that’s what our closer save system does. The closer is just the finisher; he is not necessarily the saver. Saves should go to the reliever who did the most to save the game, not the guy who happened to get the last out just because he’s the last pitcher in the game.
The term closer is overrated and save statistics as figured now are basically irrelevant.
0 Responses to “What’s Wrong With Baseball #7: The Concept of the Closer”