Brian Fuentes is proof that almost any competent reliever can be a closer.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

There are quite a few fans who believe that there really isn't anything sacred about being a closer. After all, baseball teams operated for nearly 100 years without "closers".

When you think about it, if you put a guy on the mound with nobody on base and ask him to get three outs without surrendering a run 80% of the time he ought to be able to accomplish that, If he can't do that, he probably isn't really a competent MLB pitcher. (By "comeptent" I mean a pitcher who is incrementally better than the caliber of pitcher who floats back and forth between AAA and MLB.)

For proof I offer up Brian Fuentes, the MLB leader in saves for 2009. The only reason he led MLB in saves is because he got more save opportunities than anybody else - not because he has some unique talent for "closing" games. If you gave almost any other competent MLB relieves those identical 55 dave opportunities that pitcher would have recorded at least 48 saves. And if the guy didn't it most likely would be because he was just beset with an inordinate number of seeing-eye groundball singles, weak pop-ups that just happen to drop, or too often being on the wrong end of blown calls by the umps.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

IMO and IMO only, Mariano Rivera is the best closer of my life time that we will see.

[Elan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Elan]

I was just talking to a friend (fellow Angels fan) about Fuentes the other day. The thing about him is he doesn't really even have closer type stuff. His fastball is decent, but he's not great at spotting it, and he doesn't have any pitch that complements it with either sufficient break or deception (change, splitter, etc). He seems like he'd make an ok mid reliever or setup man, but I don't see him holding the closer job in Anaheim much longer if he doesn't improve.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

IMO and IMO only, Mariano Rivera is the best closer of my life time that we will see.

Rivera is clearly one of the elite relievers of all time, and is an obvious hall of fame selection.

The Yankees have also been smart enough to regularly use Rivera to finish out the 8th inning when there are runners on base.

Forget the closer label. Close games are really won and lost in the late innings when there are runners on base. If a team is ahead by one run in the 8th inning and the other team has runners on base, that is the critical situation in the game. That is the time to bring in the best relief pitcher that you've got.

The Yankees have been smart enough to realize that and use Rivera that way. Most other teams in baseball will bring in their second or third best pitcher and hold the closer out for the "save".

*****

Actually, the Angels have benefited from having Fuentes as the closer, because that means that they actually have often used their better relievers in the more critical 7th and 8th inning high leverage situations.

But with many teams the closer is the best reliever on the team, yet by making him the "closer" they forsake the notion that when the game is on the line you should use the best pitcher in your arsenal.

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

The biggest thing that a pitcher needs in order to be a successful closer is the ability to not walk people. That is what makes Rivera so good. And what almost made Brian Fuentes the goat last night.

[Elan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Elan]

Rivera is clearly one of the elite relievers of all time, and is an obvious hall of fame selection.

The Yankees have also been smart enough to regularly use Rivera to finish out the 8th inning when there are runners on base.

Forget the closer label. Close games are really won and lost in the late innings when there are runners on base. If a team is ahead by one run in the 8th inning and the other team has runners on base, that is the critical situation in the game. That is the time to bring in the best relief pitcher that you've got.

The Yankees have been smart enough to realize that and use Rivera that way. Most other teams in baseball will bring in their second or third best pitcher and hold the closer out for the "save".

*****

Actually, the Angels have benefited from having Fuentes as the closer, because that means that they actually have often used their better relievers in the more critical 7th and 8th inning high leverage situations.

But with many teams the closer is the best reliever on the team, yet by making him the "closer" they forsake the notion that when the game is on the line you should use the best pitcher in your arsenal.

Sadly, for we Angel fans, "better relievers" is an oxymoron. There hasn't been anyone come out of the pen for that team this year that's pitched particularly well. As bad as Fuentes has been, he's not been significantly worse than the Angels other choices. Oliver has probably been their most consistent reliever, and we saw what he's capable of last night.

I long for the days of Shields, Donnelly, Weber, Percival, K-Rod, etc.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Sadly, for we Angel fans, "better relievers" is an oxymoron. There hasn't been anyone come out of the pen for that team this year that's pitched particularly well. As bad as Fuentes has been, he's not been significantly worse than the Angels other choices. Oliver has probably been their most consistent reliever, and we saw what he's capable of last night.

I long for the days of Shields, Donnelly, Weber, Percival, K-Rod, etc.

Bulger and Oliver were both very effective. Which makes my point. By having Fuentes as the closer, Oliver and Bulger were used more often in the situations that really matter.

I have been quite impressed with how well Oliver has been as a reliever. He was washed up as a starting pitcher several years ago, and I figured that in becoming a reliever he would be competent at best.

Instead he's increased his strikeout rate to almost one per inning (which is very good) and continued to reduce his walk rate. The combination has made him quite effective, particularly against left-handed hitters.