Phillies: Closer in name only

If Phillies fans don’t have a problem with easier saves, they will not mind the bullpen roles going forward; in fact, management’s approach will alleviate some present concerns with less stressful situations.

Sharks:

One reason the Philadelphia Phillies are near the top of the division is the rotation and the pen. Regarding the closer, if he doesn’t pitch when the toughest outs are in the ninth inning, isn’t he just the reliever who only works that frame instead of the seventh or eighth inning?

"IN OTHER WORDS:   “Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name Bzjxxllwcp is pronounced Jackson.” – Mark Twain"

While baseball has flirted with expanding the active roster to 28, they haven’t because it would remove the toughest decisions for the execs. A team could have a long man and a lefty specialist in their relief corps besides seven other arms, while a full bench could also have a third catcher and a speed merchant.

Front-office strategy to maximize those 25 slots may determine the final record by a game or two. As for the Phils, they went with a long reliever instead of a reserve to pinch-hit. So far, so good. However, other organizations were more ambitious.

Considering starters, the Colorado Rockies tried a piggyback approach to counter the Coors Field effect. On the other hand, the Houston Astros’ version was analytical because they wanted their moundsmen to avoid a third time through the lineup.

The Tampa Bay Rays now have –for lack of a term– an “opener” with a reliever pitching the first one or two innings, and then the starter enters. The concept is to use the bullpen to bookend the rotation arms. Stay tuned!

If you find reasons to complain often about bad pitching performances, lower expectations can avoid some anguish. No ace, closer, starter or reliever can prevent an occasional poor outing. Don’t torture yourself!

Expected success rate:

• 80 percent for starters and relievers (Zach Eflin).
• 85 percent for aces and closers (Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta).
• 90 percent for top-tier closers (Mariano Rivera).