Being a closer is one of most high-pressure jobs in all of
sports. It requires a consistent mental
fortitude that never wavers along with having the skill to throw the right
pitch at the right moment. Day in and
day out a closer is expected to not only efficiently shutdown an offense with a
chip on its shoulder but he also has to do it with thousands of fans watching
intensely as he throws each momentous pitch that could be the difference
between a supreme victory or a deflating defeat.
The Baltimore Orioles have insistently lacked reliability in
their bullpen, particularly when it comes to an avid closer.
Before his recent struggles, Jim Johnson seemed to be the
next superstar closer and was crucial in the Orioles miraculous regular season
success last season. From July 30, 2012
to May 13 2013, Johnson had 35 straight saves with an overall ERA 0.61. Johnson’s abilities appeared to not only
supersede Rivera’s ERA (Rivera Career ERA is 2.20), but the level of
consistency and effectiveness he brought to each and every game made him a man
amongst boys in terms of his sensational pitching abilities.
However, in his last 5 attempts as a closer, Johnson has
only managed a single save. While it
could be argued that Johnson is simply in a random slump, the problem with that
notion is that 3 out of his four losses have come at the hands of division
opponents. In arguably not only the
toughest division in the American League but in the Majors as a whole, every win
that you can earn could be the difference between making the playoffs or going
home empty handed.
Even with these recent travesties, it’s hard to condemn
Johnson as having permanently lost his touch after only a few games, especially
when the rest of the roster is having a terrific season. The Orioles offense is second to none in the
majors placing third overall in runs (259), second in batting average (.275),
and first in slugging percentage (.459).
What these states emphatically suggest is that the Orioles have a
variety offensive weapons that are not only instinctually gifted at locating
the ball at the right moment, but that they have the vast strength and power to
knock it out of the park at any time.
With that being said, the Orioles will only find success in
their division if they’re a complete team that is able to work together in
cohesive manner with all cylinders firing.
If they were in any other division it would be feasible to postulate that
they would easily be in first place and would even be up a few games to
boot. Yet, in a division where every
team either has stellar pitching, a high-octane offense or both, it becomes
absolutely necessary to have all facets of your game polished and fine tuned to
avoid precarious situations against these opponents who could unpredictably
turn the tides of a game in their favor.
As a result, having a single deficiency such as an incompetent closer is
enough to plunge a recuperated franchise like the Orioles into the middle of
the pack.
Of course, this is baseball.
In a sport where 162 games are played over six months, it’s not fair or
even realistic to destroy a teams hopes and dreams just because they are facing
some minor adversity at this point in the season. If the Orioles were the franchise they were
two years ago, it wouldn’t be difficult to confidently suggest that this team
would have even a remote chance at competing.
However, with the inspirational resurrection and determination this team
has emulated these last couple of years, thanks largely in part to the
management of Buck Showalter, the Orioles have valiantly proven that they are
no longer the epitome of a disgrace.
Gone are the years where the Orioles were forced to compete for fourth
place against the Toronto Blue Jays (often failing in even that endeavor) as
the only morale victory they could gain from every season that was an utter
disappointment.
Now, with nearly every athletic component of the Orioles
roster working smoothly and effectively, this team cannot be counted out as a
playoff contender. But when all is said
and done, if this team really wants a chance at being the kings of this
division come the end of the regular season, Jim Johnson has to shake off the
jitters of these last few games and revert himself to the prolifically gifted
pitcher he truly has been over the last year.
If Johnson can recover from these early season struggles and return to
form as a reliable and consistent closer, he could once again lead this team to
not only another playoff berth but to a desired destination far beyond it.
No comments:
Post a Comment