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Buster Olney Article


Mrocks24

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White Sox mixing and matching closers

It's been a rough month for closers, from Mariano Rivera's problems against Boston to Trevor Hoffman's opening day loss to Mike Adams's blown save against the Dodgers Tuesday in Milwaukee. We can't be surprised, then, that the team with the best record in the American League doesn't have a one-size-fits-all closer early in the season.

 

The Chicago White Sox are 13 games into the season and already Ozzie Guillen, their manager, has had three different relievers save games for him, including left-hander Damaso Marte, who got the last two outs in the 3-1 victory over Minnesota Tuesday night.

 

Shingo Takatsu, the Chicago closer at the end of last season, is off to a terrible start, having allowed four homers and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings, while somehow managing to convert four of his five save chances. As a result, Guillen has been mixing and matching, and on different days, different guys have been on the mound at the end. Dustin Hermanson, pitching very well early, has two saves; Marte's save was his first.

 

I didn't watch Tuesday's game, but in reviewing the play-by-play, Guillen's willingness to make adjustments is evident. After Luis Vizcaino pitched a scoreless seventh and Hermanson did the same in the ninth, and with the White Sox leading, 3-0, Guillen sent the right-handed Takatsu out to work the ninth. The Twins had switch-hitting Nick Punto due to lead off, with the right-handed hitting Shannon Stewart and Jason Bartlett scheduled to follow. Punto grounded out, but Stewart doubled. Matt LeCroy pinch-hit for Bartlett and singled, driving home Stewart.

 

The left-handed Joe Mauer was due to hit. That was it for Takatsu; the left-handed Marte was summoned. Mauer popped out, Terry Tiffee grounded out. Ballgame, with Orlando Hernandez getting the victory. The White Sox are the only team with a double-digit victory total, and they've got a bullpen ERA of 5.08. Maybe that's the way it's going to be this season.

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I expect the Sox pen to have an ERA of about 3.20 this season. That 5.08 is VERY misleading, with Viz getting knocked around the Clevland mess, and I would  :pray that Shingo can at least get a 4.00 ERA this season.

 

I have big, big hopes for Viz and the rest of the pen.

 

Can someone who is "geek" enough figure out what the ERA would be without Luis Cleveland outing?

 

Be intrested in knowing..

 

Thanks

:gosoxretro:

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QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Apr 20, 2005 -> 12:47 PM)
Can someone who is "geek" enough figure out what the ERA would be without Luis Cleveland outing?

 

Be intrested in knowing..

 

Thanks

:gosoxretro:

 

If you subtract out the whole outing against Cleveland by Vizcaino the pen ERA is 3.77.

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QUOTE(Mrocks24 @ Apr 20, 2005 -> 05:22 PM)
Has anyone read this article that he put up on espn.com.  I'm sure he doesn't know what he is talking about because he pays no attention to the sox and now he is an expert on our bullpen.

 

 

His synopsis is correct, why do you think he doesn't know anything?

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