Twins extend closer Nathan's contract until 2011.
Sigh. Didn't the Twins read Moneyball? I read that book and absolutely loved it. And while I don't necessarily subscribe to everything it says, I agree with much of it. For example, I don't agree the lack of value it places on defense or stealing bases, but I completely agree with the idea of drafting proven college players over untested high school players.
I can't stand it when people talk about how great a high school football player is and how he is going to be so great when he gets to college. In high school, 95% of the players are awful, especially compared with the players at the college level. Showing me a YouTube video of some dude running circles around a bunch of 14-18 year olds is extraordinarily not impressive. Whatever!
Anyway, back on the subject of Moneyball and the Twins. One of the things that book talks about is the amazing emphasis that has recently been placed on closers and how undeserved it really is to value them so highly. It will save a team a lot of money and generally not make much difference if they just fill the closer's position with any good reliever. If a pitcher can't get three outs without giving up one or more runs on a regular basis, he probably shouldn't be on your team anyway. Perhaps the Twins should have let Nathan go, or traded him, and filled their holes at any infield position except catcher and first base...
Oh well, could be a long year for the Twins. Don't get me wrong, I like Nathan, but after reading Moneyball I just can't get behind paying him that much to keep him around
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2 comments:
I totally agree. Brubaker and I have had countless conversations about this very topic - normally withing the context of how horrible Ned Yost was/is? at utilizing the closer position.
While it's important to have a shut down pitcher in the pen, they should not be used exclusively in the 9th inning. That is where most mangers err, they only use them in the 9th, in rather easy situations - coming in with no one on base - where, as you said it should be quite easy to retire the side. Yost followed this this to a T, always going some joker, turblow (also a joker) then cordero, regardless of the situation.
For the closer to be really effective, he needs to be used throughout the game. Many times, the game needs to be 'saved' in the 7th or 8th. However, this is when teams are putting some joker out there (Turnblow, Aquino, etc), only to lose the game. When the tigers went to the world series the other year, they had the system down right: Zumaya was their best pitcher int he bullpen, and he pitched when situations got sticky, and then went to old man Doug Jones for the easy save.
Unfortunately, the Cubs have this down too, using the superior Marmol whenever then going to the crappy Kerry Wood for the most meaningless stat in baseball - the save. Hopefully Yost learned his lesson from last year.
two words... Jesse Crain
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