Rollie Fingers. Goose Gossage. Bruce Sutter. All three of these Hall of Fame closers are generally considered to be the pioneers of their position. They each recorded 300 saves, began their rise in the mid-1970s, and today, symbolize the gold standard of saving games. They also accomplished feats, though, that […]
Stats
fERA: A New Way To Evaluate Closers
In 1959, the now-infamous Chicago Sun-Times sportswriter Jerome Holtzman examined the 18-1 record of Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Roy Face, and declared, emphatically, that it was misleading (Posnanski “Save Rule Evolves From Stat to Game-Changer”). Holtzman’s passion for the issue did not stop there, however. In time, he would create […]
WAR, What Is It Good For?
Jackie Bradley Jr., starting outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, put up a monstrous season in 2016 when compared to his personal standards. In the two seasons before last, Bradley struggled to make his presence known on a Major League roster, prompting multiple demotions to the Minor Leagues, ten to […]