Joe Nathan (Left) and Joba Chamberlain Closer? Closer? . . . Hey . . . Anybody seen a Closer Around Here JOBA? JOBA? JOBA?
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I stopped flipping back and forth between NBA action and the Tiger game last night when I had the white-light epiphany that neither the first 46 minutes of NBA action nor the first 7 innings of Tiger baseball matter one iota.
You've all heard the Yogi Berra saying that "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Not so much with the 2014 Tigers.
It's pretty much game over these days when Manager Brad Ausmus signals for relief pitchers from the Tiger bullpen. (Kinda like the days when Todd Jones could blow a "Save" opportunity by merely putting on his spikes.)
"It ain't over 'til it's over."
"Big Papi" launched a 3-run rocket into the upper deck at Comerica Park and the Red Sox won 5-3.
Phil "Wobbly-Noodle-Arm" Coke pitched the eighth. Coke stumbled, bumbled and drooled his way through the set-up performance for Chamberlain's ninth inning.
With a little luck, Joba might have never had the chance to fail so badly on national TV, but somehow Coke managed to throw 27 pitches without allowing a run and the Tigers still led Boston 3-2 when the game was handed off to Chamberlain.
By the time "Big Papi" stepped into the batter's box in the 9th inning, it was already apparent to anyone that knows anything about baseball that the "end was near."
Chamberlain was grooving sliders to the Boston hitters so often that ESPN announcer John Kruk made the suggestion that the only time Chamberlain throws a fastball is when he throws over to first to hold the runner on.
"Big Papi" figured it out too.
Chamberlain threw 26 pitches in the ninth for Detroit. The one pitch to "Big Papi" . . . I'm sure Joba wishes he had it back.
Side Note #1 -- Boston "Closer" Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances. Uehara threw 13 pitches.
Joe Nathan (Detroit's REAL Closer) threw 32 pitches in his one inning of "Closing" on Saturday.
Boston "Closer" Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth Sunday night for his 12th save in 12 chances. Uehara threw 13 pitches.
Phil Coke needed 27 pitches in the eighth inning to get his one inning job done.
Boston "Closer" Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth on Sunday for his 12th save in 12 chances. Uehara threw 13 pitches.
Joba Chamberlain threw 26 pitches in the ninth for Detroit.
Boston "Closer" Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances. Uehara threw 13 pitches.
YOU GET THE IDEA . . .
MORAL OF THE STORY: Fewer pitches is better.
Side Note #2 -- Tiger fans are so fed up with Detroit relief pitchers, that many of the 33,835 in attendance were already on their way to the parking lot as Ortiz's blast settled into the Comerica Park upper deck.
ESPN's John Kruk said . . . "Where's everybody going?" . . . Pointing out that Detroit still had last at-bats in the bottom of the ninth. ESPN TV cameras showed pics of thousands of fans streaming out of Comerica Park even though the Tigers were coming to bat in the bottom of the ninth.
Hey John . . . Maybe they're all going out to look for a "Closer."
Remembering Todd Jones
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O. J. Cunningham |
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