from Amazon
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
How often is your closer not available in an optimal setting?
By Tangotiger
Managers seem to get a little skittish when the closer is needed four days in a row, so let’s assume that a reliever can only pitch three innings in any four game period… How often would the closer not be available? About three games per year (2.93, to be exact). Of those games in which the closer was not available, the number of times his presence was needed? About 14.7% of those games. On average, not even half a game per year.
Oh, but the psychological impact of that half game. What about that? That could derail an entire season, folks. These are people, not machines. If only this knucklehead(*) stathead knew something about pyschology.
* sarcasm