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vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hall_of_Fame"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Hall of Fame</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hall_of_Fame-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Major_awards_and_honors_won_by_closers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Major_awards_and_honors_won_by_closers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Major awards and honors won by closers</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Major_awards_and_honors_won_by_closers-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Major awards and honors won by closers subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Major_awards_and_honors_won_by_closers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Major_League_Baseball" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Major_League_Baseball"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Major League Baseball</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Major_League_Baseball-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nippon_Professional_Baseball" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nippon_Professional_Baseball"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Nippon Professional Baseball</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nippon_Professional_Baseball-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" 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class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Baseball relief pitcher who specializes in finishing close games</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="A right-handed Hispanic baseball pitcher, wearing a grey uniform with the lettering "NEW YORK" across it, with his body facing the right as he prepares to throw a baseball." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg/220px-0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="338" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg/330px-0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg/440px-0G1G4040_Mariano_Rivera.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1216" data-file-height="1868" /></a><figcaption>Former <a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">Yankees</a> closer <a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a>, one of the most prominent closers in baseball history, has the most career <a href="/wiki/Save_(baseball)" title="Save (baseball)">saves</a> of any <a href="/wiki/Major_League_Baseball" title="Major League Baseball">MLB</a> pitcher (652).</figcaption></figure> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Baseball" title="Baseball">baseball</a>, a <b>closing pitcher</b>, more frequently referred to as a <b>closer</b> (abbreviated <b>CL</b>), is a <a href="/wiki/Relief_pitcher" title="Relief pitcher">relief pitcher</a> who specializes in getting the final <a href="/wiki/Out_(baseball)" title="Out (baseball)">outs</a> in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. Before the 1990s, pitchers in similar roles were referred to as a <b>fireman</b>, <b>short reliever</b>, and <b>stopper</b>. A small number of closers have won the <a href="/wiki/Cy_Young_Award" title="Cy Young Award">Cy Young Award</a>. Eight closers have been inducted into the <a href="/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame" class="mw-redirect" title="Baseball Hall of Fame">Baseball Hall of Fame</a>: <a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a>, <a href="/wiki/Goose_Gossage" title="Goose Gossage">Goose Gossage</a>, <a href="/wiki/Trevor_Hoffman" title="Trevor Hoffman">Trevor Hoffman</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lee_Smith_(baseball)" title="Lee Smith (baseball)">Lee Smith</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hoyt_Wilhelm" title="Hoyt Wilhelm">Hoyt Wilhelm</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Usage">Usage</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Usage"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A closer is generally a team's best reliever and designated to pitch the last few outs of games when his team is leading by a margin of three runs or fewer. Rarely does a closer enter with his team losing or in a tie game, however in the playoffs they are often brought on if it is a close game.<sup id="cite_ref-zimniuch_p169_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-zimniuch_p169-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A closer's effectiveness has traditionally been measured by the <a href="/wiki/Save_(baseball)" title="Save (baseball)">save</a>, an official <a href="/wiki/Major_League_Baseball" title="Major League Baseball">Major League Baseball</a> (MLB) statistic since 1969.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Over time, closers have become one-inning specialists typically brought in at the beginning of the ninth inning in save situations. The pressure of the last three outs of the game is often cited for the importance attributed to the ninth inning.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Closers are often the highest paid relievers on their teams, making money on par with <a href="/wiki/Starting_pitcher" title="Starting pitcher">starting pitchers</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the rare cases where a team does not have one primary pitcher dedicated to this role, mainly due to an injury or poor performance of primary closer candidates, the team is said to have a <i>closer by committee</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-dickson_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-dickson-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:BruceSutterCardinals.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/BruceSutterCardinals.jpg/220px-BruceSutterCardinals.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="238" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/BruceSutterCardinals.jpg/330px-BruceSutterCardinals.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/BruceSutterCardinals.jpg/440px-BruceSutterCardinals.jpg 2x" data-file-width="581" data-file-height="629" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a> was the first pitcher to start the ninth inning in 20 percent of his career appearances.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_New_York_Giants_(NL)" class="mw-redirect" title="History of the New York Giants (NL)">New York Giants</a> manager <a href="/wiki/John_McGraw" title="John McGraw">John McGraw</a> in 1905 was one of the first to use a relief pitcher to save games. He pitched <a href="/wiki/Claude_Elliott_(baseball)" title="Claude Elliott (baseball)">Claude Elliott</a> in relief eight times in his ten appearances. Though saves were not an official statistic until 1969, Elliot was retroactively credited with six saves that season, a record at that time.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1977, <a href="/wiki/Chicago_Cubs" title="Chicago Cubs">Chicago Cubs</a> manager <a href="/wiki/Herman_Franks" title="Herman Franks">Herman Franks</a> used <a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a> almost exclusively in the eighth or ninth innings in save situations.<sup id="cite_ref-dickson_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-dickson-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-marchman_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-marchman-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While relievers such as <a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Goose_Gossage" title="Goose Gossage">Goose Gossage</a> were already being used mostly in save situations, Franks's use of Sutter represented an incremental change.<sup id="cite_ref-marchman_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-marchman-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sutter was the first pitcher to start the ninth inning in 20 percent of his career appearances. <a href="/wiki/Clay_Carroll" title="Clay Carroll">Clay Carroll</a> in 1972 was the first pitcher to make a third of his season's appearances in the beginning of the ninth inning, which would not be repeated until Fingers in 1982. <a href="/wiki/John_Franco" title="John Franco">John Franco</a> in 1987 was the first to be used over 50 percent of the time in the beginning of the ninth in a season;<sup id="cite_ref-prospectus_p59_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-prospectus_p59-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> he had a then-record 24 one-inning saves.<sup id="cite_ref-posnanski_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-posnanski-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Lee_Smith_(baseball)" title="Lee Smith (baseball)">Lee Smith</a> in 1994 was the first to be used over 75 percent of the time in that situation.<sup id="cite_ref-prospectus_p59_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-prospectus_p59-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Using the save leader from each team in the league, the average closer made his appearances in the beginning of the ninth inning 10 percent of the time in the 1970s to almost <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1154941027">.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}</style><span class="frac"><span class="num">2</span>⁄<span class="den">3</span></span> of the time by 2004.<sup id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ReferenceA-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Lee_Smith.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Lee_Smith.jpg/170px-Lee_Smith.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="170" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Lee_Smith.jpg/255px-Lee_Smith.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Lee_Smith.jpg 2x" data-file-width="272" data-file-height="272" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Lee_Smith_(baseball)" title="Lee Smith (baseball)">Lee Smith</a> in 1994 was the first pitcher to start the ninth inning in over 75 percent of his appearances.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Tony_La_Russa" title="Tony La Russa">Tony La Russa</a> while with the <a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a> is frequently named as the innovator of the position, making <a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a> the first player to be used almost exclusively in ninth inning situations.<sup id="cite_ref-zimniuch_p169_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-zimniuch_p169-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pti20170220_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pti20170220-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> La Russa explained that "[the Oakland A's would] be ahead a large number of games every week ... That's a lot of work for somebody throwing more than one inning ... Also, there was the added advantage of [Eckersley] not getting overexposed. We tried to get [him] to only face three or four batters an outing."<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Baseball teams often copy one another, following a strategy based on one team's success.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1990, <a href="/wiki/Bobby_Thigpen" title="Bobby Thigpen">Bobby Thigpen</a> set a record with 57 saves while breaking Franco's one-inning saves record with 41. <a href="/wiki/Francisco_Rodr%C3%ADguez_(Venezuelan_pitcher)" title="Francisco Rodríguez (Venezuelan pitcher)">Francisco Rodríguez</a> set the current record with 54 one-inning saves in 2008.<sup id="cite_ref-posnanski_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-posnanski-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As late as 1989, a team's ace reliever was called a <i>fireman</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-mcneil_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mcneil-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> coming to the rescue to "put out the fire", baseball terminology for stopping an offensive rally with runners on base.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They were occasionally referred to as <i>short relievers</i>, <i>stoppers</i> and <i>closers</i>. By the early 1990s, the top late-inning reliever was called a <i>closer</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-mcneil_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mcneil-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The firemen came in whenever leads were in jeopardy, usually with men on base, and regardless of the inning and often pitching two or three innings while finishing the game.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> An example of this is that Goose Gossage had 17 games where he recorded at least 10 outs in his first season as a closer, including three games where he went seven innings. He pitched over 130 innings as a reliever in three different seasons.<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For their careers, Sutter and Gossage had more saves of at least two innings than saves where they pitched one inning or less. Fingers was the only pitcher who pitched at least three innings in more than 10 percent of his saves.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The game evolved to where the best reliever was reserved for games where the team had a lead of three runs or less in the ninth inning.<sup id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ReferenceA-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a>, considered one of the greatest closers of all time,<sup id="cite_ref-humble_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-humble-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> earned only one save of seven-plus outs in his career, while Gossage logged 53.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "Don't tell me [Rivera's] the best relief pitcher of all-time until he can do the same job I did. He may be the best modern closer, but you have to compare apples to apples. Do what we did", said Gossage.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Strategy">Strategy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Strategy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg/170px-Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="255" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg/255px-Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg/340px-Tony_La_Russa_May_2008.jpg 2x" data-file-width="853" data-file-height="1280" /></a><figcaption>By relegating <a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a> to mostly one-inning save situations, manager <a href="/wiki/Tony_La_Russa" title="Tony La Russa">Tony La Russa</a> <i>(pictured)</i> was instrumental in the development of the modern closer.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/ESPN.com" title="ESPN.com">ESPN.com</a> writer <a href="/wiki/Jim_Caple" title="Jim Caple">Jim Caple</a> wrote that closers' saves in the ninth "merely conclude what is usually a foregone conclusion."<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/David_Smith_(baseball_historian)" title="David Smith (baseball historian)">Dave Smith</a> of <a href="/wiki/Retrosheet" title="Retrosheet">Retrosheet</a> researched the seasons 1930–2003 and found that the winning percentage for teams who enter the ninth inning with a lead has remained virtually unchanged over the decades. One-run leads after eight innings have been won roughly 85 percent of the time, two-run leads 94 percent of the time, and three-run leads about 96 percent of the time.<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Baseball_Prospectus" title="Baseball Prospectus">Baseball Prospectus</a> projects that teams could gain as much as four extra wins a year by focusing on bringing their ace reliever into the game earlier in more critical situations with runners on base instead of holding them out to accumulate easier ninth inning saves.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In <i>The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball</i>, <a href="/wiki/Tom_Tango" title="Tom Tango">Tom Tango</a> et al. wrote that there was more value to having the ace reliever enter in the eighth inning with a one- or a two-run lead instead of the ninth with a three-run lead.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "Managers feel the need to please their closers—and their closers' agents—by getting them cheap saves to pad their stats and their bank accounts", wrote Caple.<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Tango et al. projected that using a great reliever over an average one to start the ninth with a three-run lead resulted in a two percent increase in wins, versus four percent for a two-run lead or six percent for a one-run lead.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Former <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles" title="Baltimore Orioles">Baltimore Orioles</a> manager <a href="/wiki/Johnny_Oates" title="Johnny Oates">Johnny Oates</a> once told <a href="/wiki/Jerome_Holtzman" title="Jerome Holtzman">Jerome Holtzman</a>, the inventor of the save statistic, that he created the ninth-inning pitcher by inventing the save. Holtzman disagreed, saying it was baseball managers who were responsible for not bringing in their top reliever when the game was on the line, in the seventh or eighth inning, which had been the practice in the past.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He noted that managers' usage of closers can "abuse the pitching save ... to favor the closer."<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>La Russa says it is important that relievers know their roles and the situations which they will be called into a game. He added, "Sure, games can get away from you in the seventh and eighth, but those last three outs in the ninth are the toughest. You want the guy who can handle that pressure. That, to me, is most important."<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Oakland general manager <a href="/wiki/Billy_Beane" title="Billy Beane">Billy Beane</a> said there would be too much media criticism if a pitcher other than the closer lost the game in the ninth."<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Managerial moves are immediately questioned with millions of fans having access to <a href="/wiki/ESPN" title="ESPN">ESPN</a>, the <a href="/wiki/MLB_Network" title="MLB Network">MLB Network</a>, and other <a href="/wiki/Cable_channel" class="mw-redirect" title="Cable channel">cable channels</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Former manager <a href="/wiki/Jim_Fregosi" title="Jim Fregosi">Jim Fregosi</a> said managers do not like to be second-guessed.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "Even if you know the odds, it's more comfortable being wrong when you go to the closer", said Beane. He noted the incremental increase gained by a closer in a three-run save situation "is worth it because losing is so painful in that situation."<sup id="cite_ref-caple_19-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-caple-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Baseball announcer <a href="/wiki/Chris_Wheeler" title="Chris Wheeler">Chris Wheeler</a> noted that there is pressure on managers to pitch closers in the ninth inning when they were paid big money to pitch in that role.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Former general manager <a href="/wiki/Pat_Gillick" title="Pat Gillick">Pat Gillick</a> said closers become one-inning pitchers as managers began copying the practice of having <a href="/wiki/Setup_pitcher" class="mw-redirect" title="Setup pitcher">setup pitchers</a> enter before closers. "There are just too many specialists, guys who can only pitch one inning and only pitch certain innings and throw only 20 pitches. I think most pitchers are capable of pitching more", said Gillick.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Criticism">Criticism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Criticism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>La Russa noted that losing clubs risk their closer being under-worked, if they stick to the strategy of saving them for ninth inning situations where the team is ahead.<sup id="cite_ref-jenkins_2-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> An instance of this was <a href="/wiki/Philadelphia_Phillies" title="Philadelphia Phillies">Philadelphia Phillies</a> manager <a href="/wiki/Charlie_Manuel" title="Charlie Manuel">Charlie Manuel</a>, who did not call upon closer <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Papelbon" title="Jonathan Papelbon">Jonathan Papelbon</a> in high leverage situations during the 2012 season, including six games where the score was tied during the late innings, which may have cost the team seven wins by midseason. Jonah Keri suggested "fear of using pitchers in anything but the most predictable circumstances, or simple inertia, closers get used far more often in easy-to-manage, up-two, bases-empty, ninth-inning situations than they do in tie games with runners on and the game actually on the line" and said of Papelbon "unless the Phillies start using him in situations where he’s actually needed, rather than almost exclusively in spots that nearly any pitcher with a pulse can handle successfully 85–90 percent of the time, Papelbon will remain the $200,000 <a href="/wiki/Aston_Martin" title="Aston Martin">Aston Martin</a> that never leaves the garage".<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Some critics have noted that the 9th inning closer strategy is illogical during playoff games, especially when the club is facing elimination, and suggested that the closer should be readily inserted as a "fireman" during an earlier inning to stop a rally while the score is still close. During Games 4 and 6 of the <a href="/wiki/2010_NLCS" class="mw-redirect" title="2010 NLCS">2010 NLCS</a>, each a late-inning situation with the score tied, Phillies manager <a href="/wiki/Charlie_Manuel" title="Charlie Manuel">Charlie Manuel</a> did not call upon closer <a href="/wiki/Brad_Lidge" title="Brad Lidge">Brad Lidge</a> and both times the selected relief pitcher surrendered the game-winning run (Lidge came in during the ninth inning of Game 6 where he preserved the 3-2 deficit but the Phillies failed to score in the bottom of the ninth).<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Similarly in Games 3 and 6 of the <a href="/wiki/2010_ALCS" class="mw-redirect" title="2010 ALCS">2010 ALCS</a>, each where the <a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a> were trailing by two runs during a crucial inning, manager <a href="/wiki/Joe_Girardi" title="Joe Girardi">Joe Girardi</a> did not go to <a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a>, and both times the chosen relief pitcher gave up several runs which put the game out of reach for the Yankees; <a href="/wiki/ESPN" title="ESPN">ESPN</a>'s Matthew Wallace lamented that "Girardi used Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 6, with the Yankees trailing 6–1, their ship long sailed to sea".<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Hall_of_Fame">Hall of Fame</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Hall of Fame"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Eight pitchers who were primarily relievers have been inducted into the <a href="/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame" class="mw-redirect" title="Baseball Hall of Fame">Baseball Hall of Fame</a>. <a href="/wiki/Hoyt_Wilhelm" title="Hoyt Wilhelm">Hoyt Wilhelm</a> was the first to be <a href="/wiki/1985_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting" title="1985 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting">elected in 1985</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> followed by <a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a>, <a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a>, <a href="/wiki/Goose_Gossage" title="Goose Gossage">Goose Gossage</a>, <a href="/wiki/Trevor_Hoffman" title="Trevor Hoffman">Trevor Hoffman</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lee_Smith_(baseball)" title="Lee Smith (baseball)">Lee Smith</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Eckersley was the first closer in the one-inning save era to be inducted. He believed that he was inducted because he was both a starter and a reliever.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "If I came up today as a closer and played 20 years, would I have made it [into the Hall of Fame]? These pitchers did the job they were supposed to do for 20 years. What else are they supposed to do?" said Eckersley.<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Rivera was <a href="/wiki/2019_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting" title="2019 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting">elected in 2019</a> and was the first player in MLB history to be elected unanimously by the <a href="/wiki/Baseball_Writers%27_Association_of_America" title="Baseball Writers' Association of America">Baseball Writers' Association of America</a>, appearing on all 425 ballots.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Major_awards_and_honors_won_by_closers">Major awards and honors won by closers</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Major awards and honors won by closers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Major_League_Baseball">Major League Baseball</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Major League Baseball"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" align="center"> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Award</th> <th>Closer</th> <th>Team</th> <th>Year </th></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="8"><a href="/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame" class="mw-redirect" title="Baseball Hall of Fame">Hall of Fame</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/2019_in_baseball" title="2019 in baseball">2019</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Lee_Smith_(baseball)" title="Lee Smith (baseball)">Lee Smith</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Chicago_Cubs" title="Chicago Cubs">Chicago Cubs</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Trevor_Hoffman" title="Trevor Hoffman">Trevor Hoffman</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/San_Diego_Padres" title="San Diego Padres">San Diego Padres</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2018_in_baseball" title="2018 in baseball">2018</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Goose_Gossage" title="Goose Gossage">Goose Gossage</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2008_in_baseball" title="2008 in baseball">2008</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/St._Louis_Cardinals" title="St. Louis Cardinals">St. Louis Cardinals</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2006_in_baseball" title="2006 in baseball">2006</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2004_in_baseball" title="2004 in baseball">2004</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1992_in_baseball" title="1992 in baseball">1992</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Hoyt_Wilhelm" title="Hoyt Wilhelm">Hoyt Wilhelm</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Giants_(NL)" class="mw-redirect" title="New York Giants (NL)">New York Giants</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1985_in_baseball" title="1985 in baseball">1985</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="9"><a href="/wiki/Cy_Young_Award" title="Cy Young Award">Cy Young</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/%C3%89ric_Gagn%C3%A9" title="Éric Gagné">Éric Gagné</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers" title="Los Angeles Dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2003_in_baseball" title="2003 in baseball">2003</a> (<a href="/wiki/National_League_(baseball)" title="National League (baseball)">NL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1992_in_baseball" title="1992 in baseball">1992</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Mark_Davis_(pitcher)" title="Mark Davis (pitcher)">Mark Davis</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/San_Diego_Padres" title="San Diego Padres">San Diego Padres</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1989_in_baseball" title="1989 in baseball">1989</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Steve_Bedrosian" title="Steve Bedrosian">Steve Bedrosian</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Philadelphia_Phillies" title="Philadelphia Phillies">Philadelphia Phillies</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1987_in_baseball" title="1987 in baseball">1987</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Willie_Hern%C3%A1ndez" title="Willie Hernández">Willie Hernández</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Detroit_Tigers" title="Detroit Tigers">Detroit Tigers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1984_in_baseball" title="1984 in baseball">1984</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Milwaukee_Brewers" title="Milwaukee Brewers">Milwaukee Brewers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1981_in_baseball" title="1981 in baseball">1981</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" title="Bruce Sutter">Bruce Sutter</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Chicago_Cubs" title="Chicago Cubs">Chicago Cubs</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1979_in_baseball" title="1979 in baseball">1979</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Sparky_Lyle" title="Sparky Lyle">Sparky Lyle</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1977_in_baseball" title="1977 in baseball">1977</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Mike_Marshall_(pitcher)" title="Mike Marshall (pitcher)">Mike Marshall</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers" title="Los Angeles Dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1974_in_baseball" title="1974 in baseball">1974</a> (NL) </td></tr></tbody></table> </td> <td valign="top" align="center"> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Award</th> <th>Closer</th> <th>Team</th> <th>Year </th></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="4"><a href="/wiki/MLB_Most_Valuable_Player_Award" class="mw-redirect" title="MLB Most Valuable Player Award">MVP</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1992_in_baseball" title="1992 in baseball">1992</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Willie_Hern%C3%A1ndez" title="Willie Hernández">Willie Hernández</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Detroit_Tigers" title="Detroit Tigers">Detroit Tigers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1984_in_baseball" title="1984 in baseball">1984</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a> *</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Milwaukee_Brewers" title="Milwaukee Brewers">Milwaukee Brewers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1981_in_baseball" title="1981 in baseball">1981</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Jim_Konstanty" title="Jim Konstanty">Jim Konstanty</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Philadelphia_Phillies" title="Philadelphia Phillies">Philadelphia Phillies</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1950_in_baseball" title="1950 in baseball">1950</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="4"><a href="/wiki/World_Series_MVP_Award" class="mw-redirect" title="World Series MVP Award">WS MVP</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1999_in_baseball" title="1999 in baseball">1999</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/John_Wetteland" title="John Wetteland">John Wetteland</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1996_in_baseball" title="1996 in baseball">1996</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Rollie_Fingers" title="Rollie Fingers">Rollie Fingers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1974_in_baseball" title="1974 in baseball">1974</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Larry_Sherry" title="Larry Sherry">Larry Sherry</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers" title="Los Angeles Dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1959_Major_League_Baseball_season" title="1959 Major League Baseball season">1959</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="11"><a href="/wiki/MLB_Rookie_of_the_Year_Award" class="mw-redirect" title="MLB Rookie of the Year Award">ROY</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Craig_Kimbrel" title="Craig Kimbrel">Craig Kimbrel</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Atlanta_Braves" title="Atlanta Braves">Atlanta Braves</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2011_in_baseball" title="2011 in baseball">2011</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Neftal%C3%AD_Feliz" title="Neftalí Feliz">Neftalí Feliz</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Texas_Rangers_(baseball)" title="Texas Rangers (baseball)">Texas Rangers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2010_in_baseball" title="2010 in baseball">2010</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Andrew_Bailey_(baseball)" title="Andrew Bailey (baseball)">Andrew Bailey</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2009_in_baseball" title="2009 in baseball">2009</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Huston_Street" title="Huston Street">Huston Street</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2005_in_baseball" title="2005 in baseball">2005</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Kazuhiro_Sasaki" title="Kazuhiro Sasaki">Kazuhiro Sasaki</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Seattle_Mariners" title="Seattle Mariners">Seattle Mariners</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2000_in_baseball" title="2000 in baseball">2000</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Scott_Williamson" title="Scott Williamson">Scott Williamson</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Cincinnati_Reds" title="Cincinnati Reds">Cincinnati Reds</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1999_in_baseball" title="1999 in baseball">1999</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Gregg_Olson" title="Gregg Olson">Gregg Olson</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles" title="Baltimore Orioles">Baltimore Orioles</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1989_in_baseball" title="1989 in baseball">1989</a> (AL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Todd_Worrell" title="Todd Worrell">Todd Worrell</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/St._Louis_Cardinals" title="St. Louis Cardinals">St. Louis Cardinals</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1986_in_baseball" title="1986 in baseball">1986</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Steve_Howe_(baseball)" title="Steve Howe (baseball)">Steve Howe</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers" title="Los Angeles Dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1980_in_baseball" title="1980 in baseball">1980</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Butch_Metzger" title="Butch Metzger">Butch Metzger</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/San_Diego_Padres" title="San Diego Padres">San Diego Padres</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1976_in_baseball" title="1976 in baseball">1976</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Joe_Black" title="Joe Black">Joe Black</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers" title="Los Angeles Dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1952_in_baseball" title="1952 in baseball">1952</a> (NL) </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="5"><a href="/wiki/League_Championship_Series" title="League Championship Series">LCS MVP</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Koji_Uehara" title="Koji Uehara">Koji Uehara</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Boston_Red_Sox" title="Boston Red Sox">Boston Red Sox</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2013_in_baseball" title="2013 in baseball">2013</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>)<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Andrew_Miller_(baseball)" title="Andrew Miller (baseball)">Andrew Miller</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Cleveland_Indians" class="mw-redirect" title="Cleveland Indians">Cleveland Indians</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2016_in_baseball" title="2016 in baseball">2016</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2003_in_baseball" title="2003 in baseball">2003</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Rob_Dibble" title="Rob Dibble">Rob Dibble</a>, <a href="/wiki/Randy_Myers" title="Randy Myers">Randy Myers</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Cincinnati_Reds" title="Cincinnati Reds">Cincinnati Reds</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1990_in_baseball" title="1990 in baseball">1990</a> (<a href="/wiki/National_League_(baseball)" title="National League (baseball)">NL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Dennis_Eckersley" title="Dennis Eckersley">Dennis Eckersley</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Oakland_Athletics" title="Oakland Athletics">Oakland Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1988_in_baseball" title="1988 in baseball">1988</a> (<a href="/wiki/American_League" title="American League">AL</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game_Most_Valuable_Player_Award" title="Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award">ASG MVP</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Mariano_Rivera" title="Mariano Rivera">Mariano Rivera</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/New_York_Yankees" title="New York Yankees">New York Yankees</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2013_in_baseball" title="2013 in baseball">2013</a> </td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>* Won both the league Cy Young Award and league Most Valuable Player Award in the same year </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nippon_Professional_Baseball">Nippon Professional Baseball</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Nippon Professional Baseball"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" align="center"> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Award</th> <th>Closer</th> <th>Team</th> <th>Year </th></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="3"><a href="/wiki/Meikyukai" title="Meikyukai">Meikyukai</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Kazuhiro_Sasaki" title="Kazuhiro Sasaki">Kazuhiro Sasaki</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Yokohama_BayStars" class="mw-redirect" title="Yokohama BayStars">Whales/BayStars</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2000_in_baseball" title="2000 in baseball">2000</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Shingo_Takatsu" title="Shingo Takatsu">Shingo Takatsu</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Yakult_Swallows" class="mw-redirect" title="Yakult Swallows">Swallows</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2003_in_baseball" title="2003 in baseball">2003</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Hitoki_Iwase" title="Hitoki Iwase">Hitoki Iwase</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Chunichi_Dragons" title="Chunichi Dragons">Dragons</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/2010_in_baseball" title="2010 in baseball">2010</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="4">MVP</td> <td>Kazuhiro Sasaki</td> <td>BayStars</td> <td><a href="/wiki/1998_in_baseball" title="1998 in baseball">1998</a> (<a href="/wiki/Central_League" title="Central League">Central</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Genji_Kaku" title="Genji Kaku">Genji Kaku</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Chunichi_Dragons" title="Chunichi Dragons">Dragons</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1988_in_baseball" title="1988 in baseball">1988</a> (Central) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Yutaka_Enatsu" title="Yutaka Enatsu">Yutaka Enatsu</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Hokkaido_Nippon_Ham_Fighters" class="mw-redirect" title="Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters">Fighters</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1981_in_baseball" title="1981 in baseball">1981</a> (<a href="/wiki/Pacific_League" title="Pacific League">Pacific</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td>Yutaka Enatsu</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Hiroshima_Toyo_Carp" title="Hiroshima Toyo Carp">Carp</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/1979_in_baseball" title="1979 in baseball">1979</a> (Central) </td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1259569809">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{clear:left;float:left;margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Baseball.svg/28px-Baseball.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Baseball.svg/42px-Baseball.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Baseball.svg/56px-Baseball.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="520" data-file-height="520" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Baseball" title="Portal:Baseball">Baseball portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Baseball_awards#Japan" title="Baseball awards">Baseball awards § Japan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baseball_awards#United_States" title="Baseball awards">Baseball awards § United States</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hall of Famer <a href="/wiki/John_Smoltz" title="John Smoltz">John Smoltz</a> was a closer for four seasons, but is considered to have primarily been a starter.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-zimniuch_p169-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-zimniuch_p169_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-zimniuch_p169_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.169</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-jenkins-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jenkins_2-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFJenkins2006" class="citation news cs1">Jenkins, Chris (September 25, 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110628203118/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060925/news_1s25saves.html">"Where's the fire?"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_San_Diego_Union-Tribune" title="The San Diego Union-Tribune">The San Diego Union-Tribune</a></i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060925/news_1s25saves.html">the original</a> on June 28, 2011.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+San+Diego+Union-Tribune&rft.atitle=Where%27s+the+fire%3F&rft.date=2006-09-25&rft.aulast=Jenkins&rft.aufirst=Chris&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.signonsandiego.com%2Funiontrib%2F20060925%2Fnews_1s25saves.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Jack Moore "On the Closer Position: The Save and RP Usage" <i>Fangraphs</i>, December 30, 2009 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/on-the-closer-position-the-save-and-rp-usage/">"On the Closer Position: The Save and RP Usage"</a>. December 30, 2009. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100108123253/http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/on-the-closer-position-the-save-and-rp-usage/">Archived</a> from the original on January 8, 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 6,</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=On+the+Closer+Position%3A+The+Save+and+RP+Usage&rft.date=2009-12-30&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fangraphs.com%2Fblogs%2Findex.php%2Fon-the-closer-position-the-save-and-rp-usage%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCouch2004" class="citation journal cs1">Couch, Greg (August 2004). "Last three outs require mental toughness on the part of a closer". <i>Baseball Digest</i>. <b>63</b> (8): 54–57. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0005-609X">0005-609X</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Baseball+Digest&rft.atitle=Last+three+outs+require+mental+toughness+on+the+part+of+a+closer&rft.volume=63&rft.issue=8&rft.pages=54-57&rft.date=2004-08&rft.issn=0005-609X&rft.aulast=Couch&rft.aufirst=Greg&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="zimniuch" class="citation book cs1">Zimniuch, Fran (2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/firemanevolution0000zimn/page/143"><i>Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball</i></a>. Chicago: <a href="/wiki/Triumph_Books" title="Triumph Books">Triumph Books</a>. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/firemanevolution0000zimn/page/143">143</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-60078-312-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-60078-312-8"><bdi>978-1-60078-312-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fireman%3A+The+Evolution+of+the+Closer+in+Baseball&rft.place=Chicago&rft.pages=143&rft.pub=Triumph+Books&rft.date=2010&rft.isbn=978-1-60078-312-8&rft.aulast=Zimniuch&rft.aufirst=Fran&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Ffiremanevolution0000zimn%2Fpage%2F143&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-dickson-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-dickson_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-dickson_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDickson2011" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Paul_Dickson_(writer)" title="Paul Dickson (writer)">Dickson, Paul</a> (2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ceeU7xSLw5kC&pg=PA195"><i>The Dickson Baseball Dictionary</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/W._W._Norton_%26_Company" title="W. W. Norton & Company">W. W. Norton & Company</a>. p. 195. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-393-34008-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-393-34008-2"><bdi>978-0-393-34008-2</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">December 30,</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Dickson+Baseball+Dictionary&rft.pages=195&rft.pub=W.+W.+Norton+%26+Company&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=978-0-393-34008-2&rft.aulast=Dickson&rft.aufirst=Paul&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DceeU7xSLw5kC%26pg%3DPA195&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMorris2006" class="citation book cs1">Morris, Peter (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/gameofinchesstor0000morr/page/318"><i>A Game of Inches: The Game on the Field</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Ivan_R._Dee" class="mw-redirect" title="Ivan R. Dee">Ivan R. Dee</a>. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/gameofinchesstor0000morr/page/318">318</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56663-677-9" title="Special:BookSources/1-56663-677-9"><bdi>1-56663-677-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Game+of+Inches%3A+The+Game+on+the+Field&rft.pages=318&rft.pub=Ivan+R.+Dee&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=1-56663-677-9&rft.aulast=Morris&rft.aufirst=Peter&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fgameofinchesstor0000morr%2Fpage%2F318&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#mcneil2006">McNeil 2006</a>, p.53</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-marchman-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-marchman_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-marchman_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMarchman2006" class="citation news cs1">Marchman, Tim (January 11, 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nysun.com/sports/mr-sutter-goes-to-cooperstown/25685/">"Mr. Sutter Goes To Cooperstown..."</a> <i><a href="/wiki/The_Sun_(New_York)" class="mw-redirect" title="The Sun (New York)">The New York Sun</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150215072753/http://www.nysun.com/sports/mr-sutter-goes-to-cooperstown/25685/">Archived</a> from the original on February 15, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">December 20,</span> 2011</span>. <q>Pitchers like Goose Gossage and Rollie Fingers were being used largely in save situations while Sutter was still in the minors; Sutter being used almost exclusively that way was an incremental change.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Sun&rft.atitle=Mr.+Sutter+Goes+To+Cooperstown...&rft.date=2006-01-11&rft.aulast=Marchman&rft.aufirst=Tim&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nysun.com%2Fsports%2Fmr-sutter-goes-to-cooperstown%2F25685%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-prospectus_p59-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-prospectus_p59_10-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-prospectus_p59_10-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="prospectus2007" class="citation book cs1">Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=VsmnfVUKJskC&q=between%20the%20numbers%20baseball%20prospectus&pg=PA59"><i>Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong</i></a>. New York: Basic Books. p. 59. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-465-00547-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-465-00547-5"><bdi>978-0-465-00547-5</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Baseball+Between+the+Numbers%3A+Why+Everything+You+Know+About+the+Game+Is+Wrong&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=59&rft.pub=Basic+Books&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0-465-00547-5&rft.au=Baseball+Prospectus+Team+of+Experts&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DVsmnfVUKJskC%26q%3Dbetween%2520the%2520numbers%2520baseball%2520prospectus%26pg%3DPA59&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-posnanski-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-posnanski_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-posnanski_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPosnanski2011" class="citation news cs1">Posnanski, Joe (September 14, 2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120104055430/http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/09/14/the-meaning-of-600-saves/">"The Meaning of Mariano"</a>. <i>SI.com</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/09/14/the-meaning-of-600-saves/">the original</a> on January 4, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=SI.com&rft.atitle=The+Meaning+of+Mariano&rft.date=2011-09-14&rft.aulast=Posnanski&rft.aufirst=Joe&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fjoeposnanski.si.com%2F2011%2F09%2F14%2Fthe-meaning-of-600-saves%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-ReferenceA-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-ReferenceA_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ReferenceA_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#prospectus2007">Baseball Prospectus 2007, p.60</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310175309/https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-relievers042610">"Should managers play Scrabble with relievers? - MLB - Yahoo Canada Sports"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-relievers042610">the original</a> on March 10, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">March 25,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Should+managers+play+Scrabble+with+relievers%3F+-+MLB+-+Yahoo+Canada+Sports&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fca.sports.yahoo.com%2Fmlb%2Fnews%3Fslug%3Djp-relievers042610&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pti20170220-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-pti20170220_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKornheiser2017" class="citation episode cs1">Kornheiser, Tony (February 20, 2017). <a href="/wiki/Pardon_the_Interruption" title="Pardon the Interruption"><i>Pardon the Interruption</i></a>. ESPN. <q>Tony La Russa changed the game of baseball. Tony La Russa invented the closer with Dennis Eckersley. Handed him the ball the beginning of the ninth—didn't bring him in the eighth, didn't bring him in the seventh—Goose Gossage, 'cause I covered him, pitched a lot of two- or three-inning relief situations. If he got around the lineup once, he got hit the second time. A lot of guys get hit the second time ... They are not comparable positions.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Pardon+the+Interruption&rft.date=2017-02-20&rft.aulast=Kornheiser&rft.aufirst=Tony&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.143</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mcneil-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-mcneil_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mcneil_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="mcneil2006" class="citation book cs1">McNeil, William (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=6ODvYhwnhn0C&q=short%20reliever&pg=PA98"><i>The Evolution of Pitching in Major League Baseball</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/McFarland_%26_Company" title="McFarland & Company">McFarland & Company</a>. p. 98. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-2468-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-2468-9"><bdi>978-0-7864-2468-9</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">December 30,</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Evolution+of+Pitching+in+Major+League+Baseball&rft.pages=98&rft.pub=McFarland+%26+Company&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-7864-2468-9&rft.aulast=McNeil&rft.aufirst=William&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D6ODvYhwnhn0C%26q%3Dshort%2520reliever%26pg%3DPA98&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="dickson1999" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Paul_Dickson_(writer)" title="Paul Dickson (writer)">Dickson, Paul</a> (1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=afQVWhAm1TEC&q=the%20new%20dickson%20baseball%20dictionary&pg=PA194"><i>The new Dickson baseball dictionary</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Houghton_Mifflin_Harcourt" title="Houghton Mifflin Harcourt">Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</a>. p. 194. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-15-600580-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-15-600580-7"><bdi>978-0-15-600580-7</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 27,</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+new+Dickson+baseball+dictionary&rft.pages=194&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Harcourt&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=978-0-15-600580-7&rft.aulast=Dickson&rft.aufirst=Paul&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DafQVWhAm1TEC%26q%3Dthe%2520new%2520dickson%2520baseball%2520dictionary%26pg%3DPA194&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#dickson1999">Dickson 1999, p.396</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-caple-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-caple_19-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCaple2008" class="citation news cs1">Caple, Jim (August 5, 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/080805">"The most overrated position in sports"</a>. <i>ESPN.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110629023701/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple%2F080805">Archived</a> from the original on June 29, 2011.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=ESPN.com&rft.atitle=The+most+overrated+position+in+sports&rft.date=2008-08-05&rft.aulast=Caple&rft.aufirst=Jim&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fespn%2Fpage2%2Fstory%3Fpage%3Dcaple%2F080805&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, pp.xx,81</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSchecter2006" class="citation web cs1">Schecter, Gabriel (January 18, 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070608125510/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/library/columns/gs_060118.htm">"The Evolution of the Closer"</a>. <a href="/wiki/National_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum" title="National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum">National Baseball Hall of Fame</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/library/columns/gs_060118.htm">the original</a> on June 8, 2007. <q>Gossage and Fingers weren't far behind, with Fingers the only pitcher who pitched at least three innings in more than 10% of his saves. Sutter and Gossage had more saves where they logged at least two innings than saves where they pitched an inning or less.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Evolution+of+the+Closer&rft.pub=National+Baseball+Hall+of+Fame&rft.date=2006-01-18&rft.aulast=Schecter&rft.aufirst=Gabriel&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseballhalloffame.org%2Flibrary%2Fcolumns%2Fgs_060118.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-humble-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-humble_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRed,_Christian2010" class="citation web cs1">Red, Christian (March 13, 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120310083209/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-03-13/sports/27058930_1_puerto-caimito-cardboard-cousin">"Modern Yankee Heroes: From humble beginnings, Mariano Rivera becomes the greatest closer in MLB history"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Daily_News_(New_York)" class="mw-redirect" title="Daily News (New York)">Daily News</a></i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-03-13/sports/27058930_1_puerto-caimito-cardboard-cousin">the original</a> on March 10, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">December 2,</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Daily+News&rft.atitle=Modern+Yankee+Heroes%3A+From+humble+beginnings%2C+Mariano+Rivera+becomes+the+greatest+closer+in+MLB+history&rft.date=2010-03-13&rft.au=Red%2C+Christian&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.nydailynews.com%2F2010-03-13%2Fsports%2F27058930_1_puerto-caimito-cardboard-cousin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRosen2011" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Charley_Rosen" title="Charley Rosen">Rosen, Charlie</a> (2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bullpendiariesma0000rose/page/213"><i>Bullpen Diaries: Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the Future of the New York Yankees</i></a>. HarperCollins Publishers. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bullpendiariesma0000rose/page/213">213</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-200598-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-06-200598-4"><bdi>978-0-06-200598-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Bullpen+Diaries%3A+Mariano+Rivera%2C+Bronx+Dreams%2C+Pinstripe+Legends%2C+and+the+Future+of+the+New+York+Yankees&rft.pages=213&rft.pub=HarperCollins+Publishers&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=978-0-06-200598-4&rft.aulast=Rosen&rft.aufirst=Charlie&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fbullpendiariesma0000rose%2Fpage%2F213&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.97</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#prospectus2007">Baseball Prospectus 2007, pp.72–73</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="tango2007" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Tom_Tango" title="Tom Tango">Tango, Tom</a>; Lichtman, Mitchel; Dolphin, Andrew; Palmer, Pete (2007). <i>The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball</i>. Potomac Books Inc. p. 221. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59797-129-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-59797-129-4"><bdi>978-1-59797-129-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Book%3A+Playing+the+Percentages+in+Baseball&rft.pages=221&rft.pub=Potomac+Books+Inc.&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-59797-129-4&rft.aulast=Tango&rft.aufirst=Tom&rft.au=Lichtman%2C+Mitchel&rft.au=Dolphin%2C+Andrew&rft.au=Palmer%2C+Pete&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#tango2007">Tango et al. 2007, pp.215–16</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHoltzman2002" class="citation news cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jerome_Holtzman" title="Jerome Holtzman">Holtzman, Jerome</a> (May 2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20120708042304/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_5_61/ai_84542687">"Where did save rule come from? Baseball historian recalls how he helped develop statistic that measures reliever's effectiveness"</a>. <i>Baseball Digest</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_5_61/ai_84542687">the original</a> on July 8, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 25,</span> 2011</span>. <q>I told him it was the managers who did it, not me. Instead of bringing in their best reliever when the game was on the line, in the seventh or eighth inning, which had been the practice in the past, they saved him for the ninth.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Baseball+Digest&rft.atitle=Where+did+save+rule+come+from%3F+Baseball+historian+recalls+how+he+helped+develop+statistic+that+measures+reliever%27s+effectiveness&rft.date=2002-05&rft.aulast=Holtzman&rft.aufirst=Jerome&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ffindarticles.com%2Fp%2Farticles%2Fmi_m0FCI%2Fis_5_61%2Fai_84542687&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHoltzman1989" class="citation news cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jerome_Holtzman" title="Jerome Holtzman">Holtzman, Jerome</a> (June 18, 1989). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/06/18/pitching-keeps-cubs-armed-and-ready-after-getting-past-challenging-stretch/">"Pitching Keeps Cubs Armed And Ready After Getting Past Challenging Stretch"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Chicago_Tribune" title="Chicago Tribune">Chicago Tribune</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140714161815/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-06-18/sports/8902100793_1_cubs-bullpen-darrin-jackson-calvin-schiraldi">Archived</a> from the original on July 14, 2014.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Chicago+Tribune&rft.atitle=Pitching+Keeps+Cubs+Armed+And+Ready+After+Getting+Past+Challenging+Stretch&rft.date=1989-06-18&rft.aulast=Holtzman&rft.aufirst=Jerome&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2F1989%2F06%2F18%2Fpitching-keeps-cubs-armed-and-ready-after-getting-past-challenging-stretch%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, pp.72,156</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, pp.155–6</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.161</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, pp.166–8</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKeri2013" class="citation web cs1">Keri, Jonah (February 11, 2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://grantland.com/features/jonah-keri-worst-contracts-mlb/">"The 15 Worst Contracts in Baseball"</a>. <i>grantland.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160320132159/http://grantland.com/features/jonah-keri-worst-contracts-mlb/">Archived</a> from the original on March 20, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 7,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=grantland.com&rft.atitle=The+15+Worst+Contracts+in+Baseball&rft.date=2013-02-11&rft.aulast=Keri&rft.aufirst=Jonah&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fgrantland.com%2Ffeatures%2Fjonah-keri-worst-contracts-mlb%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160312063531/http://crashburnalley.com/2012/06/10/not-again/">"Crashburn Alley – Not Again!"</a>. <i>crashburnalley.com</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://crashburnalley.com/2012/06/10/not-again/">the original</a> on March 12, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 7,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=crashburnalley.com&rft.atitle=Crashburn+Alley+%E2%80%93+Not+Again%21&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fcrashburnalley.com%2F2012%2F06%2F10%2Fnot-again%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/5974/giants-just-good-enough-which-is-plenty">"Giants just good enough, which is plenty - SweetSpot- ESPN"</a>. October 24, 2010. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160312070254/http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/5974/giants-just-good-enough-which-is-plenty">Archived</a> from the original on March 12, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">March 11,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Giants+just+good+enough%2C+which+is+plenty+-+SweetSpot-+ESPN&rft.date=2010-10-24&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fblog%2Fsweetspot%2Fpost%2F_%2Fid%2F5974%2Fgiants-just-good-enough-which-is-plenty&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span>][<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/giants-phillies">"2010 NLCS: San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies - MLB Playoffs - ESPN"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235805/http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/giants-phillies">Archived</a> from the original on March 3, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">March 11,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=2010+NLCS%3A+San+Francisco+Giants+vs.+Philadelphia+Phillies+-+MLB+Playoffs+-+ESPN&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fmlb%2Fplayoffs%2F2010%2Fmatchup%2F_%2Fteams%2Fgiants-phillies&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=matthews_wallace&id=5716305">"Matthews: Girardi sank season in fifth inning"</a>. <i>ESPN.com</i>. October 23, 2010. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161006151457/http://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?id=5716305&columnist=matthews_wallace">Archived</a> from the original on October 6, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 7,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=ESPN.com&rft.atitle=Matthews%3A+Girardi+sank+season+in+fifth+inning&rft.date=2010-10-23&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fmlb%2Fcolumns%2Fstory%3Fcolumnist%3Dmatthews_wallace%26id%3D5716305&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLueck2002" class="citation news cs1">Lueck, Thomas J. (August 25, 2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180125193727/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/sports/hoyt-wilhelm-first-reliever-in-the-hall-of-fame-dies.html">"Hoyt Wilhelm, First Reliever in the Hall of Fame, Dies"</a>. <i>The New York Times</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/sports/hoyt-wilhelm-first-reliever-in-the-hall-of-fame-dies.html">the original</a> on January 25, 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 18,</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=Hoyt+Wilhelm%2C+First+Reliever+in+the+Hall+of+Fame%2C+Dies&rft.date=2002-08-25&rft.aulast=Lueck&rft.aufirst=Thomas+J.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2002%2F08%2F25%2Fsports%2Fhoyt-wilhelm-first-reliever-in-the-hall-of-fame-dies.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150110045748/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/mlb_coverage/2015/01/hall_focus_next_year_turns_to_ken_griffey_jr_trevor_hoffman">"Hall focus next year turns to Ken Griffey Jr., Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner"</a>. <i>Boston Herald</i>. Associated Press. January 7, 2015. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/mlb_coverage/2015/01/hall_focus_next_year_turns_to_ken_griffey_jr_trevor_hoffman">the original</a> on January 10, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">January 10,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Boston+Herald&rft.atitle=Hall+focus+next+year+turns+to+Ken+Griffey+Jr.%2C+Trevor+Hoffman+and+Billy+Wagner&rft.date=2015-01-07&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonherald.com%2Fsports%2Fred_sox_mlb%2Fmlb_coverage%2F2015%2F01%2Fhall_focus_next_year_turns_to_ken_griffey_jr_trevor_hoffman&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSarris2015" class="citation news cs1">Sarris, Eno (January 7, 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150109185551/http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/john-smoltz-two-half-hall-of-famers/">"John Smoltz: Two Half Hall of Famers"</a>. <i>Fangraphs.com</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/john-smoltz-two-half-hall-of-famers/">the original</a> on January 9, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">January 10,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Fangraphs.com&rft.atitle=John+Smoltz%3A+Two+Half+Hall+of+Famers&rft.date=2015-01-07&rft.aulast=Sarris&rft.aufirst=Eno&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fangraphs.com%2Fblogs%2Fjohn-smoltz-two-half-hall-of-famers%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.227</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#zimniuch">Zimniuch 2010</a>, p.229</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSchoenfield2019" class="citation web cs1">Schoenfield, David (January 22, 2019). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25826814/mariano-rivera-edgar-martinez-roy-halladay-mike-mussina-elected-baseball-hall-fame">"Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina joining Hall of Fame"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/ESPN.com" title="ESPN.com">ESPN.com</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">November 3,</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=ESPN.com&rft.atitle=Mariano+Rivera%2C+Edgar+Martinez%2C+Roy+Halladay+and+Mike+Mussina+joining+Hall+of+Fame&rft.date=2019-01-22&rft.aulast=Schoenfield&rft.aufirst=David&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fmlb%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F25826814%2Fmariano-rivera-edgar-martinez-roy-halladay-mike-mussina-elected-baseball-hall-fame&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/boston-red-sox-closer-koji-uehara-nets-alcs-mvp-honors?ymd=20131020&content_id=63169548&vkey=news_mlb">"Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara nets ALCS MVP honors"</a>. <i>MLB.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140703131506/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/boston-red-sox-closer-koji-uehara-nets-alcs-mvp-honors?ymd=20131020&content_id=63169548&vkey=news_mlb">Archived</a> from the original on July 3, 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 7,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=MLB.com&rft.atitle=Boston+Red+Sox+closer+Koji+Uehara+nets+ALCS+MVP+honors&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmlb.mlb.com%2Fnews%2Farticle%2Fmlb%2Fboston-red-sox-closer-koji-uehara-nets-alcs-mvp-honors%3Fymd%3D20131020%26content_id%3D63169548%26vkey%3Dnews_mlb&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACloser+%28baseball%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Closer_(baseball)&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SV_career.shtml">Major League 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pitcher">Starter</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ace_(baseball)" title="Ace (baseball)">Ace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Opener_(baseball)" title="Opener (baseball)">Opener</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relief_pitcher" title="Relief pitcher">Reliever</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Middle_relief_pitcher" class="mw-redirect" title="Middle relief pitcher">Middle reliever</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Long_reliever" title="Long reliever">Long reliever</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Setup_man" title="Setup man">Setup man</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Closer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Left-handed_specialist" title="Left-handed specialist">Left-handed specialist</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swingman#Baseball" title="Swingman">Swingman</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">by style</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Power_pitcher" title="Power pitcher">Power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Control_pitcher" title="Control pitcher">Control</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ground_ball_pitcher" title="Ground ball pitcher">Ground ball</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fly_ball_pitcher" title="Fly ball pitcher">Fly ball</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switch_pitcher" title="Switch pitcher">Switch</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="5" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px;padding-right:1.0em;"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Baseball fielding positions"><img alt="Baseball fielding positions" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg/120px-Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg.png" decoding="async" width="120" height="94" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg/180px-Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg/240px-Baseball_fielding_positions_tiny.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="87" data-file-height="68" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:lightgrey;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Defense_(sports)" title="Defense (sports)">Defensive<br />players</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">by type</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pitcher" title="Pitcher">Pitcher</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catcher" title="Catcher">Catcher</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infielder" title="Infielder">Infielder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outfielder" title="Outfielder">Outfielder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Utility_player_(baseball)" title="Utility player (baseball)">Utility player</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Position_player" title="Position player">Position player</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">by number</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pitcher" title="Pitcher">Pitcher (1/P)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catcher" title="Catcher">Catcher (2/C)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/First_baseman" title="First baseman">First baseman (3/1B)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Second_baseman" title="Second baseman">Second baseman (4/2B)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Third_baseman" title="Third baseman">Third baseman (5/3B)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shortstop" title="Shortstop">Shortstop (6/SS)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Left_fielder" title="Left fielder">Left fielder (7/LF)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Center_fielder" title="Center fielder">Center fielder (8/CF)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_fielder" title="Right fielder">Right fielder (9/RF)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:lightgrey;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Offense_(sports)" title="Offense (sports)">Offensive<br />players</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">by role</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Batting_(baseball)" title="Batting (baseball)">Batter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Base_running" title="Base running">Runner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Batting_order_(baseball)" title="Batting order (baseball)">Batting order (1–9)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Designated_hitter" title="Designated hitter">Designated hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pinch_hitter" title="Pinch hitter">Pinch hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pinch_runner" title="Pinch runner">Pinch runner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leadoff_hitter" title="Leadoff hitter">Leadoff hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleanup_hitter" title="Cleanup hitter">Cleanup hitter</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">by style</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Clutch_hitter" title="Clutch hitter">Clutch hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Contact_hitter" title="Contact hitter">Contact hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Power_hitter" title="Power hitter">Power hitter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switch_hitter" title="Switch hitter">Switch hitter</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:lightgrey;;width:1%">Non-players</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">team roles</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Manager_(baseball)" title="Manager (baseball)">Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coach_(baseball)" title="Coach (baseball)">Coaches</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bullpen_catcher" title="Bullpen catcher">Bullpen catcher</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">executives</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/President_of_baseball_operations" class="mw-redirect" title="President of baseball operations">President of baseball operations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/General_manager_(baseball)" title="General manager (baseball)">General manager</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em;background:lightgrey;font-weight:normal; padding-left:0.2em;">other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Umpire_(baseball)" title="Umpire (baseball)">Umpire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Official_scorer" title="Official scorer">Official scorer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Batboy" title="Batboy">Batboy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ball_boy" title="Ball boy">Ball boy/girl</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:lightgrey;;width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Captain_(baseball)" title="Captain (baseball)">Captain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battery_(baseball)" title="Battery (baseball)">Battery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Injured_list" title="Injured list">Injured list</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phantom_ballplayer" title="Phantom ballplayer">Phantom ballplayer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Platoon_system" 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