Billy Wagner leaves game with apparent elbow injury!

Did anyone watch the Redsox-Yankee game tonight? Pedro pitched 7 good innings, left with a 4-3 lead only to see the bullpen blow the game.

You can have the best starters in the game, but very few pitchers throw complete games anymore. If you don't have a good bullpen you are a mediocre to bad baseball team.

DREAMer-The only closer Lima is getting is closer to leaving H-Town


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[This message has been edited by BobFinn* (edited June 04, 2001).]

 

I agree with bobrek (he's always right on )

Mike Jackson should step in as the closer because of experience if wagner goes down...Oswalt is way too unproven to close out games, even though he has great stuff...

[This message has been edited by ChenZhen (edited June 04, 2001).]

 

So why don't they put Martinez in the bullpen?

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Because they would have no lead to save if Pedro didn't start.



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One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

 

Dreamer:

Generally, you want a pitcher who does one thing *very* well to be your closer. He's only going to have to face each batter once, so they're not going to get used to his "sweet pitch." That's why you get so many guys with 100 mile fastballs and nothing but a changeup as closers. Add a slider, and my, they're unbeatable .

Lima, in his prime, won by having a few good pitchers, but I wouldn't call any of them deadly.

Does Oswalt have that one lethal pitch?

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Well, Lima did have a particularly wicked change-up. But his fastball has fallen off so much that his change-up has nothing to change from.

Oswalt has a pretty good fastball, but he doesn't have a pitch that makes hitters beat their chests and cry out in lamentation.

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How did Rod Beck save so many games then?

I think the closer role is one that is very stressful and must be filled by a guy who can live up to that challenge of saving a game. Lima is a very emotional guy, and I think he might just respond well if the organization puts that sort of trust in him.

Look, he's not coming back into the rotation (barring an injury... or two), and he's not the type of guy to pitch middle relief, so what do the L'Astros do with him?

I say, if Wagner is hurt, put the ball in Lima's hands and let him make it or break it. If he sucks how much worse off will the Stros be?

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