Roller Coster Williams

If you were Hoshino, what would you do?

To be perfectly honest, I would have done exactly what Hoshino did. The point of those comments I made was not to rip Hoshino. It is important to send a message to your closer: you're my guy, even if you don't have your best stuff.

Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back, I would have liked Hoshino to send someone else out there for the 9th, following the Red Sox model I discussed in another thread. But in that situation, given the "Williams is our closer, and he deserves the save" philosophy, Hoshino made the right call. It just didn't work out, but that's why we watch the games through the end...

Some of you people are so critical. The best closers in history don't make every save opportunity. Williams has only had 2 bad outings resulting in one loss and you are questioning the manager's decision to play him? I am sure you questioned the decision of the manager the other 17 times when Williams got the save and the manager was correct then.

Take out the three shakey appearances Williams has had this season (and there was only one loss), divide that by the number of times Williams has made an appearance, and you end up with him being effective about 95% of the time. Any manager in NPB or MLB would love to have a closer who is effective 95% of the time.

The Tigers are up by 9 games and you are complaining!!!!!!

Our team is now up by 10, Williams is indeed brilliant, and you are right, it would be churlish to complain. Which is why I don't think I am; the content of a team's play is just as much a part of the game as the final score, and I think it is right to discuss the details, regardless of the result.

Indeed, Williams has fantastic results so far this season, but can I not say he's gotten tired over the past month? Does his league-leading (last time I checked) number of save points mean he didn't give up more hits in May than in April?

Hoshino-kantoku decided to use Williams sparingly because Williams is tiring. It was the evidence of that tiring (i.e., the increasing frequency of Williams' giving up hits, etc.) that I spoke of recently. You will notice that I also praised Williams lavishly when he performed well.

Like every other closer (as you so rightly point out) Williams won't get every save, but he's obviously going to succeed more often than not. When he doesn't, I'll comment on that, just like I will do when he is in top form. I hope you'll be just as enthusiastic in your support of others' comments at those times, as you have been vocal when we've noted some of his less than brilliant performances in May.

Which criteria are used to evaluate a closer?

Being able to second-guess managers is why we critique baseball.

I'll never assume I know more about Hoshino's team than Hoshino does, or more about his pitchers. On that particular day, Williams appeared not to have his best stuff in the 8th, and yet Hoshino decided to let him go out there in the 9th. He blew it. He'll blow some more saves, it's part of the game, and it's why we watch baseball after the "closer" comes into the game.

I'm not just trying to criticize anyone who fails. I'm trying to offer an alternative to the status quo of pitching your "closer" through the 9th so he can get the most meaningless stat in baseball, the save.