Post by Fish Troll on Apr 30, 2007 21:48:19 GMT -5
Revamped bullpen 'holding' strong
White Sox relievers finding niche, rank among best in AL
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- Use of the word "hold" in the National Football League usually results in a yellow flag being thrown and a team being penalized at least 10 yards, depending on the spot of the foul.
Now, use that same word in Major League Baseball, and the result is ... well, frankly, the result is slight confusion. Even the pitchers who record the statistic basically know it's something positive, but have trouble putting an exact description into words.
"I think it's where, if you hold the team where they don't score anymore, your team can still score," said White Sox reliever David Aardsma, trying to describe the hold. "You stop the other team from scoring, as long as you win."
Said White Sox setup man Matt Thornton: "You have to get at least one out. I could come in during a one-run game and walk three guys in the inning and get a pop out and I believe it's still a hold as long as I don't give up the tying run. I don't know the exact definition."
White Sox bullpen stalwarts, such as Aardsma and Thornton, might not know the exact definition. But they do know the hold could end up being one of the team's most important statistics as it competes in the hotly contested American League Central for a postseason bid. With a rotation comprised of Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and promising rookie John Danks, the quality start would appear to hold a bit more significance for the South Siders.
But the bridge from those starters to closer Bobby Jenks often means the difference between wins and losses, even if it's a short bridge covering just one or two innings -- or at times, one or two batters. It was a fact not lost on general manager Ken Williams, who watched 2005 "hold specialists" Cliff Politte and Neal Cotts struggle to come close to the same form in 2006.
Through the first month of 2007, though, the relievers leading up to Jenks have left even a perfectionist like Williams just about as pleased as he could be with the revamped bullpen.
"I'm focusing on the words, 'as pleased as you could be,' and I would have to say,' No,' " Williams said. "I have high expectations, but that's not to say that I'm not feeling good about where they are.
"When we first put this bullpen together, because they are high-velocity and power-stuff guys, we knew there would be periods where they fell out of sync. A couple of them have fallen out of sync. When they get it back, they get it back and get big outs for you."
"There is a little ebb and flow there you have to deal with," Williams said. "Overall, the bullpen will be a strength, and not just now, but for a while. They are all young, and the contracts they are under are manageable."
Chicago's April relief results certainly support Williams' assessment. The White Sox bullpen finished the month tied for the AL lead in wins (six), ranked third in ERA (3.42) and fourth in strikeouts (68). In fact, Aardsma leads the Majors with 23 strikeouts in relief.
This group has limited first batters faced to a .237 average and has allowed 27.8 percent of inherited runners to score. It's already a move upwards from a bullpen that finished 18-20 with a 4.53 ERA in 2006, compared to 24-19 with a 3.23 ERA in 2005.
Manager Ozzie Guillen has been known to use three or four relievers to get to Jenks, even if a starter works into the seventh inning. But early on, Guillen has not overworked the bullpen.
For a setup man such as Thornton, who has had success against left-handed and right-handed hitters, his choice would be to throw an entire inning. Yet, Thornton fully understands Guillen's methods.
In the case of Aardsma, who has flourished since coming over from the Cubs in an offseason trade for Cotts, he understands the boon a mix-and-match bullpen can be for Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper.
"With our starters going as long as they are going, it creates great opportunity for Ozzie and Cooper to use matchups," Aardsma said. "Personally, I love that. You love looking at the lineup and thinking, 'I really only have to watch out for this guy and this guy.' This [past] weekend [against the Angels], it would [have been] Vlad [Guerrero] and [Orlando] Cabrera.
"They are hitting together, and those are my two guys. You can throw so many different guys out there, and it makes it a whole lot easier. You go one batter and then come back and get another guy the next day. As far as coaching goes, they have to love being able to follow that plan."
According to Cooper, nothing would please the coaching staff more then to have a strict relief rotation. For example, right-hander Nick Masset and left-hander Boone Logan would be used in middle relief, followed by big left-hander Andrew Sisco and the right-handed Aardsma in specific late-inning situations, and then possibly Thornton in the seventh and Mike MacDougal from the right side in the eighth, or vise versa. But Cooper certainly isn't complaining about the promising start for his relievers, or the niche they seemed to have carved out for themselves.
It's tough to argue when MacDougal is tied for the AL lead with seven holds, and Thornton ranks fourth in the AL with six holds. That helped the White Sox (12-11) stay above .500 in April, despite a poor offensive start. It's hard to argue even when it's tough to pin down the exact definition of a hold.
"I don't know what the rulebook says," said Cooper of the hold, officially defined as entering in a save opportunity and getting at least one out, but not surrendering the lead or completing the game. "But to me, it means coming in and doing a good job and holding the other team from getting anymore and keeping the game from getting any closer."
Said Thornton: "That's almost something they've thrown in there to help out middle relievers. With the way our bullpen is set up, you could see a lot of guys getting in the 20s in holds and someone could get 30."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
White Sox relievers finding niche, rank among best in AL
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- Use of the word "hold" in the National Football League usually results in a yellow flag being thrown and a team being penalized at least 10 yards, depending on the spot of the foul.
Now, use that same word in Major League Baseball, and the result is ... well, frankly, the result is slight confusion. Even the pitchers who record the statistic basically know it's something positive, but have trouble putting an exact description into words.
"I think it's where, if you hold the team where they don't score anymore, your team can still score," said White Sox reliever David Aardsma, trying to describe the hold. "You stop the other team from scoring, as long as you win."
Said White Sox setup man Matt Thornton: "You have to get at least one out. I could come in during a one-run game and walk three guys in the inning and get a pop out and I believe it's still a hold as long as I don't give up the tying run. I don't know the exact definition."
White Sox bullpen stalwarts, such as Aardsma and Thornton, might not know the exact definition. But they do know the hold could end up being one of the team's most important statistics as it competes in the hotly contested American League Central for a postseason bid. With a rotation comprised of Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and promising rookie John Danks, the quality start would appear to hold a bit more significance for the South Siders.
But the bridge from those starters to closer Bobby Jenks often means the difference between wins and losses, even if it's a short bridge covering just one or two innings -- or at times, one or two batters. It was a fact not lost on general manager Ken Williams, who watched 2005 "hold specialists" Cliff Politte and Neal Cotts struggle to come close to the same form in 2006.
Through the first month of 2007, though, the relievers leading up to Jenks have left even a perfectionist like Williams just about as pleased as he could be with the revamped bullpen.
"I'm focusing on the words, 'as pleased as you could be,' and I would have to say,' No,' " Williams said. "I have high expectations, but that's not to say that I'm not feeling good about where they are.
"When we first put this bullpen together, because they are high-velocity and power-stuff guys, we knew there would be periods where they fell out of sync. A couple of them have fallen out of sync. When they get it back, they get it back and get big outs for you."
"There is a little ebb and flow there you have to deal with," Williams said. "Overall, the bullpen will be a strength, and not just now, but for a while. They are all young, and the contracts they are under are manageable."
Chicago's April relief results certainly support Williams' assessment. The White Sox bullpen finished the month tied for the AL lead in wins (six), ranked third in ERA (3.42) and fourth in strikeouts (68). In fact, Aardsma leads the Majors with 23 strikeouts in relief.
This group has limited first batters faced to a .237 average and has allowed 27.8 percent of inherited runners to score. It's already a move upwards from a bullpen that finished 18-20 with a 4.53 ERA in 2006, compared to 24-19 with a 3.23 ERA in 2005.
Manager Ozzie Guillen has been known to use three or four relievers to get to Jenks, even if a starter works into the seventh inning. But early on, Guillen has not overworked the bullpen.
For a setup man such as Thornton, who has had success against left-handed and right-handed hitters, his choice would be to throw an entire inning. Yet, Thornton fully understands Guillen's methods.
In the case of Aardsma, who has flourished since coming over from the Cubs in an offseason trade for Cotts, he understands the boon a mix-and-match bullpen can be for Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper.
"With our starters going as long as they are going, it creates great opportunity for Ozzie and Cooper to use matchups," Aardsma said. "Personally, I love that. You love looking at the lineup and thinking, 'I really only have to watch out for this guy and this guy.' This [past] weekend [against the Angels], it would [have been] Vlad [Guerrero] and [Orlando] Cabrera.
"They are hitting together, and those are my two guys. You can throw so many different guys out there, and it makes it a whole lot easier. You go one batter and then come back and get another guy the next day. As far as coaching goes, they have to love being able to follow that plan."
According to Cooper, nothing would please the coaching staff more then to have a strict relief rotation. For example, right-hander Nick Masset and left-hander Boone Logan would be used in middle relief, followed by big left-hander Andrew Sisco and the right-handed Aardsma in specific late-inning situations, and then possibly Thornton in the seventh and Mike MacDougal from the right side in the eighth, or vise versa. But Cooper certainly isn't complaining about the promising start for his relievers, or the niche they seemed to have carved out for themselves.
It's tough to argue when MacDougal is tied for the AL lead with seven holds, and Thornton ranks fourth in the AL with six holds. That helped the White Sox (12-11) stay above .500 in April, despite a poor offensive start. It's hard to argue even when it's tough to pin down the exact definition of a hold.
"I don't know what the rulebook says," said Cooper of the hold, officially defined as entering in a save opportunity and getting at least one out, but not surrendering the lead or completing the game. "But to me, it means coming in and doing a good job and holding the other team from getting anymore and keeping the game from getting any closer."
Said Thornton: "That's almost something they've thrown in there to help out middle relievers. With the way our bullpen is set up, you could see a lot of guys getting in the 20s in holds and someone could get 30."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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