At one point, every dominant major league relief staff had a left-handed specialist capable of entering the game at any point and neutralizing the stinging bat of a powerful left-handed hitter. Sometimes referred to as a LOOGY, the term can be traced back to minor league writer John Sickels.
As baseball strategy changed shape and magnitude throughout the decades, this eerily specific job became more and more in demand, with hurlers netting monster deals simply for their ability to get one guy out. For a while, Aaron Loup was that man for the Toronto Blue Jays.