In the days of yore, there was a species of pitcher that existed unlike anything that exists in the game today. Long before the days of Eckersley and Hoffman and Mo, there was Sparky and Goose and Rollie. These men were the closers of their day, able to go and put out fires sparked by the opposition, dousing them with their array of pitches and demeanor on the mound. They were filing the role as a proverbial “fireman”: somehow defying common knowledge by putting out fires with gasoline (at times). These were no mere one inning relief pitchers. No, these RELIEVERS, tasked with holding down the fort until the umpire signaled the final out, preserving the win for their team in, at times, dominant fashion.
Am I going to overreact to Taijuan Walker’s save? You betcha!
