Poll-A-Palooza: Who closes for the Cardinals?
DOWNTOWN — Back on Oct. 8, just a little bit after pitching coach Dave Duncan agreed to his new contract, a poll went up in this blog asking the simple question: Who closes? Some 1,300 readers voted and “anointed” Chris Perez the closer with 42 percent of the vote. (Brian Fuentes finished third, one spot behind where the Cardinals finished for his services.)
That poll, meant as a prelude to the St. Louis Cardinals’ search this winter, has instead become the nagging question of the offseason. There still isn’t a certain answer.
Since the opening of free agency, the Cardinals seem to have spent as much time discussing reasons in-house candidates cannot close as they have found reasons in-house candidates will close. Jason Motte, Chris Perez — too inexperienced. Chris Carpenter — too important as a starter to close and, like Josh Kinney, too uncertain as locks to appear in back-to-back days, etc. Ryan Franklin, Kyle McClellan — too valuable in their roles as setup relievers. Too. Too. Too.
As the roster stands right now, it’s too obvious: One of the above — mostly likely one of the first two — will break spring training as the Cardinals’ eventual answer in the ninth inning. Eventual, that is, because management has said it will consider going with matchups in the ninth to start the season. There’s no need to reset all this information. It’s been covered in bits and pieces all winter. The question then, as an ideal closing to today’s spree of polls, isn’t who closes in April, but who closes most often in 2009.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I think it was important that Chris Perez got his feet wet and got thrown into some fires in the late innings. That experience should benefit him going into 2009.
The dark horse for closer has to be Josh Kinney. His stuff was pretty nasty at the end of the 2008 season. Can he stay healthy?
Joel Piniero
Is there any reason why the Cards are not in on Ben Sheets? I know the health issues are there, but what a great risk/reward scenario.
I agree. It was very important that Perez recieved a chance to fight in some of those late inning battles. I think you have to hand the ball to Perez and put your full confidence in him for 2009. You have to give him a shot at the opposing teams best hitter in the late inning wars over the course of the season. Sure, there will be a fair share of blown saves and rough games for Perez, but he has got to grow and learn to battle. This guy has a chance to be really good, so now let him learn how to fight in the late inning battles that occur in a season.
I picked Franklin only because I think that Perez and Motte both will get their chances to close. In between, though, Franklin will get the call and accumulate saves.
He won’t be the full-time closer. His saves will come in fits and spurts. But I think over the course of 162 games, he’ll end up with just a few more total saves than Perez (finishing 2nd) and Motte (finishing 3rd).
Bullpen by committee?
Good luck will save more games than all of these guys.
After the starter, I see McClellan (if he doesn’t start), then Motte, then Franklin, and finally Perez to close. That gives us a strong start, fast, quick mid-to-late game, strong late, and a very fast closer. Keeps the opposition on their toes.
I selected Jason Motte because he has that blazing fastball that will paralize the hitters….anyway he’ll only pitch one inning at most.
Just looking at a previous comment where somebody suggested Joel Pineio. You know, that could be a pretty good idea. A case of a “hasbeen” starting pitcher turning into an outstanding closer . . . kind of like Dennis Eckersly and Jason Isringhausen.