if the players thought they had a chance at the beginning of the game.

I know that eschewing the closer role is a litmus test of being a stathead, but I don’t think we can completely discount the effect of a great closer. I don’t think we should discount DDJ’s words or the words of all the other players/managers that talk about how important the closer is. The placebo effect might work in baseball, too.

I’d try Soria in the rotation for all the usual reasons (chiefly because a good starter pitches 200 IP and a good closer pitches 60 IP), but I think statheads discount too heavily the psychological effect that an elite closer has on his team and the the closing team.

I think some of the closer aura is a self-fulfilling propehcy (players get all psyched about it because everyone gets all psyched about it), but I think statheads are too quick to discount the positive effect of a dominant closer.

My real problem with the closer role is when you have Roberto Hernandez or some random guy and the manager still tries to use him in the 9th. I’d prefer Soria starting, but I can see why he closes.

But don’t you get sick of just seeing him when the Royals are winning by 3 runs or less?

I can only imagine the psychotic breaks caused by the impending entrace of David Aardsma (1.3 WAR) into the ballgame.

Which is: what other aura-piercing weapons do the Royals need in their arsenal in order to contend?

Closer-by-committee is getting no complaints for Braves, Rays

At least for me, the issue was never that Soria could definitely be a starter. I don’ t know. I used to be pretty convinced, but Harry Pavlidis’ s series on Soria at THT was though-provoking.

Still, that isn’t the point. Whether or not Soria could be a starter is one issue. My (and I think others) say that if he can be an above-average starter and stay healthy, that is more valuable than him being a closer.

That’s a different issue.

I don’t know what in the world is a better idea than moving a guy who hasn’t started a game in the minors since 2005 into the starting rotation.

Anyways, those rotator cuff problems were because he wasn’t a starter.

And if anybody is going to be a good starter, it’s someone with a 90mph fastball. Nobody can figure that out after 3 times in a night.