Pre-Owned Closer: Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game (Paperback) 076244679X 9780762446797

The closer is the ace reliever who specializes in closing out the game without surrendering the lead. Facing a power hitter in the ninth inning with a man on base and no outs takes nerves of steel. The pressure on the mound is intense. It takes a special breed to hold it together in these situations. Legendary manager Tony LaRusso said Sure games can get away from you in the seventh and eighth but those last three outs in the ninth are the toughest. It wasn t until the creation of the save the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher in 1960 that the position of closer began to rise in prominence. Today closers are seen as some of the most intense athletes in all of sports. Neary and Tobin explore the unique personalities of major leagues most prominent relief pitchers from Bruce Sutter (Cubs Cardinals and Braves) to Mariano Rivera (Yankees). Closer is an insider s look into the role of the closing pitcher how the position has evolved and how legends-Trevor Hoffman Rollie Fingers Dennis Eckersley John Smoltz Rich Goose Gossage Mariano Rivera Brian Fuentes and many more-coped with the stress on the mound such as when facing the .340 batter in the bottom of the ninth with only a one run lead.