Closers Wanted: Ranting About Ozzie Guillen and Closers by Committee

The White Sox sit at 7-8 right now, 3.5 games behind the Royals and Indians in the AL Central race. But the story is not the record, the story is not the offense, the story is their failure to close out games. Matt Thornton came into the season as the closer, but he has been nothing short of awful this year. Thornton is 0-4 in save attempts. Now, to be fair, 6 of the 10 runs he has allowed in those situations were unearned, but Thornton is not getting the job done. And now, Ozzie Guillen is confused and making things worse. Case in point, on Wednesday, the White Sox were holding a 4-1 lead in the 9th. Thornton, the closer, doesn't get the ball. Chris Sale gets the ball. Great, this means the Sox have a new closer! Sale gives up a leadoff double and two singles. The game is now 4-2 but, as the new closer, Sale should have the opportunity to pitch out of this jam. Instead, Ozzie goes to the bullpen. On comes Jesse Crain. What?! Is Crain the closer? No, he walks Dan Barton and strikes out Suzuki. Bases are loaded, one out, Sox up 2. And here comes Matt Thornton. Thornton strikes out Ryan Sweeney, then gives up a two out single. Tie game. Ok, blown save for the closer. They happen. But then Ozzie brings Thornton back out in the 10th in a tie game. Thornton gets lit up for 3 runs. Game over. Sox lose 7-4.

So what is the problem in all this? I believe that closing is the most difficult job in baseball. As a closer, you are charged with getting the three toughest outs in a game. You only come in with the game on the line. Closing requires great stuff, but more importantly, it takes the right mentality. Baseball history is paved with pitchers who either never had that mentality (see Letroy Hawkins), or guys that lost that mentality (Byung Hung Kim after the '01 World Series, Brad Lidge for a short time after giving up countless huge homeruns in the '05 postseason). The worst thing a manager can do with a closer is make the closer's job more difficult. Think of it this way: athletes thrive on routine. A closer knows exactly when they will be called on and can start their routine. Closer by committee takes that away. And that's where Ozzie failed Wednesday. If Sale is your closer (and presumably he is coming in to close in a 3 run game in the 9th), then let him close. If Thornton is your closer, after 3 straight blown saves, why bring him in with one out in the 9th and the bases loaded in a 2 run game? And if Thornton is your closer, why bring him back out in the 10th when the game is tied? Define the role and pick a closer. I don't care if it's Matt Thornton, if it's Chris Sale or even if it's Sergio Santos. Instead, Ozzie is overmanaging and making the toughest job in baseball more difficult than it already is.

Ultimately, we're 15 games into a 162 game season. Kansas City and Cleveland probably won't be there in September and Minnesota is off to a miserable start. But there are going to be plenty of close games this year and the White Sox will need a closer. Define the roles in the bullpen and the Sox will be fine.