The Path of Thorns

Last night, a Cubs pitcher lost his job.  He wasn’t traded, or released, or even benched.  But he lost his role – a role proudly held by relievers for decades, since its invention by Jerome Holtzman.  He, be it temporarily or permanently, lost his job as the closer.  Many Cub fans want to wring his neck and yet out all their hard feelings on him, and I was one of the many who was incredibly frustrated.  Seeing him give up three runs to a last place team defined a lot of the anguish Cub fans have been going through since the days of Theodore Roosevelt.

But then I remembered – it isn’t like he wanted to do that.  He didn’t want to let his team down and be humiliated.  The cliche players use is that they have to just shrug it off and go out and try again the next day, a new day.  And that would be great if the human mind and heart could be so on and off like that.  Athletes are modern day warriors, out to seek and conquer, and perfect themselves.  I bet that pitcher barely slept last night.  I bet he analyzed what he did, what he threw and how he threw it.  After all, if a warrior went for a kill and his weapon didn’t do the trick, wouldn’t he question it?  He’d be shamed.

Of course, his teammates have to back him up and support him.  You win together, you lose together.  Even if some part of you wants to let every word of annoyance and frustration out at him.  It simply wouldn’t do any good.  It wouldn’t make his ball snap as well as your words would.

The best closers have that one devastating pitch that confuses and baffles hitters.  Sure, every pitcher could use that, but closers need to bring the idea to the batters’ head in the ninth that the game’s already lost.  Closers should drive fear, should have that quirkiness in them that intimidates a batter and leaves them already thinking about the next game.  Where you know you’re cooked before you’re even thrown in the pan.

The Cubs closer that lost his job may get it back; or he may not.  If he finds that pitch that blows the other team away, he’ll get it back.  If he takes the mound like a warrior and looks like he’s in for the kill, he may be able to have intimidation on his side.  He’s had success before, and he will again – he has no choice.  Until then, he’ll have to shake it off and try again, like they always say.