[轉錄][情報]Batista目標50次救援
原文出自官網
03/19/2005 3:40 PM ET
Notes: Batista aiming for 50 saves
Right-hander preparing for role as team's closer
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Miguel Batista's conversion to the closer's slot is
complete.
Toronto's ace reliever is already mapping out ambitious goals and ways to
accomplish them. The erstwhile starter is aiming for a save total that
would set a franchise record, and he's also setting rules on when he'll talk
to the media.
"We're trying to make sure we get those last three nails every night, just
bury them. It's going to be a tough job," said Batista, who wants to get 50
saves. "That's why I'm telling you -- I don't think I'll get a chance to talk
every night."
The right-hander expects to have a busy season, but history is not on his
side. Batista has a grand total of six career saves, and only one Toronto
reliever has ever registered 40 in a season. That was Duane Ward, who set the
franchise record (45) in 1993.
Still, Batista doesn't seem intimidated by the numbers. He's done his own math
, and his calculations show that the Blue Jays need a 50-save season to
advance to the playoffs.
"Our team isn't planning to go out there and compete. We're planning to go
out there and beat some people up," Batista said. "We're not looking for a
25- or 30-save guy -- we're looking for a guy to give us 50, at least.
That's the one thing that's going to take us to the playoffs.
"Ask Mariano Rivera. He knows. Look at Texas with [Francisco] Cordero last
year -- he got 43. They almost made it. Seven more and they would've been
there."
Endurance: The Jays are working hard on the finer points of Batista's relief
resume. He earned five saves in last season's stretch run, but he never
pitched on back-to-back occasions.
He plans on doing that over the next few weeks of the Grapefruit League
schedule, and he believes that experience will be invaluable once the season
starts. After all, if he's looking for 50 saves, he'll need to perform on a
regular basis -- even when he doesn't have his best stuff.
"You have to be smart enough to know when your stuff is there and when it's
not. When it's not, you've got to change to plan B in a heartbeat, because we
need to win," Batista said. "That's what makes a good closer a great closer.
When you don't have your stuff, you've still got to give it the same --
change gears and bring something out."
Batista has worked on whittling down his seven-pitch arsenal to something a
little more manageable. He's changed his philosophy -- instead of trying to
make hitters look silly, he wants to get them out on as few pitches as
possible. In his latest relief appearance, he struck out two batters and got
the third on a second-pitch ground ball.
"It's coming along good. We've been working on locating some pitches to get
me out early. ... There are some minor things we're still trying to perfect,"
Batista said. "There are a lot of pitches I haven't used in the last three
outings. But those are pitches that I use in the 'pen -- when my fastball's
not there, I'm going to need them.
"It's more a physical adjustment than it is mentally. I was ready to pitch,
no matter what. ... That's most of the concern, to make sure that once
Opening Day comes, I'll be ready to throw every night if we have a lead."
Homeroom: When Pete Walker took the mound on Friday night, he had someone
from his hometown watching his back. John McDonald, Toronto's shortstop,
went to the same high school as Walker in East Lyme, Conn.
McDonald made two outstanding plays in that game, but only one of them turned
into an out. Afterwards, he admitted that it felt pretty special to play
behind Walker, who was a high school senior when McDonald was in eighth grade.
"I always want to pick up Pete anyway I can. He's the elder statesman back in
East Lyme, so anytime I can take care of him, I'm going to do it," said
McDonald, who also mentioned Brook Fordyce as a Connecticut role model.
"Those guys made it to the big leagues and made somebody like myself think it
was possible.
"You don't know, back then, how good someone is. There are good high school
players all over the place -- it's who can stay with it long enough to get to
the big leagues."
The defensive standout flashed leather twice in the same inning on Friday
night, but he said he learned a profound lesson from Omar Vizquel during his
Cleveland tenure. Vizquel, a nine-time Gold Glover, made a big impression on
McDonald.
"The guys that can make the routine play over and over again are the guys
that stay in the big leagues," McDonald said. "You can ask anybody -- making
the great plays is a lot of fun, but you can't mess up the routine ball.
"I've learned from some very good players and coaches. Omar Vizquel did not
miss the routine ball. [The spectacular plays] made him great, but you can be
very good and play this game for a long time."
Quotable: "When you're a closer, you want little licks here and little licks
there. If you can get three pitches to get out of an inning, that's all we
want -- just make sure they swing the bat and we go home." -- Batista,
succinctly summing up Toronto's late-inning philosophy
"You have to be smart enough to know when your stuff is there and when it's not. When it's not, you've got to change to plan B in a heartbeat, because we need to win," Batista said. "That's what makes a good closer a great closer. When you don't have your stuff, you've still got to give it the same -- change gears and bring something out."
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