I Can't Take It Anymore

I understand the conventional wisdom about not switching closers when you're in the midst of a pennant race. I understand that many teams would kill to have a pitcher who has 39 saves. And I understand that, at the beginning of the season, had you told me that the Tribe would have one pitcher with 39 saves at the end of August, compared to the 23 total saves they had last year, I'd be thrilled.

However, Joe Borowski has got to go.

Having just watched him blow his 4th save in 11 tries this month (as we head to the bottom of the 9th in the M's-Tribe game), I can't take it anymore. No team in a pennant race can afford to have a closer who (at this very moment) has an ERA of 5.53. His ERA in the month of August is 6.92. 6.92!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His WHIP is 1.48!!!!!! Being in Brazil, I only get to see the chart on ESPN's gamecast, but it's clear he can barely find the strike zone, and when he does, he either gets strikes only by virtue of fouls, or he gives up hits (barring the strikeout of Vidro just now, in which Vidro fouled off the first 2 before watching the third go by). The only thing Borowski excels at is intentional walks, given his ratio of balls (11 in the first 15 pitches in the top of the 9th - that's NOT a good start). I don't know if he just doesn't have the velocity, or the movement, or what, but this cannot stand in a playoff race. The man can't be trusted with anything less than a 3-run lead (see the 6-5 victory of the Twins on Tuesday night, when he entered a 6-3 game). Yes, the bats could give him a little insurance (particularly when Peralta flew out in the 8th), but you can't win anything with a closer who can't be counted on to save a 1-run or 2-run game. And again - 6.92 in August, with a 1.48 WHIP.

I understand that this would be a drastic move, and could not work - Betancourt (the most logical replacement) may not have the mental toughness to fill the role (I'm not terribly worried about the psychological effect on Borowski - he can't get much worse now anyways). But something has to be done. I've never been so eager for the September call-ups in my life.

If the Indians do not make the playoffs, it won't be because of bad hitting, or bad situational hitting (from which they are only emerging). It will be because, coming down the stretch, Joe Borowski cannot do his job.


......thank goodness Rick White thanks for that pickup, Bavasi!) matched Borowski in the "I can't find the strike zone" category (and has a 1.78 WHIP and 7.49 ERA, though at least he isn't Seattle's closer, for crying out loud), and thank goodness the Tribe was batting in the bottom of the 9th instead of the top. And I still stand by everything above - this won't do if Cleveland makes it to October.