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One thing seems to be a constant among the best teams in Major League Baseball. Each of them have at least one breakout offensive star. Also each has a supporting cast of offensive stars that regularly produce and take the pressure off of the big producing star. Each of them has as strong starting pitching staff along with a very strong bullpen. One thing they all absolutely have is a strong and confident closer. The Texas Rangers are the best team in baseball and have been for a while. That should tell you how good their closer Joe Nathan is.
Nathan had 37 saves in his first season with the Rangers in 2012 and has started the 2013 season with a huge bang in the saves category. He already has fifteen saves and could come close to last year’s total by the all-star break. There should be no secret about it. One reason the Rangers are the best team in baseball instead of just one of the better ones is Nathan’s great closing year so far. If he suddenly lost the art of closing or was injured I promise this team would suffer for at least a month.
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He is huge for them. The great thing about the great teams like the Rangers is they know how important Nathan is and treat him accordingly. That means that while they know he is the go-to guy, he doesn’t overdo it and sometimes has to sit out if he has saved a few games in a row without a day off. The thing about closing is that they have to get ready in a hurry so they warm up fast. Sometimes they wind up not being use until an inning later or two than they plan and that can really add stress to their arms. They endure it all just like Nathan as real championship caliber pitchers.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
