Vocation as reliever perhaps the most thankless in baseball

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This article was published 04/06/2015 (3957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They’re the alpha and the omega, the glue that holds two ends together. A quiet night out is a good night out. A third of an inning here, a couple more there — they’re ready no matter what the situation dictates.

The job for relief pitchers such as Mark Pope and Raul Rivera is integral to the outcome of any baseball game. For the Winnipeg Goldeyes, these guys come in, execute, are efficient and get the heck out of Dodge.

“To me, we’re the guys who hold the game together between the beginning and the end,” Pope said.

Pope, who spent most of his career as a starter, switched to a relief role last year in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

“I enjoy coming out of the bullpen better,” said Pope, revealing he was offered the job as a starter when he arrived in Winnipeg. “It’s a feeling where you’re coming out to help out your teammates. Plus, it’s also kind of nice to sit around and relax for six or so innings.”

A vocation as a reliever is perhaps the most thankless in baseball. These select few come in to protect a lead, only for the closer to eventually take the glory. They take over when the starter throws up a dud, expected to stop the bleeding in a game that is already an afterthought. They’re counted on to be flawless, night in and night out, regardless of the circumstances.

“I only try to throw the best pitch,” Rivera said. “The pressure of doing everything perfect on the mound is there, but sometimes things happen. Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re not.”

And not every outing goes the way they’d want. Guys are blown off the mound just as quick as their fastball reaches the plate. The key, they say, is to have a short memory. You don’t get four days in between starts to recover. Sometimes you have to go out the next night.

“You get an opportunity to go out there and redeem yourself or you get the chance to go out and stay hot,” Pope said. “As a reliever, you’re involved in more games. I feel that I am a part of things more.”

When warranted, this group of ball slingers feels the need to reward themselves.

“If I come out of the game with two runners on base and another reliever comes in and keeps them on base, I’m going to get him a beer or a burger after the game,” Pope said.

Much has been written about the Goldeyes’ pitching department over the past few seasons. Nick Hernandez is the reigning American Association pitcher of the year. Brendan Lafferty loved Winnipeg so much he made it his permanent residence, forgoing peaceful, warmer winters spent in Southern California. And then there was former Fish ace Chris Salamida climbing the franchise’s record books.

Unwritten, perhaps. Forgotten? Never.

“It’s definitely one of the most important jobs, games are won and lost in those middle innings — fifth, sixth, seventh,” said Goldeyes pitching coach Jamie Vermilyea. “They keep you in the ball game. If the starter is getting roughed up, the longer reliever has to come in and try to get the team back into the game. If it’s a tie game, the guy has to come in and put up strikes and zeroes.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca