Comments on: What I Learned On Vacation http://knuckleballsblog.com/2011/03/23/what-i-learned-on-vacation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-i-learned-on-vacation "Like butterflies with hiccups" Tue, 21 May 2013 14:15:57 +0000 hourly 1 By: SeNDai Twins Fan http://knuckleballsblog.com/2011/03/23/what-i-learned-on-vacation/#comment-5212 SeNDai Twins Fan Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:20:20 +0000 http://knuckleballsblog.com/?p=5963#comment-5212 Great sign-off, JC.
I can hardly wait. I’m ready for baseball that counts.
Today (high of 45F) was supposed to be Opening Day for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles here in Sendai! The start of our NPB season has been delayed due to the earthquake/tsunami.
Have my MLB.tv subscription ready, and with Nishioka on the team, should get many more Twins games broadcast here.
PS: If one was taking votes…. Nathan

]]> By: Jim Crikket http://knuckleballsblog.com/2011/03/23/what-i-learned-on-vacation/#comment-5178 Jim Crikket Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:33:44 +0000 http://knuckleballsblog.com/?p=5963#comment-5178 I don’t disagree, that Nathan gets the benefit of the doubt if the two pitchers are looking relatively equal heading in to the season, but I don’t believe he’s “earned the right to be closer”. Being the closer isn’t, to me, a right. It’s a position that you earn through performance and you have to keep earning it. It may not seem “right” to lose a position due to injury, but it happens all the time. If that injury results in you being unable to do the job as well as someone else… someone younger… someone healthier… someone who gives the team a better chance to win ballgames, then that other person gets the job. Hopefully, there’s another job you are perfectly capable of doing.

I do hope Nathan gains his old effectiveness and has a terrific year. My point is simply that, based on what we’ve seen in Spring Training, right now he is not looking as consistently effective as Matt Capps.

]]> By: jjswol http://knuckleballsblog.com/2011/03/23/what-i-learned-on-vacation/#comment-5176 jjswol Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:49:52 +0000 http://knuckleballsblog.com/?p=5963#comment-5176 JC, I am not sure that Capps has out pitched Nathan although Nathan has had a couple of bad outings. I would go with Nathan as the closer because first of all, he has earned the right to be the closer over the last few years and an injury should not cause you to lose your job. Secondly, Capps has shown he can pitch better in a set-up role than Nathan has, Nathan has over the years shown that he is not the same when he is not pitching in a “closing” situation.

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