Postseason Meltdowns Can Ruin Careers
By Mike Silva ~ October 11th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.
Joe Nathan entered the 2009 ALDS with a career ERA+ of 175. For those that may not know, that means he is 75% better than league average. He has also produced a WHIP less than one in five of the last seven seasons. You could argue that he is second to only Mariano Rivera when it comes to naming closers in either league. None of that was on display this past Friday as Nathan pitched tentatively and allowed Alex Rodriguez to tie the game with a two run homer. In the past these types of performances have produced negative long term effects on big league closers.
The name that comes to mind is Brad Lidge. After giving up a three run homer to Albert Pujols in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS it took him three seasons to regain his form famously with the Phillies in 2008. He still feels the lingering effect this seasons as Lidge reverted back to form with an ERA a shade under eight. Charlie Manuel doesn’t know what to expect when the bullpen door swings open in Philly. Similar stories unfolded with players such as Calvin Schiraldi, Mark Wohlers, and Armando Benitez. These players either faded into obscurity, or constantly produced the same failure when the lights shined the brightest.
Perhaps the most tragic story was Donnie Moore. It took him a while to establish himself, but when he signed with California he became one of the better closers in the American League. In 1985 he finished seventh in the Cy Young vote and was selected to his only All Star Game. A year later the Angels had a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Red Sox. He was brought in to give California their first pennant. With one swing of the bat Dave Henderson changed the course of baseball history and effectively ended Donnie Moore’s career. Three years later, his baseball career over, and in the midst of marital problems, Donnie Moore committed suicide. One never knows if a simple baseball game was to blame, but the downward spiral his career took was cited by his daughter as a huge reason for Moore’s depression.
No one knows what lies ahead for Joe Nathan. He wasn’t a particularly good postseason performer coming into Game 2 of the ALDS. The best thing for him is to get back on that mound tonight and preserve a Carl Pavano victory for Minnesota. If the Twins get swept they will only be left with thoughts of “what if”? As you can see, postseason meltdowns have led to a variety of career crossroads. Prior performance seems to get enveloped by that one bad pitch or inning. The ninth inning can be one of the cruelest aspects the game of baseball can offer. It will be interesting how the Twins, and Nathan, recover from one of the toughest losses in franchise history.
