Why do closers only pitch in the 9th?

[Welfare Fraud]

Fill me in on why closers only pitch in the 9th (unless the closer pitches 2 innings, which doesn't happen regularly).

If it's the 7th or 8th inning of a 1 run game, and the opponents best hitters are coming up shouldn't you bring in your best reliever (the closer)?

Or if your teams in a jam that you have to get out of, and your closer is your best strike out reliever shouldn't you bring him in?

Our most relievers minds so fragile that the "they have to pitch in the same inning every game" theory is actually true? That's the only reason I can think of, and I'm obviously not buying it.

The 9th inning isn't always the most critical. If it's the 8th inning and the opponents best hitters are coming up, I'd use my closer and save my "setup man" for the 9th.

I think Milwaukee doing "closer by committee" is a good thing.. am I missing something?

[trwi7]

It baffles me but the Cubs do what you're proposing and it's brilliant. They don't restrict Marmol to the 9th inning role, they use him for multiple innings, against a teams best hitters and to get out of jams. That's what every team should do with their best reliever.

[HCYanks]

You're not missing something. The closer and setup roles are long-held security blankets that ultimately keep teams from using relievers efficiently. The shame is the only teams that ever seem willing to try a relief ace/closer by committee system are teams with lousy pens, which in turn makes people think it doesn't work.

[Basketball Jesus]

Eh, it

[Welfare Fraud]

So it's another stupid by the book thing.. great

Someone needs to find that book and burn it.

[craig01]

Gossage, Lyle, Sutter and others would go as long as 3 innings.

More rare were the one inning jobs.

[Da big3]

the same reason pitchers are pulled after a 99 pitches......
more to do with arm, plus closers might need tp pitch back to back days.....

[Schad]

One of the few reasons why the 'bullpen ace' is difficult to implement: unless you're planning on bringing the guy in at the start of an inning, he needs to be warmed up by the time the current pitcher has gotten involved in a jam.

As it is a terrible idea to begin warming up your best pitcher every time trouble looks likely (do it too often, and the guy will be unavailable for more games), most coaches would prefer to stick to a set of circumstances in which they use a certain pitcher, dictated by inning.

[Chach]

the same reason pitchers are pulled after a 99 pitches......
more to do with arm, plus closers might need tp pitch back to back days.....

It's not quite the same thing as that, though. It's been proven that on average, a pitcher begins to tire around 100 pitches to the point that he starts to change his mechanics which can lead to injuries. Now there are all sort of circumstances out there that need to be taken into account. 100 pitches over 8 innings is much different than over 5 innings, the rest the starter had prior to the start, and his physical make-up because some guys simply can throw more pitches without a change in mechanics (Randy Johnson is alway the first name that comes to mind). It certainly is dumb to simply pull any pitcher at 100 pitches but there is some level of scientific study that does back up this theory, whereas a bullpen ace being used in the 9th is a job security excuse for a manager. mahalo
~Chach~

[HMFFL]

I believe some closers allow their ego to get into the way of what needs to happen. I guess what I'm trying to say is the only time they'll come out is during the 8th or 9th to get the save.