As setup man, Clippard finds himself in Phoenix
Being a setup man is supposed to be a stepping stone to renown, not a role that gets a relief pitcher selected to the All-Star Game. But it is not all about the closers anymore.
Nationals right-hander Tyler Clippard found that out last week when he was chosen to represent the team at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday night in Phoenix. With a league-best 23 holds and a 1.75 ERA, Clippard has more often than not eased Washington through one late-inning crisis after another in 2011.
“If you look at the back end of a team that’s had a lot of success, you tend to look at the closer and the number of saves,” San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy — also the National League All-Star manager — told reporters in Phoenix on Monday. “But somebody has to help get him there, and the starters are not all going eight or seven innings.”
| UP NEXT |
| MLB All-Star Game |
| When » Tuesday, 8 p.m. |
| Where » Chase Field, Phoenix |
| TV » Fox |
It’s been a long road for Clippard, 26. He began his career as a starter and stayed that way for five years after being chosen by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 2003 draft. For a time in 2007 he even became a mini-celebrity in New York after helping save an injury-ravaged pitching staff in May and June of that season with four excellent starts. But he soon faded.
After that season, the Yankees traded Clippard to Washington. He spent one more year in the rotation before being converted to a reliever in 2009. After 24 games in the bullpen at Triple-A Syracuse, he had a 0.92 ERA. Finally — after then interim general manager Mike Rizzo blew up his struggling bullpen for the third time during that miserable season — Clippard earned a promotion and an opportunity. In 41 games with the Nats he had a 2.69 ERA. Last season that rose slightly to 3.07, but he became a reliable late-inning option. Only one reliever pitched more innings out of the bullpen in 2010 than Clippard’s 91.
“I’ve worked hard to get to this position, tried to stay as consistent as possible throughout my career,” Clippard said after Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Colorado Rockies in which he again pitched a scoreless eighth inning. “It’s nice to help the ballclub on a daily basis, and this is a nice little notch to have for my career.”
About the only concern is Clippard’s workload. He is at 511Ú3 innings through 92 games, and closer Drew Storen is at 461Ú3 innings. Nats manager Davey Johnson wants to find other options in the bullpen so he can reduce the wear and tear on that duo in the second half. But even he admits it’s hard to avoid using Clippard.
“I watched two or three games [before becoming manager] where Houdini couldn’t have got out of the jams Clippard was in,” Johnson said last week. “First and third, no outs and a couple of times I watched him get out of those. … He’s been unbelievable.”
