What do we expect from the Red Sox closer? I was thinking about this today. Just save games, right? Seems simple enough. But under the surface, our needs are slightly more complicated. Let me explain.
We want our closer to be serious. Jonathan Papelbon got away with being a clown because for the most part, he got the job done. But Pap was Pap - we need someone who takes the job more serious than life itself. When our closer comes out of the bullpen, we don't want smiles -- we want Dirty Harry.
We want our closer to be durable. No rest for the injured here. If our closer can get out of bed, he will be closing, every night.
We want our closer to be Mariano Rivera-esque. You would be lying if you said you wouldn't have paid cash money to have had Rivera as the Red Sox closer. The guy is everything any organization would want to represent them in the 9th inning. The guy does a lot off the field too. Rivera is money. Our closer has to have that staying power (or at least fool us into thinking he can).
We want our closer to be electrifying. If you close for the Red Sox, you have to believe in the culture, understand the tradition and basically geek out like the rest of us that you are indeed the closer for the Boston Red Sox! Bring it, every night, brother.
Is this too much to ask? I say not.
Mark Melancon (pictured above), welcome to the party. Are you ready to be our save-yor? If you didn't know, we expect a lot.
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