How to be a Closer in Baseball

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Part of the video series: Baseball Positions & Roles

Summary: Learn about the closer who is the pitcher brought in to finish the game. The closer is usually a dynamic pitcher who exerts all of his energy in a short period of time with expert tips and advice on baseball positions and roles in this free online baseball video clip.

Views: 570 | Tags: positions, baseball, players, teams, roles, pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders, hitters, batters

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About the Expert

Richard Davis Richard Davis has played baseball at various levels for more than fifteen years. He has played at the Amateur Athletics Union and the National Collegiate Athl... read more

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Video Transcript

How to be a Closer in Baseball

Some people think a closer is just another relief pitcher. Well, those people are wrong. The closer has to have nerves of steel and an extreme amount of confidence bordering on arrogance and cockiness. Every time a closer comes into the game the game is literally on the line. The only time you'll ever see a closer hop out of the bullpen and hop onto the mound is when his team needs a save. He'll come in the 9th inning. His responsibility is just to get three outs. Those are the three toughest outs of the entire game. If the closer is in the game, that means that his team is up by three runs or fewer in the 9th inning and he's brought in to protect that lead. He is generally expected to strike out every batter that steps to the plate. He's viewed, often times, as a failure if a single runner gets on base because that puts his team in jeopardy of losing the game. So, the closer has to have an extreme amount of confidence to be able to do that day in and day out. Sometimes a closer will pitch two and three nights in a row whereas a starting pitcher will have five days rest between starts. The closer comes into the game anytime the lead is in jeopardy. Your closers are generally hard throwing, power pitchers with two to three pitches. Usually, he'll have a fast ball, he'll have a mild change up, and some sort of breaking pitch like a split finger or a slider. Some of your prominent closers are Troy Percivel, Mariano Rivera is probably the most famous. These guys really, really get the wins when it's necessary. The closer is a modern invention of baseball. It really didn't exist 20 years ago. The save was just a throw away category. But, as the game has evolved and pitchers and players become more specialized, the closer becomes more important to the game. He's always in the game when the game is on the line.