Monday, April 03, 2006
Naysayers don't bother Reitsma
03/17/2006
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- If not for bad luck, Chris Reitsma might have none at all.
During his first two seasons with the Braves, Reitsma has appeared in nearly half his team's games and seen his dedicated service virtually go unnoticed by a multitude of Atlanta fans, who have chosen to focus simply on the nearly ridiculous amount of misfortune he's encountered.
"It's a very difficult game," Reitsma said. "It's an unfair game. If people can't realize that, it's not my problem.
"People who doubt me, that just adds fuel to the fire. I can't control what people think."
That underlying disgust in Reitsma's tone doesn't match exactly match his friendly personality. Still, remembering how much verbal abuse he's received over the past two years, it's easy to see where he's acquired this edgy side.
"It's one thing to deal with criticism when you haven't done your job," John Smoltz said. "That's part of the game. But it's harder to deal with it before you've even been given a chance."
When the Braves were unable to land a proven veteran closer in the offseason and it became apparent that Reitsma would likely eventually be given the role, fans began grumbling. It didn't matter that he'd proven capable while converting 13 of 15 save opportunities last June and July.
Instead, as the 2006 season approaches and it becomes more apparent that Reitsma will indeed be the closer, the critics are more inclined to look at the fact that last year he was unable to close out nine save opportunities and discount the fact that just five of those chances came while he was the closer.
Or maybe they've chosen to remember he combined to allow six earned runs and record just one out in Games 1 and 3 of the 2005 National League Division Series. With the criticism, most have forgotten that four of the six hits he allowed during those games were singles that either never left the infield or were delivered by broken bats.
While it's always easy to make excuses, this type of misfortune has become far too regular for Reitsma, whose nasty changeup often causes hitters to take bad swings and much too frequently put a spin or hop on a ball that finds its way for a resulting base hit.
"It got to be almost laughable in the dugout, the way he started innings with the high choppers," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Whatever happened, there'd always be one guy [scoring]. It was no fault of his."
Fortunately for Reitsma, his misfortunes haven't followed him to camp this spring. With a perfect inning that included two strikeouts in Friday afternoon's 7-0 loss to the Astros at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, he continued his recent success.
Having pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Reitsma has made just two Grapefruit League appearances. In the process, he's completed two scoreless innings, issued no walks and registered four strikeouts.
"There's no reason not to use him [as the closer], the way he's throwing," said Cox, who saw Reitsma convert a career-high 15 saves last year.
With Joey Devine, who has recorded 15 strikeouts in eight innings, and Oscar Villarreal, who wa dominant for Mexico in the Classic, Cox has a number of strong options to evaluate before selecting his closer.
But unless the Braves acquire a proven closer via a trade, it's assumed Reitsma will have the role when the regular season begins. If that's the case, he'll enter the role with many fans assuming he's destined to struggle.
"If Chris [converts 20 straight save opportunities], it does not matter," Smoltz said. "There's a perception problem in Atlanta that's hard to get over."
Of course, Smoltz is partly to blame for creating the perception that being a closer isn't all that difficult. While serving as Atlanta's closer from 2002-04, he converted 144 of his 157 save opportunities.
The pressure of following in his footsteps proved far too daunting for Dan Kolb, who last year might have been the only Braves reliever to have been booed more frequently than Reitsma.
"Nobody understands what it's like being that person, trying to fill that role and to have to hear it everywhere he turns," Smoltz said. "We all can say pretty confidently that was a great part of the problem for Danny Kolb."
After Kolb lost the closer role, Reitsma took over and provided reliability until hyperextending his left knee in August. One month earlier, he'd allowed just two earned runs in 15 1/3 innings and begun a streak where he'd eventually notch nine consecutive save opportunities.
But the injury led to three consecutive blown saves, which forced Cox to give the closing duties to Kyle Farnsworth for the season's final six weeks. Physically, Reitmsa appears to have returned to health. As for his mental health, he's determined not to allow himself to become overwhelmed with the reality that fans are going to never forget how easy Smoltz made things seem as the closer.
"I'm not John Smoltz," Reitsma said. "I'll never be John Smoltz. I'm Chris Reitsma, and if they can't understand that, then that's not my problem. The only thing I can guarantee the fans of Atlanta and the organization is that I will be out there giving 110 percent every single day.
"If I go out there and don't do well for a day, I'll still be able to go to the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything that I've got.' If I can do that, I can sleep at night."
One of Reitsma's most restless nights last year occurred after the first game of the '05 NLDS, in which he was charged with four earned runs and recorded just one out. His performance began with two infield singles fielded by second baseman Marcus Giles, included an intentional walk and ended with Jeff Bagwell hitting a broken-bat RBI single into left field.
"If people can't see that sometimes I give up five runs on three [cheap] hits, there's nothing I can do," Reitsma said. "What do you want me to do, throw a four-seam fastball so that they can hit the ball a little harder at people?
"The goal as a pitcher is to take the sting out of people's bats. Sometimes in this game, when you do that, it doesn't work out. So I'm not going to change a thing."
Of course, Reitsma and the Braves are hoping his luck changes and that he is indeed capable of proving he can be a reliable closer.
"If I'm given that role and I said, 'Yeah, give me the ball every ninth inning for a whole season,' the results are going to be there and I can personally guarantee that," Reitsma said. "The game's not fair. Life's not fair. But all you can do is keep going out there and busting your [behind]."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- If not for bad luck, Chris Reitsma might have none at all.
During his first two seasons with the Braves, Reitsma has appeared in nearly half his team's games and seen his dedicated service virtually go unnoticed by a multitude of Atlanta fans, who have chosen to focus simply on the nearly ridiculous amount of misfortune he's encountered.
"It's a very difficult game," Reitsma said. "It's an unfair game. If people can't realize that, it's not my problem.
"People who doubt me, that just adds fuel to the fire. I can't control what people think."
That underlying disgust in Reitsma's tone doesn't match exactly match his friendly personality. Still, remembering how much verbal abuse he's received over the past two years, it's easy to see where he's acquired this edgy side.
"It's one thing to deal with criticism when you haven't done your job," John Smoltz said. "That's part of the game. But it's harder to deal with it before you've even been given a chance."
When the Braves were unable to land a proven veteran closer in the offseason and it became apparent that Reitsma would likely eventually be given the role, fans began grumbling. It didn't matter that he'd proven capable while converting 13 of 15 save opportunities last June and July.
Instead, as the 2006 season approaches and it becomes more apparent that Reitsma will indeed be the closer, the critics are more inclined to look at the fact that last year he was unable to close out nine save opportunities and discount the fact that just five of those chances came while he was the closer.
Or maybe they've chosen to remember he combined to allow six earned runs and record just one out in Games 1 and 3 of the 2005 National League Division Series. With the criticism, most have forgotten that four of the six hits he allowed during those games were singles that either never left the infield or were delivered by broken bats.
While it's always easy to make excuses, this type of misfortune has become far too regular for Reitsma, whose nasty changeup often causes hitters to take bad swings and much too frequently put a spin or hop on a ball that finds its way for a resulting base hit.
"It got to be almost laughable in the dugout, the way he started innings with the high choppers," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Whatever happened, there'd always be one guy [scoring]. It was no fault of his."
Fortunately for Reitsma, his misfortunes haven't followed him to camp this spring. With a perfect inning that included two strikeouts in Friday afternoon's 7-0 loss to the Astros at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, he continued his recent success.
Having pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Reitsma has made just two Grapefruit League appearances. In the process, he's completed two scoreless innings, issued no walks and registered four strikeouts.
"There's no reason not to use him [as the closer], the way he's throwing," said Cox, who saw Reitsma convert a career-high 15 saves last year.
With Joey Devine, who has recorded 15 strikeouts in eight innings, and Oscar Villarreal, who wa dominant for Mexico in the Classic, Cox has a number of strong options to evaluate before selecting his closer.
But unless the Braves acquire a proven closer via a trade, it's assumed Reitsma will have the role when the regular season begins. If that's the case, he'll enter the role with many fans assuming he's destined to struggle.
"If Chris [converts 20 straight save opportunities], it does not matter," Smoltz said. "There's a perception problem in Atlanta that's hard to get over."
Of course, Smoltz is partly to blame for creating the perception that being a closer isn't all that difficult. While serving as Atlanta's closer from 2002-04, he converted 144 of his 157 save opportunities.
The pressure of following in his footsteps proved far too daunting for Dan Kolb, who last year might have been the only Braves reliever to have been booed more frequently than Reitsma.
"Nobody understands what it's like being that person, trying to fill that role and to have to hear it everywhere he turns," Smoltz said. "We all can say pretty confidently that was a great part of the problem for Danny Kolb."
After Kolb lost the closer role, Reitsma took over and provided reliability until hyperextending his left knee in August. One month earlier, he'd allowed just two earned runs in 15 1/3 innings and begun a streak where he'd eventually notch nine consecutive save opportunities.
But the injury led to three consecutive blown saves, which forced Cox to give the closing duties to Kyle Farnsworth for the season's final six weeks. Physically, Reitmsa appears to have returned to health. As for his mental health, he's determined not to allow himself to become overwhelmed with the reality that fans are going to never forget how easy Smoltz made things seem as the closer.
"I'm not John Smoltz," Reitsma said. "I'll never be John Smoltz. I'm Chris Reitsma, and if they can't understand that, then that's not my problem. The only thing I can guarantee the fans of Atlanta and the organization is that I will be out there giving 110 percent every single day.
"If I go out there and don't do well for a day, I'll still be able to go to the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything that I've got.' If I can do that, I can sleep at night."
One of Reitsma's most restless nights last year occurred after the first game of the '05 NLDS, in which he was charged with four earned runs and recorded just one out. His performance began with two infield singles fielded by second baseman Marcus Giles, included an intentional walk and ended with Jeff Bagwell hitting a broken-bat RBI single into left field.
"If people can't see that sometimes I give up five runs on three [cheap] hits, there's nothing I can do," Reitsma said. "What do you want me to do, throw a four-seam fastball so that they can hit the ball a little harder at people?
"The goal as a pitcher is to take the sting out of people's bats. Sometimes in this game, when you do that, it doesn't work out. So I'm not going to change a thing."
Of course, Reitsma and the Braves are hoping his luck changes and that he is indeed capable of proving he can be a reliable closer.
"If I'm given that role and I said, 'Yeah, give me the ball every ninth inning for a whole season,' the results are going to be there and I can personally guarantee that," Reitsma said. "The game's not fair. Life's not fair. But all you can do is keep going out there and busting your [behind]."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
