Firemen extinguished, All-Star rosters and protecting pitchers

Mike Marshall set a single-season record that still stands with 106 appearances for the 1974 Dodgers. Neil Leifer/SI

You may want to consider adding Mike Marshall's 1974 Cy Young year to your list. While not strictly a "closer", entering 106 games and pitching 208 innings in relief (with 21 saves) is as mind-boggling now as it was then. Back when relievers were given the Firemen of the Year Award, he did the work of two whole firehouses and a squad of pumper trucks.
-- Mike, Rye, N.Y.

I'm not even sure what to call the role Marshall filled in 1974. He was a long reliever, his own setup reliever and a closer all in one. His durability was amazing. He made 90 of his 106 appearances on no more than one day of rest. I can't say he was tremendously dominating in 1974. His value was clearly that he could work so often and in large chunks and do it well.

When looking at the Sutter's and Gossage's of baseball, you really are looking at an era that used a fireman. The fireman was for the times when the starter just didn't have his stuff beyond the sixth inning and the fireman needed to come in and clean up the mess that the starter had created. He was also expected to pitch the final two innings too. I miss the fireman role. They were really fun to watch.
-- Joe G., Plano, Tex.

A: I'm not sure it was better then, just different. It was what was appropriate at the time, sort of like the single wing formation in football years ago. Here's an example: the 1977 Yankees basically used a two-man bullpen. They had Sparky Lyle and Dick Tidrow. Those two guys made 114 combined relief appearances. Manager Billy Martin used only six other relief pitchers the entire season for a total of 40 appearances. Amazing.

I know longevity-wise and season wise he didn't get the numbers like the closers you mentioned, but when I think of a closer, I always think of Tom Henke. I don't think I was ever nervous when I watched those title-winning Blue Jays. That is what a closer should do. It would just be nice to see Tom Henke get a mention, because he never does.
-- Rob Kim, Vancouver, B.C.

Tom Henke was very underrated in his career. He was named to only two All-Star games, never received a Cy Young Award vote and never finished higher than 13th in MVP voting. But Henke struck out 861 batters in 789 1/3 innings and posted a career ERA of 2.67. He also had a 1.83 ERA in 15 postseason games. You're right; when the Jays had Duane Ward and Henke, they pretty much were not going to lose after the sixth inning.

Nice column on closers. I was wondering if you gave much consideration to the 1993 season of Duane Ward (45 saves, 48 hits/97Ks in 71IP). And can you tell me why he and Henke just dropped off the face of the earth after excellent seasons at the end of their career?
-- Matt, Gainesville, Fla.

Ward's season certainly ranks high, but his WHIP (more than one runner per inning) just wasn't in that super elite class. As for Henke, he simply had decided before that last season in St. Louis in 1995 that it was going to be his last year in baseball. Then he was lights out for the Cardinals (one of his All-Star years) and manager Tony La Russa begged him to come back. But Henke stuck to his plan to go home to his family and retire. I'm sure he left a lot more money on the table.

I can understand your reasoning for not including Eric Gagne as a top 5, but steroids do not equal command and control. Home runs are different in that the juice can offer power where players didn't have it before.
-- TJ, Kansas City, Mo.

I strongly disagree. Steroids can make pitchers, too. See Dan Naulty, the skinny kid who threw mid-80s until steroids turned him into a muscle-bound power pitcher with a four-year career that never would have happened. Start with a guy who already has the command and control to be a professional, and add in strength, power, velocity and the ability to recover and stay strong over six months and you have yourself a much better pitcher.

All Star roster solution: Why not make the managers of the All-Star Game bring one position player and one starting pitcher from their own roster to fill in emergency situations? Terry Francona could have brought Tim Wakefield and the game could have went on for infinity if need be.
-- Richie C., Brooklyn, N.Y.

With all due respect, the problem (and I'm not even sure there is one) is with how the game is managed, not with the roster. You hold back one of your rested pitchers and one position player on the off chance there is a 15-inning game.

If an All-Star game was rained out, how would they decided home field advantage in the World Series?
-- John, Boston, Mass.

They would play the game the next day.