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Sherrill Making Life Easier for Bullpen
By Staci Wolfson
George Sherrill has a few things in common with former Orioles closer B.J. Ryan.
The current ninth-inning go-to guy for the Orioles also wears No. 52, converted himself from a left-handed bullpen specialist while wearing orange and black and made the switch look as easy as spending the day lounging on the beach.
But Sherrill is no Ryan. His 6-foot, 230-pound stature doesn’t measure up to Ryan’s 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame, and his unassuming smile and flat-brimmed hat have fans comparing him to Charlie Brown -- not the fierce and intimidating closer of the Orioles’ past.
It has been three years since Ryan saved 36 games for the Orioles, posting a 2.43 ERA.
But with Sherrill on the mound, the Orioles and their fans do not have to look wistfully to the past.
“We feel very comfortable [with Sherrill closing],” starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie said. “He’s done a tremendous job. He just goes out there and throws strikes, so you know he’s just going to be attacking the hitters. He’s had great success, so we’re thrilled to have him as a closer.”
With 17 saves in 19 opportunities so far this season, Sherrill is second in baseball behind the Angels’ Francisco Rodriguez. Sherrill’s 17 strikeouts in 21.2 innings has made him a big upgrade for a Baltimore bullpen that struggled through injuries and overuse in 2007.
“Saves really don’t matter,” Sherrill said before the Orioles’ last disappointing road trip. “If I have saves, we’re winning, so that’s really all that matters. We’re doing pretty well right now. Could be a lot better, but I think we’re doing pretty good.”
The Orioles acquired Sherrill in the trade that sent ace Erik Bedard to Seattle. Although outfielder Adam Jones was perceived as the key component in the Mariners’ five-player package, Sherrill has filled an important role for the Orioles, and he has done it well.
When the Orioles’ 2006 closer, Chris Ray, underwent Tommy John surgery last season, the team looked to Danys Baez to fill the role before he too was sidelined by injury.
The responsibilities fell to Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker, who were originally supposed to give the Orioles an eighth-inning bridge to the team’s closer. Bradford and Walker broke the franchise record for appearances in 2008, and the Orioles relied on a closer-by-committee approach.
“Last year we had the injury problem, so we had a lot of different guys last year trying to fill the role,” Guthrie said. “It’s nice to have someone healthy that’s very capable of doing it this year and that we always know is going to be available in the ninth inning if we’re ahead.”
And while Sherrill has helped the team, the move from Seattle to Baltimore has helped him.
“It’s a different clubhouse,” he said. “Guys [in Seattle] are just kind of walking on eggshells. There’s a lot of pressure; you keep hearing from the front office that you’ve got a really expensive payroll, you should be winning, that type of thing. You just feel really tight from spring training on, and it’s just a lot looser here. We really came in with the mindset that nobody’s expecting anything, and we’ve just got to prove people wrong.”
Not only have the 2008 Orioles exceeded the expectations of many, Sherrill has quietly turned heads, sticking with the same approach he used before manager Dave Trembley named him the closer.
“I go right at guys, so that helps,” he said. “Throwing strikes, I usually throw strikes. I’ve been called a bulldog, so it’s just a matter of throwing right at guys and leaving it all out there.”
Last season in Seattle, Sherrill had his best major league season, posting a 2.36 ERA in 73 appearances. With a 3.74 ERA, he has shown no signs of struggling with his new label.
“I don’t think he expected it himself,” catcher Ramon Hernandez said. “He had never been a closer before. Before he had to face one guy, two, a lefty in one inning. To come out and close a game, it’s a hard thing to do, but he handled it like a professional baseball player, and he’s done very well.”
Ashley Campbell contributed to this article.
Issue 3.22: May 28, 2008 |
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