A big Chicago welcome, please, for Rod Beck, who for the last five seasons has been among baseball’s most effective relief pitchers.
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Beck is the newest member of the Cubs wedding and arrived here Friday, just in time to participate in the club’s annual winter convention at a downtown hotel.
“At least it shows they’re trying,” observed Milt Pappas, an old-time Cubs hero who 26 years ago came within one strike of pitching a perfect game.
“It’s nice to see them making some moves. He can’t hurt ’em.”
Hurt em?
General Manager Ed Lynch had made several previous significant off-season additions: shortstop Jeff Blauser, second baseman Mickey Morandini and Henry Rodriguez, a slugging outfielder.
All of them should help the Cubs rise in the National League Central, more than likely the weakest of the major leagues’ six divisions. They finished last in 1997, 16 games out.
But with all respect to the above, a club, any club, cannot be considered a legitimate contender without a strong closer who can shut down the opposition in the ninth inning.
Since the “blown saves” statistic first was recorded in 1988, Beck has an outstanding ratio of success. He has succeeded in 85 percent of his career save opportunities.
That’s about as good as a reliever can get.
“We needed to make a meaningful change in the chemistry of the team,” Cubs President Andy MacPhail said. “There is no question he will change the character of the team. He will make us more competitive.”
MacPhail, starting his fourth season with the Cubs, conceded he has learned a critical lesson.
“We didn’t want to tweak (the club) here and there. That wouldn’t be getting the job done.”
According to most scouting reports, Beck, 29, has lost a few miles off his fastball. But MacPhail isn’t concerned and was reminded of his 1987 Minnesota Twins, who won the World Series in large part because of the gritty relief of Jeff Reardon, who ranks third on the career saves list with 367.
When the Twins acquired him, Reardon no longer had his 96 m.p.h. heater.
“We knew that,” MacPhail said. “But he had it here.”
MacPhail, in emphasis, poked me in the stomach.
“His teammates loved him,” he said.
Like all top relievers, Beck has the stomach for the late-man assignment. He had 37 saves with the San Francisco Giants last season and is the only closer to have had a perfect season–28 saves in 28 opportunities in 1992.
Ex-Cub Randy Myers came close to perfection last year with the Baltimore Orioles with 45 saves in 46 opportunities. The only other closer who had a season with only one blown save was Willie Hernandez, 32 of 33 with the 1984 Detroit Tigers. But Hernandez, also a former Cub, was 32 for 32 before the Tigers clinched their division.
In recent years, the Cubs acquired three big-name closers, each of whom was a disaster: Dave Smith in 1991, Doug Jones in 1996 and Mel Rojas last year. The prediction here is that Beck will turn it around.
“I’ve seen him a lot on television,” said Dick Selma, a pitcher with the 1969 Cubs who follows the Giants from his Fresno, Calif., home.
“He can go into a slump for three or four games, then he turns it on again and he’s unhittable.”
Vance Law, a former Cubs third baseman who’s now a high school baseball coach in Provo, Utah, hasn’t seen that much of Beck but is impressed with his record.
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“He has been there and has had good results. In today’s game, the value of a good bullpen is immeasurable,” Law said.
As for Beck, his main assests are control (he doesn’t give many walks) and his desire.
“I’m sure there are guys who want to win as much as I do, but not more,” he said.
He is a proud warrior.
“They got a good bargain,” he said. “But I’m happy about it. The Cubs were there from the get-go. No one tried harder to sign me.”
In these days of soaring salaries, the Cubs signed him for $3.5 million. If he finishes 53 games, his pay for the following season automatically will increase to $5.5 million, which would be more in line for a quality closer. Last year, he finished 66 games.