GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Baseball’s most famous faux archer is pondering changes in his delivery. No, no new pitches. And certainly no plans to sprint to the mound from the bullpen in response to the new pace-of-play clock.
Mariners closer Fernando Rodney is adamant, in fact, that he won’t alter his (let’s call it) deliberate pace in navigating his bullpen-to-mound stroll.
“I’m going to try (to follow the rule),” he said, “but I’m not going to come running in from the bullpen because a clock is on. No. Sometimes, you come into a one-run game. You need to be relaxed in your breathing.
“You can fine me, but I’m going to come in my normal time.”
But Rodney is reviewing his iconic arrow-shoot pantomime that punctuates each of his saves. It might — might — have a new look this season. Maybe a little different styling. Maybe.
“I’m not sure,” he teased. “I’m going to look and see if it can get better.”
Rodney offered no hints Sunday when he made his spring debut by working around a two-out walk for a scoreless third inning in the Mariners’ 10-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
“I thought, mechanically, he was sound,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “I really wasn’t concerned about velocity. I just wanted to see him out there and getting his work in. He did that pretty efficiently.”
No arrows, of course.
Arrows don’t fly in the third inning of spring games.
“It was a good workout,” Rodney said. “I’m just trying to get ready for opening day. That’s my thing right now — to try to get ready for opening day. Don’t try to thing about what happened today. Just try to prepare myself.”
Rodney keyed the Mariners’ bullpen renaissance a year ago after agreeing Feb. 13 to a two-year deal for $14 million. He then led the majors with 48 saves, which matched a career high and broke the club record.
More important, his arrival stabilized the relief corps, which topped the majors with a 2.59 ERA. Pretty much the same unit a year earlier, without Rodney, posted a 4.58 ERA that ranked 29th among the 30 clubs.
“That’s the importance of having a closer,” McClendon said. “It allows everybody else to fall into the slots they need to be in.
“The worst thing you can do to a bullpen is to put guys in positions where they’re not ready to succeed.”
And now? Is this baseball’s best bullpen?
“We have the talent, we have the pieces,” Rodney said, “and this year could be more exciting because they’ve got more experience. We’ve got a good bullpen, but I don’t like to say we’ve got the best.”
He then paused and growled out a chuckle before adding: “Maybe we’re going to be No. 2.”
Rodney is within reach of a personal — and unprecedented — milestone. Since he also had 48 saves in 2012 while pitching for Tampa Bay, he is one of just six closers in history to reach that figure in multiple seasons.
The others are Eric Gagne (2002, 2003), Mariano Rivera (2001, 2004), Jim Johnson (2012, 2013), Rod Beck (1993, 1998) and Dennis Eckersley (1990, 1992).
No pitcher has ever done it three times.
Yet.
“Maybe I’ll have a chance,” he said. “I feel healthy, believe me.”
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