I have a theory about closers in today's game, which is that they are not as effective in non-save situations or in "sudden save" situations. Both situations combined on Rivera, still an outstanding closer, to make his outing especially difficult. I'll explain my theory.

Saving ball games as a pitcher is one of the most stressful positions in sports, similar to a hockey goalie in overtime or a kicker in football lining up for a game winning kick. The present role of the closer is that he only pitch in the final inning when his team holds a slim lead. Therefore, unlike any other role in baseball, the closer participates almost exclusively in high intensity situations. We don't see many successful rookie or really young closers because they haven't developed or conditioned the steely psyche necessary to handle the potential pressure on a daily basis. The final inning is when the trailing team pulls out all stops, like pinch hitters, to plate the run(s).

Now pitching- effective pitching- is mostly mental. The closer is best suited to save the game when his team has a lead throughout the game. When his team is losing by a few runs late in the game (or winning by a large margin), the focus of the closer isn't the same as nobody is anticipating his service.

Here the Yankees were trailing in the bottom of the 8th by 2 with two out when they got a hit and homer that suddenly tied it going to the 9th where Rivera was logically but hurriedly summoned. Not only did his services become abruptly required, but the circumstances of his appearance were different, namely, keeping the team in it, rather than close it out. It wasn't so much that rivera didn't get enough time to get physically loose, but the circumstances of the game did not afford the time or type of game that allows the deep mental preparation to achieve the level of tenacity. I don't mean to imply that exceptional closers, like Rivera, can't function in non-save situations, or that they are unfocused in what appears to be a non-save game, but the natural momentum of a game heightens the conditioned sense or feel for the moment that closers develop to deal with the constant pressure of their jobs.

I have found also that closers have a harder time saving games when a large lead evaporated to a 1 run lead in the 8th than when his team held a 1 run lead since the third inning. Obviously, this theory isn't absolute.

I have always compared closers with kickers in football. Several years ago there was a game where the Saints were trailing by 7 and they were about 70 yards from the end zone with 5 seconds, and they inexplicably scored on a wild play with four or five laterals. The kicker promptly came on the field and missed the extra point. Up until the touchdown the circumstances and momentum of the game did not allow the focus that he would be kicking a game tying extra point. I believe if they were 3 minutes on the clock and they drove down the fied and scored on a 5 yard pass, the kicker would have been in a more comfortable focused mindset.

Notice that when a save situation is pending in the 7th or 8th, or in the final moments of a football game where a team is poised for getting into field goal range for a game winning kick, nobody talks to the closer or the kicker, who have to get to that happy place where the excitement of the moment doesn't interfere with focus.

Let's not feel too bad for our buddy, Mariano Rivera tonight. He still had a better day than Manny Ramirez. Sorry for the length of this post.