Nobody was more relieved by the Indians' signing of free agent closer Kerry Wood than Eric Wedge. The manager felt that acquiring a closer was the club's No. 1 priority going into the offseason.
Wedge stressed the impact a dependable closer has on the entire team, not just the bullpen. He said a bad closer can have a negative impact on the chemistry and confidence of a team. "It affects everything," he said.
With the Indians signing Wood, Wedge said he is confident that order has been restored in the back of the bullpen.
Assuming Wood can stay healthy, Indians officials feel he also gives the team a closer different from the ones they've had over most of the last decade. Wood is a power pitcher who can get strikeouts at critical times.
That couldn't be said of the Indians' last two closers, Joe Borowski and Bob Wickman. Both Borowski and Wickman depended on guts and guile more than pure velocity to get hitters out.
Finesse closers such as Borowski and Wickman have a much smaller margin of error than a closer with a big arm, such as Wood. Indians officials feel that Wood's ability to throw the ball past hitters, rather than trying to trick them, will also lead to more consistent and dependable outings from the closer's spot.
