Cincinnati Reds name Sean Marshall as closer - MLB News
The Cincinnati Reds have finally made their closer’s name known for the new season: Sean Marshall. On Monday, April 02, the team manager Dusty Baker said Sean Marshall will open the 2012 season as the team’s closer; an announcement waited with abated breath.
The decision came in the aftermath of the season-ending injury that Ryan Madson sustained last month. The Reds had only recently acquired the closer to embolden the defence. With the setback that came the Reds’ way so unpredictably, there were expectations that the replacement could only be found in a strong-armed and effective lefty Sean Marshall.
Ryan Madson will undergo a Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ligament in his elbow, while Sean Marshall will formally take the charge as the team’s closer now.
"He can throw that breaking ball any time, which is tough to do in Arizona with this light air here," Baker said. "He's basically unfazed by situations and things. He's been around a while and he's a veteran guy that's had good success."
There were a lot for the team to assess as far as Marshall is concerned. If nothing else, the 3.27 ERA, in the spring with 10 games played, showed he has the potential to become Madson’s substitute. In the games that he made his appearance in, Marshall allowed only three walks, and going for 11 strikeouts in 11 innings that he pitched.
Marshall’s arrival in the Reds was no less than a surprise in itself. He was previously associated with the Chicago Cubs, making 78 appearances the last season with 2.26 ERA.
To line up all these pitchers in the rotation and bullpen, and now the slot for closer named for Marshall, the Reds have indeed become a strong side as far as their defence goes, becoming a potentially undefeatable team in the league.
Nonetheless, a lot will depend on how the team strategizes to encounter the rival teams. Sean Marshall, combining force and experience, will be a real source of strength for the team. As to how he helps attain the goals for the Reds will be something that the fans will have to wait to see.
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