# The Reliever and the Closer · Baseball Level 7: Upper-Advanced

Baseball · Level 7: Upper-Advanced · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/level-7/the-reliever-and-the-closer/)

Famous closers, entrance songs, relievers in the Hall of Fame, records in relief, starter to reliever and back, life in the bullpen, left-handed specialists, relief in October, knuckleballers and unusual relievers, and reading a reliever's season.

## Test 1: Famous closers

- Rivera's cut fastball broke bats for nearly two decades. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hoffman's slow changeup fooled hitters into early swings. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Fingers' moustache became his trademark with Oakland. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Sutter's splitter dropped sharply out of the zone. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Eckersley became the dominant closer for Oakland. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gossage threw multi-inning saves in the 1970s and 1980s. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Wagner was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2025. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 652, 601 and 478. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The 1970s, the late 1980s, then the 1990s and 2000s. (Source: General baseball reference)
- An off-centre fastball grip makes a cutter. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 2: Entrance songs

- Metallica's song became linked with Rivera at Yankee Stadium. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The AC/DC bells signalled the ninth inning. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Charlie Sheen's character entered to the song in the 1989 film. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A familiar song builds energy in the ninth. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Each hitter picks music for his trip to the plate. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The song tells everyone a dominant arm is coming in. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Fans link the song with the closer and the ninth inning. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gate, music, jog, warm-up. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hoffman's bells from 1998, Rivera's song from 1999, others later. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Entrance music signals the closer's arrival. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 3: Relievers in the Hall of Fame

- The knuckleballer was elected in 1985. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Rivera received every vote in 2019. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Voters long saw relief work as less important than starting. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Knuckleballs put little strain on the arm. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Eckersley dominated as Oakland's closer. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The Hall opened in Cooperstown in 1939. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hoffman was the first pitcher to reach 600 saves. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 1985, 1992, 2019. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Retire, wait, vote, induction. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hall of Fame inductions take place in Cooperstown. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 4: Records in relief

- 'K-Rod' saved 62 games for the Angels. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gagné's streak is the longest ever. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Marshall won the Cy Young as a reliever that year. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Orosco pitched in 1,252 games. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Chapman's fastball was clocked at 105.8 mph. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Rivera saved 42 playoff games. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Short outings let relievers appear often. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 106, 62, then about 30-40. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 105.8, about 94, about 85. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Chapman's 105.8 mph pitch was a tracked record. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 5: From starter to reliever and back

- In one inning they can throw their best pitches all out. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Smoltz closed for Atlanta, then returned to the rotation. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Short outings limit the load while he learns. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Starters must last much longer than one inning. (Source: General baseball reference)
- No need to pace himself lets him throw harder. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Eckersley's move to Oakland's bullpen made him a star. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Facing each hitter once, a reliever needs less variety. (Source: General baseball reference)
- He started, closed, then went back to starting. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Short outings can unlock a pitcher. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Some starters become closers later in their careers. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 6: Life in the bullpen

- They watch the game from the bullpen until called. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Bullpen cars carried relievers in the 1950s to 1990s. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Arizona revived it, though most relievers still jog in. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Seeing how hitters are pitched helps when they enter. (Source: General baseball reference)
- He answers the phone and readies the arms. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A reliever may be needed at any moment. (Source: General baseball reference)
- He catches warm-up pitches but rarely plays in games. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Watch, call, warm up, enter. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Walking, then cars, then today's jog to music. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Bullpen cars once drove relievers to the mound. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 7: Left-handed specialists

- LOOGYs faced one or two left-handed hitters. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Lefties usually hit worse against left-handed pitchers. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Since 2020 relievers must face three batters. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Orosco's long career included many short outings. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A wide arm angle makes the pitch seem to come from behind. (Source: General baseball reference)
- He could face the opponent's best left-handed bat. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Good lefties now get both left- and right-handed hitters out. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Specialists, then the 2020 rule, then the new demands. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Same-handed hitters are the easiest for a lefty. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A low arm angle is hard for same-handed hitters. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 8: Relief in October

- Bumgarner, a starter, saved Game 7 on two days' rest. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Playoff off-days let starters pitch in relief. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Clubs push their best arms in elimination games. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gibson's pinch-hit homer off Eckersley won Game 1 in 1988. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 'Wild Thing' Williams was pitching for Philadelphia. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Many playoff games are won or lost after the sixth. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Herrera, Davis and Holland made games six innings long for rivals. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 1988, 1993, 2014. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Warm up, enter, pitch long, finish. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Bumgarner closed Game 7 in 2014. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 9: Knuckleballers and unusual relievers

- A knuckleball is thrown softly without much spin. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Dickey won 20 games for the Mets. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Even the catcher cannot tell where the ball will go. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A bigger mitt helps catch the erratic pitch. (Source: General baseball reference)
- His knuckles nearly scrape the mound as he releases. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Unfamiliar looks make short outings effective. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The tall, thin Tekulve pitched from a very low slot. (Source: General baseball reference)
- From straight overhead down to near the ground. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Curves spin most; knuckleballs barely spin. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A very low release marks a submarine pitcher. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 10: Reading a reliever's season

- It shows how well he cleans up others' messes. (Source: General baseball reference)
- One bad outing swings a small-innings ERA. (Source: General baseball reference)
- It shows how often he loses leads. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Strikeouts prevent runners from advancing. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Shutdowns and meltdowns use win probability. (Source: General baseball reference)
- It marks outings that cost the team badly. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Leaving runners on base protects the previous pitcher's line. (Source: General baseball reference)
- High-stakes escapes help most. (Source: General baseball reference)
- ERA over few innings is noisy; walk rate settles slower than strikeout rate. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Stranding inherited runners keeps them off the previous pitcher's line. (Source: General baseball reference)

Sources: General baseball references, WBSC and league material, coaching manuals; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered rules belong to the Rules category.

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