Last year, the Tigers coined the slogan "Who’s Your Tiger?"
For most people, it was a simple question, and their answers came quickly: Cabrera, Inge, Zumaya, and Verlander. Nobody was mentioning Fernando Rodney, for he wasn't anyone's favorite. The guy made just 13 saves and compiled an 0-6 record in 48 appearances in '08.
But what has happened to our tormentor this season? He has been given the reins as the Tigers' closer, and surprisingly, has not blown a win yet. This raises yet another question.
Who is this guy, and what has he done with Fernando Rodney?
In all seriousness, there are no complaints here, but the stats stand in stark contrast to each other. Last season, Rodney was just the Tigers closer du jour and turned in an ungodly 4.95 ERA.
But I guess this was the norm for Tigers fans. Ever since Rodney came up to the big leagues in 2002, he has treated the Detroit faithful to sub-par pitching while occasionally tantalizing the scouts and managers with glimpses of his true potential.
In 2006, Rodney had his best season, as he went 7-4 with a 3.52 ERA and seven saves, which he obtained after an early season slump by then-closer Todd Jones. But despite his success and his mighty contribution to the Tigers' march to the World Series, he relapsed into his old ways in time for the postseason.
In a World Series game, Rodney was one of several pitchers to commit an error that directly led to a Tigers loss. Apparently, "PFP" was not on the list of workouts that Playoffs.
In 2007, Rodney continued his slide back into mediocrity, amassing two wins and six losses with a 4.26 ERA. Jones served the entire season as the closer and gave the fans a coronary during each save opportunity, but if any of those in the stands had been asked, they would gladly have chosen the roller coaster ride that was Todd rather than put the ball in the hands of Rodney.
But this season, though it may be just seven games young, Rodney has been tapped as the everyday closer and has yet to surrender a run. In his appearances through Sunday, Rodney has pitched three innings with three strikeouts and has earned himself two saves.
Something must have happened over the offseason. Last season, it was a gamble putting Rodney in, as he couldn't find the strike zone with any consistency. But so far in this young campaign, he's pitching to his potential.
Last season, Rodney was interviewed following a couple of dominating outings and asked what he was doing differently. His response was that he wasn’t "trying to impress" anyone anymore; he was just "throwing the ball," rather than "trying to pitch."
It seems that when Rodney feels the need to look good, he overthinks and starts to try to locate every pitch with pinpoint accuracy. He then over-throws and puts too much speed on the ball, which prevents it from breaking.
Granted, the opponents that Rodney has been up against to this point in the '09 season are not exactly top-caliber teams. But both Toronto and Texas have their fair share of quality hitters.
Apparently, this new Rodney isn’t fazed by good hitters.
One can only hope that this stranger wearing Fernando's jersey is here to stay, and that he tied the old Rodney up and left him in a room somewhere where he can’t come back and ruin another game.
If this new fellow sticks around for any period of time, there might just be a new answer to the question of "Who’s Your Tiger?"
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