May 24, 200521 yr MIAMI -- Marlins closer Todd Jones, who saved every game in the club's three-game sweep of the Devil Rays last weekend, declared himself ready to go for his fourth save in four days, if the opportunity presents itself Monday night against the Phillies at Dolphins Stadium. "But if I do [pitch Monday], I'll definitely need the next day off," Jones said. The 36-year-old is living something of a comeback player's dream right now. After regular closer Guillermo Mota was shut down with right arm inflammation on April 24, Jones received his chance to replace Mota -- and in the process return to a role in which he once thrived. Jones had 131 saves over four seasons for the Detroit Tigers, capped by 42 in 2000. Then he began a slide toward closer oblivion. He had 13 the next season, splitting the year between the Tigers and Twins. He would record just three saves over the next four years. Yet Jones was ready when Mota went down. He has six saves thus far, and has Jack McKeon, a manager who pulls few punches in evaluating his players, singing his praises. "I'm glad they've gone to me the last couple of times out and that I've been able to get outs," Jones said. "We're playing real good right now and I just look forward to the opportunity to get out there." This is not the giddiness of a starry-eyed 20-something. This is the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from realizing you can still compete at the highest level in one of the game's toughest roles. But Jones also is realistic about what he offers as a closer these days. "My stuff might not be what it once was," he said, "but my preparation and mental focus are probably better. So I'm hoping it's a wash. I just enjoy getting out there and competing." As the Tigers closer in his heyday, he can recall once closing games on four straight days against the Royals in Kansas City. He declared himself eligible to pitch Monday night because he needed just 11 pitches Sunday to finish off the Devil Rays. "I'm not a hero," he said. "I'm smart enough to know when I shouldn't be out there. I'm not an egomaniac. I'm not going to go out there when I could hurt the team -- or myself." Jones credits catcher Paul Lo Duca with simplifying things for him in his transition back to closing. "Paul's been real helpful keeping me confident," he said. "He makes sure I'm making the right pitch selection. That has taken away a lot of the thought process for me, and I can just focus on what finger he puts down." Jones has had to reacquaint himself with the emotional jackpot, the all-or-nothing nature of being a team's closer. "It's a lot higher, a lot lower," he said. "When everything goes good, you're the greatest thing ever. When it's bad, you're the world's worst closer. So you've just got to be able to handle that." --------------------------------------------------------------------- McKeon likes the two-closer system: Assuming Mota does well in Minor League outings in Jupiter, Fla., the skipper envisions allowing Mota and Jones to split the closer's job. On Monday, Mota pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. He'll pitch again in Jupiter on Tuesday. "One works a couple of days in a row and the next guy can take it," McKeon said. "That way, if one guy goes down, we still have somebody to close." That plan worked marvelously for the Marlins in 2003, when they alternated between Ugueth Urbina and Braden Looper en route to a World Series title. McKeon said should Mota show over the next two days that he's ready to return, there is a good chance his promotion might happen "towards the end of the week," depending on how he feels. McKeon would like Mota to pitch in a non-save situation when he first returns. "Get a game under his belt," the manager said.
May 24, 200521 yr Tonight and sunday's saves were the easy. 3 run lead, 3 outs to get. I'm surprised Jack let Jones pitch in them considering he also pitched in Friday and Saturday's games.
May 24, 200521 yr Tonight and sunday's saves were the easy. 3 run lead, 3 outs to get. I'm surprised Jack let Jones pitch in them considering he also pitched in Friday and Saturday's games. 781204[/snapback] He also pitched in Sunday's game. He's pitched in and saved our last 4 games. He's been great.
May 24, 200521 yr Tonight and sunday's saves were the easy. 3 run lead, 3 outs to get. I'm surprised Jack let Jones pitch in them considering he also pitched in Friday and Saturday's games. 781204[/snapback] I agree. Since it wasn't a critical situation Jones should have been given the night off.
May 24, 200521 yr Tonight and sunday's saves were the easy. 3 run lead, 3 outs to get. I'm surprised Jack let Jones pitch in them considering he also pitched in Friday and Saturday's games. 781204[/snapback] I agree. Since it wasn't a critical situation Jones should have been given the night off. 781281[/snapback] Agreed. Because we used him today for the 4th day in a row we can't use him tomorrow.
May 24, 200521 yr Jones has been awesome so far. I dont think he will be able to keep it up so the 2 closer approach seems like a great idea. They said that Mota will be back towards the end of the week. My guess is Thursday night or Friday morning because Kensing will be demoted and he is starting Thurday's game.
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