Hermanson article

[Milkman delivers]

I particularly like the part about Eckersley.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...phil&id=2072998

 

CHICAGO – Felipe Alou deserves a thank-you note, if not a postseason share, if the White Sox hold on to win the American League Central. He was the guy who put longtime starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson back into his original role as a closer.

 

Alou, the Giants' manager, made that move early last August, and Hermanson did so well (17 saves in 20 chances for San Francisco) that he went right to the top of the list of pitchers White Sox general manager Kenny Williams wanted to sign last winter.

 

Hermanson signed with the White Sox for two years and an option at a total guarantee of $5.5 million in December, only one day after the Giants declined to offer him salary arbitration. Right now, it looks like money well spent. Hermanson opened the season in a set-up role but has since supplanted Shingo Takatsu as the White Sox' closer.

 

Hermanson has converted all 11 of his save chances and hasn't allowed a single run to score. Along with Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle, he has meant as much to the success of the White Sox as anyone else.

 

"What Dustin has done for us has been huge,'' Williams said last weekend. "We knew he had a good arm and we knew he could help us. It has turned out that he's gotten the last out in a lot of our wins.''

 

Hermanson, 32, was drafted by San Diego in 1994 with the idea of having him be a closer. He became a starter only because Trevor Hoffman was blocking his path. Hermanson had made 180 big-league starts before Alou turned to him out of desperation when Matt Herges was getting hit around.

 

Baseball historians will recall this is similar to the path Dennis Eckersley followed with Oakland. Eckersley was 32 when then-A's manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan decided to give him a shot as the closer. Twelve years and 387 saves later, Eckersley was on his way to the Hall of Fame.

 

Hermanson has taken only baby steps in that direction, of course, but the early sample of his work suggests staying power in the role. He has converted 90.3 percent (28 of 31) of his save chances and compiled a 2.44 ERA in 48 outings since Alou turned to him.

 

"Oh, he likes it,'' Williams said of the role. "His mentality is perfect for the eighth and ninth inning ... Look at his facial hair. Is that the hair of a closer or what? It's not the hair of a starter.''

 

With wild sideburns and all sorts of unusual stuff happening below his nose, Hermanson looks like a guy you'd see building customized choppers on television. His approach is blue-collar all the way.

 

Hermanson says he realized he loved being back in late-inning situations when Alou gave him the chance. He came to the White Sox knowing he'd largely be insurance behind Takatsu, who had converted 19 saves in 20 chances last year.

 

Like Eric Gagne, Hermanson has a collection of pitches that works better out of the bullpen. He doesn't have to pace himself with his fastball. He comes out firing without any concern about stamina and then works in his other pitches.

 

Hermanson has twice worked more than one inning to pick up a save.

 

"He's got a starter's repertoire,'' Williams said. "Most of the time the guys who work the eighth and the ninth only have two pitches. He can throw all four [of his] pitches and still have confidence in his fastball.''

 

Hermanson has not felt great all season. He was unavailable for a stretch of five days in late April because of back problems and lately has vanished without explanation, appearing in only one game since May 21.

 

Williams admits that Hermanson's velocity hasn't been as good in most of his 2005 outings as it was with San Francisco last year.

 

His fastball has peaked at about 92-93 mph this season after reaching the mid-90s in 2004, which could be the result of Hermanson's having built up strength last season to start.

 

While waiting for his full velocity to arrive, he has held opposing batters to a .174 average, down from .262 a year ago. His rate of strikeouts has fallen slightly, but hitters are doing little with the balls they put in play as Hermanson has allowed just 12 hits in 21 innings.

 

Hermanson isn't getting too caught up in his streak of not allowing a run. He had a 27-inning streak as a starter with Montreal in 1997 and is very much a team-first guy.

 

"He's a great guy in the clubhouse, too,'' Williams said. "He helps keep it loose with guys. He's a great teammate.''

 

The thing that motivates Hermanson the most is the thought of being a valuable piece of a World Series team. He's made two trips to the playoffs, with St. Louis in 2001 and San Francisco in 2003, and both times went home after the first round.

 

Hermanson has pitched his way into early All-Star consideration, but October is when closers really make names for themselves. Hermanson is a candidate to grab serious attention in the fall.

[Hideaway Lights]

Kind of a funny story...I was at a party with Dustin back in 2000 (when he was still a mediocre starter with the cardinals). Basically, he partly grew up in the same hometown as a bunch of friends of mine from the Detroit area. I didn't really talk to him much that night, as I didn't know him and didn't think much of him as a pitcher. Hilariously, two of my buddies came into the living room complaining that he had essentially bogarted their stash, if you catch my drift. He was kind of a party animal that night. We immediately started calling him Dusty thereafter.

 

Kind of ironic that he's a Sox now and so dominant. I love rooting for him.

[Cali]

"Oh, he likes it,'' Williams said of the role. "His mentality is perfect for the eighth and ninth inning ... Look at his facial hair. Is that the hair of a closer or what? It's not the hair of a starter.''

 

[Wedge]

I really like the facial hair comment.

[Milkman delivers]

Kind of a funny story...I was at a party with Dustin back in 2000 (when he was still a mediocre starter with the cardinals). Basically, he partly grew up in the same hometown as a bunch of friends of mine from the Detroit area. I didn't really talk to him much that night, as I didn't know him and didn't think much of him as a pitcher. Hilariously, two of my buddies came into the living room complaining that he had essentially bogarted their stash, if you catch my drift. He was kind of a party animal that night. We immediately started calling him Dusty thereafter.

 

Kind of ironic that he's a Sox now and so dominant. I love rooting for him.

 

You're saying he's a coke head?

[Hideaway Lights]

naw, think green not white.

[Milkman delivers]

naw, think green not white.

 

That's what I thought you were getting at, but the Dusty thing threw me off.