‘Sweet Emotion’ when Watson enters a game
PITTSBURGH 鈥� It has been added to those mysterious set of baseball鈥檚 unwritten rules 鈥� every closer must have an entrance song accompanied by a scoreboard video.
The Pirates鈥� Tony Watson has been in the closer鈥檚 role for a little more than a week. However, the left-hander has pitched in the major leagues for six seasons so he knows about the theatrics that go with being a closer.
The low-key Watson made a request, though, when the Pirates鈥� in-game entertainment staff approached him about his entrance video after he took over as the closer following the trade of Mark Melancon to the Washington Nationals on July 30.
Watson insisted that the video on the PNC Park scoreboard feature some of the best relievers in Pirates鈥� history. Thus, the video, set to Aerosmith鈥檚 鈥淪weet Emotion鈥�, includes clips of ElRoy Face, Dave Giusti, Kent Tekulve, Mike Williams and Joel Hanrahan.
Though Watson hoped Melancon would also be included in the video, the Pirates nixed the idea of highlighting somebody who was just traded.
鈥淲e have such a great tradition of relief pitchers that I didn鈥檛 want it to about me,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just the one that the torch has been passed off to.鈥�
The Pirates, who were off Monday and open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on tonight at PNC Park, felt Watson鈥檚 time had come, particularly with Melancon almost certain to leave as a free agent at the end of the season.
The 31-year-old, who was the Pirates鈥� ninth-round pick in the 2007 amateur draft from the University of Nebraska, has been consistently outstanding since being brought up to the major leagues in 2011, posting a 2.48 ERA in 381 relief appearances and 366 innings.
Just five pitchers in franchise have history pitched more innings with a better ERA, but they all played before the end of World War I.
Watson has just seven career saves, though, making him a novice at his new job. While he has excelled as a set-up man, a number of relievers over the years have struggled to the transition to being the closer.
Watson, though, believes he can handle the responsibilities.
鈥淚鈥檝e pitched in a lot of high-leverage situations in the eighth inning in my career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just being pushed back an inning. Now I just need to gets outs in the ninth inning. That鈥檚 the only difference.鈥�
Watson has converted two of three save opportunities since his promotion.
His blown save came last Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds when he gave up a run in the top of the ninth. The Pirates, though, came back to win 3-2 when Sean Rodriguez led off the bottom of the inning with a home run.
Watson was called on Saturday night to start the ninth and protected a 5-3 lead against the Reds by pitching a 1-2-3 inning.
The way Watson rebounded was heartening for manager Clint Hurdle to see.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the role of a closer, to have a short memory as long as they have good stuff,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淲e showed confidence in him and gave him the ball. We鈥檝e done it in the eighth inning before. You can鈥檛 get off of him because of one (bad) mark, so it was a nice result.鈥�