You know those historical practices, like bleeding or most uses of medicinal leeches, we look back on and say "what were they thinking"?  I often wonder what current practices people will look back on a hundred years from now and ask the same question.  One thing which is definitely on my list is managerial usage patterns of the modern closer.

Two nights ago, Cleveland manage-bot Eric Wedge removed his best reliever, who had just blown through three Yankees in the eighth inning in about five pitches, in favor of a man with an ERA above five. He happened to get away with it, as Joe Borowski allowed only a single upper-deck homerun to Bobby Abreu and an extremely long foul fly to Jorge Posada before escaping the inning.  What a "save."

What is it going to take before managers decide that winning championships are worth the risk of bruising the egos of a few relief pitchers?  The evening before, Joe Torre had probably ended the career of the best pitcher of the past fifty years by removing him after 2 1/3 innings because he just didn't have his stuff anymore.  I'm sure it was a difficult move for Torre personally, but he had a series to prolong, and the move worked.  Is it going to take the loss of a pennant or World Series clinching game before managers start using their best relief pitchers when the season is on the line?  It might, and stay tuned because it could happen this year.  Joe Borowski, the Indians medicinal leech, isn't done sucking.