The face, the chin, the heroic rescue... Why not Buzz Lightyear? Jim
Brower has saved the Giants and their starting rotation when he was
summoned to start from the bullpen. Even when he was called upon to
start for Kirk Rueter ten minutes before game time, he performed well,
but got the loss.
My idea for Brower to become a starter was shot down by many
previously, but thank you, Buzz, for proving them wrong for me.
Granted, he has had his shaky outings, but who doesn’t have those once
in a while? He’s done a heckuva job for what he’s taken credit for.
Brower is another one of those players who were bounced from team to
team, but never quite settled in anywhere. I believe we would like him
to stay in a Giants’ uniform, and hey, who knows, maybe even become
part of the starting rotation next season. There are so many question
marks in not only the Giants’ lineup, but also in their starting
rotation for next season, and Brower would definitely not be looked
over as a starter next year.
A rotation consisting of Jason Schmidt, Rueter, Jerome Williams,
Brower, plus another worthy starter (Joe Nathan?) will be one of the
league’s most solid starting rotations. I say another starter because
the future of Sidney Ponson is very uncertain, and no, I did not forget
about Jesse Foppert, but he’s a big question mark himself.
Back to Buzz. When people talk about pitching and the Giants, names
like Schmidt and Ponson and Williams, the new rookie sensation, come
up, but Brower is rarely mentioned. Only in his rare starts and rare
relief appearances is he even seen in games.
Now with Rueter back on the DL, Brower may get calls to start again.
For now, he’s back in the bullpen, but he’s never minded it. His role
is needed more in the bullpen for long relief emergencies since Chad
Zerbe is also on the DL. Dustin Hermanson has done well for the Giants
as a starter in Rueter’s place, so Brower will be needed in the bullpen
more than in the starting rotation. There aren’t too many pitchers you
can toss back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation
who can willingly excel at their performance like Brower does
every time.
His approach every time he gets on the mound is the same: get the batter
out. He doesn’t mix it up or make it too difficult for himself. He was
calmer than calm in his first start this season against the Cardinals,
one of the top offensive teams in the NL, limiting them to only one
run. Felipe Alou was expecting and asking for around four innings from
Brower, but Brower went a strong six. Impressive, very impressive.
Brower doesn’t throw a fit when he’s sent back to the bullpen.. He
doesn’t throw a fit for anything. He understands when he is needed and
that he is placed wherever the team thinks he should be, and where he
can help his team out the most. I think it takes more for a pitcher to
be able to switch back and forth than a pitcher who has a set job as a
starter or a reliever. It’s all mental. Pitchers should not have to
complain when they need to be sent back to the bullpen, and Brower has
definitely not done any whining... Better yet, he’s done his share of
damage on other teams to help the Giants win.
If Brower continues his spectacular performance on the mound, I can
start yelling, “Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!” Please share that moment
with me.
On Deck: Rich Aurilia
Sara Kwan was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. She
currently writes game recaps, other articles, and is the Giant Prophet for
SFDugout.com. Any comments or questions about the article, baseball, or the
meaning of life can be sent to Sara at kwanchino@alpha-q.net
The views expressed in the columns do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the site's publisher, writers, or other staff members. The content on this site may not be redistributed without the expressed consent of SFDugout.com.