You trot down to the bullpen and start to throw some pitches. As soon
as your arm is loose, someone tells you to sit back down again. The
next inning, you’re asked to warm up again, then you are again told to
sit back down. This is the life of a relief pitcher.
For the Giants, their bullpen has experienced it’s ups and downs, but
one guy who’s shown up everyday to play, no matter what the
circumstances are, is Scott Eyre. What a nice guy. Although his main
job is to get lefties out in the later innings, he is making a strong
case to stay in the game to face righties as well because of his
excelling performance on the mound.
During the stretch of time where the Giants’ bullpen was having major
struggling issues (giving up leads, losing games, unable to quickly end
innings, etc.), Eyre remained solid and became the only dependable arm
coming out of the bullpen. What a nice guy.
Eyre has come a long way. Before the Giants picked him up, he was one
of those guys who came into games strictly to get lefties out because
righties have no trouble hitting off him. His ERA was bloated when it
came to facing righties, and with that, he was easily bounced from team
to team.
The pitching staff has helped Eyre develop his skill into a dangerous
arm. Being a reliever is not easy, you often have to enter a game with
runners on base, and the idea is to keep them there or to record them
for an out. Despite having his share of rough outings, Eyre continues
to be solid coming into games, although his record doesn’t show it.
San Francisco is exactly where he needs to be. Eyre seems to have a
good enough relationship with the staff, players and fans. After every
home game, Eyre never minds staying after to sign autographs and to
meet the fans. If you don’t believe me, go on eBay and look up
autographed Giants baseballs. Eyre has the most. What a nice guy.
Eyre is another one of those guys who keeps spirits high. During the
blackout that the Giants suffered while in New York, Eyre became the
light of the party. Stuck in the parking lot at Shea Stadium with no
food and only one bus, the Giants were in the dark... waiting...
waiting... and waiting.
For probably no apparent reason, Eyre climbed on the scoreboard. This
was probably a most amusing sight to most of the players at the moment,
even though pitching coach Dave Righetti wasn’t too happy about it.
Eyre put some smiles on some faces and loosened the tension that could
have tore the team apart. What a nice guy.
How much credit does Eyre get? Not enough. Bullpen arms of Joe Nathan
and Felix Rodriguez are often talked about, whether or not they’re
positive or negative comments. Eyre doesn’t ask for credit, nor does he
want it. What a nice guy. Whenever he’s asked to go into a game,
whether it’s in a tied game or a blow-out game, he’ll jog to the mound,
step on the slab, read the sign, and deliver. When he’s no longer
needed, he hands the ball over, walks back to the dugout, has a seat,
and takes a sip of water, no questions asked. He knows when he’s done
his job and when he let the team down.
I’ve said it over and over again, and I’ll say it again: What a nice
guy. I’d invite him to the neighborhood BBQ in a second.
On deck: Ray Durham
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
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