Levine: Closer Rondon Stepping Up His Game
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) -- The Cubs' success over the past 100 games has been well documented as a turning point for a team that had bottomed out the last two seasons. A large part of the Cubs' arrow pointing upward has been the improvement of the pitching staff.
At the beginning of the season, with Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel leading the way, starting pitching was ahead of the bullpen. Since the trade of Samardzija and Hammel, the bullpen has been the dominant area pitching stability.
A good portion of the growth in the bullpen (95 club - as in everybody throws 95 MPH or better) has to do with the development of closer Hector Rondon. The 26-year-old pitcher was acquired in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cubs off of Cleveland's roster on December 6, 2013.
After watching Rondon earn, lose and regain the closer's job, manager Rick Renteria had a few observations about the young pitcher.
"He is a lot calmer now," Renteria related. "He has learned to calm down in leverage situations .I believe now he trusts his stuff and has a better idea how he wants to attack the hitter."
The Cubs' power bullpen led by Rondon at the back end has become the talk in the National League.
"I don't think anybody wants to face the Cubs at the end of the ballgame now," said longtime Cincinnati broadcaster Marty Brennaman said on a recent broadcast. "You have Neil Ramirez and Pedro Strop throwing 96-98 MPH as the set up guys and then Rondon who is just a tough closing."
Rondon credits the Cubs coaching staff and bullpen coach Lester Strode in particular for his ascension to elite status in the pen.
"When I started working with Lester last year my mechanics really started to get better," Rondon said. "He worked with me on my delivery and my command issues .What we worked on in the bullpen eventually became a part of what I could do in the game."
The confidence that he has worked on over the past two seasons has allowed Rondon to save 23 of 27 games he has been thrust into in 2014.
"I have more belief in throwing my breaking ball and sinker in tough counts now," Rondon related. "I am not afraid to throw all of my pitches and be confident they can get hitters out."
The entire bullpen group has grown with experience and the training they have received from Renteria and his staff of coaches.
"I think they are growing together as a unit," the manager said. "Quite frankly during the beginning of the season, their hiccups kind of came together as well. You can take those experiences and build on them and make corrections you need to make. It is pretty neat to see them go into those high-leverage (game-altering) situations they get into, keep it all in check and do a very good job."
The bullpen has had its trouble when Rondon has not closed games. The relievers are 8-23 when anyone but Rondon has attempted to close in 2014.
"I am thinking about throwing a quality pitch for a strike even before I am getting ready to go into a game," Rondo said. "The mental side of my game has helped me a lot. Lester did a really good job of helping me believe in myself and my pitches."
