Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Journey takes Jays' Escobar back to the end

Kelvim Escobar has done it all, from start to finish.

Now he's back where he started.

Finishing.

In 1997, his first season with the Blue Jays, Escobar was their closer with a 3-2 record, a 2.90 ERA and a rookie-high 14 saves in 17 opportunities. The next four years he was primarily a middle reliever, occasionally a starter.

The closer from 1998-2001 was Billy Koch, until he was traded to Oakland in December. He was erratic last season: a .400 slugging percentage by the first batters he faced, nine blown saves and nearly double the walks and fewer strikeouts than in 2000.

Escobar signed a one-year $2.3-million contract Jan. 17. He has a win and a save in five appearances going into tonight's game against the Rays. If he can come close to matching the 33-save average Koch had the past three seasons, Escobar probably will have a longer and more valuable deal next spring.

"I spoke to him after the trade (of Koch), told him what I had on my mind," manager Buck Martinez said, "and he was very receptive."

That's an understatement.

"I'm excited," the right-hander said. "I always say I like to start, but I love to be a closer. As a closer, you're a more powerful pitcher, more aggressive."

He is that, with both heat and finesse. "Given his arsenal of pitches," Martinez said, "he can come out and throw 98 mph, he can throw a 91-92 mph splitter, and his slider is as good as anybody's in the league. That assortment of pitches should allow him to be successful several times a week. And if he doesn't have one (pitch working), he's still got two of the three best in the league."

The increased maturity, consistency and command of his pitches Martinez saw last season proved to him that Escobar was capable of repeating his previous performance. "If he is as good as I think he is going to be, he can go out there and throw 9-10 pitches and be out of the game," Martinez said. In his Wednesday night save against the Yankees, Escobar threw a 10-pitch, two-strikeout ninth inning.

Escobar would rather close two or three games in a row than start every fifth game. It's easier and, he believes, safer. "As a starter you have to be a pitcher: smart, making a lot of good pitches," Escobar said. "You go through the hitters three or four times during a game and you have to make adjustments because when the hitter sees you three or four times he knows what you've got. Sometimes when you get him out with this pitch, he might make an adjustment, so you have to throw something different."

The biggest difference is the mind-set. A starter knows he has a lot of innings ahead of him. If he allows an early run or two, his teammates can get them back. As a closer "you have to be tough," Escobar said. "You have to go out there and throw strikes. You walk a guy, you can get into trouble. You're in the ninth inning, up by a run, you know you have to do your best right now to get through the inning and get the game over."

Martinez and pitching coach Mark Connor will know when Escobar needs a day off, and when he will need to throw. "After two days off," Escobar said, "you have to get in a game or throw on the side to stay in good shape."

The greatest difficulty in pulling him out of the rotation, Martinez said, "is when you don't have enough bodies to give you those five starting spots."

Another potential problem: a return of the mysterious ailment that caused tightness in Escobar's right forearm and numbness in his hand.

He took two months off after last season and pitched just twice in December before heading to his native Venezuela for winter ball. "I didn't feel any pain," he said.

Perhaps the best thing Escobar has going for him is that he has been both a starter and closer in the majors and in Venezuela, so the change isn't that drastic "because I know what it takes to do each job.

"I'm excited to be doing this one again. ... Whatever happens to you, you've got to take advantage of the chance because you never know how many chances you're going to have in life."

The Escobar file

FULL NAME: Kelvim Jose Escobar (Bolivar).

BORN: April 11, 1976, La Guaira, Venezuela.

HOME: Caracas, Venezuela.

HT./WT.: 6-1; 210.

ACQUIRED: Signed as non-drafted free agent, July 3, 1992.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright