Now that Brandon Lyon can throw - lightly - off the mound, it's about to go off for the battle for Closer.
Despite being two weeks behind schedule, Mills expects Lyon to be able to start the season:
“As of right now, the concern isn't there. He's a little behind in spring training but not for the season, so we're still anticipating him being able to start the season.”
Both say that they don't care about which role they have, and Mills wants to name one of them. Lyon:
“I want to say it's easier in a sense to be the closer. Sometimes sixth-, seventh-inning guys, they get worn out a little more because they have to pitch in different situations. That's the toughest part: knowing when you're going to pitch and preparing yourself.”
Mills, on Lindstrom:
"He's closed before, and he's got the stuff to close. We're just going to have to wait and see how he throws the ball here in spring training.”
Mills, on Lyon:
"He's a late-innings guy, and those guys are invaluable on any ballclub. With the ballclub that we have this year and with the guys that we lost at the back end, to have a guy like that is invaluable.”
Lindstrom:
"Brandon's earned every right to have this opportunity, and I know I need to go out there and show the club that this is what I want to do.”
Lyon:
“When that bell rings and Millsie tells me to get ready, that's what I'm going to do. I don't really care. We're all a team here. We all have one goal, and that's to win games. And when teams can do that, jell and get along real well, you can do great things. That's my plan. I'm just going out there and trying to get ready for a season. That stuff will play out by itself.”
So everyone is saying the right things, but we just can't project who will be in what role until the Spring Training games start. Oh, and they start tomorrow.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
