Apparently at least two baseball writers think Neftali Feliz's success as a starter this month is actually a dilemma. Which by one definition, it is. But the suggestion is that this dilemma is difficult for the Rangers. Which makes Craig's head spin ...
Dear Lord. Once - just once - I would like to get every baseball writer on the planet under oath for half a second and make them go on the record with an answer to one simple question: "what is more valuable: an excellent starting pitcher or an excellent relief pitcher." Pending the answer to that question, I will decide whether to pay any attention to that person ever again.
Fair point. I think that almost every baseball writer, when pressed, will give the right answer, though.
Why do I think that? Just look at the Cy Young balloting every year. Mariano Rivera has never won a Cy Young Award, and in fact he's been mentioned in the balloting only five times. Baseball writers love to talk about the importance of relief pitching, but they don't put their Cy Young ballots where their mouths are.
In Feliz's case, the question really isn't whether he's more valuable as an excellent reliever or an excellent starter. We know the answer to that one. The question is whether he will be an excellent starter. Because if he's just a good one -- or, heaven forbid, he gets hurt -- the equation changes quite a bit.