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I don't agree that 9th inning, bases empty, with a lead is a pressure situation.
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Up 3-0 in the 9th against the 2000 Devil Rays, I agree.
Up 1-0 in the 9th against the 2000 Red Sox, I disagree.
Similarly, Koufax starting and winning against the 1963 Mets is no big deal. Starting and winning two against Whitey Ford in the World Series is.
I also dispute the idea that all innings are equal. I understand the concept, but I disagree with it. Giving up three runs in the first inning, you've still got eight innings to get those back. Giving up three in the ninth is a different story. Watching the Red Sox with Byung Hyun Kim in 2003 vs. Keith Foulke in 2004 was all the convincing I needed about the importance of a closer.
-Al