Ruben Rounds Third

Recently, Rich Draper announced on the Giants' official MLB.Com gloss factory that Armando Benitez is a big fan of country music in general and of former Mr. Renee Zellweger, Kenny Chesney, in particular. Am I the only one who's tickled to death by this? Benitez was quoted as saying that "[country music] is like real life" and that he especially likes "when they talk about the past." Talk about a giggle-inducing image: intimdating closer sitting in a bar after giving up a game-winning homer in the postseason, crying his eyes out to "Tear In My Beer." (Yeah, I would've guessed Rod Beck, too.)

So what can we say about Armando Benitez? What can we expect from him this season? The truth is, it's a cloudy crystal ball indeed. At 33, Benitez is old enough where we can start expecting a decline in his stuff. This decline might have been present last year, but with so much of the season lost completely to or at least impacted greatly by injury, 2005 doesn't give us much to go on.

Neither, unfortunately, does 2004, a year in which Benitez dominated the National League to a surreal degree. A look at some of Benitez's more peripheral stats from 2004 shows clearly that this was an anomalous year for him. Usually prone to walking at least 4 batters per nine innings, Benitez somehow managed to harness his control to the tune of 2.6 bb/9 in 2004. This sudden increase in control allowed Benitez to shave three full pitches off his average per-inning total from 2003's 17.7 to 2004's 14.7. (The number climbed back to 17.7 last year.) Benitez also gave up just 36 hits in 69 2/3 innings, for a batting-average-against of a ridiculous .152. And while greater control was surely a major factor, it's also important to remember that Benitez spent 2004 pitching in front of one of the best defenses in baseball, and worked half his games in what just might be the best pitcher's park in the majors.

About the only thing that didn't go right in Benitez's monster 47 saves/1.29 ERA career year in 2004 was that his strikeout rate dropped below one per inning for the first time in his career. Back in the late '90s, when Benitez pitched for the New York Mets, he routinely posted k/9 rates of 11 or better, reaching an absurd 14.77 strikeouts per nine innings in 1999. The pitcher Benitez was in those days--fastball in the high 90s, ability to induce acid reflux in the on-deck circle--is sadly no more, even though he still managed to post his best year in many respects in 2004.

Who, then, is the Benitez of 2006? One thing I feel pretty decent about--he's not an above-normal health risk. Although he missed 96 games to a horrific hamstring injury last year, Benitez does not seem to show the signs of a Matt Mantei-type closer who can't stay healthy. I'm not saying he can't get hurt--just that he doesn't seem to be a noteworthy risk for it.

Assuming we get a full season out of Benitez, I'm looking at this season as something of a return to form for Benitez. He may not have his world-beating 98-99 mph gas anymore, but he hit 96 on the gun a few times down the stretch, and I think that with proper conditioning, he'll be around 95-96 consistently. (And speaking of conditioning, word is that Stan Conte has reevaluated last spring's strategy to baby Benitez's legs in light of the big fella's subsequent hamstring tear, and is currently going Full Metal Jacket on Armando in camp this year.) This year we should see a healthier and stronger Benitez, a pitcher who generates better drive with his legs: and this might even mean that he can get back up over a strikeout per nine innings, an important factor when you consider how important whiffs are for a team with a very good shot of having the worst outfield defense in the majors.

Another bit of good news for Giants fans is that Benitez has apparently been working on a sinker that breaks away from righties to complement his other sinker that breaks in on them. Adding a new wrinkle like this is a good way to keep hitters on their toes, and if Benitez can add another out pitch (even if it's just to induce groundballs) to go with his still-potent fastball and devastating splitter, he might just reclaim his status as one of the league's elite closers.

Even with the loss of Scott Eyre and the wine-into-water alchemy of trading LaTroy Hawkins for Steve Kline, the Giants look to have a pretty strong bullpen in 2006. They have a pretty good mix of veterans and unsung youngsters (two of whom, Jack Taschner and Scott Munter, should feature very prominently indeed). Best of all, they've got a number of guys with very, very good stuff. If the Giants can get enough innings out of their starters to minimize Felipe Alou's tendencies to destroy relief pitchers (Jim Brower and Matt Herges, please report to the Hart Building to receive your Congressional Medals of Honor), it's a good bet that the Giants can hold leads better this year than they did last year. And if Benitez enters the game with a lead in the 9th--or even the 8th, as he's shown the ability to do--I think we can all look forward to a good deal more 9 inning victories than last year.