Photo courtesy of USA TodayAsk me who my favorite active player is and you won't be surprised to learn that it's Dodger closer Takashi Saito. After coming in last year to fill Eric Gagné's (legendary) shoes, Saito quickly became one of the most dominating closers in the game today. Earlier this moring Saito recorded his 34th save of the season and helped bring about a much-needed victory against the Phillies.
Saito only has three pitches: a fastball, a curveball, and a nasty slider. According to Dodger's radio broadcaster Charlie Steiner, players throughout the league have reported that they simply can't pick up on Saito's release point. By the time they know where the ball is going, it's already lights out.
At 37 years old Saito probably won't be around for very long. Once he's gone, Dodger fans--for the first time in years--will realize how spoiled they have been by the quality of their closing team.
posted at 16:03