Koji and Immortality

ivanvamp

captain obvious
Jul 18, 2005
6,104
Uehara:  0.65 era, 0.76 whip, 12.4 k/9
Badenhop:  1.77 era, 1.21 whip, 4.3 k/9
Capuano:  2.93 era, 1.30 whip, 8.1 k/9
Tazawa:  2.28 era, 1.12 whip, 8.5 k/9
Miller:  2.77 era, 1.12 whip, 14.2 k/9
 
I mean, wow.  This bullpen has kept the team (relatively) afloat.  If you can call it that.
 
But let's talk about Koji for a moment.  Here are his numbers, including postseason, since he became the closer last year (June 21.  See:  http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/9411498/boston-red-sox-name-koji-uehara-closer):
 
2013 reg season:  41 g, 44.1 ip, 14 h, 3 r, 2 er, 2 bb, 59 k, 0.41 era, 0.36 whip, 12.0 k/9
2013 postseason:  13 g, 13.2 ip, 7 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 16 k, 0.66 era, 0.51 whip, 10.5 k/9
2014 reg season:  27 g, 27.2 ip, 17 h, 2 r, 2 er, 4 bb, 38 k, 0.65 era, 0.76 whip, 12.4 k/9
 
TOTALS:  81 g, 85.2 ip, 38 h, 6 r, 5 er, 6 bb, 113 k, 0.53 era, 0.51 whip, 11.9 k/9
 
Those numbers are just ridiculous.  I know he has only been the closer for about one full calendar year (not quite), but is he already the greatest closer in Red Sox' history?  These numbers, combined with a WS title, are just SO dominant, so utterly absurd, that I wonder if they mitigate the relatively short time frame he's had the job.
 

ivanvamp

captain obvious
Jul 18, 2005
6,104
The only run that I can think of that compares is Dennis Eckersley.  From September 28, 1989 through April 16, 1991, here were Eck's numbers:
 
1989 reg season:  2 g, 2.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 1 k
1989 postseason:  6 g, 7.1 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 2 k
1990 reg season:  68 g, 73.1 ip, 41 h, 9 r, 5 er, 4 bb, 73 k
1990 postseason:  5 g, 4.2 ip, 5 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 4 k
1991 reg season:  4 g, 6.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 4 k
 
TOTALS:  85 g, 93.1 ip, 52 h, 11 r, 7 er, 4 bb, 84 k, 0.68 era, 0.60 whip, 8.1 k/9
 
So a similar number of games, similarly incredible numbers.  But Koji's are a little better actually.  
 
Koji:  TOTALS:  81 g, 85.2 ip, 38 h, 6 r, 5 er, 6 bb, 113 k, 0.53 era, 0.51 whip, 11.9 k/9
Eck:  TOTALS:  85 g, 93.1 ip, 52 h, 11 r, 7 er, 4 bb, 84 k, 0.68 era, 0.60 whip, 8.1 k/9