[USML Announce] no really....he probably is

[JHWinick at aol.com]

Gentlemen,


The following news item is copied directly from Ron Shandler's site.  Looks 
like trouble for Bob "The Man" Wickman.  But lets not give that closer's job to 
Riske yet......

Wickman experiencing elbow soreness... After pitching an inning in a 
simulated game on Monday, Cleveland RP Bob Wickman reported soreness in his surgically 
repaired right elbow. Wickman had been expected to break camp as the 
Cleveland closer, but his return from surgery has been slow this spring, and he has 
only thrown one inning in competition, allowing three hits and three runs. 
Wickman's struggles raise the stock of two other former closers in Cleveland's 
camp, David Riske and Jose Jimenez. Compare their BPI. 
Jimenez    Dom    Ctl    Hr/9    xERA    BPV   Sv-Op
=======    ===    ===    ====    ====    ===   =====
2002       5.8    1.4     0.9    3.67    100   41-47
2003       4.0    2.8     0.6    5.25     25   20-23

Riske      Dom    Ctl    Hr/9    xERA    BPV   Sv-Op
=====      ===    ===    ====    ====    ===   =====
2002      11.9    5.5     1.6    5.19     72    1- 1
2003       9.9    2.4     1.1    2.52    128    8-13

The two pitchers have different strengths. Riske ended last season as 
Cleveland's closer, and is the more dominant pitcher. Jimenez does a better job of 
keeping the ball in the park. Since he pitched for Colorado, his hr/9 represents 
an incredible feat, and outside of Coors Field, Jimenez yielded only 0.4 hr/9 
in 2003. When it comes to guile, Jimenez has an advantage. Jimenez' save 
percentage for the past two seasons was 87%, compared to 64% for Riske. If 
Wickman's elbow does not allow him to be ready for the season, either Riske or 
Jimenez could be handed the closer's job. Even if Jimenez does not get the job 
initially, given his stronger guile, he has an excellent chance of getting the 
opportunity to close at some point in the season. 

Now, then.  Who was lucky enough to pick up Jose Jimenez?
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