What Should We Call Them Now?

For a time, back in the 1970s and '80s, they were referred to as "firemen," because they were brought into the game to put out a fire and secure a victory. Today, they're called "closers," because they're expected to close the book on the game.

Slam the door.

End it.

On three glorious days of postseason baseball this weekend, a so-called closer failed to do that.

Thursday, the Cardinals' Ryan Franklin entered Game 2 against the Dodgers with one out and the bases empty in the ninth inning and proceeded to walk two batters and surrender RBI hits to, of all people, Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta. Dodgers take a 2-0 series lead and go on to clinch it Saturday.

Friday, Twins closer Joe Nathan entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead on the Yankees and surrendered a game-tying, two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez. The Yanks went on to win Game 2 of the Division Series in the 11th on Mark Teixeira's homer off Jose Mijares and then finished off Minnesota's year Sunday in the Metrodome's final game.

Earlier Sunday, it was Boston's Jonathan Papelbon, who against three different batters got to one strike away from closing the books on Game 3 against the Angels. He couldn't do it. A two-strike single by Erick Aybar. A full-count walk by Chone Figgins. A full-count RBI double from Bobby Abreu. An intentional walk for Torii Hunter. And, finally, a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero. Red Sox eliminated.

Considering this sequence of events, maybe it's time we went back to calling these guys by an age-old -- yet certainly more accurate -- name: relief pitcher.