In a rare bit of baseball candour, the Detroit Tigers sent relief pitcher Bruce Rondon home early for the year, along with the following two words of explanation: “Effort level.”
That is, Rondon had pretty much quit trying when he did not feel like it. Tigers management did not elaborate much, other than a few cryptic words from general manager Al Avila, who said, “to be a part of this team, you have to be here.”
Rondon, 24, has been a bust most of the year, with a 5.81 earned run average. When the bullpen-ragged Tigers gave the on-again, off-again closer a chance to save games again in September, he blew three of four opportunities.
Usually when a player’s performance flags, the team just ships him out to the minor leagues with no sense of obligation to explain why, even if the demotion involves an attitude problem. But with the minor league seasons finished, the Tigers proactively acknowledged Rondon’s suddenly empty locker space.
Teammate Nick Castellanos said in a radio interview that Rondon would pick when to dial up his 160 kilometres-per-hour fastball, mostly in close games. In lesser situations, Rondon did not throw as hard and ignored suggestions from other players to go all out, all the time.
A couple years ago, the velocity-gifted Rondon was projected as the Tigers’ closer of the future. Instead, his immediate future is closed.
Good for the Tigers for insisting that playing professional baseball requires a professional approach, and for not sparing the offender the public embarrassment.
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