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Howell quietly taking over closer's role

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

J.P. Howell may not have the physical attributes of a typical closer, but he has the statistics.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2009

Updated: 07/03/2009 12:52 am

ARLINGTON, Texas - When you think "closer," you think intimidation. A big, nasty hombre striding purposefully out of the bullpen – preferably to a nerve-rattling theme song – prepared to shut down the opposition by force of will if nothing else.

J.P. Howell doesn't even come close to fitting that description. He's the smallest, least imposing guy on the Rays' roster, though he is creatively listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds. And despite his ability to focus on the task at hand when he's on the mound, he's a laid-back dude with no small measure of goofiness off the field.

But each time he takes the ball lately, more often than not with the game on the line, an evolution of sorts continues its progress. The Rays still insist they don't have a closer, that their choice for a final reliever in a given game is all based on matchups, but it has become apparent that Howell has earned their trust in those situations.

"You just keep gaining more and more confidence in him," Manager Joe Maddon said recently.

Entering the 2008 season, Howell hadn't made a single relief appearance in his professional career. He was theoretically in the mix for a rotation spot last spring training, but the Rays' decision-makers had a feeling he might be better suited for relief work.

They thought letting him work through a lineup one time instead of two or three might be the best way to set him up for success after he had gone 5-14 with a 6.34 ERA in 33 big-league starts. So they installed him as the long man in their bullpen.

"And then I remember he was doing so well, we started some conversations saying, 'You know what? I'm pretty comfortable with him late in the game,'" Maddon said. "And people were like, 'Really?' and I said, 'Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with this guy – I think he's to the makeup to do it, and he's got the pitches to, also.' He gets a lot of swings and misses and he puts the ball on the ground."

A season and a half later, Howell pitches, thinks and talks like he's been doing it all his life.

"It definitely becomes a part of you, a little bit," said the 26-year-old lefty. "Before, I was trying to become a part of that [bullpen culture], and then it kind of grows inside you. I can't imagine doing something else."

There's no reason to even ponder the possibility, given how successful Howell has been working in relief. His performance over the past few weeks has accentuated his value, no more so than in last weekend's series against the Marlins when he picked up two wins and a save in three games.

Howell enters the Rays' series at Texas that begins tonight riding a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless appearances. In that span, he has won four games, saved four and allowed only seven hits in 17 2/3 innings while striking out 23 batters.

Not that everything has been perfect this year; Howell has five blown saves on his ledger to go with the six games he has saved. But he learns something every time out and has come a long way since he was dropped into relief duty last spring.

"I was young, I didn't have the habits, I didn't have the skill or the work ethic or any of that," Howell said. "Then I got the opportunity to come to a bullpen and be around guys like Dan Wheeler and [Troy] Percival. I see those guys – I see Wheeler, every day, work hard, and that definitely was a lesson I'd never had before until then."

Howell may never get to the point that opposing hitters shiver a bit when they see him walk to the mound, but he has shown the last couple of seasons that he can make them uncomfortable. A dangerous curveball and changeup complement a not-that-fast fastball that nonetheless has plenty of movement, and he has proven during to be almost as effective against right-handed hitters as he is against lefties.

It might not be the traditional formula, but Howell could find a way to make it work if the Rays ever officially dubbed him their permanent ninth-inning guy. He's most of the way there already.

"Can he close? I think he can be a closer, actually," Maddon said. "The precedent's been set with a Trevor Hoffman – the same kind of a pitcher, same kind of stuff, same kind of makeup, all those things. He's not as physical as a Trevor Hoffman, just build-wise, but I think he's got a great combination of stuff and makeup."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227.

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