Not long ago, a thought experiment held the forums of MLB twitter in its grasp. The question, in essence, was this: how valuable would a pitcher be if he were to give up exactly one run in every inning?
Obviously, that would add up to an abysmal 9.00 ERA. But those engaging in the conversation quickly realized this type of guaranteed outcome would be ideal for a very specific type of pitcher — a late-inning reliever or closer who enters the game with a lead of greater than one run.
And the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a distorted — perhaps even inverted — manner, saw this exact realm of speculation manifest itself in the form of veteran closer Paul Sewald.
Through all the ups and downs of his career as a Diamondback, there might be only one conclusion that can be clearly drawn: Sewald is one of the most unusual pitchers to ever play such an instrumental role in Arizona.
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