In baseball, the closer position is still the newest position in baseball. The term didn’t come into the baseball lexicon until the 1970s.

In today’s game, having a good closer has been part of the equation for success. Even though a closer’s role has changed greatly since its inception. Today’s closer only pitch one inning at most. Closers like Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage (both in the Baseball Hall of Fame) often pitched multiple innings.

Closer by Kevin Neary and Leigh A. Tobin chronicles the careers of various closers over the years. They break down closer in three different eras (“The Early Years”, The Transition Years” & “The Modern Day Closer”).

We review Closer and let you know why this book is a must-have for every baseball historian. Continue reading →