Kelvim Escobar was a closer at age 21, a starter at 22, went back to closing again at age 26, and started and closed at 28. Along the way, he developed peace of mind about himself, and he learned how to pitch. "When I used to get in tough spots, I thought I needed to throw hard, harder, hardest," he said by phone Friday. "It doesn't work like that."
You don't have to max out to be successful. Last week, Angels general manager
Bill Stoneman phoned agent
Peter Greenberg to talk about
Edgardo Alfonzo, and in the midst of the conversation, Stoneman asked if Greenberg was ready to resume conversations about a multi-year deal for Escobar. Within 24 hours, an agreement came together quickly -- three years, $28.5 million, and the deal includes a clause that Escobar will receive $1 million if he finishes in the top three in the Cy Young Award voting during the course of the contract.
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Buster Olney
