Before the Save Rule - Relief in the Complete Game Era
While saves were officially introduced as a statistic in NPB in 1974, professional baseball before that was an era where complete games were the norm. It was not uncommon for ace pitchers in the 1960s to record over 30 complete games per season, and relief pitchers were positioned as 'a landing spot for pitchers who could not cut it as starters.' However, even in this era, some managers recognized the importance of relief pitching. Kazuto Tsuruoka, manager of the Nankai Hawks, actively employed late-game pitching changes and became a pioneer in relief pitcher specialization. From the late 1960s through the 1970s, the role of relief pitchers gradually gained importance from the perspective of increasing game counts and reducing pitcher workload. The decline in complete games and increase in relief appearances began to emerge as a clear trend during this period.
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Establishing the Closer - 1980s to 1990s
In the 1980s, the specialized role of 'closer' became established in NPB. Symbolizing this change was Yutaka Enatsu's conversion to the closer role. When Enatsu, who had overwhelming credentials as a starting pitcher, converted to closer with Nippon-Ham in 1981 and won the saves title, it significantly elevated the status of closers. In the 1990s, Kazuhiro Sasaki of Yokohama reigned as the absolute closer with the nickname 'Daimajin,' proving that closers were indispensable to team victories. Sasaki's career 252 saves were an NPB record at the time, and his mere presence on the mound in the ninth inning was enough to demoralize opposing teams. During this period, securing a dedicated closer became the top priority for each team, and closer salaries surged accordingly.
Development of Bullpen Specialization - The Rise of Setup Men
From the 2000s onward, NPB's relief operations became further specialized. Beyond just closers, the importance of 'setup men' handling the seventh and eighth innings was recognized, and relief pitching patterns known as 'winning formulas' were established across teams. The relief corps of Hitoki Iwase, Eiji Ochiai, and Shinya Okamoto, constructed by Chunichi Dragons manager Hiromitsu Ochiai in 2004, was a pioneering success story. Setup men's salaries also rose, and what was once merely a 'closer backup' position came to be valued as an independent specialty. Statistically, teams that lock down the three innings from the seventh through ninth with specialist pitchers show a significantly higher winning percentage compared to those that do not. The development of bullpen specialization represents a change that symbolizes NPB's tactical refinement.
Modern Bullpen Management and Future Challenges
In modern NPB, bullpen management has become increasingly sophisticated. Beyond traditional 'winning formulas,' flexible pitching strategies adapted to game situations are now required. Particularly noteworthy is the potential introduction of the 'opener' strategy, which spread in MLB, to NPB. This tactic, where a relief pitcher starts the first inning instead of the starting pitcher followed by the intended starter, is said to disrupt the opposing lineup's rhythm. However, NPB's strong tradition of valuing complete-game starting pitchers has prevented full-scale adoption of the opener strategy. Additionally, the overuse of relief pitchers has become a serious concern, with discussions ongoing about consecutive appearance limits and roster size adjustments. Balancing efficient bullpen utilization with pitcher health management is one of the most important challenges facing modern NPB.
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