Fireman

The fireman is the team's top relief pitcher, typically used to close ballgames or to quell a situation when the opposing team has threatened to break open the game. The term was used more prominently in the middle part of the 20th Century, when a club's best reliever would often come in during a dangerous situation in the game. Nowadays, the top reliever is usually used as a closer, to pitch the 9th inning when his team is ahead by a couple runs, and the older term does not fit as well. Nippon Pro Baseball does issue a Fireman of the Year award to the top reliever in each league.

Further Reading

• Fran Zimniuch: Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball, Triumph Books, Chicago, IL, 2010.