Only three games in and we are starting to get a glimpse of how the Rangers might use the back end of the bullpen.

Luke Jackson got the first save opportunity on Friday, and converted it, after crashing and burning in a non-save situation on opening day. Then, last night, Chris Martin got, and converted, the save opportunity. 

It might also fall on Robert Garcia. 

The revolving closer, while not ideal, has worked. 

Back in 1990, the Cincinnati Reds had three pitchers who were used exactly that way: Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble, and Randy Myers. 

It was as similar situation. The Reds had had a bona fide All-Star closer in John Franco who, at the beginning of the 1990 season, left to sign with the Mets.

The Reds where essentially closerless. And they had an owner who didn’t want to delve into free agency. That left manager Lou Pinella to draw from the guys in his pen. 

So, he started rotating between Charlton, Dibble, and Myers. It was so successful, the feeling was if the Rangers had a lead after six innings, it was game over. Those three would cover the end of the game and close it out. 

They became known as “The Nasty Boys” because of their filthy stuff, the Janet Jackson song “Nasty,” and the nickname the Detroit Pistons had, “The Bad Boys.”

The Nasty Boys combined for 41 saves and 351 strikeouts. 

Where they really shined with the 1990 World Series, in which Cincinnati swept Oakland. Jose Rijo started Game 1 for the Reds, went seven, and was relieved by Dibble in the eighth and Myers in the ninth. In Game 2, Charlton pitched the seventh and Dibble pitched the eighth and ninth, earning the win. Dibble and Myers closed out Game 3. Myers closed out Game 4.

The Reds swept the mighty Athletics who had won 103 regular season games and had Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Harold Baines and would-have-been Hall of Famers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.

Combined, Charlton, Dibble, and Myers pitched 8.2 innings of the 1990 World Series, allowing zero earned runs. Dibble and Myers shared the World Series MVP Award.

So, bullpen by committee can work. Not very often, but there is precedent. It’s way too early to tell if this is going to be Bruce Bochy’s strategy for the Rangers in 2025. But he’s a surefire Hall of Fame manager who made his reputation on getting the most out of his bullpen, like he did the ragged bullpen he had going into the 2023 postseason. That worked well for him. 

Let’s hope this does as well.

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