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Thursday, August 18, 2022

Yankees four-time All-Star Dellin Betances retires

Dellin Betances is calling it a career.

The hard-throwing reliever, who played for the Yankees and Mets, retired on Wednesday night, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.

The 34-year-old Betances, who had been in the Dodgers’ organization, was released earlier in the day.

Betances, who was drafted by the Yankees in 2006 and began his minor league career as a starter, made it to the majors in 2011. He found his niche as a back-end force in the Yankees’ bullpen from 2014-18.

During that time, Betances appeared in 349 games for the Yankees, recording 607 strikeouts with a 2.22 ERA, including five-straight seasons with at least 100 strikeouts and four straight All-Star selections, all as a reliever.

After 2018, Betances’ career was derailed by injuries and ineffectiveness.

After rehabbing a right shoulder impingement and a strained lat for 5 ½ months just to make his 2019 debut on Sept. 17 at Toronto, Betances was able to pitch just two-thirds of an inning before exiting the game with a partially torn left Achilles tendon.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 18, 2022 at 10:49 AM | 12 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. The Yankee Clapper Posted: August 18, 2022 at 01:48 PM (#6092160)

Took a while to find his niche and reach the majors. Didn’t last that long, but very good with the Yankees, not so much for the Mets with all the injuries. Four-time All-Star ain’t nothin’.

2. SoSH U at work Posted: August 18, 2022 at 01:56 PM (#6092161)

Four-time All-Star ain’t nothin’.

That has to be the most A-S games for a reliever who was never a primary closer.

3. Adam Starblind Posted: August 18, 2022 at 03:12 PM (#6092173)

First time I saw him pitch, he made the opposing hitters look totally ridiculous. It was like he was pitching to a beer league or 10U team.

4. Walt Davis Posted: August 18, 2022 at 05:16 PM (#6092190)

Betances 4 AS games
Bagwell 4 AS games

I heart relievers!!1!!

5. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: August 18, 2022 at 07:31 PM (#6092202)

Betances 4 AS games
Bagwell 4 AS games

I heart relievers!!1!!

Relieving is a super specialised skill and only a few people can pitch at that precise time in the game. Any schmoe can play 1B.

6. Cooper Nielson Posted: August 18, 2022 at 10:57 PM (#6092227)

That has to be the most A-S games for a reliever who was never a primary closer.

Yeah, I would think so. It's an interesting (implied) question.

Depending on how you define "never a primary closer":

Andrew Miller has 2 ASGs. He was a primary closer in one season -- 2015 -- but his ASGs were in 2016 and 2017.

Tyler Clippard is similar; he had 1.5 seasons as a primary closer (2012 and 2015) but made two ASGs in years where he was NOT a primary closer. (He had a total of 1 save in his All-Star years of 2011 and 2014.)

Kelvin Herrera made back-to-back All-Star Games as a setup man, then had a shot as the Royals' primary closer the next 1.5 years.

Pat Neshek made 2 All-Star teams and was a career middle reliever.

I'm not aware of any other middle relievers (in the closer era) with multiple ASGs.

7. mex4173 Posted: August 18, 2022 at 11:27 PM (#6092229)

Relieving is a super specialised skill and only a few people can pitch at that precise time in the game. Any schmoe can play 1B.

Tell 'em, Wash.

8. TVerik - Dr. Velocity Posted: August 20, 2022 at 04:25 AM (#6092344)

That has to be the most A-S games for a reliever who was never a primary closer.

Yeah, I would think so. It's an interesting (implied) question.

Depending on how you define "never a primary closer":

Andrew Miller has 2 ASGs. He was a primary closer in one season -- 2015 -- but his ASGs were in 2016 and 2017.

Tyler Clippard is similar; he had 1.5 seasons as a primary closer (2012 and 2015) but made two ASGs in years where he was NOT a primary closer. (He had a total of 1 save in his All-Star years of 2011 and 2014.)

Kelvin Herrera made back-to-back All-Star Games as a setup man, then had a shot as the Royals' primary closer the next 1.5 years.

Pat Neshek made 2 All-Star teams and was a career middle reliever.

I'm not aware of any other middle relievers (in the closer era) with multiple ASGs.

9. Howie Menckel Posted: August 20, 2022 at 09:54 AM (#6092355)

who chose Betances for those All-Star Games?

10. SoSH U at work Posted: August 20, 2022 at 10:05 AM (#6092357)

who chose Betances for those All-Star Games?

John Farrell, Ned Yost twice and Terry Francona, plus whatever mechanisms exist in the never-ending tweaks to filling out all-star rosters.

If you're seeing a pattern there, you've a sharper eye than I.

11. Sweatpants Posted: August 20, 2022 at 09:42 PM (#6092413)

He must have the all-time record of total ink spilled over a no-time All-Star. I feel like there were three Joba articles a week for awhile there.

Jeff Francoeur has to be up there.

12. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: August 21, 2022 at 07:34 AM (#6092432)

Inspired by this post, I decided that Joba Chamberlain must have made three or four ASGs and was never the primary closer. So I looked him up. Zero!

He must have the all-time record of total ink spilled over a no-time All-Star. I feel like there were three Joba articles a week for awhile there.

Joba's one great season came after he was called up from the minors in August of 2007, too late for the All-Star game. He put up a 0.38 ERA in 19 games, and if Leonard Bernstein had still been alive, he would've been throwing cocktail parties in Joba's honor.

But then came an opponent he could never retire, and it was all downhill from there.

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Thursday, August 18, 2022

Yankees four-time All-Star Dellin Betances retires

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