Houston Astros closer Jose Valverde is in the Shane Victorino category of “If Jose Reyes gets so much flack, why doesn’t he?”
Valverde is the most boisterous closer on the mound in the majors. He makes Joba Chamberlain’s fist pumps look tame by comparison. Because after all, does Chamberlain do a fist pump after the first and second outs of an inning? Does he start dancing around the mound and pointing wildly to the sky after a save?
In particularly close situations in which Valverde still gets the save, he will hit the apex of his jubilation, pumping his fist repeatedly and shouting aloud to the heavens. He’ll punch the inside of his glove until an opposing team’s fan wants to punch the television screen. What an amateur.
Pete Lappin (3)
