OAKLAND -- He has authored one of the most prolific single-season pitching records in baseball history - 58 saves and counting - yet Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez flies under the national radar.
"Because he's on the West Coast," said Angels center fielder Torii Hunter. "Everybody's sleeping in the Central and East when ... he's doing his thing.
"Frankie's doing something that nobody's ever done. It's sick."
Which is why nobody should sleep on K-Rod.
In fact, Rodriguez, a sleeper in the American League Cy Young Award race with Cleveland's all-but-anointed Cliff Lee, thanks to his 22-2 record and league-low 2.36 ERA, probably deserves more consideration in the MVP chase.
Not only has Rodriguez saved 63 percent of the victories by the team with baseball's best record, the Angels have trotted out their white-knuckle whirling dervish with aplomb.
He's had 64 save opportunities, one shy of the major league record set by Bobby Thigpen in his then-record 57-save season of 1990, and has finished a league-high 63 games.
"This season has been a dream for me," Rodriguez whispered. "I have been blessed, and if God and the Virgin Mary help me, I'll be able to continue."
Angels manager Mike Scioscia was asked what's more impressive - a guy who goes 22-2 for a third-place team that's 10 1/2 games behind, or a guy who saves 58 games for a team that clinched its division Sept. 10?
"Both are incredible feats," Scioscia said with a sly smile. "But the thing is, what a starting pitcher can't do is have an effect on what a whole team does, but a closer does."
Should Cy Young voters keep that in mind?
"Historically, closers have to have an incredible year," Scioscia said. "And this is an incredible year."
Maybe not as lights-out as what Eric Gagne waged in his Cy Young campaign of 2003, when the then-Dodgers closer converted all 55 saves with a 1.20 ERA. Then again, Gagne made an appearance in the steroid-fueled Mitchell Report.
Only three times have closers claimed the double of Cy Young and MVP in the same season: Dennis Eckersley in 1992, Willie Hernandez in 1984 and Rollie Fingers in 1981.
So while saves undoubtedly are a function of opportunities, Rodriguez should not be penalized.
Others use his 90.6 percent conversion rate against him when other closers - Brad Lidge (100 percent with 37 of 37), Mariano Rivera (97.3 percent) and Joakim Soria (92.7 percent) - have better rates. Then there's his 2.38 ERA, sixth-best among closers with at least 30 saves behind Joe Nathan (1.03), Rivera (1.52), Soria (1.71), Lidge (1.96) and Jonathan Papelbon (2.11).
Rodriguez, though, has done it under constant high pressure on a contender.
"The respect is there," he said, "if you earn it."
In a perfect storm of a contract year with his flailing arms, elbows, knees and legs delivery that often ends with a hysterical mound celebration, Rodriguez excelled after altering his violent delivery to take strain off his landing foot. He lost a few ticks off his fastball but added a knee-buckling changeup to go with his curve.
"It's amazing," said Angels reliever Darren Oliver, "that itty bitty body can generate that much arm speed."
More amazing is the lack of regard Rodriguez receives.
Call The Bee's Paul Gutierrez, (916) 326-5556.
