http://tinyurl.com/knytje Johnson too valuable to O's in relief Baltimore has no plans to make righty a starter in near future By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com / 06/18/09 7:40 PM ET BALTIMORE -- Call it a Catch-43. Jim Johnson has proved himself so reliable as a reliever that the Orioles don't want to even consider him as a starter. And that realization comes despite the organization's willingness to audition prospects from within its farm system and despite Johnson's own oft-stated desire. The right-hander, who sports No. 43, chose to speak around the subject on Thursday, but he made it clear he'd eventually like the chance to start. For now, Johnson is comfortable going about his business as Baltimore's setup man. "As of right now, my job is just to get outs whenever I pitch," Johnson said. "You don't try to look too far ahead. Even as a starter, you're not trying to get deep in the game, because you need to get the outs in front of you first." And in that respect, Johnson has proven to be a huge success. The right-hander has locked down the eighth inning for much of the season, and he has been scored on just once in his past 10 outings. It's gotten to the point that manager Dave Trembley considers him one of his most valuable relievers, thus sealing his immediate future. Trembley said on Thursday that starting Johnson is a dead issue, considering his current success. "I think he's got a chance to really be something," said Trembley. "I saw [Minnesota closer] Joe Nathan as a starter in Triple-A in 2000. He was pitching for Fresno. I don't think Joe Nathan regrets that he's a closer now." Trembley went on to say that Johnson has all the hard-nosed attributes of a late-inning reliever. And by extension, that means that the Orioles don't have to break him into a new role all over again. "He knows how to compete, [and] he's not afraid. And he wants the ball," said Trembley. "The thing about him is you can tell when he comes off a so-so outing by how he responds to it the next time. ... That's the real key to the guys that are good ones. You're not going to get them next time. He's going to make sure of that." Johnson, who made 122 starts in 133 Minor League appearances, struggled with his big league transition until the Orioles made him a reliever. The former fifth-round draftee had a 2.03 ERA before the All-Star break last year, and he ranks second among Baltimore relievers in innings (31 1/3) and ERA (2.87) this season. Johnson's been especially effective of late, but he credits the people around him for his success. "I think the biggest thing is that I can locate my fastball at any time," Johnson said. "The other thing that's helping is starting pitching. For the most part, we're getting good starting pitching." Pitching coach Rick Kranitz had his own unique take on Johnson's future, and while he didn't rule out the possibility of converting him back to a starter, he clearly made the case for keeping the status quo. "Put the stuff aside -- and in my opinion, his sinking fastball is the best in the league," said Kranitz. "That, right away, gives him an advantage, but it goes beyond that. He's one of the more diligent guys in terms of going over film and looking at hitters, understanding what they can and can't do. He works hard. And he wants to get better. "Anytime you have that and then you combine it with his stuff, it's not surprising he's successful." Johnson：當後援很好，但我更想先發。 --

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