#10A Reliever: Danny Williamson

It's time to begin our last top ten list: the relievers. This list is a little tricky, as those of you who have been reading the "Mind the Gap" series over the past weeks can attest.  In making this list, I paid particular attention to ERA, BB/9, K/9, WHIP, and opponent's batting average. The category of saves was a secondary concern, and here's why: the save is a statistic of opportunity. Just because a pitcher receives many, doesn't make him a better pitcher, nor does a lack of saves make him less (wins and losses can be the same way). Virtually any good pitcher can close a game with a 3 run lead with 3 outs to go.  It's true that some saves are more difficult than others, and a whole slew of saves looks good for a reliever, but I did not make out this list based on saves.  If any faithful readers have issues with these parameters, feel free to drop me a line.

I had issues trimming one pitcher, so I decided to go with 11.  On to the first pitcher on my list:

Danny Williamson, Waynesboro, now a sophomore at North Florida Community College, is our number "10A."  Danny was an important cog in the Generals' bullpen last summer, amassing the following stats: 3-1, 2.45, 0.96 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 7.7 K/9, and .180 opponent's batting average.  Perhaps the most important outing came on August 10th, in the fourth game of the championship series against Luray. Danny came in and threw 3 clean innings, while striking out 2 batters. He was the bridge from the 6th inning to the 9th, allowing the Generals to go home with the Jim Lineweaver Cup.

As a freshman at NFCC, Danny went 0-3, 6.87, with a 1.93 WHIP, 8.1 BB/9, and 7.4 K/9 in 36 2/3 innings.  I would expect Williamson to improve greatly after his excellent showing in the Valley!