It used to be so much easier. Well, not easier — not exactly — but calmer. A relief pitcher learns to be comfortable with chaos, confident at the controls. Now, in his 10th inning on the Hall of Fame ballot, Billy Wagner is alone on the mound without the ball.
And oh, is it awful.
“You’re sitting here and you can’t control it,” Wagner said by phone from Virginia on Tuesday night. “It’s tough. I hate it. It’s just not been a very fun experience, especially when it comes down to your 10th and final ballot. It’s not going to be pleasant. It’s a grind, but in a couple of days, this will be over — one way or the other, good or bad.”