Check out the original post at thesportspundit.com.

Earlier this week, when Cubs reliever LaTroy Hawkins walked in the clubhouse and found closer Joe Borowski in a sling, this is what he thought:

"I really thought it was a joke," Hawkins said. "Then he told me about what happened. It's becoming like 'Groundhog Day.' [Mark] Prior, Woody [Kerry Wood], Borowski. It's mind-boggling, especially after Joe has worked so darn hard, but we have to play through it."

What Hawkins didn't say, was that he probably [pooped] his pants at the thought of having to close again. Let's take a look at LaTroy with the help of the newly purchased Baseball Prospectus 2005.

Last year, LT, more than any other pitcher, took the blame for the Cubs record in one-run games. Well, he did blow nine saves in only thiry-four attempts. But as BP notes, 'the Cubs played a disproportionate number of one-run games under Hawkins' watch'. Let's take a look at his stats in his save situations versus his non-save situations.

LTHawkIPHRERHRBBSOERA
Save33.733131256303.21
Non-Save49.340141258402.19
Season Totals827227241014692.63

At, first glance, there is a difference between the two situations, but it is minimal, and considering the sample size, it is basically negligible. Let's compare those numbers to Dan Kolb(a possible replacement) and Ugueth Urbina(who Cub's fans,including myself, wanted over the summer).

IPHRERHRBBSOERA
LTHawk827227241014692.63
Kolb57.3502219315212.98
Urbina54382827732564.50

LT finished the year with 25 saves, Kolb had 39, and Urbina had 21. Let's take it one step further and compare LT's adjusted stats from last year to Joe Borowski's adjusted stats from 2003, the year Cub's fans are basing their Borowski for closer campaign on:

eqH/9eqBB/9eqSO/9eqHR/9eqERAVORP
Borowski('03)7.42.28.10.73.0319.7
LT('04)8.21.46.91.02.8825.0

The number that stands out to me is the VORP. So are you telling me that LT can't save games? Bologna! LT was the best reliever we had last year, and he will be this year too.