Today it was announced that Detroit Tigers closer Fernando Rodney was suspended for three games and fined an “undisclosed” sum for careening the game-winning ball into the Tropicana Field stands on September 4th.

Rodney, who denies any intended malice in the throw, allowed two runs in the bottom of the 9th and barely escaped with his 32nd save of the season.

Now is as good a time as any to discuss the enigmatic Fernando, who has been the topic of much debate amongst the Tigers fan community.

If you have anything more than a passing interest in Tigers baseball, chances are you feel one of two ways about him:

A.) Rodney is an unmitigated disaster-waiting-to-happen, who, by the grace of the divine Baseball Gods, has managed to only blow 1 save in 33 chances.

B.) Rodney is an entertaining closer who, despite a propensity to allow base runners, is almost perfect in save opportunities

Being the perpetual moderate and pragmatist, I find the answer to be somewhere in the middle.

One thing’s for sure: you can’t argue with results.

Rodney has converted 97% of his save opportunities this season. And afterall, who gives a crap about WHIP or Walks if none of the batters he so frequently lets on base come around to score?

I will, however, admit that Rodney is often infuriating to watch and it’s no surprise Tigers fans are uncomfortable when he takes the mound in close games. Typically the role of the closer is to psychologically and athletically dominate the opposition and, in effect, shorten the length of a game – something he doesn’t excel at.

It’s like driving to the hospital in a 1986 Yugo. Sure, 97% of the time it will get you to the emergency room unscathed, but you aren’t exactly sanguine about the thought of relying on it.

The engine sputters, hesitates and sometimes you have to turn the key for a while before it starts up. But at the end of the day, you got to where you needed to go safely and perhaps in a more exciting fashion.

“Exciting fashion” is perhaps more acceptable during the regular season, where there is a lot more of a margin for error. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Fernando Rodney is the margin for error and both statistically and emotionally takes the team to the brink of defeat on a somewhat regular basis.

Blowing one save in the postseason could be the difference between the ALCS or World Series and putting up the Halloween decorations early.

Like other historically colorful figures, Fernando Rodney’s legacy as a closer will rely almost exclusively on the endgame. It’s his performance in the postseason that will be the ultimate litmus test of how brilliant or blind the Detroit Tigers were to allow him to anchor their bullpen.

But until the final chapter of that epic drama is written,  let’s just focus on the results: 32 of 33 Saves.

That’s the same number of Blown Saves this season as Mariano Rivera, who is often regarded as the best closer in baseball.