WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Closer Joe Borowski saved an American League-high 45 games in his debut season with the Indians last year — the second-highest total in club history.
And the guy still couldn’t get any respect.
“I guess everybody would like to see me never give up a hit or a walk,” said Borowski, whose ninth-inning efforts frequently made for anxious moments, but mostly — 45 of 51 times — ended with a save and an Indians’ victory. “That’s all right. As long as I save the game, that’s all that matters to me.”
Borowski bashers were prevalent in 2007, fueled by a pair of early season meltdowns from the 36-year-old right-hander – including a much-publicized one at Yankee Stadium that ended with an Alex Rodriguez game-winning home run — which contributed to a bulky year-long ERA.
The 1-2-3 outings were rare for Borowski, and with setup man Rafael Betancourt on his way to a breakout season, it appeared to some that Betancourt might be a better option at closer as the Indians inched nearer to a postseason berth.
But Cleveland manager Eric Wedge never budged, sticking with Borowski while the rest of the bullpen rallied around their leader.
“Joe is our closer,” said reliever Jensen Lewis. “He does take a lot more rap than he probably should. He’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve been around. He works hard to get ready.
“It’s a real testament to him for a lot of us. We have a lot of guys who epitomize a blue-collar work ethic.”
A closer look at the statistics reveals that Borowski, who finished the season with a 5.07 ERA in a team-high 69 games, pitched better with the game on the line. His ERA was 3.73 in save situations, 9.60 in the others. He also converted his only two save opportunities in the playoffs, while posting a 4.50 ERA in both the Division Series and ALCS through six games.
But for fans of a power-pitching stopper, Borowski, an eight-year veteran who’s pitched for seven different teams, doesn’t fit the bill. His fastball barely reaches 90 mph and strikeouts aren’t the ultimate goal.   
“I never tried to be that guy,” he said. “I work with what I’ve got. I’m looking for people to put the ball in play, that’s all.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to throw 100 mph, but guys that have to pitch, you appreciate them more, because they have to study the game.”
Ironically, Borowski looks as though he could throw the ball through a cement wall on a regular basis. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is chiseled with a weightlifter’s pipes, crediting a healthy lifestyle and strict workout regimen he adopted after breaking his wrist and falling out of shape during the 2005 season.
The rugged New Jersey native has grudgingly sworn off pizza and other complex carbohydrates and doesn’t eat anything past 6 p.m. He does 1½ hours of cardiovascular work daily, in addition to his lifting program.
“It’s just an addiction. It’s part of my routine,” Borowski said of working out. “I’m in better shape now than I was early in my career. I’ve always been a big guy, but not cut.”
This spring, Borowski has also eliminated coffee from his morning ritual.
“That’s one less vice,” he said. “Because it seems like anything I get into like that, I go the extreme.”
Though the Indians didn’t orchestrate any major moves this offseason — something Borowski has publicly applauded — they did add some arms to the back of their bullpen in storied Japanese League closer Masa Kobayashi and Jorge Julio, both veterans of late-inning relief. Kobayashi is a lock to break camp with Cleveland, while Julio is battling Tom Mastny for the final spot in the bullpen.
Borowski, whose $4 million club option was exercised in November, will again open the season as the closer with Betancourt back in the setup role, but still an option to close, as is Kobayashi — one of three JPL pitchers with 200-plus saves.
Borowski is fine with all the company.
“(The bullpen) is the toughest thing to read every year,” said Borowski, who, along with left-hander Aaron Fultz, was a new addition last season to relief core that also received surprising contributions from Lewis and Rafael Perez, both of whom began the season in the minors. “When you can add someone that’s had success and has experience, it’s a plus.
“They say you can never have enough starting pitching. You can never have enough quality arms in the bullpen.”
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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