"The time is now for the man who mocks the clock.

Rafael Betancourt will open spring training this month as the Rockies' closer. He is known in baseball for working slowly, a series of jersey nip-and-tucks and brow wipes. His statistics suggest he should be known more for working effectively.

Only the Cubs' Carlos Marmol has a higher strikeout percentage rate among current closers, and no reliever has a better strikeout-to-walk ratio (10-to-1) over the past two seasons, according to Fangraphs.com. The question is whether Betancourt, 36, can handle the role for an entire season, something he's never done."