The serenity player

The public persona of Francisco Rodriguez is one of elbows and knees flying, of a herky-jerky, almost frenetic delivery from which the Angels closer launches a vast array of pitches that now includes not one, but two, changeups.

On the mound, Rodriguez brims with confidence and bravado. He is a bundle of nerves and energy, of intensity and focus, that when released results in his signature celebration, several violent fist pumps toward the ground and both arms pointed to the sky in the shape of a V for victory.

In the clubhouse, before and after Rodriguez saves a game, something he has done with record-setting regularity, pitching coach Mike Butcher sees an entirely different player.

“I’ve known Frankie since we signed him, I watched him grow up in this organization, and I’ve never seen him more at peace, ever, than this year,” Butcher said. “It’s like this inner peace he has, a calming, relaxing feeling. He’s confident, and when he’s on the mound, all his energy is pointed toward one spot.

“And when he celebrates, it’s a release of everything he’s putting out there. He leaves it all on the field, and when he’s done, he’s done. Game over. He threw everything he could possibly throw into every pitch, with a purpose and with a plan, and when it’s all over, total relaxation comes in.”

Maybe it’s because Rodriguez long ago came to grips with his impending free agency, that after growing up poor and virtually parentless in hardscrabble Caracas, Venezuela, he is on the verge of signing what could be the richest contract for a reliever in baseball history, one that will secure his family’s financial future for generations.

Or perhaps it’s because Manager Mike Scioscia has confined Rodriguez to one-inning appearances this season, and that the save opportunities, although bountiful, have come at a pace that has allowed Rodriguez to find that perfect balance of just enough work to stay sharp but not so much he is fatigued.

Rodriguez, who on Saturday broke baseball’s season record of 57 saves, set by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990, isn’t sure of the exact reason for this serenity, but he can feel it too.

“For some reason, I don’t know why, but I’m more relaxed mentally and physically,” said Rodriguez, who is 2-2 and has a 2.38 earned-run average, with six blown saves in 70 games. He has struck out 74 and walked 32 in 64 1/3 innings.

“Early in the year I tried to blow people away and strike out everyone with one pitch, and it wasn’t working. I fell behind in counts. Now, I’m trying to make pitches earlier in the count. That’s the reason I’ve been doing a lot better in the second half.”

A pair of ankle injuries slowed Rodriguez in early April, and an adjustment in his delivery to ease the pressure on his landing foot affected his fastball, which came in at 90 to 92 mph instead of the usual 94 to 95 mph.

Questions about his loss of velocity irked and motivated Rodriguez, who seems to pitch better with a little chip on his shoulder, but those eased as the right-hander’s command and performance improved.

And all the questions about free agency, which grew tedious for Rodriguez early on? The closer, who is looking for a five-year deal and could command as much as $15 million a year, has accepted those as part of the job.

“I’m trying not to worry about something I can’t control,” said Rodriguez, who will explore the market but hasn’t ruled out a return to Anaheim. “I just relax, do my job and keep pitching. That’s all I worry about instead of thinking, what do people think about me and what is the future going to hold?”

The immediate future holds another trip to the playoffs, Rodriguez’s fifth in seven seasons.

Since he burst onto the scene in late 2002 as a 20-year-old phenom, setting up closer Troy Percival during the Angels’ World Series run, Rodriguez has always thrived on big-game pressure, though that didn’t always guarantee results.

He gave up a memorable walk-off three-run home run to Boston’s Manny Ramirez in Game 2 of the American League division series last October.

But Rodriguez, now 26, seems better armed heading into the playoffs this season.

His fastball isn’t quite as crisp, but he’s locating it better. He still has two well-above-average breaking pitches, a curve he starts high and drops into the strike zone and a snap-hook slider that starts at the thighs and breaks into the dirt.

But the great equalizer this season has been his changeup, which Rodriguez dabbled with in 2005 and 2006, threw more in 2007 but has developed into his best pitch in 2008.

Or, to be more accurate, his best pitches.

Playing winter ball in Venezuela, Rodriguez threw only fastballs and changeups, and he developed enough confidence in his off-speed pitch to use it regularly this season.

But early on, he threw it only to left-handed hitters. When Rodriguez began getting big outs with it, he started throwing it to right-handers in June.

Then, about a month ago, while playing catch before a game, he started experimenting with the pitch.

With a four-seam grip, Rodriguez could throw the changeup at about 87 mph and make it drop straight down like a split-fingered fastball. With a two-seam grip, his changeup broke right to left with some sink, at about 83 mph.

The result? In 14 games since Aug. 16, Rodriguez has converted 12 of 13 save opportunities, giving up one earned run in 14 innings for an 0.64 ERA, striking out 19 and walking three.

“It’s the same pitch with different action,” Rodriguez said. “The release point and arm speed have to be the same as the fastball. I have a lot of confidence I can throw the changeup for strikes, and that makes my fastball look harder.”

Butcher thinks Rodriguez’s changeup is one of the best in baseball.

“It’s nasty, and he’s changing speeds on it now,” he said. “When you have that kind of feel for it and can drop it in for strikes at will, it adds another dimension to what he already does well.

“The biggest thing he’s done in his career is adapt, and if you can adapt and make changes and still stay at a high level like he has, that’s what makes you great for a long time.”

A little serendipity has helped this season. The life of a closer is arbitrary -- save opportunities can come once a week or in bunches, and some are more difficult than others. Of Rodriguez’s 58 saves, 21 have come in one-run games and 22 in two-run games.

But despite his record-setting performance, Rodriguez, whose 190 saves since 2005 are the most in baseball, has pitched three days in a row only four times this season.

“It’s almost magical how everything has fallen into place for Frankie,” Scioscia said. “We slumped offensively in May and June, and he got an incredible amount of save opportunities, and it seemed like they were spaced out, so he was always fresh. He’s been as consistent as any pitcher I’ve seen.”

--

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

NOT BLOWING IT

The save percentages for the top eight in saves for one season:

*--* Player Year, team Saves Blown Svs. Pct. Eric Gagne 2003 Dodgers 55 0 100% Trevor Hoffman 1998 San Diego 53 1 98.1% John Smoltz 2002 Atlanta 55 2 96.5% Dennis Eckersley 1992 Oakland 51 3 94.4% Mariano Rivera 2004 New York Yankees 53 4 93.0% Francisco Rodriguez 2008 Angels 58 6 90.6% Randy Myers 1993 Chicago Cubs 53 6 89.9% Bobby Thigpen 1990 Chicago White Sox 57 8 87.7% *--*

--

Los Angeles Times

--

Close-minded

The career saves leaders for the Angels:

*--* Player Saves Yrs. Inns. 1. Troy Percival 316 1995-04 586 2/3 2. Francisco Rodriguez 204 2002- 447 2/3 3. Bryan Harvey 126 1987-92 307 2/3 4. Dave LaRoche 65 1970-71 1977-80 512 1/3 5. Donnie Moore 61 1985-88 235 1/3 6. Bob Lee 58 1964-66 370 7. Joe Grahe 45 1990-94 311 8. Minnie Rojas 43 1966-68 261 9. Ken Tatum 39 1969-70 175 10. Lee Smith 37 1995-96 60 1/3 *--*

Source: baseballreference.com