It is the reporter's duty to find and write about unique and compelling stories.
In the case of the Rangers this year, this is as unique as it gets: a story of a reliever, not just surviving, but thriving. The story of Alex Claudio, though, goes deeper than that. In an era when evaluators and fans alike are more fixated than ever on velocity, Claudio does it with something else.
Call it guile, moxie, determination or whatever you would like.
But call it effective.
And in a segment of the industry notorious for wide year-to-year variations in performance, Claudio seems to be moving in a linear direction, his arrow pointing upward while his ERA (2.