Part 2/10:
The foundation of this debate is built on historical data. Historically, a reliever appearing more than 70 times in a single season is considered excessive. Notably, the season in which Eddie Guardado, affectionately known as "Everyday Eddie," appeared 83 times yielded a less-than-stellar earned run average (ERA) of 5.5. Conversely, during his subsequent seasons as the Mariners’ closer, Guardado's average ERA dropped significantly—averaging around 2.8 when he pitched 70 times or fewer. This stark contrast suggests a correlation between the number of times a pitcher appears and their effectiveness.