“Baseball has an influencer that needs to be suspended, for the good of the game and all who pitch. His name is Max Effort.

He sidles up to young pitchers in the midst of a bullpen session and whispers, “You need to throw harder.” He sets up computers and tracking devices and tells pitchers to concentrate on those, rather than hitters. He tries to convince them that the infielders and outfielders behind them are just there for decorative purposes, and that the pitcher’s purpose, beyond all else, is the strikeout. He is an evangelist for the Three True Outcomes — strikeout, walk, home run — when the Real Outcome he pushes is surgery. “

Billy Wagner emerged from the tiny town of Tannersville, Va., to become one of the most dominant closers in big league history. He’ll likely be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, writes Canadian Baseball Network columnist Mark Whicker.