Time is here for modified four-man rotation

As is usually the case, Mike Mussina had perfect timing yesterday.

One day after it was revealed that Orioles pitching coach Mike Flanagan would like to use a modified four-man rotation next year, Mussina demonstrated why that's a sound idea.

The plan Flanagan suggests isn't new, but few teams have been willing to stay with it -- though not for a very logical reason. He is not advocating a return to the system that had starters working with three days rest. That philosophy began to fade about the time the American League introduced the designated hitter rule.

Basically, Flanagan's plan is to keep his top four starters on a regular rotation and fill in when necessary. In a normal season (obviously not the current one), there are about 20 days off. That means there are roughly that many opportunities to pass up the No. 5 starter in a five-man rotation.

It also means getting your best pitcher, in this case Mussina, on the mound six extra times during the course of a season. In a perfect scenario, the top gun would get 37 or 38 starts, and the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 men would start 36 or 37 times. That would leave between 13 and 17 starts to be absorbed by the rest of the staff.

Obviously the Orioles would benefit tremendously by finding six extra starts for Mussina. His .705 career winning percentage (67-28) is the best of all active pitchers with at least 50 decisions.

And it shouldn't create an undue burden. Most pitchers perform better when they stay on the same schedule, with an extra day of rest often creating problems, especially in the control department.

The only argument against Flanagan's proposed arrangement is that the fifth starter never gets an opportunity to work on a regular schedule.

The reason more teams don't rely on the four-starter theory is because most of the time there is no clear distinction between No. 4 (and sometimes No. 3) and the fifth starter. Keeping everybody in the rotation on the same schedule doesn't allow a team's ace to perform as often as possible.

There is another added benefit with Flanagan's plan. It would create competition for the last regular spot in the rotation -- while adding depth to the bullpen, where almost every team relies on six relievers.

This is the kind of system Flanagan grew up in -- along with the likes of Dennis Martinez, Scott McGregor and Mike Boddicker. All waited their turn behind more established starters -- until the time came when they moved ahead of the veterans.

It is a sound theory that deserves a lot of consideration -- maybe even this year if it appears the Orioles have a chance to sneak into a wild-card playoff position.