Buy your Hercu-Liam T-shirt today!

Liam Hendriks has become a mythical bullpen hero

By Alex Hall Oct 7, 2020, 7:32pm PDT

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In 2018, Liam Hendriks was designated for assignment by the Oakland A’s, and no other MLB team chose to claim him for free. In 2019, he bounced back and rose to the level of an All-Star, becoming arguably the best relief pitcher in the majors. In 2020, he has taken it up even another notch, to the level of a mythical hero.

Hendriks posted ludicrous numbers this summer, even better than last year, and the A’s didn’t lose a game he appeared in until the meaningless season finale. In the first round of the playoffs he threw 49 pitches in a single game and then came back out the next day to save the series-clinching victory. Then in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Houston Astros, with Oakland facing elimination, he delivered three scoreless innings to seal the most important win of the year so far.

Bob Melvin called Liam Hendriks “Hercu-Liam” after his save today following 49 pitches yesterday. Hendriks says he’d like a shirt with that on it, stat.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) October 1, 2020

Each save by the A’s fireballing closer begins with upper-90s heat, and ends with a mighty roar. He’s the anchor of the best bullpen in the sport, and a huge reason why the green and gold has made it as far as they have both in the regular season and now in October. No player in invincible, but it’s difficult to imagine a more powerful force than Hendriks to lead the team to a championship.

It takes 13 wins for a ring this year, which is one more than the 12 Labors of Hercules in Roman mythology. But Hercu-Liam is surely up for the challenge.

The shirt is available on the BreakingT website for $28, and you can click here to order. Full disclosure, we get a little cut of the action — but make sure you click through one of the links in this post so they know we sent you! Details: