Rivera gets 601

[cjclong]

Mariano Rivera just got save 601 to tie for the most saves in a career. When you consider all the saves he has had in the playoffs and World Series he is definitely the greatest closer of the modern era. Its nice when a record like this will go to a player who has shown himself to be a a good person with class all during his career.

[sox83cubs84]

Rivera is the greatest of this generation, but, historically, I'll take Sutter, Gossage or Fingers over him.

Dave Miedema

[cjclong]

I made the qualification greatest closer of the modern era. Obviously Rivera isn't pitching 3 inning saves (he's had a fair number of 2 inning saves) Would he have done as well doing that as Gossage and Fingers and Sutter, etc. Who knows? Against the Red Sox in the the 7th game of the 2004 playoffs he shut out Boston for 3 innings till the Yankees hit a walk off home run. Could he have done this frequently? Since baseball isn't played that way now we'll never know. And would the relievers who pitched two or three innings in the past have done as well primarily holding 9th inning leads? Its pure speculation. Baseball made a decision a number of years back to primarily use a shut down pitcher for one inning. Rivera has filled that role better than anyone else.

[sox83cubs84]

I guess I'm showing my age/perspective there. My personal thoughts just don't allow me to think of 1970s as "vintage"...to me that's also "modern", and the 1950s is "vintage". I get your point...definitely the best of the last 20 years or so, and also a decent and classy person, too.

Dave Miedema

[cjclong]

Dave, my own baseball watching goes back to the late 1950's which seems like yesterday to me now, but to the current generation is a lifetime ago. Like you I saw Fingers, Gossage, Sutter , Hoyt Wilhelm and some like Dick Radatz and Luis Arroyo who had very short careers. So I do understand your regard for the "old guys."

[freddiefreeman5]

I think Hoffmans 601 saves are more impressive since he played most of his career for the Padres.
Wonder how many saves Hoffman would have had if he played his entire career with the Yankees?

[bdeol4]

I hate the Yankees, but have to say Rivera is one the best pitchers ever, period.

[cjclong]

Hoffman has a great record and seems to be a fine man, but why would his being with the Padres necessarily bring him less saves? How many games did the Yankees play where they went into the 9th leading by 4 or more runs where a save is impossible? And Rivera got his under the constant pressure that New York provides and San Diego doesn't. In a head to head in the All Star game (I believe it was 2006) Hoffman blew the lead for the National League in the top of the 9th inning and got the loss. Rivera then came in and protected the one run lead for the American League in the bottom of the 9th inning and got the save. In the 2009 playoffs and World Series Obama was the only closer on all the playoff teams in both leagues who did not blow a save or lose a game. His ability to function successfully so often in pressure situations would set him apart from others even if he didn't now have the most career saves.

[freddiefreeman5]

Good points and some I had not thought of.
I guess I have always been an underdog kind of guy and Hoffman didn't get this attention when he became the all time saves leader.
I do believe that Rivera is better than Hoffman, I just felt that playing on a team that was behind in so many games and won so few, that Hoffman's feat was more impressive.

[maverick14]

Hoffman has a great record and seems to be a fine man, but why would his being with the Padres necessarily bring him less saves? How many games did the Yankees play where they went into the 9th leading by 4 or more runs where a save is impossible? And Rivera got his under the constant pressure that New York provides and San Diego doesn't. In a head to head in the All Star game (I believe it was 2006) Hoffman blew the lead for the National League in the top of the 9th inning and got the loss. Rivera then came in and protected the one run lead for the American League in the bottom of the 9th inning and got the save. In the 2009 playoffs and World Series Obama was the only closer on all the playoff teams in both leagues who did not blow a save or lose a game. His ability to function successfully so often in pressure situations would set him apart from others even if he didn't now have the most career saves.

Obama??