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?

[gnishiyama]

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?

I have a lot of respect for Hoffman; you have to admire anyone
who's one of the best to do what he does. However he did
pitch in NL where he got to face pitchers and also played his entire
career in pitcher friendly ballparks in Qualcomm and Petco. Also its
impossible to know how he would of fared pitching in the most pressure
packed situations in front of the most pressure packed city.

Not taking anything away from Hoffman and I'm sure I'm bit biased because
I'm a Yankee fan but....just saying.

[BULBUS]

602! Going by the numbers alone, Rivera is the greatest closer of all time. Beyond the numbers, what he has done in the post season and the number of years that he has been doing it, sets him even further apart. No bias here from a Yankees fan

[gorilla777]

Way to go Mo!

Incredible feat from a very humble class act.


Ben

[bdeol4]

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