Is mariano Rivera the best closer in history?

Answer 1

"Having Blown a few Playoff games as of late"? "Roberto Alomar"? Geeez. I really wish people with a passing interest in baseball who decide they wanna critisize would check their facts BEFORE they post an answer. Rivera has blown 3 career post season saves of note, THAT'S IT. 97 to the Indians and SANDY Alomar not Roberto, 2001 to Arizona in game 7, and 2004 to Boston. And given how many HUGE games he has pitched, and Saved...ill take Rivera lol. Fingers Didnt pitch in as many games as Rivera in Playoffs, Fingers had 1 round of playoffs THATS IT. Rivera as had to pitch in 2 rounds of playoffs before he even gets to the World Series. If Fingers had Pitched in as many playoff games as Rivera has, Fingers would have blown saves if only because of the law of averages.

I find it funny as anything that the guys you all are saying are better than Rivera (Eckersley, Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, John Franco, Hoffman) they all say Rivera is the best ever. Accept for Gossage, who says that because they had to get the 2-3 inning saves his era closers were better. but where they had to pitch 2-3 innings to get saves, NONE of them have had to pitch as much as Rivera has in his career passed the season. He and the Yankees are in Playoffs EVERY YEAR (sickening i know, but true). Rivera has thrown ALOT of innings year to year, and is STILL as dominant as all heck. I mean, he has a Career Postseason era UNDER 1 !!! that's sick! and he has pitched in ALOT of postseason games and had alot of chances to blow that era up. Then throw in that Rollie Fingers had 3 pitches to throw a hitter.. Eckersley had 2 real good pitches to throw a hitter...Sutter threw the fastball and that ridiculous splitter...Gossage had that fastball and his slider... Rivera has ONE PITCH!!.. THATS IT. and he's been throwin it for 10 years LMAO!! and they still cant hit it. Im a Met fan, but fair is fair, Rivera is Best ever i think, and first ballot HOF'er

Answer 2

Yes, Yes, Yes! I'm a Mets fan and don't really like the Yankees but I have to give credit where it is due. If the Yanks had a lead in the 8th innning on you could turn out the lights because Rivera was damn near untouchable. Look at these stats:

Postseason Pitching


Year Round Tm Opp WLser G GS ERA W-L SV CG SHO IP H ER BB SO
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
1995 ALDS NYY SEA L 3 0 0.00 1-0 0 0 0 5.3 3 0 1 8
1996 ALDS NYY TEX W 2 0 0.00 0-0 0 0 0 4.7 0 0 1 1
ALCS NYY BAL W 2 0 0.00 1-0 0 0 0 4.0 6 0 1 5
WS NYY ATL W 4 0 1.59 0-0 0 0 0 5.7 4 1 3 4
1997 ALDS NYY CLE L 2 0 4.50 0-0 1 0 0 2.0 2 1 0 1
1998 ALDS NYY TEX W 3 0 0.00 0-0 2 0 0 3.3 1 0 1 2
ALCS NYY CLE W 4 0 0.00 0-0 1 0 0 5.7 0 0 1 5
WS NYY SDP W 3 0 0.00 0-0 3 0 0 4.3 5 0 0 4
1999 ALDS NYY TEX W 2 0 0.00 0-0 2 0 0 3.0 1 0 0 3
ALCS NYY BOS W 3 0 0.00 1-0 2 0 0 4.7 5 0 0 3
WS NYY ATL W 3 0 0.00 1-0 2 0 0 4.7 3 0 1 3
2000 ALDS NYY OAK W 3 0 0.00 0-0 3 0 0 5.0 2 0 0 2
ALCS NYY SEA W 3 0 1.93 0-0 1 0 0 4.7 4 1 0 1
WS NYY NYM W 4 0 3.00 0-0 2 0 0 6.0 4 2 1 7
2001 ALDS NYY OAK W 3 0 0.00 0-0 2 0 0 5.0 4 0 0 4
ALCS NYY SEA W 4 0 1.93 1-0 2 0 0 4.7 2 1 1 3
WS NYY ARI L 4 0 1.42 1-1 1 0 0 6.3 6 1 1 7
2002 ALDS NYY ANA L 1 0 0.00 0-0 1 0 0 1.0 1 0 0 0
2003 ALDS NYY MIN W 2 0 0.00 0-0 2 0 0 4.0 0 0 0 4
ALCS NYY BOS W 4 0 1.12 1-0 2 0 0 8.0 5 1 0 6
WS NYY FLA L 2 0 0.00 0-0 1 0 0 4.0 2 0 0 4
2004 ALDS NYY MIN W 4 0 0.00 1-0 0 0 0 5.7 2 0 0 2
ALCS NYY BOS L 5 0 1.29 0-0 2 0 0 7.0 6 1 2 6
2005 ALDS NYY LAA L 2 0 3.00 0-0 2 0 3.0 1 1 1 2
+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
11 Lg Div Series 7-4 27 0 0.43 2-0 15 0 0 42.0 17 2 4 29
7 Lg Champ Series 6-1 25 0 0.93 4-0 10 0 0 38.7 28 4 5 29
6 World Series 4-2 20 0 1.16 2-1 9 0 0 31.0 24 4 6 29
24 Postseason Ser 17-7 72 0 0.81 8-1 34 0 0 111.7 69 10 15 87

+------------------+-----+--+--+------+-----+--+--+---+-----+---+---+---+---+
Only Sandy Alomar Jr in '97 ALDS and Game 7 in Arizona in '01 are blemishes. In addition he seems to be one of the classiest players in baseball. HOF? 1st ballot LOCK.

Answer 3

Yes, hands down. Finished with an ERA under 2.00 six times with a 2.33 lifetime ERA overall and a lifetime WHIP of 1.04. Not to mention his unreal post-season stats.

Dennis Eckersley didn't even average an inning per appearance as a reliever. Rivera has been known to go an inning plus. Two innings in the post-season. I hate the Yankees and I can admit the truth.

A big reason the Yankees won those 4 World Series, and a bigger reason they are right in the post-season hunt this year.

The saves record means nothing! Last two innings of a game 7, one run lead. Are you more secure with Lee Smith or Mariano.........think the answer is pretty damn easy. The Hammer of God.

Answer 4

Head to Head Dennis Eckersley would wreck Rivera. But Eckersley spent a lot of his career as a starter, so his closing career wasn't long. Has Rivera ever finished a season with a .73 ERA? I'd be surprised if he ever finished under 2.

Answer 5

I would agree that John Smoltz is one one the greater starters who can also relieve. I would have to say either Gossage, Rivera, and John Franco are the best closers ever.

Answer 6

to Colostomy bag and BaseballGirlForLife, do you comprehend mariano is human? you won't be able to be tremendous each of the time, and his greatness outweighs his undesirable moments. tell me a tumbler with his volume of journey hasn't make large mistakes and that i'd be quite stunned. He did blow the 2001 WS for the yankees, yet he's a man or woman, people arnt proper, and hitting frankfurter or what ever the damn adult adult males call is with the bases loaded is yet another mistake, i'd opt to be certain you do an oz of what he's performed.

Answer 7

Pittsburgh Pirates' Elroy Face. He played in the early 1960's and was around long before extensive stats were kept for closers. He came in late in games and threw fork balls for strikes. One year he won! 17 games in a row as closer and finished the year 18 wins and one loss, all in relief.
He was the "Fireman" and put out fires long before closers became popular.

Answer 8

Oh, boy, having blown a few playoff games of late, I think he's lost that crown. I would say Rollie Fingers was the best. Different era but he was damned good esp. in the playoffs and unlike Eck did not give up GW HRs to Kirk Gibson and Roberto Alomar in key games.

Answer 9

He's the best in the current era, but Lee Smith is statistically the best.

Answer 10

When he beats Lee Smith's saves record he is. Personally I liked Goose Gossage.