2006-08-09 17:31:41 · 23 answers · asked by El Ruben 3 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Mariano Rivera hands down
2006-08-09 17:35:15 · answer #1 · answered by weight m 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Mariano Rivera. Come on. That's an easy one. There is no one better in the clutch and pressure situation that Rivera. All announcers whether they are Red Sox, Yankee, Met, or any type of fan credit him as one of the best closers ever. Many consider him the best closer ever. Him being with the Yankees gives him a legit shot at overtaking the saves record. In game 7, in the bottom of the 9th with a one run lead, I want Mariano pitching for me.
2006-08-10 06:21:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen a lot of them, from ElRoy Face and Tug McGraw to Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman today. Some others that come to mind are Goose Gossage, Kent Tekulve, Eddie Guardado, Kazuhiro Sasaki and, if I may be a little biased as a Mariners fan, the up-and-coming J.J. Putz.
It is hard to decide between Rivera and Hoffman! But it looks like Hoffman will overtake Rivera, and he's doing it in the league I regard as tougher for pitchers...hence Trevor Hoffman.
2006-08-10 03:19:22 · answer #3 · answered by BroadwayPhil 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mariano Rivera didn't close until his 3rd season. He was the setup man for John Wetteland for 2 seasons. If Mariano had been a closer those first 2 seasons, he'd probably have already passed Lee Smith by now.
2006-08-10 05:26:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mariano Rivera
2006-08-10 12:19:00 · answer #5 · answered by nfaustman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mariano Rivera
2006-08-10 07:05:36 · answer #6 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By the stats books, Lee Smith has more saves than anybody in MLB history. However, Trevor Hoffman just set a new MLB record for the most 30-save seasons in MLB history with 11. He's on track to dis' Smith's record late '06 or early '07.
They say he's one of the best of the "good guys" in the game as well, so add to his resume solid leadership and team building as well as his filthy changeup. I've seen him buckle the knees of some of the best hitters in the game who swore that it was an explosive fastball leaving his hands only to realize they were waaaaay out in front of his change.
Besides, AC/DC's Hell's Bells is as good as it gets for a closer's anthem...
My answer is on T. Hoffman for best all time... the record books will be saying it soon enough as well.
2006-08-10 01:57:31 · answer #7 · answered by mll1013 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best season ever by "any" relief pitcher was..
Eric Gagne - 2003
G-77
ERA-1.20
W-2 L-3
SV-55 SVO-55
IP-82.1 H-37 HR-2
BB-20 SO-137
Per 9 innings
H - 4.04
BB - 2.19
SO - 14.98
HR - 0.219
For the past 15 years I have kept and updated after each season, every ML teams "all time" team...Every player from every year 1946-present is eligible...A player with one great season could be on the team while a player with 20 good ones might not...And, most important it's all about which player makes the team better. "Based on computer simulation play"..
There have been a lot of great relievers who have had some incredible seasons during that stretch but Gagne's 2003 season stands as the best....
2006-08-10 01:06:46 · answer #8 · answered by jack 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
as an a's fan i would say dennis eckersley but rivera has the best all time stats...eckersley was a starter for a long time and then a drunk, but then he got it together and was awesome for several years, no telling what kind of numbers he would have put up as a closer if he had done that his whole career like rivera
2006-08-10 00:59:02 · answer #9 · answered by asyouwish1234 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A freaking Yankee, Mariano Rivera
2006-08-10 12:14:34 · answer #10 · answered by Mr J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋