Thursday, January 03, 2008
Rivera like Closers of Old, CNNSI.com, 10/25/01--Don't have a cow, man.
- From CNNSI.com, 10/25/01, by Jacob Luft: "Rivera Dominates Post Season Like Closers of Yesteryear." (Article doesn't reflect 9-out performances in late innings that were termed "Wins," such as Rivera's in the 1995 ALDS and 2003 ALCS, the latter occuring after this article was written):
- Most managers pamper their high-priced closers, bringing them in for the last three outs of a game after an unheralded setup guy wiggles out of the eighth-inning jam.
- But Rivera in October is different.
- He's Rollie Fingers without the handlebar mustache,
- Goose Gossage without the showmanship.
- How Gossage-like is Rivera?
- Nobody has more World Series saves than Rivera's seven. Fingers is second with 6 saves, followed by three Yankees with four: Johnny Murphy, Allie Reynolds and John Wetteland. Rivera can be counted on in non-save situations as well. He has pitched at least two innings in four of his five postseason victories and has yet to lose a game. The Panamanian right-hander has the lowest ERA (0.74) in postseason history among pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched. The guy right behind him? Legendary lefty Sandy Koufax at 0.95. Of course, it helps that Rivera's setup man, Mike Stanton, is No. 5 on that list at 1.52."
| The Untouchables | ||
|---|---|---|
| (Minimum 40 innings pitched) | ||
| Pitcher | IP | ERA |
| Mariano Rivera* | 72 2/3 | 0.74 |
| Sandy Koufax | 57 | 0.95 |
| Christy Mathewson | 101 2/3 | 1.06 |
| Eddie Plank | 54 2/3 | 1.32 |
| Mike Stanton* | 47 1/3 | 1.52 |
| Mickey Lolich | 46 | 1.57 |
| Orval Overall | 51 1/3 | 1.58 |
| George Earnshaw | 62 2/3 | 1.58 |
| Scott McGregor | 49 2/3 | 1.63 |
| Curt Schilling* | 58 1/3 | 1.70 |
| Stan Coveleski | 41 1/3 | 1.74 |
| Lefty Grove | 51 1/3 | 1.75 |
| Carl Hubbell | 50 1/3 | 1.79 |
| Waite Hoyt | 83 2/3 | 1.83 |
| George Mullin | 58 | 1.86 |
| Bob Gibson | 81 | 1.89 |
| Jack Billingham | 42 | 1.93 |
| Herb Pennock | 55 1/3 | 1.95 |
| F. Valenzuela | 63 2/3 | 1.98 |
| * Active player | ||
| The best postseason closers often get more than three outs to earn a save. | ||||||
| Closer | Saves | Outs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (or less) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7-plus | ||
| Mariano Rivera | 23 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Dennis Eckersley | 15 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Rollie Fingers | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Mark Wohlers | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tug McGraw | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Rich Gossage | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Randy Myers | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | ||||||
