Thursday, December 31, 2009
Mariano Rivera already ahead of Gossage in WAR--Davidoff
- from Ken Davidoff's 2010 Hall of Fame ballot:
"Lee Smith: I think we can all agree that
- saves are a profoundly overrated statistic, so Smith isn't
- going to win my support
on that front, although I did vote for him once (two years ago, I believe). He hung around a long time, yet he wasn't that good, so the No is rather easy.
Interesting note on closers' WAR, by the way:
- Mariano Rivera is already ahead of Hall of Famers
- Not Dennis Eckersley, though, who spent more than half of his career as a starter."...
Although I don't see it stated, it's possible Mr. Davidoff is only using part of the above pitchers' careers, that of regular season, to measure WAR. He does not mention if the stat combines regular AND post season play.
- Post season play is considered for Hall of Fame stats, and part of a player's life work. If it's not being used for Hall of Fame evaluation- and this item makes no mention of its existence- then post season play should be canceled. Or considered exhibition.
- MLB has forced the politically contorted view that post season stats are 'unfair'-- to those who don't have them. (This 'unfairness' angle has been stated by an MLB writer among others). The view assumes that everyone who goes to the post season gets good stats. Which of course is impossible. There are many with post season stats they'd rather people forget. They are greatly helped by the MLB system of not acknowledging the existence of post season stats.
- It is unfair and a joke for one reliever to be sitting on the couch resting up to pad next season's regular season stats while another reliever is working his guts out into November and having that work discounted or ignored. If baseball weren't a monopoly, this wouldn't be happening. On the other hand, if this IS just regular season-then Gossage is right. Rivera is indeed worlds apart from him.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Gammons: Rivera both MVP and Cy Young of last 15 years
- "SI.com: Is there a particular player that you would really like to write an in-depth feature on?
Gammons: I'd have to wait till the offseason but what I'd really like to do is go to Panama with
- Mariano Rivera. I think he is the
- most distinguished man that I've ever covered.
- He is the man I consider to be the MVP and Cy Young of the last 15 years.
I would love to know more about where he comes from and how he has maintained that incredible balance."...
- from SI.com column, "Peter Gammons Unplugged," by Richard Deitsch, 12/21/09
Labels: Gammons-Rivera both MVP and Cy Young last 15 years
Friday, December 18, 2009
'Basketball's Mariano Rivera'...
- basketball’s Mariano Rivera
- as the clock turned zero.
- Game time...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Mariano at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Rivera provides background for rock group Metallica at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies at Madison Square Garden, 10/31/09.
via Yankee Stadium's Misfits of Row X.
Labels: Mariano Rivera at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Saturday, December 12, 2009
They say it everywhere -except the ballot
- Peter Gammons, "My 20 Years at ESPN:"
- and in my 20 years at ESPN, he might be
- the most distinctive person."...
'Has Brady lost the Mariano Mystique?'
- ESPNBoston.com:
- Put the ball in his hands and ask him to preserve the win, he'd deliver. Brady entered the 2009 season with a
- 78-4 career record as a starter when the Patriots led at halftime....
Friday, December 11, 2009
With game on the line, the 'science is settled'...
- the player they would want taking a shot
- with the game on the line,
where so many would come down on the same side of the debate."...
- from AP story, 12/11/09, "Kobe's Decade: On top at the start and at the end," by Brian Mahoney
Labels: Kobe, Mariano best bets with game on the line, Tiger
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Jon Gruden channels Mo to inspire Pittsburgh Steeler closers
- "jon gruden just threw video of Mariano Rivera up to talk about the steelers closing games.
- BECAUSE "CLOSE," YOU GUYS!!! ...
- 12/10 Re: Pittsburgh Steelers closing games:
- that gave them the edge in the late going?
- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera -
- when the Steelers are leading late in the game, they were
- as good as unbeatable.
- That it took Tomlin basically the entire season to act against the Steelers' special-teams shortcomings, their failure to score touchdowns once inside the red zone and their suddenly beatable secondary is a testament to his failure to act before the situation grew out of hand."...
Labels: Jon Gruden channels Mariano to Steelers closers
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
The NBA's Mariano--Bulls blog
- "Joe Dumars, the Detroit Pistons general manager, calls them the Team Mariano Rivera guys.
They’re the players who come into the game to close out your win, in basketball to shut down the opponents
- by making the big shots down the stretch.
“It’s who can make that Mariano Rivera team,” said Dumars. “I don’t know how many others are out there. I know Kobe’s (Bryant) on there. I know Paul Pierce is on there, and I can name some other guys. But he’s on there, too. He’s proven he’s a closer.”...
- from ChicagoBullsBlog, "The NBA's Mariano Rivera returns to Chicago," 12/2/09, by Sam Smith, writing about former Bull Ben Gordon