Mariano Rivera clinched his 602nd career save yesterday when he closed out the Minnesota Twins with a scoreless ninth to seal a 6-4 Yankee victory. It was his 43rd save of the season.
But it was just another day for Mariano...well, another of his 602 days, I suppose. But on this day, Mariano Rivera eclipsed the 602 save mark, a mark which no other pitcher in history has passed, solidifying his place as one of the best—if not the best—closer of all-time.
Here are the top 15 closers of all-time and Mariano's ...
Joe Girardi’s actions are inexcusable under any circumstances. He has acted in a petty, unacceptable manner at the most inopportune time. Joe Girardi prevented one of the most poignant moments in baseball history from happening. Jorge Posada should have been behind the plate when Mariano Rivera set the all-time saves record. Posada was the catcher for the majority of Rivera’s appearances. Never a Joe Girardi defensively, Posada filled in with adequate defense the few times he was needed this season. “Rivera gets the signal from Posada.” How many thousands of ...
The past 15 years have been one of the most memorable eras in Yankee history and that's saying a lot considering the illustrious history of the Bronx Bombers. This era has seen a lot of great players come and go, but who is the greatest Yankee of this era? Mariano Rivera of course. The field is narrowed down between the Core Four: Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte. Each of these players have special distinctions in Yankees history. Derek Jeter has played the game the right way his entire career. ...
With a little more than a week left in the regular season, the New York Yankees have little to worry about. Unlike last year, they are a comfortable five games up on the Boston Red Sox for the American League East lead and are even 3.5 up on the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the AL.Despite the fact that the Bombers' final 10 games come against the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston, they can just worry about getting their rotation in order for Game 1 of the AL ...
In 1962, Roger Maris batted .256/.356/.485 with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs, which didn't approach his 1961 record-setting season. In 1928, Babe Ruth batted .323/.463/.709 with 54 home runs and 142 RBsI, which approached his 1927 record-setting season. Roger Maris continually told the media that he was Roger Maris, not Babe Ruth. All he was attempting to do was to hit more than 60 home runs in 1961. The baseball writers blamed Maris for being a shy, reticent, modest individual, but that was Roger Maris.The media found it difficult ...
Before Monday, there were only two baseball records that I had marked down as being truly unbreakable.The first was Cy Young's 511 career wins. The second was Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters in 1938. Even if Major League Baseball is comprised of ultra-powerful cyborgs in the future, those records are not falling.On Monday, a third unbreakable record was set. In an otherwise unspectacular 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera recorded his 602nd career save. That figure gives him sole possession of baseball's all-time saves ...
The 2010 American League MVP race had one clear favorite: Josh Hamilton. His status was confirmed when the Texas Rangers' outfielder received 22 out of 26 first-place votes to take home the trophy. The 2011 race could not be more different. The race is wide open, as no fewer than five players have received considerable recognition for the award. Here are the five big names, the pros and cons for their case, and the chance each man brings home the trophy. Begin Slideshow
When the 2011 season started, did anyone think the Boston Red Sox wouldn't make the playoffs?No. Everyone had them pegged to win the American League East over the Yankees, coast to the American League Championship and maybe even the World Series.You would think the Red Sox would be owning the American League East, considering they are 11-4 against the Yankees in 2011 head-to-head.Fast forward to the end of September. Not only are the Red Sox not in first place, they are on the verge of losing their spot as the American ...
Baseball's greatest closer climbed atop a historic list today as he moved past former closer Trevor Hoffman in earning his 602nd career save.Between Mariano Rivera's regular season and postseason prowess, it isn't hard to believe that we may not see a closer with such dominance for years to come.A 2.22 career ERA and astonishing 0.71 career postseason ERA will certainly help punch his ticket to Cooperstown as soon as he decides to hang it up and becomes eligible.In recognition of Rivera's amazing achievement, here are some of the best closers ...
Now that Mariano Rivera has picked up career save No. 602 and stands alone as the all-time saves leader in Major League Baseball history, I'd like to make the following statements:Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher of all-time, a fact that cannot be disputed.Mariano Rivera is arguably the most dominant pitcher of the past 30 years, something I believe others would be hard pressed to dispute.Mariano Rivera is arguably one of the 10 greatest pitchers to ever toe the rubber in Major League Baseball, something that I do not ...