Rivera picks up No. 500, but let's save the coronation for later, OK?
On days like Sunday, I can see why West Coast folks see a little bias at ESPN.
Mariano Rivera picked up his 500th save in a game against the Mets on the Worldwide Leader as the Yankees won 4-2 at Citi Field. He was the SportsCenter "Sunday Conversation," and also subject of a glowing, narrated highlight tribute, called the best closer of all time. He might just be that, based on his postseason record. But isn't that a little disrespectful of Trevor Hoffman?
Rivera plays in New York, under the Big Apple microscope, on national TV almost every night and in the playoffs every year. Hoffman played 16 seasons in San Diego (and this year in Milwaukee), and has accumulated 71 more saves than Rivera, as of Sunday.
Hoffman has a two-year head start, and Rivera has the better ERA and the championship rings, of course. But Hoffman can't help that, as he accumulated a lot of his saves for an inferior team. Hoffman has had nine seasons of 40 saves or more. Rivera has six.
Put Hoffman on a perennial winner like the Yankees, and does he have 600 saves now? 620?
Rivera deserves the accolades. He's a Hall of Famer, no doubt. But so is Hoffman. There should be a debate, not a coronation.
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Comments
There is no debate…there never was one. What has Hoffman done in the post season? Nothing.
Mariano is one of the best all time post season pitchers.
Its really not even an issue.
Seems to me Rivera and Hoffman went head-to-head in the postseason once.
How’d that work out for Hoffman and the Pods?
They both belong in Cooperstown. But there’s no comparison.
Explain to me why there is no debate. Why is Mariano the gretest closer period. Hoffman has more saves and he got them while playing for worse teams. Why does that not count? And the fact that Mariano has shown to be pretty hittable at times in recent years and that most people thought Hoffman was all done, but went to Milwaukee and has 17 saves is pretty amazing.