Archive All-Time Closer

killdeer

Posts: 1,538

Mar 22, 2010 11:09pm

baseball season is here...the position of closer has really only evolved over the last quarter century or so...probably one of the most important skill positions which is under-represented in the HOF...

10. Williams...purely for his 'Wild Thing' persona
9. Quisenberry
8. Wilhelm...the first "closer"?
7. Fingers ...the handlebar alone is worth 2 places.
6. Franco
5. Gossage
4. Sutter
3. Eckersley...reinvented himself late in his career.
2. Hoffman...Redlegs...how could you let him go?
1. Rivera...undisputed?

C

charliehustle14

Posts: 2,224

Mar 22, 2010 11:14pm

All good choices. #1 and #2 are definitely the two best. I thought Joe Nathan was well on his way to being a top 10 but his recent arm injury could very well have derailed that thought.

I

I Wear Pants

Posts: 16,223

Mar 22, 2010 11:37pm

Jose Mesa

Leonardo

Posts: 4,986

Mar 23, 2010 2:44am

I would have Lee Smith on there somewhere.

september63

Posts: 5,789

Mar 23, 2010 9:17am

Leonardo wrote: I would have Lee Smith on there somewhere.

This. Lee Smith is a top 5 All Time. IMO Also, "persona's" dont get you on All Time lists. "Wild Thing" is 73rd All Time in Total Saves. He doesnt belong on that list.

S

Sonofanump

Mar 23, 2010 12:42pm

I'll have Hrbrosky over Williams anyday.

THE4RINGZ

Posts: 16,816

Mar 23, 2010 1:17pm

Rivera is the undisputed #1.

Quint

Posts: 737

Mar 23, 2010 2:16pm

Although he was a closer for a short time, John Smoltz deserves some consideration. Also, he may be young, but K-Rod is pretty dominating.

Sage

Posts: 2,070

Mar 23, 2010 3:02pm

Eric Gagne on steroids was the greatest closer of all time.

darbypitcher22

Posts: 8,000

Mar 23, 2010 6:20pm

Rivera
Hoffman(suffers because he plays in San Diego and they've only made 1 WS and got swept since he's been on the roster, plus he dominates with the change up rather than the hard stuff)
Gossage

NNN

Posts: 902

Mar 23, 2010 7:27pm

For a period of time in the 70s, one would have to look at (Dr.) Mike Marshall. 106 appearances in one season, and this wasn't of the one-inning save variety either.

He's also a brilliant individual who, if baseball insiders would get their heads out of their asses, would have a legacy that would vastly exceed his playing career.

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BuckCreek

Posts: 53

Mar 23, 2010 7:36pm

ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.

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mhs95_06

Posts: 8,167

Mar 28, 2010 5:13pm

BuckCreek wrote: ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.

How many of those 19 wins, under today's stat rules, would have been blown saves and wins in the same appearance?

M

mhs95_06

Posts: 8,167

Mar 28, 2010 5:22pm

I have to go with Rivera and Gossage as the top two. They were used like a most valuable cloers should be, expected to do more than pitch a single clean 9th for the save. They were used like true "firemen" to come into a game threating jam in the 7th or 8th, get out of it and then close out the game. Not enough of today's manager will use their closers to the utmost like that, and many of today's closers would frown on being expected to do that much, and wouldn't be able to get it done either!

NNN

Posts: 902

Mar 28, 2010 10:01pm

mhs95_06 wrote:
BuckCreek wrote: ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.
How many of those 19 wins, under today's stat rules, would have been blown saves and wins in the same appearance?

3. The study has been done before. They brought him in plenty of times in a tied game, which he held until the Pirates could get a run; they brought him in when they were down by a run and needed that narrow deficit held. The vulturing you refer to happened three times.

hoops23

Posts: 15,696

Mar 28, 2010 10:19pm

Mariano is the greatest all-time. He does it in the regular season, but in the postseason he's even better.

HitsRus

Posts: 9,206

Mar 28, 2010 11:54pm

Pretty hard to argue against Rivera...but I'll take Eck over Hoffman.

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Footwedge

Posts: 9,265

Mar 29, 2010 12:08am

Seen a bunch of great closers over my lifetime. Some had total dominance for 3 or 4 years...like Eckersly, Sutter, Goose, Marshall. Usually. I side with the older generation players. But this time, I don't. I agree with LTrain. Mariano is the best.

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Eric Taylor

Posts: 602

Mar 29, 2010 9:35am

Rivera and Hoffman are 1-2.