“As a pitcher, I like to be — I don’t want to say perfect, but I want to know what the ball is going to do.”
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera ... one of MLB's true heroes ... a great guy, a great player!
When it comes to being perfect at his job, probably nobody in baseball comes closer (no pun intended) than Mariano Rivera, who can throw his primarily one-pitch repertoire (cut fastball) wherever he wants, pretty much whenever he wants.
Batters have long known the cutter was coming at them more than 80 percent of the time and still have not been able to hit it. Not in 1997, at age 27, when Rivera first became a full-time closer for the Yankees and saved 43 games. Not in 2004, at age 34, when he saved a career high 53 games. Not in 2011, at age 41, when he notched 44 saves. And not this season, when he a picked up a win and five saves in 9 appearances (with a 2.16 ERA). And, through all of this stardom, Rivera has been a class act on the field and off – showing respect for the game, the Yankee pinstripes, his team mates, the opposition (even as he was breaking their bats off in their hands) and the fans.
Now as every fan already knows, Mariano Rivera – 12-time all-star closer and career leader in saves – yesterday proved that (despite popular opinion) he is not Superman. Rivera, at age 42, suffered a torn ACL doing something he truly loved, “playing” baseball. He didn’t go down on the mound, but rather while shagging flies in the outfield. Somehow, BBRT feels closer to this future HOFer because of those circumstances. All of us who love the game have spent time shagging flies, taking grounders and just enjoying being out on the ball field. We know Rivera was having fun, and that’s what the game is all about. While few of us have been on the mound with the game on the line, BBRT hopes to see Rivera on the hill closing out games again. If we don’t, however, we’ll see this “as- close-to-perfect” as you can get closer, team mate and gentleman at his Hall of Fame induction.
As we close out this get well card to Rivera, let’s look at just how close to perfection he really is. First, there are the saves: 608, top figure all-time. Then there’s his ERA, at 2.21 thirteenth all-time (among pitchers with at least 1,000 career innings pitched). Moreover, everyone ahead of him on the list retired before 1930. The closest active pitcher is Giants’ starter Tim Lincecum at number 178 (3.05). Rivera is also in the top five (fifth) in strikeouts to walks – a 4.04 – 1 ratio.
For those who like to look a little deeper, how about WHIP (Walks and Hits to Innings Pitched)? Rivera ranks second all-time (again among those with 1,000 or innings) at 0.998. Only two other players have a career WHIP below 1.0 – Ed Walsh (who retired in 1917) and Addie Joss (who left the game in 1910.)
And there’s the post season (30 innings or more pitched), where Rivera is number one in ERA (0.70); number one in saves (42, with second place at 15); number three in WHIP (0.758); and has an 8-1 won-loss record.
Mariano, we wish you well in your recovery. Your presence elevates the game.
