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If picking the greatest hitter ever, would you include someone who exclusively pinch hit but had a .400 lifetime average in 25 percent as many at bats as an everyday player? That's the better analogy, and I am guessing the answer is no.
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You're right, the answer is no. But I don't like the analogy.
Mariano Rivera was not a pinch hitter. He wasn't a defensive replacement. He wasn't a pinch runner. He was not asked to come into the game and get one out, every once in a while, or keep the infield tight. He pitched in pressure situations, several days a week, for nearly 20 years.
BTW, I'm about 70 miles from the Bronx.
-Al