Mariano

[doug.goodman]

I still think the 'save' is a stupid stat...

[xplainer]

Booooo

[oldjudge]

I think there is an argument that Mariano was the greatest pitcher ever. For those who think he was a one inning pitcher go back and look at the box score of the Aaron Boone playoff home run game. As importantly, if not more, Mariano is a better human being that he was a ball player. He will be a credit to the HOF and will now always be remembered as the first unanimous inductee.

[bmattioli]

2004 ALCS and Dave Roberts.. We all make mistakes.. He was pretty good though..

[Al C.risafulli]

Absolutely agree with Jay.

Saves or no saves, he pitched 19 seasons with a 1.00 WHIP and a lifetime ERA of 2.21, in the steroid era. His postseason ERA - against the toughest competition - was 0.70. Eleven earned runs in 141 October innings. Unflappable, and a humble, classy person.

I couldn't be happier.

-Al

[packs]

I am also of the opinion that Mariano was probably the greatest pitcher of all time. He is the son of a fisherman, has remained humble his entire life, and dominated baseball with one single pitch everyone knew was coming but could never figure out how to hit. I was at every Sunday home game for his whole career. You always knew the game was over when you saw him walk out.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

I think there is an argument that Mariano was the greatest pitcher ever. For those who think he was a one inning pitcher go back and look at the box score of the Aaron Boone playoff home run game. As importantly, if not more, Mariano is a better human being that he was a ball player. He will be a credit to the HOF and will now always be remembered as the first unanimous inductee.

Greatest closer ever....absolutely! Incredible Class....the best! Greatest pitcher ever...NOT A SNOWBALL’s CHANCE IN HELL!!!! Totally different scenario when you are facing a handful of hitters ONCE vs three/four times around in the same game. You can never compare a closer to a starter....no way.

[rdixon1208]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Greatest closet ever....absolutely! Incredible Class....the best! Greatest pitcher ever...NOT A SNOWBALL’s CHANCE IN HELL!!!! Totally different scenario when you are facing a handful of hitters ONCE vs three/four times around in the same game. You can never compare a closer to a starter....no way.

Couldn't agree more

[ullmandds]

Congrats to mariano...and moose and the rest of a deserving class. Def the best closer of all time... his cutter was practically unhittable and sawed bats in half at an alarming rate! I can’t think of any other player in the upcoming years more deserving of a unanimous vote.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Congrats to mariano...and moose and the rest of a deserving class. Def the best closer of all time... his cutter was practically unhittable and sawed bats in half at an alarming rate! I can’t think of any other player in the upcoming years more deserving of a unanimous vote.

Derek Jeter for sure.

[bigfanNY]

Congratulations to Mariano Rivera on a great Career. Obviously being the only player EVER to be elected to the Hall Of Fame unanimously puts a target on your back. But as a lifelong Yankee fan I cannot imagine a person who deserves the honor more. That being said there are a number of players I cannot understand any baseball writer not voting for Seaver, Griffey.. The list is long. So as the first person to clear that bar, Mariano deserves to be recognized as one of the great pitchers of his generation. It was a pleasure to watch him pitch.
Jonathan Sterling

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Greatest closet ever....absolutely! Incredible Class....the best! Greatest pitcher ever...NOT A SNOWBALL’s CHANCE IN HELL!!!! Totally different scenario when you are facing a handful of hitters ONCE vs three/four times around in the same game. You can never compare a closer to a starter....no way.

Greatest closet? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Greatest closer ever....absolutely! Incredible Class....the best! Greatest pitcher ever...NOT A SNOWBALL’s CHANCE IN HELL!!!! Totally different scenario when you are facing a handful of hitters ONCE vs three/four times around in the same game. You can never compare a closer to a starter....no way.

Exactly what I would have said.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

I think there is an argument that Mariano was the greatest pitcher ever. For those who think he was a one inning pitcher go back and look at the box score of the Aaron Boone playoff home run game. As importantly, if not more, Mariano is a better human being that he was a ball player. He will be a credit to the HOF and will now always be remembered as the first unanimous inductee.

I can safely say that in all of the years I have known you Jay, I have never disagreed more. I can't imagine anyone thinking a failed starter who ended up pitching 1,200 innings is even in the same company as any of the best all-time starters, who actually closed their own games. You can make a better argument against him not being the best reliever ever because so many of his outings were marginal one inning save opportunities, while closers before his era constantly went multiple innings, facing the entire lineup. I call him the best one inning reliever ever. I don't think highly of any one inning pitcher, they're all over-rated.

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by z28jd

I can't imagine anyone thinking a failed starter who ended up pitching 1,200 innings is even in the same company as any of the best all-time starters, who actually closed their own games. You can make a better argument against him not being the best reliever ever because so many of his outings were marginal one inning save opportunities, while closers before his era constantly went multiple innings, facing the entire lineup. I call him the best one inning reliever ever. I don't think highly of any one inning pitcher, they're all over-rated.

Agreed

[doug.goodman]

I posted this in the poll thread :

People keep saying that batters only saw Mariano once a game. That is true, but they often saw him multiple times a series and he basically threw one pitch. They knew what was coming—they just couldn’t hit it.

So what.

Are you telling me that if you had one of the 10 best pitchers of all time on your team you would only let him pitch 70 innings a season, most (if not all) coming in when you had a lead?

Seriously?

He was really really good, probably the best, at the job he was asked to do, I'll acknowledge that, but top 10 of all pitchers all time?

Come on.

Doug "Roy Gleason has a lifetime batting average of 1.000, slugging percentage of 2.000 and OPS of 3.000" Goodman

[doug.goodman]

I will gain a bit of solace knowing that when he walks to the podium in Cooperstown he will think to himself, "ugh, not this stupid song again"...


From Rolling Stone :
Rivera also addressed the subject of his former walk-up music. “If that was me, I would have never picked that song,” he said of “Enter Sandman.” “It would’ve been Christian music … It should have been something that put people to sleep.”

[gregr2]

One of the better selections by the HOF recently.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Peter_Spaeth]

I am thrilled -- that I have all four guys' RCs already lol. As for Mariano, I think it's crazy to call any reliever the greatest pitcher ever but it also would be crazy to call anyone else a better reliever. From all appearances a wonderful man too.

[PiratesWS1979]

Originally Posted by gregr2

One of the better selections by the HOF recently.

+1

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by PiratesWS1979

+1

Can’t knock the selection. Hard to celebrate a Yankee doing anything though

[MVSNYC]

Incredible pitcher, and an even better human being.

Congrats, Mo.

[Fred]

Good for Mariano!

Too bad Roy Halladay won't be there for the ceremony.

[clydepepper]

A GOAT with only one pitch! AMAZING!

The first unanimous inductee had a spotless record on and off the field.

Truly someone worth revering.



In a sad coincidence, recent news of the Yankees' closer immediately prior to Mo will land him where he belongs...and, in keeping with the morals clause of my personal collection, all his cards will be shredded.


.

[Vintageclout]

Let’s put the “save stat” in total perspective....great post WWII starters like Gibson, Marichal, Koufax, Seaver, Palmer, Hunter, Ford, Jenkins, etc. in their prime completed at least 50% (very conservative I might add) or better of their wins so they got BOTH the win and the save in those complete games! That just about ends the conversation about trying to ever compare a great relief pitcher to a great starter.

[Rickyy]

At his best, well...he was pretty much unhittable...

Ricky Y

[CMIZ5290]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I still think the 'save' is a stupid stat...

How in the Hell does a relief pitcher become the only HOFer to get 100% of the vote??? If you were starting a team today, Griffey Jr., or Mariano? Not even close.....