(Image Source: MLB.com)
BY MOLLY HULSEY
ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY
You're watching multisource sports video news analysis from Newsy.
There are a few numbers that stand out in Yankees closer Mariano Rivera’s career. 17 -- seasons in the Majors. 42 postseason saves.
And now, 600, as Rivera becomes just the second pitcher in history to record 600 saves. It happened Tuesday night.
The 41 year old pitcher struck out two in the Yankees’ victory over the Seattle Mariners to reach the 600 save mark, putting him just one save behind former Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, and two saves away from holding the top spot overall.
MSNBC’s Willie Geist argues-- Rivera’s poise and famous cutter make him the best of the best.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: How does he rank?
WILLIE GEIST: By far the best ever. It’s not close.
ANALYST: And a pitch that really noone had ever thrown before, and no hitters even today know what to do with it.
GEIST: By the way, he’s been throwing it for 17 years and they still don’t know how to hit it. One pitch.
WNBC notes-- Rivera’s record adds to a Yankees season that was already historic.
“[The saves] record will merely add an extra layer of icing on the best closer ever cake he finished baking a long time ago. It's a fitting bookend to Derek Jeter's 3000th hit, although the magnifying glass put on this mark is clearly quite a bit smaller.”
But why hasn’t there been much hype surrounding Rivera’s pursuit of the record? SB Nation explains...
“Reason number one is most likely because the save is a fairly ridiculous statistic. … There's no old-time legend, who generations of fans have watched, read about and revered, who held the record for decades… A final reason is that the save record has been broken many times over the past 30 or 40 years, and, again, the save is still relatively new.”
Over at ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, John Kruk says what is most impressive about Rivera’s career is his postseason performance, where he has recorded 42 additional saves.
JOHN KRUK: “I also think it’s unbelievable that he’s still doing it at his age, and the fact that every season but one that he’s ever performed in the major leagues he’s been in the post season. That to me... you talk about wear and tear on young pitchers, think about pitching in the postseason every single year, and then coming back three months, four months later and having to dial it up again for another season. That’s why to me he’s the best that’s ever closed the game.”
Rivera could tie Hoffman’s record Wednesday night, when the Yankees take on the Mariners again.
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Transcript by Newsy.
