Shutting the Door

What makes a closer a closer? How does one become a closer? Does a pitcher have to pitch the 9th inning for a certain amount of time before being considered a closer?

An argument recently arose at work (Sportsline). It was declared that Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of all time. I countered by saying that no, Trevor Hoffman is the greatest closer of all time. So just who is right?

My argument is this: the save statistic is the one stat that differentiates a closer from any other pitcher. Only a closer can record a save. Even if he only records one save his entire career, that one game he is considered the closer. Any pitcher can have an ERA or a WHIP - but not a save. Therefore, with Trevor Hoffman having the most saves in major league history, statistically he is the best closer of all time. Here's a closer look at the debate.



Mariano Rivera
When Rivera came up with the New York Yankees in 1995, the team had some closer by the name of John Wetteland. Thus, Rivera came up as a starter, and started 10 games for the Bombers that season. The following year, realizing that Wetteland was coming towards the end of his Yankee career, the Yanks began grooming Rivera into the closer he would become. Rivera pitched solely out of the bullpen in '95, finishing 14 games and recording five saves. He also struck out 130 batters in 137 innings - by far his career best.

The Yanks were right about Wetteland, as he went to the Rangers before the 1997 season. With Wetteland out of the Bronx, Rivera was given the chance to become the team's full-time closer. And has he made the most of that opportunity! Since then, he's saved a total of 438 games, not including the five he's saved so far in 2008. And Rivera's postseason performance has been well documented. There's no question - Rivera is a future Hall of Famer.

Trevor Hoffman

But Rivera is not the best closer of all time, I argue. As I stated before, I view the save statistic as a clear indicator to who is and who is not a closer. Rivera has 448 career saves coming into Friday night. Hoffman has a total of 528 saves in his illustrious career. Now, granted, Hoffman has played more games as his team's "closer" than Rivera has. But not much more, and that's a slightly irrelevant point in my book. Entering Friday night, Hoffman has appeared in 889 career games during his 16 year career. "Mo" has pitched 793 in 14 years. And keep in mind, due to injuries, Hoffman only pitched in nine games in the 2003 season.

Hoffman began his big-league career as a fish. He was actually drafted by the Reds in 1989, and was picked by the Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft. In the middle of the '93 season, after pitching 67 games for Florida, he was traded to the Padres for some kid named Gary Sheffield. Since then, all he has done is surpass Lee Smith as the all-time saves leader, and became the first pitcher to record 500 saves. There is no way that he is NOT the best closer in the history of the game. Best pitcher? Certainly not - but as closers go, it gets no better than Hoffy.


Statistical information curteous of baseballreference.com. Photos curteous of MLB.com.