The Rivera love is sickening

[Moose Milligan]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9034430/new-york-yankees-mariano-rivera-unanimous-selection-hall-fame

Come ON. Third best Yankee ever? Ahead of DiMaggio? Mantle? Jeter????

Is there ANY chance that no one would care about this guy as much if he played for the Kansas City Royals? I know his postseason record is ridiculous but...I've always had the feeling that Rivera is slightly overrated.

Gonna be hearing about this all summer, too.

[Frobby]

Whatever. Let's see how he pitches this year. If he's the same old Rivera, yeah, it will be a lovefest. If he's not nearly as effective as in the past, that will shut up the conversation.

[Flosman]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9034430/new-york-yankees-mariano-rivera-unanimous-selection-hall-fame

Come ON. Third best Yankee ever? Ahead of DiMaggio? Mantle? Jeter????

Is there ANY chance that no one would care about this guy as much if he played for the Kansas City Royals? I know his postseason record is ridiculous but...I've always had the feeling that Rivera is slightly overrated.

Gonna be hearing about this all summer, too.

He is not overrated, his position is. He is probably the best closer of all time or at least solidly in the conversation. But he is not anywhere near the top of the all time Yankee list. It would be stupid to even try to make a case for it, IMO.

[waroriole]

Holy crap that is a really bad article. I mean, I know sports writing is usually poor, but that is some special kind of terrible.

The idea that he could be better than Mantle should be enough to get that guy fired. What an idiot.

[waroriole]

Fire Joe Morgan took this guy to task for an article he wrote bad mouthing Tim Wakefield:

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firejoemorgan.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fwhat-eff.html%3Fm%3D1&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGMlcoALDXwmgkO4wAN1acZXJP9Kg

[NewMarketSean]

Mike and Mike last week were saying he could be considered as one of the best players OF ALL TIME. Not just closers, but players. Yeah.

[skanar]

He's the best closer of all time by far, and he's by most reports a class act.

I thought that article was ridiculously over the top as well. If you really need to find a player deserving of the first unanimous HoF selection, how about the best SS since Honus Wagner, a player who was legendary for his toughness and character as well as talent, and who gave baseball their first good news and attention after a devastating strike?

[Don Quixote]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9034430/new-york-yankees-mariano-rivera-unanimous-selection-hall-fame

Come ON. Third best Yankee ever? Ahead of DiMaggio? Mantle? Jeter????

Is there ANY chance that no one would care about this guy as much if he played for the Kansas City Royals? I know his postseason record is ridiculous but...I've always had the feeling that Rivera is slightly overrated.

Gonna be hearing about this all summer, too.

Yeah, I read that yesterday. Complete crock.

[Dr. FLK]

Mo = Yankee. Yankee = suck. Mo = suck.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

[24fps]

Still, if ever a player has been deserving of being the first unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame, Mariano Rivera is that player

......

[Can_of_corn]

If Rivera was that talented a pitcher he wouldn't have washed out as a starter.

Great closer = #3 starter.

BR has his best year at 4.8 WAR, Fangraphs has it at 4.4.

Of course that was before he became the closer.

[Frobby]

He's the best closer of all time by far, and he's by most reports a class act.

I think Rivera has been a great closer, but you have to put things in context. The job of "one inning closer" has only existed for 20-30 years. The great relievers of the past often pitched multiple innings, and often pitched in critical situations and then were removed before the 9th if the lead was comfortable. So, the universe of guys who pitched under the same circumstances as Rivera is limited.

Also, Rivera had an unparalleled opportunity to pitch in the post-season. There's no denying how great he was there, but the fact is nobody else got to pitch in remotely the same number of post-season situations. I mean, if Trevor Hoffman (12 postseason appearances) had been on the Yankees and Rivera (96 postseason appearances) had been on the Padres, maybe we're calling Hoffman the greatest closer of all time. (Yes, I know Hoffman didn't do that well in his post-season work.)

Overall, I still would call Rivera the greatest closer ever, but his circumstances gave him opportunities others never had.

[crissfan172]

Rivera deserves plenty of love. Both for his performance and class.

That being said, the hyperbole from writers that overrate the closer position is extremely annoying. It's also ironic that these same writers don't like putting relief pitchers in the HOF...or DH's for that matter.

[waroriole]

If Rivera was that talented a pitcher he wouldn't have washed out as a starter.

Great closer = #3 starter.

BR has his best year at 4.8 WAR, Fangraphs has it at 4.4.

Of course that was before he became the closer.

I've always thought WAR under rates relief pitchers.

[Can_of_corn]

I've always thought WAR under rates relief pitchers.

I think almost everyone overrates relief pitchers.