Recently, Mariano Rivera set the records for saves in a career. On ESPN.com, they have been debating who is the greater Yankee. While this is completely stupid and arbitrary because they play for the same team and very different positions, this blog deals in nothing but stupid and arbitrary things. So, let's take a look.
Could the Yankee dynasty have happened without Rivera? Short answer: no. Mariano Rivera has been an absolute machine since he became a closer for the Yankees. He has a CAREER ERA of 2.22. Career. That's an amazing one season ERA for pitchers. His worse year since being a closer was 2007 in which he posted a 3.15 ERA. The next year all he did was come back and have a 1.40 ERA. Plus, saving 602 games means that he shut the door on 602 close games. In contrast, the Cubs have probably blown about 602 saves in that same time period. That's the difference between a dynasty and loveable losers.
Could the Yankee dynasty have happened without Jeter? Short answer: it's complicated. Jeter has put up very good offensive statistics throughout his career with sporadic bursts of power in some seasons more than others. He has been the table setter for many good teams and scored over 100 runs in all but two of his big league seasons. He's also swiped quite a few bags. However, his offensive statistics are not gaudy in power numbers like an Albert Pujols. So, statistically, the Yankees may have been able to do it without him. In terms of leadership, consistency and clutchness, Jeter has earned his recognition as the Captain. While I used to not put much stock into one player's importance in baseball, just look at Milton Bradley for an example of how someone can change team dynamics.
Edge: Mo (barely)
Who puts fans in the stands? With all due respect to Mo, not many people go to baseball games with the intention of watching the Closer. If it happens, it is exciting but I don't know how many people would say "I'm going to Yankee Stadium to watch Mariano Rivera play." Unfortunately, this was very evident in the little buzz that Mo got when he broke the saves record. In contrast, thousands of fans go to Yankee Stadium specifically to watch Jeter play. He is definitely the Mickey Mantle of his day in that regard.
Edge: Jeter
More impressive: Jeter's 3,000 or Mo's saves record? This one is a bit of a doozy. Rivera has been the model of consistency who has come into so many tough situations and shut teams down over and over with basically only one pitch. To get to 602 saves, you have to pitch for a long time and you are often the difference between a playoff (and sometimes World Series) team and a simply above .500 team. However, the statistic of save is relatively new to baseball. In contrast, the counting of hits has always been the same since baseball started. So since its inception as a professional sport, only 28 players have 3,000 hits. Plus, Jeter did it on a homerun (much better than Craig Biggio's 3,000 hit- he got gunned out at second trying to stretch a single into a double).
Edge: Jeter. Both are the models of consistency but Jeter's hit total is currently more impressive.
So, there you have it...both are fantastic players that play on the same stinking team so come up with something else to debate, ESPN.com.
I don't really follow baseball but are hits more impressive than something that has never been done before with 603 saves? I don't know which one is harder to do but number 2 plays the whole game not for 3 or 6 outs, just saying.
ReplyDeleteThat's why it's a tough call. They play two very different positions. Both have been the absolute model of consistency at their position. But, my major point was that even in my Dad's lifetime the relief pitcher really became an actual position. So, the notions of "saves" are still very new so Mo hasn't had as much to compete with as Jeter in terms of statistics.
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