All-Time Closer

• killdeer

  

  baseball season is here...the position of closer has really only evolved over the last quarter century or so...probably one of the most important skill positions which is under-represented in the HOF...
  
  10. Williams...purely for his 'Wild Thing' persona
  9. Quisenberry
  8. Wilhelm...the first "closer"?
  7. Fingers ...the handlebar alone is worth 2 places.
  6. Franco
  5. Gossage
  4. Sutter
  3. Eckersley...reinvented himself late in his career.
  2. Hoffman...Redlegs...how could you let him go?
  1. Rivera...undisputed?
• charliehustle14

  All good choices. #1 and #2 are definitely the two best. I thought Joe Nathan was well on his way to being a top 10 but his recent arm injury could very well have derailed that thought.
• I Wear Pants

  Jose Mesa
• Leonardo

  

  I would have Lee Smith on there somewhere.
• september63

  

  Leonardo wrote: I would have Lee Smith on there somewhere.

  This. Lee Smith is a top 5 All Time. IMO Also, "persona's" dont get you on All Time lists. "Wild Thing" is 73rd All Time in Total Saves. He doesnt belong on that list.
• Sonofanump

  I'll have Hrbrosky over Williams anyday.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Rivera is the undisputed #1.
• Quint

  

  Although he was a closer for a short time, John Smoltz deserves some consideration. Also, he may be young, but K-Rod is pretty dominating.
• Sage

  

  Eric Gagne on steroids was the greatest closer of all time.
• darbypitcher22

  

  Rivera
  Hoffman(suffers because he plays in San Diego and they've only made 1 WS and got swept since he's been on the roster, plus he dominates with the change up rather than the hard stuff)
  Gossage
• NNN

  

  For a period of time in the 70s, one would have to look at (Dr.) Mike Marshall. 106 appearances in one season, and this wasn't of the one-inning save variety either.
  
  He's also a brilliant individual who, if baseball insiders would get their heads out of their asses, would have a legacy that would vastly exceed his playing career.
• BuckCreek

  ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.
• mhs95_06

  BuckCreek wrote: ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.

  How many of those 19 wins, under today's stat rules, would have been blown saves and wins in the same appearance?
• mhs95_06

  I have to go with Rivera and Gossage as the top two. They were used like a most valuable cloers should be, expected to do more than pitch a single clean 9th for the save. They were used like true "firemen" to come into a game threating jam in the 7th or 8th, get out of it and then close out the game. Not enough of today's manager will use their closers to the utmost like that, and many of today's closers would frown on being expected to do that much, and wouldn't be able to get it done either!
• NNN

  

  mhs95_06 wrote:

  BuckCreek wrote: ElRoy Face. 19 wins in relief in one season. Long before saves were a statistic.

  How many of those 19 wins, under today's stat rules, would have been blown saves and wins in the same appearance?

  3. The study has been done before. They brought him in plenty of times in a tied game, which he held until the Pirates could get a run; they brought him in when they were down by a run and needed that narrow deficit held. The vulturing you refer to happened three times.
• hoops23

  

  Mariano is the greatest all-time. He does it in the regular season, but in the postseason he's even better.
• HitsRus

  

  Pretty hard to argue against Rivera...but I'll take Eck over Hoffman.
• Footwedge

  Seen a bunch of great closers over my lifetime. Some had total dominance for 3 or 4 years...like Eckersly, Sutter, Goose, Marshall. Usually. I side with the older generation players. But this time, I don't. I agree with LTrain. Mariano is the best.
• Eric Taylor

  Rivera and Hoffman are 1-2.