Best closers in baseball
@decisionmaster (161)
United States
May 23, 2007 12:04am CST
Tell me who you think is the best, who was the greatest, or who your favorites are and why?
I'll start with personal experience. I went to an Angels game this year and saw Francisco Rodriguez. He is awesome. The celebrations, the electric fastball. Good stuff to watch. I also enjoyed seeing in person Eric Gagne, Shingo Takatsu, Bobby Jenks, Troy Percival, and Tom Henke. I think Mariano Rivera is the best all time. The best in the national league would be Trevor Hoffman. I really liked the Gong that played for Takatsu.
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4 responses
@AmbiePam (85438)
• United States
28 May 07
Mariano Rivera is my absolute favorite. I mean in the mid to late nineties, even in 2001, you knew the hammer was coming. He is still good after all these years. I like Trevor Hoffman's work as well. And even though Gagne went over a year without giving up a save, he hasn't shown longevity, so I can't put him on my list.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
29 May 07
Do you remember Rivera was a starter for New York in 1995? Good thing someone moved him into the pen.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
14 Jun 07
Takashi Saito is getting the job done for the Dodgers, but he does not have the longevity as Rivera, Hoffman, and Wagner. Plus he used to be a starter, and before that a position player.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
1 Jun 07
He is great. I wish he would stop getting injured.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
12 Oct 07
Papelbon won't be getting any serious injuries.
Look at his website,
http://mymonavie.com/wildthing58
@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
30 Dec 07
I just saw a short movie about Papelbon. He really owes his strong season to the manager's son Nick Francona. Nick was the person who brought MonaVie to the team's attention. I hope John Henry and Theo Epstein give Terry a raise so he can help his son expand his MonaVie business.
@Scorpio111boy (249)
• United States
10 Jul 07
I've also seen Francisco Rodriguez close a game. It was 2005 ALCS White Sox vs Angels. It was the only game that the White Sox lost in the playoffs that year. I knew that if the White Sox weren't going to take the lead before the 9th inning Francisco Rodriguez was going to be put in to close the game. And I knew that if K-Rod was going to make an appearence there was no chance the White Sox were going to rally back. Francisco has an explosive fastball. He follows through on every pitch and has a tricky delivery. I'd say he's the best right now. Mariano Rivera might be the best all time.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
12 Jul 07
Rodriguez is sweet. I enjoy watching him celebrate a team victory. He is really pumped up like every game is game 7.
@Psychosis (356)
• United States
7 Jun 07
I think that Mariano Rivera is still the best closer in baseball. He has that fastball with a lot of movement, the nearly unhittable cutter, and the ability to locate his pitches well. He is for sure a first ballot Hall of Famer.
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@decisionmaster (161)
• United States
8 Jun 07
Yes. Fans should forgive him for blowing leads in 1997 against Cleveland and 2004 against Boston.
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