The best closer of all time? I say it's gotta be Mo. They are both allstars, but it's the rings, and he's postseason performance that gives Rivera the edge, IMO.

Only if your ~really~ high.

Wow, both great arguements there. Rivera has played for far better teams so thats where the rings come in and when you talk about that its really a team thing, and doesnt it say more that Hoffman has been better than Rivera on worse teams.

What about Dennis Eckersly? Half his career was as a starter and he still has one of the highest save totals of all time. If he'd have been a closer all his career, he'd be #1.

well i szy marino sucks but hoffman is the greatest and bruce sutter is close.

Best overall, either MO, Fingers, or Eckersly. best postseason, without a doubt MO!!!

No question Hoffman is a great closer and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. And his regular-season stats do compare very favorably to Rivera. However, the main reason Rivera is the greatest closer of all time is his performance in the playoffs; there, he has been virtually flawless over 11 years. Hoffman, as great as he has been and as deserving of HOF election as he is, has not even had a whiff of success in the post-season. It's not just that Rivera has been there more often -- it's what he's done when he has been there. (I imagine you shouldn't mention Scott Brosius' name too loudly in Hoffman's presence.)

FU@K HOFFMAN HE IS THE WORST CLUTCH CLOSER OF ALL TIME IN MY BOOK! HE CANT CLOSE A GAME WHEN IT MATTERS.

Hoffman is the biggest choke artist of all-time. He blew the all-star game this year and he gave up the winning run in the biggest game of his career, Game #163 vs the Rockies. What a loser. All closers will lose big games from time to time but this guy loses them all. All his saves are from meaningless games. I'd take Mariano anyday over Hoffman. Seriously, who wouldn't? Especially after last night's loss to the Rockies.

Damn, it's all about "what have you done for me lately," isn't it? Did it ever occur to anyone that Hoffman was a big reason that the sorry-ass Padres were even in a position to get to the postseason, which they have no business whatsoever being in anyway? Hoffman is the best closer of all time. How could he be the worst clutch closer of all time? EVERY SITUATION HE COMES INTO IS CLUTCH. He comes out on top more often than not. As far as his performance against the Rockies goes, it was played at Coors, one of the toughest places to pitch because of the thin air.

I think Mo is the best closer of all time. It's his intimidating presence that makes him so. Many closers have piled up amazing stats all throughout their careers, but very few gained well-earned 'respect' from other players, regardless of their teams. Mo dominates and intimidates.

BTW, I'm a Red Sox fan.

If you're reading this column, I have to ask, did you google "Trevor Hoffman sucks" like I did?

@ okajimarulez:

I sure did. And Hopffman indeed suck major gorilla sack. He's weak...and only has a bloated saves record because he is always put in a situation where his only task is to come up with three outs. Of which most of the time...two of the outs come with a great deal of labor an effort. With his blazing 83MPH fast ball.

Sorry...that comment was in reply to Yadier.

I indeed found this page by typing in "Trevor Hoffman sucks" in Google. And he indeed sucks and needs to quit with some dignity.

Rivera no doubt

Um, sorry but Hoffman can't even hold Rivera's jock.

Good closer? Sure. Accumulated lots of saves? Fine.
But being on a good team doesn't determine a closer's worth so that shouldn't factor into Rivera's worth. In fact, Hoffman has likely had more chances given that his teams have not exactly been offensive juggernauts.
Hoffman has blown EVERY big save opp he's ever had.
To the OP, no, not every save is clutch. Sorry, three outs in June don't compare to huge outs in September/October.
If its a big game, Hoffman will blow it.
The exact opposite usually applies to Rivera.

While I admire Hoffman, I consider him in the same way I do Wagner. Great in the regular season, but in big spots they tend to become human. I dont think I have ever seen a more dominate 1 inning pitcher than Rivera. The funny thing is that batters have known what is coming for a decade and they cant hit him. He has not lost any velocity or movement over the years and win or lose he is cool as a cucumber. If he blows a save, the next night he strikes out the side. Even if he blows a save, its usually on some kind of broken bat hit. I have had the pleasure of following him since the minor leagues and he is the most consistent yankee player I have ever seen. I feel sorry for whoever has to replace him when the time comes...

Its Mo hands down. Just look at the stats.

And insurance is his post season track record.

trevor hoffman is the best closing pitcher no doubt about it!

Mariano Rivera... By far
TH is great but Mariano is the most dominant ever Clutch saves Thats the key in finding the best closer ever

Mo has a much better record in big games. Ask yourself this question... if the season is on the line, who would you rather have in the game, TH or MR? Come on, be honest.

I don't know why this is an argument. There's no reason why the postseason should even be brought up, Trevor never had great or even good teams to give him those chances. Sure, the closers of the past may have had to play through longer innings, but put this in the equation: BIGGER BALLPARKS, and smaller players. Trevor and Mo had their success in times when steroids reigned the offense over pitching and defense, ballparks are smaller, and the fields have less foul ball space. Sure the oldies pitched more, but they had far better chances and odds against their opponents, than today's. As for Mo and Trevor, really? Mo has blown the same amount of games as Trevor has, and has about 70 less saves, with just 1 year less than Trevor. Mo had the Yankees of the past 2ish decades, with great defensive players, and amazing offensive players. Trevor on the other hand, had mediocre teams with low offensive powers, and sub major league defense for support. Sure, Trevor plays in Petco, but he missed a year with surgery, so hey, you gotta think with that lost year, he would have at least 30 more saves. And Mo has Yankee Stadium, where batters are timid, especially with the aid of the fans as the 10th man. For every reason anyone has to deprive Trevor of his #1 reign as best closer, you can put up arguments Mo, the only thing that would distinguish any actual reason, would be the DH, but I know a DH hasn't cost him to blow as many saves as Trevor has in 1 less year.

And don't forget, Mo had far more 2+run save opportunities.
And if you want clutch, let's talk '01 when he blew the World Series against a bad team, and '04, when he blew consecutive saves against a team that hadn't since the before the golden age of baseball, face it, his amazing clutch postseason saves where in the '90s, his 2000s ones aren't exactly anywhere near those.

Dave's post above mine is absurd. You realize you just listed 3 blown saves in a 76 postseason game career for Mariano, right? I can name 3 blown saves in Hoffman's 12 game post season career. I feel bad even posting this because HOffman is an all time great, but to just throw Rivera's insanely clutch career in October aside just because Hoffman hasn't had that chance is beyond stupid.

The beauty of the closer position is that unlike any other spot in baseball, the player is guaranteed the opportunity to be playing in a big spot. So basically, take 76 big spots for Rivera and just wash it away? Really?

And also, as far as Rivera's 2nd blown save against the Red Sox in 2004, if you recall, Tom Gordon came on and put runners on 1rst and 3rd with nobody out. Rivera came in and gave up a strike out, sac fly, and a strike out... that was his "blown save."

Here's a fun game for all the Hoffman supporters -- you want to dismiss Rivera's postseason numbers (insane as that is)? Fine. But the I'm dismissing the 103 saves Hoffman had before Rivera became the closer in 1997. It's only fair right? Rivera didn't have the opportunity!

Correction, Dave didn't post on top of mine... but whoever that guy is :)

it has to be mo he has the rings and no offense to hoffaman who is a great closer but he has sucked in big games

TH by FAR!! MO only saved more games in the post season because he was on the YANKEES!! If TH was on the Yankees he would of done better then MO!!