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MLB

Rivera Joins Hoffman in 500-Save Club

Posted Jun 29, 2009 12:47AM By Ed Price (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Yankees, MLB Milestones

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Mariano Rivera hugs Jorge PosadaNEW YORK – Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman got to 500 saves in different ways.

Rivera, who earned No. 500 on Sunday night as the Yankees defeated the Mets, did it in the New York spotlight, with his biting cut fastball.

Hoffman was in the relative shadows of San Diego with a changeup as his signature.

But they are more alike than they are different.

"They joke around, they have personalities, but when they get locked in, it's a whole different beast," Brett Tomko, who has sat in the bullpen with both men, told FanHouse.

"And you can see the similarities between the two, where there's something inside that turns on. And you probably could sit and talk to them and they wouldn't even hear you."

Rivera got a bonus along with save No. 500: RBI No. 1. Francisco Rodriguez inexplicably walked Rivera with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, giving the Yankees an insurance run for their 4-2 victory.

"RBI No. 1 is more [memorable]," Rivera said. "It's my first RBI. It's my 500th save."

He was half-serious.

For all the debate about the worthiness of the save as a statistic, there is something to getting the final out of a close game. And to do it 500 times takes a certain combination of skill, confidence, fearlessness and calm.

All-Time Saves Leaders
Pitcher Saves
Trevor Hoffman 571
Mariano Rivera 500
Lee Smith 478
John Franco 424
Dennis Eckersley 390
Rivera probably gets the nod as the greatest ever because of extra credit for his remarkable performance in the postseason. As Yankees manager (and former catcher) Joe Girardi said, " 'Mo' was as big a part of that dynasty as any player in that clubhouse."

Tomko joined the Yankees this spring, and one of the first things he wanted to find out was how Rivera compares to Hoffman.

They're from the same mold, it turns out.

"I think the main thing is focus, work ethic," Tomko said. "I think from what I've seen here with Mo, they have the routines, they stick with it, their even keel. I think the thing I like most about them is they're very humble. They go in, they do their job, there's not a whole lot of show to them, you wouldn't know if they were saving the first game of their career or the 500th. They act like they've done it a million times, and to me to see both of them ... pretty much act the same way when they finish the game, I think it's a cool thing."

As Rivera said, while some closers might point to the sky or pound their chests after a save, "I go home. Simple as that. My personality is just different."

Rivera's humility is genuine. Asked about his impending milestone on Sunday afternoon, he demurred somewhat.

"It is something special," Rivera said. "There's only one guy that has done it in Major League Baseball. It's a great achievement. But at the same time, without my teammates, I could not do anything."

Asked what he admires about Hoffman, Rivera said, "The way he takes care of his business. You never hear anything about the guy. He always respects the game and goes [about] his business."

And Rivera prides himself on being the same way.

Asked if he has the goal of passing Hoffman (571 saves) for the all-time lead, Rivera said, typically, "I am not looking for no records. I'm not here for that. I'm here to play baseball and win World Series. If it happens, it happens."

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    NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees enters the game in the eigth inning against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2, (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mariano Rivera

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    NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees walks to the batters box in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2, (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mariano Rivera

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Rivera, 39, earned his first save on May 17, 1996, during his year as set-up man for John Wetteland (getting Garret Anderson for the final out, with Girardi callng the pitch). The following winter, Rivera was home in Panama when manager Joe Torre called to tell him he'd be the closer in '97.

"I didn't even know John Wetteland was no longer with the team," Rivera recalled.

But Rivera was made for the role, even though he throws nothing but fastballs – mostly that cutter, with an occasional sinker that runs the opposite way (away from lefties) to keep hitters off-balance.

"He's a remarkable pitcher," Girardi said. "And to think that he's done it with one pitch is even harder to imagine.

"I know he sinks it and he cuts it and he elevates it, but just the consistency of his location with his fastball for so many years is really incredible."

While Rivera doesn't get enough credit for his command, it's his control of his emotions that make him a great closer.

"There's a switch," Tomko said. "I think with Mo, he's talkative until it comes about the eighth inning. And then that switch turns on, and you kind of know, OK, let's leave him alone.

"Trevor was fair game for the first three innings because he was down in the bullpen. And then he went inside, and when he started his routine, getting ready, that was it. You didn't mess with him. He was polishing his shoes, getting his arm worked on, and when he came back out in the seventh, that was it."

The skinny guy from Panama and goateed Californian have their differences. But think of it this way: their theme songs – "Enter Sandman" and "Hell's Bells" – aren't the same, but are both, at their core, heavy metal.

Both players, at their core, are classy gentlemen, good teammates and cold-blooded closers.

"They're probably more similar that you'd think," Tomko said of the 500-save men. "I would love to be a fly on the wall and see them go out to lunch and just talk about the game and talk about their careers. It would be a pretty cool lunch."

Tags: brett+tomko, BrettTomko, mariano+rivera, MarianoRivera, trevor+hoffman, TrevorHoffman

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