We've had this discussion before, and I think it's funny that, according to your memory, Womack's hit was "hard hit." Womack got a broken-bat, seeing-eye double that looped over Tino Martinez's head and barely made it out of the infield on a fly. Here's a youtube video. You can't really see the hit very well when it is played live, but watch the replay at 7:00. You can plainly see the ball just makes it into the outfield on a fly.
All three of the hits were broken-bat, seeing-eye hits. A freakish thing, because no one in that inning really layed solid wood on Rivera.
SuperHornet wrote:
Carroll only because I just HAD to have a BRM member on this list. Urbina was pretty good.
TTBF: How does Sutter not make your list? If ANYONE, he'd make the list strictly for how scared people were to face him. And I don't remember any spectacular blown saves out of him as we've seen VERY often from Rivera.
I'm starting to think that people have COMPLETELY blocked out the entire decade of the '80s from their brain housing groups.
601 Regular season saves - tied most all time
42 postseason saves - BY FAR the most - in fact more than 2x more than #2
.071 postseason ERA - by FAR the lowest for any pitcher with even close to his IP
4 postseason blown saves in 46 opportunities... 4. That's 91% success in the postseason. Setting aside the notable incident from 2001 - there has never been a more reliable postseason closer.
He's converted 90%+ of his save opportunities in his career.
Again - not a Yankee fan. But even I will acknowledge - he is the best of all time.
and - no. I haven't forgotten the 80's... it's a simple question for me: If you could build a team with the greatest players at every position... who closes your games? For me? It's Mo. (with Eck second)
Calling one of those blown saves a blown save is pretty ridiculous too.
In the 8th inning of Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, with the Yankees leading by two runs, Joe Torre goes to Tom Gordon to pitch the 8th. STUPID move to begin with. The Yanks had a chance to close out the series right then and there, and the move should have been to go to Rivera for the two-inning save. Certainly, since Torre was obviously going to go to Rivera if Gordon got into trouble, he should have just had Rivera start the inning.
So Gordon serves up a HR to David Oritz to cut the lead to one; and then allows runners to first and third with no one out. Now Torre goes to Rivera, who comes in with dominant stuff and retires all three batters he faced. However, the runner he inherited on third scored on a medium length Sac Fly. So they call that a blown save.
We've had this discussion before, and I think it's funny that, according to your memory, Womack's hit was "hard hit." Womack got a broken-bat, seeing-eye double that looped over Tino Martinez's head and barely made it out of the infield on a fly. Here's a youtube video. You can't really see the hit very well when it is played live, but watch the replay at 7:00. You can plainly see the ball just makes it into the outfield on a fly.
All three of the hits were broken-bat, seeing-eye hits. A freakish thing, because no one in that inning really layed solid wood on Rivera.
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You are funny. First two hits were solid hits. Only a homer like you would deny that.
And let's not forget Rivera throwing the ball into centerfield on the first bunt, and almost costing Jeter his career.
Then hitting counsell to load the basis.
Rivera had a total meltdown in that game. No way around that Fact.
JoltinJoe wrote:
We've had this discussion before, and I think it's funny that, according to your memory, Womack's hit was "hard hit." Womack got a broken-bat, seeing-eye double that looped over Tino Martinez's head and barely made it out of the infield on a fly. Here's a youtube video. You can't really see the hit very well when it is played live, but watch the replay at 7:00. You can plainly see the ball just makes it into the outfield on a fly.
All three of the hits were broken-bat, seeing-eye hits. A freakish thing, because no one in that inning really layed solid wood on Rivera.
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You are funny. First two hits were solid hits. Only a homer like you would deny that.
And let's not forget Rivera throwing the ball into centerfield on the first bunt, and almost costing Jeter his career.
Then hitting counsell to load the basis.
Rivera had a total meltdown in that game. No way around that Fact.
Still, one of the best, top three easy.
"total meltdown"?
He blew the save, gave up a couple clean hits, made a throwing error - can't be denied. However - two things: 1. Yankee defense WAS out of position on Gonzo's hit... that's the way it goes... 2. If that is how you define a "meltdown" I would point you a few real meltdowns...
NLDS Game 1 - vs. ATL
3rd inning
Top of the 3rd, Braves Batting, Behind 0-6, Cardinals' Rick Ankiel facing 9-1-2
t3 0-6 0 --- 4,(3-0) ATL G. Maddux R. Ankiel -2% 91% Walk
t3 0-6 0 1-- 4,(1-2) O ATL R. Furcal R. Ankiel 2% 93% Foul Flyball: 1B
t3 0-6 1 1-- 2,(0-1) ATL A. Jones R. Ankiel -0% 92% Wild Pitch; Maddux to 2B
t3 0-6 1 -2- 4,(2-1) ATL A. Jones R. Ankiel -1% 92% Wild Pitch; Maddux to 3B
t3 0-6 1 --3 5,(3-1) ATL A. Jones R. Ankiel -2% 90% Walk
t3 0-6 1 1-3 5,(2-2) ATL C. Jones R. Ankiel -1% 89% Wild Pitch; Jones to 2B
t3 0-6 1 -23 7,(3-2) O ATL C. Jones R. Ankiel 3% 93% Strikeout Looking
t3 0-6 2 -23 7,(3-2) R ATL A. Galarraga R. Ankiel -3% 90% Walk; Maddux Scores/Wild Pitch; Jones to 3B
t3 1-6 2 1-3 1,(0-0) R ATL B. Jordan R. Ankiel -4% 85% Single to LF; Jones Scores; Galarraga to 2B
t3 2-6 2 12- 3,(1-1) ATL R. Sanders R. Ankiel -1% 84% Wild Pitch; Galarraga to 3B; Jordan to 2B
t3 2-6 2 -23 5,(3-1) ATL R. Sanders R. Ankiel -1% 82% Walk
t3 2-6 2 123 2,(0-1) RR ATL W. Weiss R. Ankiel -11% 71% Single to LF; Galarraga Scores; Jordan Scores; Sanders to 2B
Mike James replaces Rick Ankiel pitching and batting 9th
NLCS Game 5 Vs. Mets
Bottom of the 7th, Mets Batting, Ahead 6-0, Cardinals' Rick Ankiel facing 8-9-1
Rick Ankiel replaces Britt Reames pitching and batting 9th
Eli Marrero replaces Carlos Hernandez playing C batting 8th
b7 6-0 0 --- 5,(3-1) NYM M. Bordick R. Ankiel 0% 99% Walk
b7 6-0 0 1-- 1,(0-0) O NYM M. Hampton R. Ankiel -0% 99% Bunt Groundout: 1B-2B/Sacrifice (Short 1B Line); Bordick to 2B
b7 6-0 1 -2- 4,(1-2) O NYM T. Perez R. Ankiel -0% 99% Strikeout Looking
b7 6-0 2 -2- 3,(1-1) NYM E. Alfonzo R. Ankiel 0% 99% Wild Pitch; Bordick to 3B
b7 6-0 2 --3 4,(2-1) R NYM E. Alfonzo R. Ankiel 0% 100% Wild Pitch; Bordick Scores
b7 7-0 2 --- 7,(3-2) NYM E. Alfonzo R. Ankiel 0% 100% Walk
Mike James replaces Rick Ankiel pitching and batting 9th
Ankiel never recovered as a pitcher. He ended up battling back and making it back as an outfielder (which is freaking remarkable) but THAT my friend, that is a meltdown.
North Dakota State University Bison 2011 and 2012 National Champions
JoltinJoe wrote:
We've had this discussion before, and I think it's funny that, according to your memory, Womack's hit was "hard hit." Womack got a broken-bat, seeing-eye double that looped over Tino Martinez's head and barely made it out of the infield on a fly. Here's a youtube video. You can't really see the hit very well when it is played live, but watch the replay at 7:00. You can plainly see the ball just makes it into the outfield on a fly.
All three of the hits were broken-bat, seeing-eye hits. A freakish thing, because no one in that inning really layed solid wood on Rivera.
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You are funny. First two hits were solid hits. Only a homer like you would deny that.
And let's not forget Rivera throwing the ball into centerfield on the first bunt, and almost costing Jeter his career.
Then hitting counsell to load the basis.
Rivera had a total meltdown in that game. No way around that Fact.
Still, one of the best, top three easy.
Grace's single is at about :30 of that video. The ball got in on his fists, broke his bat, and he flared the ball into shallow center. The replay of Womack's hit is at 7:00 and you can plainly see it loop over Martinez's head and land just on the outfield grass. Another broken bat. And Gonzalez's hit was by your own admission a cheapie. An easy out but Torre, incorrectly, was playing the infield in.
The video is there. Anyone can see for themselves.
dbackjon wrote:
You are funny. First two hits were solid hits. Only a homer like you would deny that.
And let's not forget Rivera throwing the ball into centerfield on the first bunt, and almost costing Jeter his career.
Then hitting counsell to load the basis.
Rivera had a total meltdown in that game. No way around that Fact.
Still, one of the best, top three easy.
Grace's single is at about :30 of that video. The ball got in on his fists, broke his bat, and he flared the ball into shallow center. The replay of Womack's hit is at 7:00 and you can plainly see it loop over Martinez's head and land just on the outfield grass. Another broken bat. And Gonzalez's hit was by your own admission a cheapie. An easy out but Torre, incorrectly, was playing the infield in.
The video is there. Anyone can see for themselves.
I've watched the bottom of the 9th hundreds of times
