What is the big deal about closers?

Leafsfan29-Embrace the drought!

By that standard, all stats are made up. Batting average? Made up. ERA? Made up. WAR, OPS, fielding percentage, and all the rest. ARE ALL MADE UP. THIS IS HOW STATS WORK. You create a statistic based on set criteria in order to measure something.

Random Guy

The fact that you compared Mo to Rhodes should wipe out whatever credibility you have.

Ice

For the most part you’re right. Rivera is the rare exemption. Closers throughout history don’t impact the game enough to warrant being a Hall of Famer. If the closer role and save stat wasn’t created, a guy like Trevor Hoffman wouldn’t sniff the Hall. A very good pitcher but not one of the best ever and only able to pitch one inning.

Patrick L

I think a save should be the discretion of the official scorer. Sometimes a reliever comes into a game and saves the game in the 5th or 6th innings. Then the "closer" comes into the 9th and gets credit for the save. Did he really save the game. I guess under the criteria for a save under MBL rules he did. A hold was a stat created by the players association because relievers who were in the middle weren't getting any recognition and therefore weren't getting big contracts at free agency as the closers.