For today and (probably) today-only, there's actually someone who sits between them on the career saves list: John Franco, with 424.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 23 April 2024 20:49 (one week ago) link
I think Kimbrel and Jansen will need to join Hoffman and Rivera in the 500 club to have a shot. I doubt Wagner will get there.
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:09 (one week ago) link
(by "get there" i mean cooperstown)
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:19 (one week ago) link
I always used to group Kimbrel/Jensen/Chapman together--the most eye-popping rate stats ever for closers before Hader--but above and beyond his personal baggage, Chapman's fallen 100 saves behind them. Also just suspended for two games:
https://apnews.com/article/pirates-aroldis-chapman-suspended-e4f02b154551c50965156d80ff90a648
― clemenza, Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:24 (one week ago) link
He’s already served that suspension, in the first two games of the Pittsburgh-Boston series I just attended. He pitched in the third one, I booed him. He pitched last night too and walked three straight guys with no outs.
― Roman Anthony gets on his horse (gyac), Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:29 (one week ago) link
Other than Wagner/Jansen/Kimbrel, it will be a long time before another closer even has a shot. Edwin Diaz is the next active guy on the list with 209 saves.
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:32 (one week ago) link
(xost) Funny! I honestly don't think I've ever booed a player in person. I'd have to give that some thought. I did defiantly cheer Alomar a few times when he returned to Toronto as everyone around me booed him. (This was well before the charges that made him a pariah two years ago--his big offenses at the time were, of course, the spitting, and also sulking his way out of Toronto.)
― clemenza, Tuesday, 23 April 2024 21:33 (one week ago) link
I didn’t think I had it in me but I blame the environment
― Roman Anthony gets on his horse (gyac), Tuesday, 23 April 2024 22:07 (one week ago) link
This can only help them, in the same way that it helped Lee Smith. He wasn't viewed as HOF-worthy, but once enough time passes and nobody better is coming down the pipelines, the voters looked at his career more favourably in retrospect.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 10:33 (one week ago) link
holy cow...didn't realize rivera had 652 saves! just a freakishly great career.
― j.q higgins, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 16:12 (one week ago) link
only thing about Lee Smith was he was a veteran's committee inductee, and i guess one could argue he held the career saves record for awhile. the other closers who are in the Hall have a kind of folk hero narrative, which Wagner has developed maybe even more in retirement, or they were pioneers like Sutter, Gossage, Fingers. Rivera had everything, plus just sheer statistical dominance beyond mere saves. i really do think w/closers these days, they need to be lights out the entire time for HOF consideration. i guess a career fade is permitted, but not mid-career meltdowns.
― omar little, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 16:53 (one week ago) link
We're looking at you, Josh Hader.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 18:44 (one week ago) link
Hoffman had 61 saves when he started his age 28 season and Rivera had 48, whereas Kimbrel had 186 saves at that point and Jansen had 142.
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Wednesday, 24 April 2024 19:43 (one week ago) link
crazy
― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 24 April 2024 20:04 (one week ago) link
Only 11 innings, but schizo Kimbrel is back to the early-2010s version so far.
― clemenza, Friday, 26 April 2024 14:00 (one week ago) link
since that post, two consecutive blown saves and currently "day to day"!
― omar little, Sunday, 28 April 2024 21:45 (one week ago) link
I'm going to start hiring my services--I put the jinx on everyone I post about. Even the reverse jinx sometimes (the White Sox win two in a row).
― clemenza, Sunday, 28 April 2024 21:51 (one week ago) link
"hiring out"
Someone had to take Sports Illustrated's place before they really do fold for good.
― clemenza, Sunday, 28 April 2024 21:52 (one week ago) link
Emmanuel Clase is pretty impressive five years into his career. I didn't know who he was when he was suspended for PEDs (2020--good timing).
― clemenza, Monday, 29 April 2024 14:14 (six days ago) link