When the sox fans don't chime in.....

When the sox fans don't write thirty posts explaining how this he doesn't deserve this credit...you know you're talking bout greatness....no posts from sox nation means rivera is greatest ever!!!!!

Ok, here's a red sox fan chiming in.  Mariano Rivera is the best at that position.  Papelbon will take over his spot someday.  Here's where I laugh at this story.  Isn't it appropriate, that when Paps blew two saves that we see another BIAS article like this?  HMMMMM....

From a sox fan, all the credit goes to Rivera.  He's the only yankee who isn't on steroids.

What's Hoffman's lifetime ERA in the postseason?

Was Hoffman 34 for 38 in save opportunities in the playoffs?

Trevor Hoffman is one of the best ever but you at least have to say Rivera right there with him.

In order to get great postseason stats, you have to play for a team that gets to the postseason often. Therefore, the quality of the team that you play for has a lot to do with your postseason stats. That makes it not really a measure of personal success and therefore diminishes the importance for the purposes of this argument.

The only stat that matters in the argument of "greatest closer ever" is total saves. Which Hoffman leads quite handily. Mo might catch up to Hoffman at some point, he is about 100 saves behind if memory serves. Assuming Hoffman retires today, Mo would still need 2 - 3 solid years closing to catch up.

All that said, I am willing to put Mo in the top 5 closers of all time. maybe even top 3. But #1 is still hoffman in my opinion. If Mo should pass hoffman in total saves i am willing to concede that he is the better closer. But not until then.