MLB: Best closer.

Who's the best closer in the game?

1. You should make this a poll.

2. The answer is Eric Gagné.
1. It is now a poll.

i'd go with mr. playoff automatic, mariano rivera. the experience he has and the consistency he has, and how clutch he really is (since he's had a chance to prove it every year), i'd take rivera every time

personally, I would go with Percival, yet he isnt on the list.

i'd go with mr. playoff automatic, mariano rivera. the experience he has and the consistency he has, and how clutch he really is (since he's had a chance to prove it every year), i'd take rivera every time

Ask Luis Gonzales how clutch Rivera is :D

yeah blah blah, come up with more names, if there are any ;)

Gagne, no contest.

Not much of a baseball fan, but 84(it was 84 right?) straight saves is damn impressive

Ask Luis Gonzales how clutch Rivera is :D
Or Sandy Alomar

Not much of a baseball fan, but 84(it was 84 right?) straight saves is damn impressive
It is damn impressive, but it was just a streak, nothing more, nothing less. The 2002 A's won 21 games in a row. Did that honestly make them the best team since the Giants in the 20's or something? Obviously not.

It is damn impressive, but it was just a streak, nothing more, nothing less. The 2002 A's won 21 games in a row. Did that honestly make them the best team since the Giants in the 20's or something? Obviously not.
Two totally different things.

personally, I would go with Percival, yet he isnt on the list.

Hrm, I don't think I'd go with 2004's Troy Percival. Definitely seems mortal this year.

Probably would still go with Rivera and Gagne right now as the top 2.

Jose Mesa.


:lol

1.Rivera
2.K-Rod
3.Gagne

1. Eric Gagne
2. Mariano Rivera
3. John Smoltz
4. Billy Wagner

I'd have to go with Gange, but if he ever came back, my fav player ever: Robb Nen. He was a good one.

1. Eric Gagne
2A. John Smoltz
2B. Mariano Rivera (couldn't decide between the 2)
3. Billy Wagner
4. Troy Percival
5. Francisco Rodriguez (he'll be the best in a couple of years)

Billy Wagner, Keith Foulke, Jason Isringhausen, and Franny Cordero deserve to be on the list IMO.

Gagné in the regular season
Rivera in the post-season

also,I have to mention Wagner,so did everyone else.

Left a lot of people off the list...Graves in Cincinnati has 33 saves, Benitez in Florida has 30, Cordero in Texas has 27.

Left a lot of people off the list...Graves in Cincinnati has 33 saves, Benitez in Florida has 30, Cordero in Texas has 27.
Do you honestly think that Benitez would get a vote though? Regardless of the number of saves (unless it's a record breaking year or something) I'd love to hear explanations on why Benitez is better then any one of Rivera, Gagne, Smoltz, Wagner.

Gagne is the best right now. In 2-3 years, K-Rod'll be the best.

these poll results are a joke. if mariano called quebec home he would be in the lead. :shakehead

the guy has been the greatest postseason closer in baseball history. i know to most fans the regular season is all you have. if you were lucky enough to watch mariano from the day he came up as a starter to now you would know this guy is special. he is perhaps the only guy on this list that is sure fire hall of famer.
this poll is a joke.
M Rivera 32 saves 1 blown save this season. era of .99.
E Gagne 23 saves 1 blown save this season. 1.80 era

rivera has a .75 era in the postseason with 30 saves. Gagne will never be in the same league as rivera. Gagne is great but rivera is the greatest of all time.

Not really. Rivera is very good, especially in the post-season, but Gagne is one of the best in history. What was it, 84 consecutive saves? It's pretty safe to say that record is untouchable. It's arguable either way, but it's certainly not a joke if Gagne is winning.

a nice record on an ok team.. who holds the record for most home runs in a single game, or stolen bases in a double header

years will pass, and no one will care

a nice record on an ok team.. who holds the record for most home runs in a single game, or stolen bases in a double header

years will pass, and no one will care
This record will live on forever. You think it's easy to save 84 straight games when sooo many things can go wrong? A bloop here, and error there, a wild pitch... etc?? This is an incredible and remarkable record that people will remember for a long long time until somebody breaks it... and frankly, the only way someone breaks it is if Gagne does it again.

You're crazy if you think this record will just go away. Read some of what the players and managers think about this record. Even they say this record is up there with Dimaggio, Ripken and Hershiser. Link (http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/la/news/la_news.jsp?ymd=20040706&content_id=791187&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp)

1 Eric Gagne humm his 84 saves streak impress me a lot when gagne is coming it's
'' GAME OVER''
2 Mariano Riveiro no doubt what a closer
3 Smoltz , he's doing great with the BRAVES

This record will live on forever. You think it's easy to save 84 straight games when sooo many things can go wrong? A bloop here, and error there, a wild pitch... etc?? This is an incredible and remarkable record that people will remember for a long long time until somebody breaks it... and frankly, the only way someone breaks it is if Gagne does it again.

You're crazy if you think this record will just go away. Read some of what the players and managers think about this record. Even they say this record is up there with Dimaggio, Ripken and Hershiser. Link (http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/la/news/la_news.jsp?ymd=20040706&content_id=791187&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp)
Anybody who mentions gagne's streak in the same breath as Dimaggio or Ripken shouldn't be allowed to comment on baseball. those are the 2 most untouchable records in all of sports, nevermind baseball. ripken played in evry single game for over 16 straight years, and wasnt the dh once. Joe D got a hit in every game for over a 3rd of the season. For Gagne to do something similar to Dimaggio, he would have to go 56 sytraight appearances without allowing a single hit. that should give you some perspective. gagne's streak isnt untouchable, and will definatly be forgotten.

Anybody who mentions gagne's streak in the same breath as Dimaggio or Ripken shouldn't be allowed to comment on baseball. those are the 2 most untouchable records in all of sports, nevermind baseball. ripken played in evry single game for over 16 straight years, and wasnt the dh once. Joe D got a hit in every game for over a 3rd of the season. For Gagne to do something similar to Dimaggio, he would have to go 56 sytraight appearances without allowing a single hit. that should give you some perspective. gagne's streak isnt untouchable, and will definatly be forgotten.
Well then I guess you'll have to tell guys lik Joe Torre and Tony La Russa they aren't allowed to comment on baseball because that's exactly who they compared Gagne's streak to.

Look, I know you can't really compare those two because it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're completely different. However, they are extremely difficult to do. When you consider Gagne beat the old record by 30 games, that's incredible. Even 54 straight is amazing. He did it 30 more times. I don't think anybody will get close to it, ever unless Gagne does it again. If you listen to people around Major League Baseball, they will defend this record as one of the great streaks in baseball history just like I am. These are untouchable records, just like Dimaggio and Ripken.

This record will live on forever. You think it's easy to save 84 straight games when sooo many things can go wrong? A bloop here, and error there, a wild pitch... etc?? This is an incredible and remarkable record that people will remember for a long long time until somebody breaks it... and frankly, the only way someone breaks it is if Gagne does it again.

You're crazy if you think this record will just go away. Read some of what the players and managers think about this record. Even they say this record is up there with Dimaggio, Ripken and Hershiser. Link (http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/la/news/la_news.jsp?ymd=20040706&content_id=791187&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp)

i'm not denying this record won't live on, and of course using quotes about it when it happens is going to blow it up. mcguire's and bonds' and sosa's big hr seasons, records etc.. now.. who cares. it doesn't take long nowadays for things to just drift away in memory

good for gagne though, definitely.. hopefully he'll be rivera's replacement in a couple years :blush:

i should also say that a record like this would of course inflate gagne in this poll, now i'm not discrediting gagne and what he did, but a record like this adds so much mysticism and aura around a player and would bring a little extra praise...

Gagné

I liek the White Sox's new closer, after the horrendous Billy Koch experiment. Shingo "Mister Zero" Takatsu has been dominating for us in the 9th inning. He has a 1.30 ERA, opponents are batting .160 against him, and he is one of the most amusing pitchers ive ever seen with the way he throws (he's a slowballer, either he pitches a fastball that is always exactly 87mph or he throws a few pitches that routinely drop below 60mph) :D

i'm not denying this record won't live on, and of course using quotes about it when it happens is going to blow it up. mcguire's and bonds' and sosa's big hr seasons, records etc.. now.. who cares. it doesn't take long nowadays for things to just drift away in memory

McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa is a little different though. Maris' magical 61 was broken 4 or 5 times in a span of a 3 or 4 years. When a record gets continually broken like that it definetly loses some signifigance.

I meant to vote for Rivera (to me it comes down to the 2nd pitch and I'd rather have Rivera's cutter then Gagne's change-up, just for the fact that if a change-up is left hanging......) but we have to see how special the record is before comparing it to others.

Left a lot of people off the list...Graves in Cincinnati has 33 saves, Benitez in Florida has 30, Cordero in Texas has 27.

And you believe these men are all better than Wagner, as well as on the same level of Rivera, Gagne and Smoltz?

Closers shouldn't be measured by their statistics, which this poll clearly is going by. I'd like to see Gagne close out 4 world series and numerous playoff games. Till he or anyone does the best closer in baseball is Mariano Rivera.

Well then I guess you'll have to tell guys lik Joe Torre and Tony La Russa they aren't allowed to comment on baseball because that's exactly who they compared Gagne's streak to.

Look, I know you can't really compare those two because it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're completely different. However, they are extremely difficult to do. When you consider Gagne beat the old record by 30 games, that's incredible. Even 54 straight is amazing. He did it 30 more times. I don't think anybody will get close to it, ever unless Gagne does it again. If you listen to people around Major League Baseball, they will defend this record as one of the great streaks in baseball history just like I am. These are untouchable records, just like Dimaggio and Ripken.
Dimaggios record has been around for 60 years. Everyone said Mcgwire's 70 was unbeatable. The era of closers is only 20 years old, dont get ahead of yourself.

it should also be noted that if Smoltz hadnt gotten injured last year, gagne may well not have been the best closer last year. Since the year before he wasnt the best, and he definatly isnt the best this year, how could someone who has only had 2 and a half good years, and only been the best for the final 2 months of his best season, be considered the best period?

it should also be noted that if Smoltz hadnt gotten injured last year, gagne may well not have been the best closer last year. Since the year before he wasnt the best, and he definatly isnt the best this year, how could someone who has only had 2 and a half good years, and only been the best for the final 2 months of his best season, be considered the best period?

Gagne won the NL Cy Young last year. I doubt Smoltz, if healthy, would've beat out Gagne for the NL Cy Young, after Gagne never blew a save last year.

McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa is a little different though. Maris' magical 61 was broken 4 or 5 times in a span of a 3 or 4 years. When a record gets continually broken like that it definetly loses some signifigance.

I meant to vote for Rivera (to me it comes down to the 2nd pitch and I'd rather have Rivera's cutter then Gagne's change-up, just for the fact that if a change-up is left hanging......) but we have to see how special the record is before comparing it to others.

i wasn't comparing the importance and aura of these two records, just comparing situations, where what was once a HUGE story throughout several seasons (homeruns) of baseball is now.. well.. gone, we've moved on to barry bonds passing greats

with gagne's save streak, i'm just saying that in due time, it'll be just something that has happened, and unless gagne's magic carries over to the playoffs and the dodgers do something this year or next year and beyond.. it's really just another record..

the save streak will be talked about for awhile, and will just slip away...

Closers shouldn't be measured by their statistics, which this poll clearly is going by. I'd like to see Gagne close out 4 world series and numerous playoff games. Till he or anyone does the best closer in baseball is Mariano Rivera.

Rivera has of course had a better career but right now I would choose Gagne over Rivera. Rivera is no where near where he used to be.

Rivera has of course had a better career but right now I would choose Gagne over Rivera. Rivera is no where near where he used to be.
does that explain his 0.90 era?

Gagne won the NL Cy Young last year. I doubt Smoltz, if healthy, would've beat out Gagne for the NL Cy Young, after Gagne never blew a save last year.
maybe not, but he would have definatly split the vote, giving it to Schmidt, and thus eliminating the cy young arguemnt.

Gagne.

Rivera has of course had a better career but right now I would choose Gagne over Rivera. Rivera is no where near where he used to be.
hes not? the guy has a below 1.00 era and has closed 31 games this season. He is right where he has always been. The best closer in baseball

I don't see why people say Rivera is better then Gagne simply based on the fact that Rivera has been solid in the playoffs. Sure Rivera is a great closer and also a clutch performer, but Gagne has never even had the chance to perform in the playoffs. The dodgers just aren't good enough. Gagne saved 84, repeat 84, games in a row. Enough said.

Closers shouldn't be measured by their statistics, which this poll clearly is going by. I'd like to see Gagne close out 4 world series and numerous playoff games. Till he or anyone does the best closer in baseball is Mariano Rivera.
Good point. We'll have this thread again if the Dodgers ever make the playoffs. Gagne's accomplishments are hard to ignore for me though, so he's my pick.

i wasn't comparing the importance and aura of these two records, just comparing situations, where what was once a HUGE story throughout several seasons (homeruns) of baseball is now.. well.. gone, we've moved on to barry bonds passing greats

with gagne's save streak, i'm just saying that in due time, it'll be just something that has happened, and unless gagne's magic carries over to the playoffs and the dodgers do something this year or next year and beyond.. it's really just another record..

the save streak will be talked about for awhile, and will just slip away...
Of course past feats are going to be forgotten, over time people and society forget the impact of feats. In this day and age when every little tidbit of news is made available it's easier to forget things.

Other then in "This Day In History" of the newspaper, not too many people notice that the world was one thought to be flat.

of course, so i just don't care to hear people pick gagne using his streak as the means to end all. they don't mention him being an aggressive guy throwing nothing but strikes no matter who's at bat. they don't mention his strengths, what pitches he uses, if he's really good at keeping hitters off balanced.. it's nothing about what he actually does to earn the streak, just that he has the streak

of course he's doing something right if he saved 80+ in a row, just explain it better. i think it's lazy to just say 'streak' and vote for gagne. polls like these are always jokes because guys that just fly by night know everything about gagne because of the streak, so he's gotta be the best... i'd really like to see a poll of players, or gms .. etc.. of who they want to close a huge game out facing... say, garciaparra, ramirez, and ortiz in a row.. or edmonds, pujols, and rolen...etc...

Gagne

see, this is what i meant, 46 to 8? that's utterly retarded

It'd be a closer vote, but the concensus choice around here seems to be Gagne, and Rivera coming in very close at #2. Same thing happened in the Fedorov vs. Forsberg poll. It's a close comparison, and only like 10 people(100 voted) said easily Forsberg, but it was about 76-24 in favor of Forsberg, which makes it look like he's easily better.

i don't understand your first sentence. it's a concensus vote, but otherwise it wouldn't be ? :)

post season - Rivera EASILY


lets see Gagne in 5 years..if hes still as dominant then people might have valid argument for him...

until then Mo gets my vote


when he comes out...hes money


Re: comparison of records....Saves are nice but when it cannot hold a candle to Ripken's record...16 years is simply sick

Anybody who mentions gagne's streak in the same breath as Dimaggio or Ripken shouldn't be allowed to comment on baseball. those are the 2 most untouchable records in all of sports, nevermind baseball. ripken played in evry single game for over 16 straight years, and wasnt the dh once. Joe D got a hit in every game for over a 3rd of the season. For Gagne to do something similar to Dimaggio, he would have to go 56 sytraight appearances without allowing a single hit. that should give you some perspective. gagne's streak isnt untouchable, and will definatly be forgotten.

Gagne's streak is much more impressive than DiMaggio's...your forgetting that Dimaggio would get 3, 4, or sometimes 5 chances a game to extend his hit streak. Ggne most of the time didnt have much margin for error.

And you believe these men are all better than Wagner, as well as on the same level of Rivera, Gagne and Smoltz?

Better than Wagner? Yes...what exactly has he done this year...or in recent years fo that? Not on the same level as gagne or Rivera, but if Wagner is listed, then guys like Graves and Cordero should be mentioned.

50-10 Gagne...

So whens the last time Gagne has actually closed game that it meant something? :shakehead

If it makes you guys feel better I meant to vote for Rivera but did Gagne by accident. Even though I'm doing a lot of defending Gagne it seems, I stated a reason in a previous post that does talk a little about pitching.

50-10 Gagne...

So whens the last time Gagne has actually closed game that it meant something? :shakehead


Whens the last time he had the chance. I dont want to discount Rivera. But Gagne hasn't had the chance to close out a game in September or October.

Gagne

50-10 Gagne...

So whens the last time Gagne has actually closed game that it meant something? :shakehead
All of a sudden it's Gagne's fault for the Dodgers offense not scoring runs? Maybe you should be blaming Green, Jordan (last year), Encarnacion............

50-10 Gagne...

So whens the last time Gagne has actually closed game that it meant something? :shakehead

Whens the last time Gagne blew the World Series?

Whens the last time Gagne blew the World Series?

how many did he save?

how many did he save?

That doesnt matter..and you know that...people remember Rivera more for his throwing the ball away and then blowing the World Series than the number of games he has saved...

good for people, people remember useless stuff all the time, why do i have an 80's rock infomercial memorized

you say that doesn't matter, well overall when someone goes 'when's the last time gagne blew a world series', it proves nothing. it's a lazy attempt taking a pot shot at rivera when all this good >>> his bad

John Smoltz! He would have dominated Gagne AND the record last year had he not been injured.

good for people, people remember useless stuff all the time, why do i have an 80's rock infomercial memorized

you say that doesn't matter, well overall when someone goes 'when's the last time gagne blew a world series', it proves nothing. it's a lazy attempt taking a pot shot at rivera when all this good >>> his bad

I think blowing the World Series is a just maybe a little more than useless info... :dunno:

when it's measured up against what rivera has done i think his good outweighs his bad. useless was the wrong word, it's just i'm sure many fly by night baseball fans that hate the yankees remember rivera blowing that save over everything else he's done, and somehow that's how rivera is classified as a closer, by blowing that game 7

I don't think anybody is disputing the fact that Rivera is a great closer. In fact he's one of the greatest of all time, right up there with Eckersley.... he still is one of the great closers in the game today. However, if I was a general manager and I wanted a closer to build my bullpen around, I'd pick Gagne, easily every time. He's younger and stronger and has a lot more years ahead of him.

Obviously, I'm bias because I see him night in and night out lock up save after save after save for the Dodgers and have only seen him blow 1 save in the last 2 years. I've seen him go perfect for a whole season. He's as dominating a closer as I've ever seen. Earlier this year, he looked Barry Bonds in the eye and gave him some of his best pitches and guess what Barry did... he fouled one pitch off that went into the water, then the very next pitch, he took him right out of the park. He still had a 1-run lead obviously and struck out the next guy, but that shows me he's not afraid at all. It was an unbelievable at-bat seeing the two of them facing off. Doesn't matter if it's Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa... or all the other great hitters in the National League. He said, "Here you go Barry, try and hit this."

I know he has no post-season experience, but it's not his fault. He's done everything asked of him and has delivered in impressive fashion. You can't fault him for that.

Better than Wagner? Yes...what exactly has he done this year...or in recent years fo that? Not on the same level as gagne or Rivera, but if Wagner is listed, then guys like Graves and Cordero should be mentioned.

Uh, Wagner was injured the majority of the first half of this season.

Last season, Wagner was third in saves, had a 1.78 ERA, and was second only to Foulke of all closers in innings pitched.

when it's measured up against what rivera has done i think his good outweighs his bad. useless was the wrong word, it's just i'm sure many fly by night baseball fans that hate the yankees remember rivera blowing that save over everything else he's done, and somehow that's how rivera is classified as a closer, by blowing that game 7

Of course his good outweighs his bad....But EVERYONE that knows anything about baseball is gonna remember him for blowing that save...just like anyone that knows anything about hockey is gonna remember Bertuzzi for the ounch rather than as a dominating powerforward...thats just how things are.

well, rivera's blown save wasn't criminal, but i agree

Gagne, although give Joe Nathan a couple more years and he'll be one of the best, if not the best...

Everyday Eddie... :lol

You seem to be missing someone...

Dan Kolb
This season:
1.57 ERA, 26/27 saves, 34.1 IP, 5 BB, and only 27 hits against...

You seem to be missing someone...

Dan Kolb
This season:
1.57 ERA, 26/27 saves, 34.1 IP, 5 BB, and only 27 hits against...
As of today, he's nowhere near the level of Gagne, Rivera, Smoltz, etc..

Top 10 closers in the game

1.Gagne
2.Rivera
3.Wagner
4.Smoltz
5.Percival
6.Foulke
7.Gaurdado
8.Sasaki (whean he's in there)
9.Isringhausen
10.Cordero

That doesnt matter..and you know that...people remember Rivera more for his throwing the ball away and then blowing the World Series than the number of games he has saved...

Of course it matters. How many rings does Rivera have vs. ones he's lost out on? Sure, blowing a WS sucks but a team does it once a year. It's a helluva lot harder to win multiple times than it is to blow it once.

Rivera.

once again, closers can not be judged off of stats. Benitez, Mesa have all put up great statistics before

a good closer is someone who is most capable of closing big games when they count, the best one is the closer you feel most confident in closing game 7 for you in the WS

the save streak will be talked about for awhile, and will just slip away...
Because Gagne was dumb enough to do it for a West Coast team.

Not really sure who's better between Rivera and Gagne. Those two along with Smoltz are the best. My vote is for Gagne...but it's close.