Mariano Gets 100% of the votes for HOF

[Carpin]

Enter Sandman into the HOF

 

100% of the voters, first time ever

 

Class act, In and Out of the field

[Bellhorn04]

Well deserved.

[Jasonbay44]

Obviously Mariano deserves it, no one can legitimately argue against him. But it is a joke that this is first time someone got 100%. How on earth did we go this long before someone got 100%?

[Northern Star]

Obviously Mariano deserves it, no one can legitimately argue against him. But it is a joke that this is first time someone got 100%. How on earth did we go this long before someone got 100%?

 

Just coming here to post the same thought. Rivera deserved first ballot, no question, but the Babe couldn't get 100%? Ted Williams? DiMaggio? Just illustrates what POSs some writers are.

[Northern Star]

I've always felt Mussina wasn't a HOFer, but looking at BR, I see his numbers are worthy.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I knew Halladay would get in. I figured he would due to his sudden death, otherwise he might have gone through two or three rounds. Also stoked that Edgar Martinez finally made it. Ridiculous that it took that long.

 

And I agree with the fact that it's insane that Mariano was the first 100% voted. I'd really like to hear the justifications from the guys who didn't vote for Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, et cetera.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I'd also like an explanation for the two guys who voted for Placido Polanco. Really guys?

[jacksonianmarch]

I love Mo. I’m happy for him. I’m happy for Moose. Mo will hopefully set a new standard for clear HOF level players.

[jacksonianmarch]

And the only argument (weak one admittedly) I have for why Mo is the first one is that he is far and away, unequivocally, the best at his position of all time. Every other position has an argument. Ted vs Babe vs Bonds for RF, Mick vs Dimaggio vs Griffey in CF etc. There is no argument for closer. It also didn’t hurt that he’s a great guy, is always very humble and gracious and the media adores him. Edited January 23, 2019 by jacksonianmarch

[Bellhorn04]

Schilling was #5 at 60.9%. Maybe he gets in next time.

[jacksonianmarch]

He should and will get in

[BillyWilliams]

Mariano Rivera: Perfect choice for 1st perfect Hall of Fame ballot

By Ken Davidoff January 22, 2019 | 9:15pm

 

Cheers to the perfect candidate for perfection.

 

Well, look, if you want to get all wonky about Mariano Rivera becoming the first player to ever gain unanimous Hall of Fame election on the writers’ ballot, then yeah, you can point out the silliness of the legendary Yankees closer succeeding where Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and everyone else failed.

 

Yet the world’s changing times brought us to this moment, and could baseball field a better symbol for perfection in 2019 than Mo?

 

Humble. Generous. Funny. Spectacular at his work, ordinary in his manner.

 

“He was such a class act,” Tino Martinez, Rivera’s Yankees teammate, said in a statement released by the team. “He never showed up a batter after striking someone out or retiring the final batter of the game.”

 

Added Yankees general manager Brian Cashman: “Mo was always someone who I could point to and say, ‘That’s what a Yankee should be like.’ ”

 

In a conference call Tuesday night, Rivera said, “I think that comes from back home, remembering where I came from and never forgetting where I came from. Because I was the New York Yankees’ closer, or we were winning or losing, that would never change my way to treat people and respect people and react to the game itself.”

 

His is indeed a rags-to-riches story, signed out of his native Panama for a $2,500 bonus, undergoing major right elbow surgery while still in the minor leagues and not making his big-league debut until age 25 (and not recording the first of his record 652 saves until age 26). Any young, aspiring athlete can read the Rivera tale and feel uncompromisingly inspired by it.

That goes double for the way he conducted himself. Good luck trying to find anyone in the game who will speak a disparaging word about Rivera, whose sublime tranquility as he jogged from the Yankee Stadium bullpen to the mound belied the soundtrack (Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”) that accompanied him.

 

Added another longtime teammate, Bernie Williams: “He was also one of those old school players that took it upon himself to take care of young players. He would take rookies to dinner, talk to them about life as a major leaguer and how to carry yourself. He was always very embracing of the young blood on the team, a great teammate.”

 

It wasn’t just how Rivera performed when he closed out the save, smiling and shaking the hand of his catcher without the histrionics. On the rare occasions when he blew a save, he made sure to stand at his locker shortly after the clubhouse opened to the media, taking accountability for his failure and reminding us that he was only human.

 

That humanity defined him, ultimately. During his final season, 2013, Rivera made a point to tour each visiting ballpark and meet with the stadium’s behind-the-scenes workers before games. It was a truly extraordinary endeavor, never attempted before or since. It spoke to the respect he held for the game and his Earth cohabitants.

You could offer similar praise about the way Aaron and Mays conducted themselves. They just arrived too early for the ultimate unanimity. Their names came up during a time when voters could fill out their ballots in relative anonymity and not worry about an unpopular opinion leading to a social media beatdown. This cushion afforded some voters the luxury of clinging to ridiculous notions like never voting for a first-year candidate.

 

And so Mays fell short on a remarkable 23 ballots, Aaron on nine and — three years ago — Ken Griffey Jr. on three, setting a new peak with 99.3 percent.

Rivera picked the right time to get on the ballot. And the writers picked the right guy to set the un-toppable ceiling.

 

“It was amazing, amazing,” Rivera said of his 100 percent approval rating. “ … I can’t even describe it or put it in words.”

 

Rivera might not have been quite perfect when it came to save opportunities. For this honor, though, in this time? The right word, for sure, is perfect.

 

https://nypost.com/2019/01/22/mariano-rivera-perfect-choice-for-1st-perfect-hall-of-fame-ballot/

[BillyWilliams]

And the only argument (weak one admittedly) I have for why Mo is the first one is that he is far and away, unequivocally, the best at his position of all time. Every other position has an argument. Ted vs Babe vs Bonds for RF, Mick vs Dimaggio vs Griffey in CF etc. There is no argument for closer. It also didn’t hurt that he’s a great guy, is always very humble and gracious and the media adores him.

 

ted williams only played one full season in RF, he was a left fielder.

[BillyWilliams]

Mo

 

by Derek Jeter

 

I heard a stat the other day and it blew my mind:

 

In human history, more people have walked on the moon than have scored an earned run off of Mariano Rivera in the postseason.

 

Sounds crazy, right? But it’s true.

 

According to NASA, 12 people have had the privilege of walking on the moon.

 

According to Baseball Reference, 11 people have scored an earned run off of Playoff Mo.

 

And while no statistic could ever truly encapsulate Mariano, I figure this one is as close as we’re going to get. Because I think it really gives you a sense of what sort of greatness we’re dealing with, when it comes to Mo. It’s hard to compare him to other closers — in fact, it’s hard to compare him to other pitchers.

 

Mariano is just on another level.

 

The thing I respect most about Mo is that what you see is what you get.

 

A lot of people I’ve met over the years, they’ve asked me what Mariano Rivera is like off the field. And I’ll tell you what I tell them — which is that he’s pretty much the same person you watched for all those years on the mound.

 

There’s no “persona” with Mariano. He’s never had a character that he portrayed. He’s always just calmly and coolly done his thing. He’s quiet. Thoughtful. Intense. He’s a man of faith.

 

He has an incredible eye for detail.

 

Have you ever seen a Mariano Rivera autograph? Google it when you get a chance. With a lot of guys, their signatures are these quick little scribbles. But Mariano, man, if he’s signing something for you, he takes his time. He puts care into it, until he gets it just right — like with everything else he does. To me, right there … that’s Mo.

 

And like I said: It was always the same thing on the mound. There wasn’t much mystery if you were facing Mariano Rivera. No smoke and mirrors — nothing to hide. The scouting report was the same every time. Mo knew he was going to throw that cutter. The guy at the plate knew he was going to throw that cutter. Fifty thousand plus at Yankee Stadium knew he was going to throw that cutter.

 

And it wouldn’t matter.

 

Because Mo wasn’t trying to trick you.

 

And in the end, like it or not, he was just going to flat-out beat you.

 

During my first full season in the minors, when I was 18—19 years old, Mariano was coming back after having had surgery on his arm. So one of the things I’d do from shortstop was keep track of Mo’s pitch count.

 

And although eventually I stopped counting his pitches, it’s funny — in a way, I never stopped being that 18-year-old kid. Because for all of the amazing things that happened to me over those next 20 years with the Yankees, I never stopped being aware of this one: that on any given night…. if we could just get ourselves a lead….

 

I had the best seat in the house to watch the greatest closer of all time.

 

Hall of Fame teammate. Hall of Fame person.

 

And now, officially, a Hall of Fame player.

 

Congratulations, Mariano, and the rest of this year’s class.

 

—Derek

 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/derek-jeter-mariano-rivera-baseball-hall-of-fame

[bkzwhitestrican]

The craziest stat I saw in favor of Mariano getting in unanimously was postseason WPA compared to everyone else in history:

 

1.Mariano Rivera: +11.7

2.Curt Schilling: +4.1

3.John Smoltz: +3.6

4.Andy Pettitte: +3.5

5.Jon Lester & David Ortiz: +3.2 (tie)

 

Lot of NY and Boston on that list.

[BillyWilliams]

The craziest stat I saw in favor of Mariano getting in unanimously was postseason WPA compared to everyone else in history:

 

1.Mariano Rivera: +11.7

2.Curt Schilling: +4.1

3.John Smoltz: +3.6

4.Andy Pettitte: +3.5

5.Jon Lester & David Ortiz: +3.2 (tie)

 

Lot of NY and Boston on that list.

 

How about career adjusted ERA+ (min. 1000 innings)!

 

Mo - 205

 

Next best is kershaw at 159

[notin]

And the only argument (weak one admittedly) I have for why Mo is the first one is that he is far and away, unequivocally, the best at his position of all time. Every other position has an argument. Ted vs Babe vs Bonds for RF, Mick vs Dimaggio vs Griffey in CF etc. There is no argument for closer. It also didn’t hurt that he’s a great guy, is always very humble and gracious and the media adores him.

 

 

I disagree, and not only because you don’t know where Ted Williams played.

 

One can argue Mariano’s position is “pitcher” and his role is closer. This is important because the role of closer is relatively new compared to comparing all time left fielders. And certainly Rivera is not inarguably the greatest pitcher of all time.

 

Now if you want to say he was the greatest in his role of all time, that’s fine. But is his dominance as unique as you suggest?

 

Arguably, also not. Rickey Henderson’s role was leadoff hitter. And as a leadoff hitter, he was equally dominant in being the greatest of all time. Before you suggest other great leadoff hitters (which can also span more years than closer, or even relief pitcher), bear in mind Rickey was once the all time leader in 3 categories - walks, runs scored, and stolen bases. These are 3 categories you want a leadoff hitter to excel in, and he did all 3 as the best in history until Barry Bonds surpassed him in walks. But until then, how many other players in MLB history lead all time in 3 cumulative categories?

[Station 13]

How about career adjusted ERA+ (min. 1000 innings)!

 

Mo - 205

 

Next best is kershaw at 159

 

You're comparing a starting pitcher vs reliever. Useless as always.

 

If you feel that way, Kimbrel currently holds a better ERA+.

[BillyWilliams]

You're comparing a starting pitcher vs reliever. Useless as always.

 

If you feel that way, Kimbrel currently holds a better ERA+.

 

First off, I didn't compare anyone, Baseball - Reference did.

 

Secondly, it specifically states 1,000 innings minimum, kimbrel is about halfway there.

[BillyWilliams]

I disagree, and not only because you don’t know where Ted Williams played.

 

One can argue Mariano’s position is “pitcher” and his role is closer. This is important because the role of closer is relatively new compared to comparing all time left fielders. And certainly Rivera is not inarguably the greatest pitcher of all time.

 

Now if you want to say he was the greatest in his role of all time, that’s fine. But is his dominance as unique as you suggest?

 

Arguably, also not. Rickey Henderson’s role was leadoff hitter. And as a leadoff hitter, he was equally dominant in being the greatest of all time. Before you suggest other great leadoff hitters (which can also span more years than closer, or even relief pitcher), bear in mind Rickey was once the all time leader in 3 categories - walks, runs scored, and stolen bases. These are 3 categories you want a leadoff hitter to excel in, and he did all 3 as the best in history until Barry Bonds surpassed him in walks. But until then, how many other players in MLB history lead all time in 3 cumulative categories?

 

Umm, I believe a guy named Ty Cobb was also a lead off hitter, no?

[notin]

First off, I didn't compare anyone, Baseball - Reference did.

 

Secondly, it specifically states 1,000 innings minimum, kimbrel is about halfway there.

 

Even then, Rivera’s role meant he never faced the same hitter twice in a game. Kershaw did in nearly every game he pitched...

[notin]

Umm, I believe a guy named Ty Cobb was also a lead off hitter, no?

 

So in order to find a better or arguably better leadoff hitter, you had to go back before the role of closer was even created? Also, Rickey scores more runs, Drew more walks and stole more bases than Cobb and everyone else in MLB history (except Bonds with walks). That’s how being an All Time Leader works.

 

And a quick look at B-R.com lists Cobb as having only 4 leadoff plate appearances. Now his totals here are only a fraction of his career as a lot of data is clearly not available. But it does suggest Cobb may not have been the leadoff hitter very often in his career...

Edited January 23, 2019 by notin

[Station 13]

First off, I didn't compare anyone, Baseball - Reference did.

 

Secondly, it specifically states 1,000 innings minimum, kimbrel is about halfway there.

 

You actually did and it was asinine.

 

"Next best is kershaw at 159"

 

you've compared him right there.

 

Don't blame BR.

 

If you want to compare these players, square them up at their respective positions.

 

Kershaw vs Pedro Martinez vs Koufax vs Clemens

 

Relievers, same deal.

[BillyWilliams]

Even then, Rivera’s role meant he never faced the same hitter twice in a game. Kershaw did in nearly every game he pitched...

 

Agreed, there is certainly a difference between a reliever and a starter.

 

There are only 2 other primary relievers in the top 10, and the gap is even wider.

 

Wilhelm at 147 and Quisenberry at 146

[BillyWilliams]

You actually did and it was asinine.

 

"Next best is kershaw at 159"

 

you've compared him right there.

 

Don't blame BR.

 

If you want to compare these players, square them up at their respective positions.

 

Kershaw vs Pedro Martinez vs Koufax vs Clemens

 

Relievers, same deal.

 

I simply stated what Baseball-Reference lists as all time leaders in adjusted ERA+.

 

You want to argue with them by all means do so.

 

Knock yourself out.

[BillyWilliams]

So in order to find a better or arguably better leadoff hitter, you had to go back before the role of closer was even created? Also, Rickey scores more runs, Drew more walks and stole more bases than Cobb and everyone else in MLB history (except Bonds with walks). That’s how being an All Time Leader works.

 

And a quick look at B-R.com lists Cobb as having only 4 leadoff plate appearances. Now his totals here are only a fraction of his career as a lot of data is clearly not available. But it does suggest Cobb may not have been the leadoff hitter very often in his career...

 

I saw another site that had him as primarily a lead off hitter which upon further research I see is not true.

 

I stand corrected, thank you.

[Slasher9]

i wonder if his nephews will be at the ceremony?

oh..wait....nevermind....

[bkzwhitestrican]

i wonder if his nephews will be at the ceremony?

oh..wait....nevermind....

 

That was unnecessary

[BillyWilliams]

i wonder if his nephews will be at the ceremony?

oh..wait....nevermind....

 

Claasy as always from our resident troll.

[BillyWilliams]

That was unnecessary

 

Do you really expect more from new jersey scum?