“He’s our Babe Ruth’’ - When legendary pitcher Trevor Hoffman ranked Mariano Rivera as MLB's greatest closer
There was seemingly no limit to the abilities of Mariano Rivera when he came out of the bullpen. The legendary closer of the New York Yankees made a living by striking fear in the hearts of the opposition, as well as shutting down their bats in the process.
"History! Mariano Rivera is officially the first player in MLB history to receive 100% of the votes! Truly remarkable experience for myself and his family!" - @MartinoPuccio
The first unanimous inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mariano Rivera enjoyed one of the most successful careers that a pitcher could ask for. A 13-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Rivera was an essential figure for the New York Yankees during their incredible run in the 90s and 2000s.
Mariano Rivera finished his Hall of Fame career with an MLB record of 652 saves and a 2.21 ERA over a whopping 1283.2 innings, all of which were spent with the Yankees. Rivera deservedly received applause and credit from fans, teammates, and experts across the MLB. It was the respect he received from his top competitor that might say the most about Rivera's career.
“He’s our Babe Ruth," fellow Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman said of Rivera in 2019 per USA Today. “I’m comfortable knowing he is the greatest reliever we had. I understand being second-fiddle," Hoffman continued while talking about Mariano.
"An unforgettable MOment. OTD in 2011 Mariano Rivera recorded save No. 602, passing Trevor Hoffman for the most saves in MLB history. Rivera finished his career with 652 saves and was unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019." - @MLBVault
These are some of the kindest words that Rivera could receive, given the fact that Trevor Hoffman is the only other pitcher to record more than 600 saves in their career. A true icon of the San Diego Padres, Hoffman also spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins at the time).
Mariano Rivera recorded saves against every team in the MLB except for one
During his legendary career with the New York Yankees, Rivera racked up countless strikeouts and saves, however, there was one team that was able to avoid being another statistic. The Pittsburgh Pirates were the only club (aside from the New York Yankees) that Rivera did not record a save against.
It may sound bizarre, but the Pirates remain the only missing club from Rivera's Hall of Fame resume. Although, interestingly enough, he did record a save at the Pirate's stadium during the 2006 All-Star game.