08/25: Billy Wagner and Mariano Rivera
Posted by: Patrick
Wagner: Winning the most important:
At the end of the day, that just seems really lame to me. I know the reason for the lack of criticism, though. Postseason numbers:
Mariano Rivera: 24 postseason series (team record: 17-7, 4 world champions), 72 games, 111.2 IP, 8-1, 34 saves, 0.81 ERA.
Trevor Hoffman: 5 postseason series (team record: 2-3, 0 world champions), 11 games, 12 IP, 1-2, 3 saves, 3.75 ERA.
Billy Wagner: 4 postseason series (team record: 0-4, 0 world champions), 5 games, 4.2 IP, 1-0, 0 saves, 7.71 ERA.
Yes, I realize there are team factors, but regardless, when your that good, most criticism is short sighted.
Wagner also likes to take a jab or two at the cult of Mariano Rivera worshippers. Any time Rivera blows a save, which doesn't happen often, Wagner will make some sort of comment within earshot of reporters. It's not a rip on Rivera, just the aura of infallibility that surrounds him.
"I'm jealous," Wagner said. "As a player, that's where you want to be, to be put in his situation. He's been great and winning cures a lot of things. I mean, if you win, it's awful hard to get criticized very much, and he's won championships and he's proven himself like nobody else in the game has besides Trevor [Hoffman].
"I'm jealous," Wagner said. "As a player, that's where you want to be, to be put in his situation. He's been great and winning cures a lot of things. I mean, if you win, it's awful hard to get criticized very much, and he's won championships and he's proven himself like nobody else in the game has besides Trevor [Hoffman].
At the end of the day, that just seems really lame to me. I know the reason for the lack of criticism, though. Postseason numbers:
Mariano Rivera: 24 postseason series (team record: 17-7, 4 world champions), 72 games, 111.2 IP, 8-1, 34 saves, 0.81 ERA.
Trevor Hoffman: 5 postseason series (team record: 2-3, 0 world champions), 11 games, 12 IP, 1-2, 3 saves, 3.75 ERA.
Billy Wagner: 4 postseason series (team record: 0-4, 0 world champions), 5 games, 4.2 IP, 1-0, 0 saves, 7.71 ERA.
Yes, I realize there are team factors, but regardless, when your that good, most criticism is short sighted.
charles osherobits wrote: