Gabriel Schechter of the Baseball Hall of Fame has an interesting piece about the evolution of the closer.
Of Trevor Hoffman's 436 career saves to date, 78.9% of them have seen him pitch exactly one inning. Of Rollie Fingers 341 career saves, 23.8% were of the 1-inning variety. Only 27.3% of Bruce Sutter's saves were of the 1-inning variety.
"Both of you are too young to remember seeing Fingers pitch! He's just a moustache to you whippersnappers."
Now now. He's not just a moustache to a young whippersnapper of today. He's also a good to great closer in MVP Baseball 2005! He's no Hoyt Wilhelm, though.
How many times did Fingers or Sutter have to face Barry Bonds?
He was called George Foster back then.
The team Hoffman has recorded the most saves against is L.A. with 49. He has 41 against the Giants and Rockies.
He was also called Mike Schmidt.
As for Fingers, choose your own AL equivalent.
I was going with Fingers during the San Diego years.
Go Darrell Porter!
Now now. He's not just a moustache to a young whippersnapper of today. He's also a good to great closer in MVP Baseball 2005! He's no Hoyt Wilhelm, though.
Jim Rice.
And I think Gossage was a bit better than either Fingers or Sutter.
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