Choke Artist Wins Despite Horrible Record

[Doctor X]

Congratulations Mariano Rivera on not only for your Hall of Fame election but for the first unanimous election. Will give it over to a newspaper from a town that cannot beat Boston in a post-season [Football?--Ed.] Shut up!

It’s Unanimous: Mariano Rivera Is a Hall of Famer

Mariano Rivera, the career saves leader whose elegant efficiency helped the Yankees win five World Series, on Tuesday became the first player ever elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Two other right-handed pitchers, Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina, also were elected, Halladay on his first try and Mussina on his sixth. Edgar Martinez, the longtime Seattle Mariners designated hitter, gained entry in his 10th and final year on the ballot. Halladay, a former ace of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, died in a plane crash in 2017.

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This is heartening, since the Old Farts have considered the Designated Hitter "not a real position" as similarly down-graded closers. Many Made Up Numbers of Sports Talking Heads wondered if a closer would ever get in due to this stupid prejudice, but they hoped that perhaps Mariano would break the barrier. It is no question he is a MHoF'er; the only question came from the Cement Head writers who stopped watching baseball in 1972 not letting him in.

Now I am sure some will "bitch" about "unanimous," but that was part of the problem. The excuse of "Babe Ruth wasn't unanimous" is just perpetuating the stupidity. Mariano was the MFYankees Dynasty of the 90s.

He just . . . tended to choke:

https://beta-static.photobucket.com/ima ... 081e74.jpg

Though on that note I paraphrase Chris "Mad Dog" Russo summarizing the pain of choking in 2004 as they twice had a lead with "Mariano" on the mound.

Unlike the Fat Unctuous Toad, he has a sense of humor. He famously:

https://kubrick.htvapps.com/htv-prod-me ... 901054.jpg

to the Fenway crowd that "cheered" him during opening day of 2005.

Well deserved congratulations. The HoF voters finally got one right.

:freedom:

--J.D.

[Anaxagoras]

Well, besides Mariano, who obviously couldn't have done all that by himself, although he played a crucial role, there was Bernie Williams, Jeter of course, Posada, Andy Pettite, and a few others.

In the years when the Yankees were dominating, the mid-90s through early 2000s, Bernie was a monster at the plate, and well as a great fielder. He didn't make the HOF, but he was a big part of those champoinship seasons.

[Doctor X]

You mean the Roids fielded well. . . .

Though it was Mariano that brought it home. If anything, he demonstrated how important a closer was and is to modern baseball. The whole Bill Buckner fiasco came from the Red Sox not really having a closer. Not many teams did. The "joke" about Mariano is he had one pitch--and you could not hit it. Intentional Talk's "Don't Let Us Win Tonight" Guy Who Got the Walk Which Allowed the Steal [Mr. Kevin Millar is available to discuss this play at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and funerals.--Ed.] basically said he would not swing at anything that was not right in his wheelhouse for a tying home run.

Otherwise, St. Louis wins another World Series! [Stop that.--Ed.]

Though to be even more serious, the irony is that that Abomination Towards All that is Wholesome and Squiffy that was the 90's MFYs was built because King George was under a "lifetime ban" which meant his general manager could build up his farm for once rather than trade it chasing the next Reggie Jackson.

But that is another story.

Still, Mariano never has statistics as good as:

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/fan/ ... =850&h=560

--J.D.