Mariano Rivera Really the Greatest?????

Mariano Rivera saves his 602nd game and is now at the top of the all-time saves leader list. He is being roundly called the "greatest closer ever". But is he really?? My feeling is how can you call someone the "greatest" if in any given season they may not have been the best in the league. When we talk about the greatest pitcher ever or greatest batter ever, you an easily point to seasons where they were the best in the league and dominated like Babe Ruth in 1923, Willie Mays in 1965, Barry Bonds in 2001 or Sandy Koufax in 1963, Walter Johnson in 1913, Roger Clemens in 1986. But with Mo, he may have been top 2 or 3, once or twice but by calling him the “best ever” says you are satisfied with a good but not lights out great closer. Lets look at the years that Mo has been pitching and we can see who actually was the best closer in any given year:

1995 Jose "Joe Table" Mesa

1996 John Wetteland (Mo was a set up man)

1997 Randy Myers

1998 Trevor Hoffman

1999 Billy Wagner, admittedly Mo was close but Wagner had a better ERA, less losses and less blown saves

2000 Todd Jones

2001 Armando Benitez (Mets!!)

2002 Smoltz

2003 Gagne - never did Mo come close to a season like Gagne's

2004 Gagne admittedly Mo was close but Gagne had less blown saves and no way can any Yankee be considered the best after their utter collapse in 2004.

2005 maybe Mo but likely Cordero who played for an atrocious Nationals team is more deserving

2006 K-Rod

2007 Putz

2008 K-Rod or Lidg

2009 Joe Nathan

2010 Brian WIlson

I think his "greatest" tab has been somewhat attributed to the fact that Mo wears the pinstripes...its a bit like those that call Wayne Rooney, the greatest striker in soccer right now...Rooney is no athlete...he looks like and probably has the same athletic acumen as my plumber but because he wears the devil's uniform of Man U...the public has been lulled into the belief he is the greatest. It is possible that Mo coming up in the Royals or Mariners organization Mo would already be back in Panama tending bar poolside making those drinks they make out of cocoanuts.

Mo, congrats on your longevity and your record number of your saves but not ready to give you the "greatest" tag....prove me wrong....