Mariano Rivera served up back-to-back homers to Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria last night, taking the loss against Tampa Bay.
Normally that wouldn't be earth-shattering news for even an elite closer, but Rivera has been so super-human throughout his career that it has everyone wondering what's wrong. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the game that Rivera's shoulder likely isn't fully healed from offseason surgery, noting that his velocity has been down:
The velocity is not there. That's part of it. I still think he's coming back from the surgery he went through. That's why we've been very careful with him. Mo's always going to take the ball, that's Mariano Rivera. But he's had some days where he hasn't felt the greatest.
What's remarkable is that he's still managed a 17/0 K/BB ratio in 11 innings, and over the long haul there's really no way to rack up anything resembling those numbers without dominating. Of course, in the short term that's overshadowed by uncharacteristically allowing back-to-back homers and four long balls on the year. Last night was the first time in his 15-season career that he's allowed back-to-back homers and the second time in 14 seasons as a reliever that he's allowed two homers in a game, period.
The other time came on July 18, 1998, when Mike Stanley and Ed Sprague of the Blue Jays took Rivera deep in a blowout Yankees victory. Since then he's appeared in 687 games without serving up multiple homers. For comparison, all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman has allowed multiple homers in a game eight times, including twice in both 2001 and 2006. But wait, the amazing Rivera homer stats don't end there. Four homers in 11 innings already ranks as the second most he's allowed in any season as a reliever.
His career-high is five, set in 1997 and 2001. He gave up four homers in 2000, 2007, and 2008, three homers in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006, two homers in 1999 and 2005, and one homer in 1996. That one-homer 1996 season was Rivera's first year as a full-time reliever and only year as a non-closer reliever. He faced 425 batters in 108 innings spread over 61 appearances, and the only long ball came off the bat of Rafael Palmeiro on June 28, handing Rivera his first career loss as a reliever.
Rivera is a 39-year-old coming off arm surgery and this homer binge is completely out of place within the rest of his Hall of Fame career, but pitchers who're done being dominant don't strike out 17 batters while handing out zero walks in 11 innings and four of the nine fly balls he's given up all season going over the fence probably just means that he's been unlucky. It may not make for very juicy headlines, but I'd still bet on Rivera finishing with an ERA under 3.25 for the 14th straight year.
_
Leave a Comment:
Saving...
Using the same logic Yankee fans are using about David Ortiz's drop off in production I'd have to say it's because he is no longer on the roids.
Except Ortiz has been on a downward trend over the past few years, plus he's like 300 lbs. Mo had perhaps the best year of his career just last year, and he's like 160 lbs.
Besides, it's not just Yankee fans who are using that logic. Bill Simmons, the practical king of Red Sox fans, admits that there's a pretty decent chance Ortiz has been juicing, but it was still worth it.
Should we grab his replacement in a 15 team league?
well stevebob, ur an idiot, so that;s understandable
Yeah stevebob, you aren't allowed to use the same logic on Yankee players as their fans use on Red Sox players. Get ahold of yourself, man!
Well, anyone who uses the same "logic" to compare ortiz and rivera don't understand baseball. Ortiz has been declining the past two years, while mariano had a career-ish year last year. Mariano continues to show flashes of brilliance this year (17Ks, 0 BBs in 11 innings), while ortiz's only potential "flash of brilliance" might be at the team buffet table.
Compare the two if you want, but be prepared to have people expose your lack of logic in doing so.
Actually, Ortiz' 2007 was better than his 2006 by most metrics, so I guess your definition of "declining" is different than most people's.
Regardless of who was or is juicing, A-Rod now has more home runs after a single game than Ortiz does this entire season.
It's just some fluke due to small sample size. A lot of weird stuff can happen in 11 innings. The most important part is that his ratios are still elite levels.
I think his inconsistent use recently has also hurt him. When a reliever goes a week or longer without getting used, he can get a bit rusty. I think Girardi needs to make sure that Mo gets at least an inning of work every four days, even if that means he has to pitch an inning in a blow out. That should keep the rust off of him and keep his arm strength up.
it breaks my heart, but whether or not mo was juicing, im afraid he may just be getting grey. lets give it a little time to see what happens.
as for ortiz, get real if u believe he's been clean. it is so obvious.
Mo's not going gray, he's just balding ;-)
who is Mo's back up?
Comparing Ortiz to Mo' is ridiculous. Look at Mo' and look at Ortiz. Worthless post.
Anyway, history tells us a lot. Do some research before writing an article and post and you see Mo' has had this problem for many years now. This question has been coming up year after year because of Mo's early season struggles. At the end of the year his numbers are always the same. BUY LOW is the best fantasy advice I can give you. And as the article stated 17 to 0 K/BB ratio is unheard of. Crawford's homer the other night was a joke and it wouldn't have left any other stadium.
Brownie,
I believe Bruney (if healthy) would get a chance to close but with Wang pitching good in AAA and if Hughes can continue to get better than I think you may see Joba back in the pen. Bruney is still weeks away and Joba may make the most sense. Yanks fans are all over Giradi to move Joba to the pen NOW....