When the subject is the best of all-time, it’s often folly to declare one player better than everyone else.
But when the subject is relief pitching and the job is closing out a game, Mariano Rivera is at the top of the list, and it’s not even close.
You want to debate? Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Dennis Eckersley were all undeniably superb, but they all must doff their caps to The Great Rivera.
Try to go around the rest of the diamond, and it’s hard to declare an all-time best. Yankees fans may shout the loudest for Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio, but all of them have severe competition.