best season of all time: closer edition

[Blackout]

Dennis Eckersley 1990: 0.61 ERA, 73.3 IP, 0.614 WHIP, 73 K, 48 saves, 4-2 record, 606 ERA+

Eric Gagne* 2003: 1.20 ERA, 82.3 IP, 0.692 WHIP, 137 K, 55 saves, 2-3 record, 335 ERA+

J.J. Putz 2007: 1.38 ERA, 71.7 IP, 0.698 WHIP, 82 K, 40 saves, 6-1 record, 314 ERA+

Mariano Rivera 2005: 1.38 ERA, 78.3 IP, 0.868 WHIP, 80 K, 43 saves, 7-4 record, 307 ERA+

Robb Nen 2000: 1.50 ERA, 66 IP, 0.848 WHIP, 92 K, 41 saves, 4-3 record, 284 ERA+

Joe Nathan 2006: 1.58 ERA, 68.3 IP, 0.790 WHIP, 95 K, 35 saves, 7-0 record, 283 ERA+

Trevor Hoffman 1998: 1.48 ERA, 73 IP, 0.849 WHIP, 86 K, 53 saves, 4-2 record, 263 ERA+

Rich Gossage 1977: 1.62 ERA, 133 IP, 0.955 WHIP, 151 K, 26 saves, 11-9 record, 243 ERA+

Bruce Sutter 1984: 1.54 ERA, 122.7 IP, 1.076 WHIP, 77 K, 45 saves, 5-7 record, 229 ERA+

Hoyt Wilhelm 1965: 1.81 ERA, 144.0 IP, 0.824 WHIP, 106 K, 20 saves, 7-7 record, 176 ERA+


This is going to be different considering how much the role of "closer" has evolved over time.

[AutographCollector]

Bobby Thigpen in 1990: 57 saves with a 1.83 era was my choice (other).

[futurehalloffamer]

Where's Rollie Finger's 1981, Tupac?

[Minstrel]

Eck. One of the few greatest ever who was pitching out of his mind that year. Good formula for the best season ever.

[Colorado Express]

I'll go with Gagne, closely followed by Eckersley in '90 and Gossage in '81 (easily the best closer season until Eck came along in '90).

[BlueBlood]

Gagne ignoring PEDs...but Eckersley when counting them against such users. Those known to have been involved with such substances shouldn't be in any of these polls...causes a split between wanting to choose what was the best regardless or selecting the one that didn't cheat.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Dennis Eckersley 1990: 0.61 ERA, 73.3 IP, 0.614 WHIP, 73 K, 48 saves, 4-2 record, 606 ERA+

This is going to be different considering how much the role of "closer" has evolved over time.

I would go with Eck. He was incredible that year.

Regarding the closer role though. I'm pretty sure that stat dudes will tell you, that with a three run lead, the bullpen coach could close his eyes, play eenie, meenie, miney, moe...and whatever guy goes out there will secure the win like 95% of the time.

I'm in the camp that would like to get rid of the three run lead, one inning save. And the DH. And armour...and...I'll stop now ;)

[willshad]

Billy Wagner from 1999 also deserves consideration. He was as dominant that season as anyone ever, and in the middle of the steroid era.

[bob]

Gagne is 2003 was incredibly. 306 batters faced, 137 strikeouts (a 45% success rate!)
But its hard to top Eckersley in 1990. 5 Earned runs in 73 innings! :eek:

[RuthMayBond]

Too bad we couldn't include Eichhorn, 1986 :bowdown:

[RuthMayBond]

I'm not even sure if Putz was the best reliever in '07, I'm not sure if '05 was Rivera's best year :eek:

[RuthMayBond]

These are arguably better than any mentioned other than Eck, and Sutter '77

Kern '79
Schupp '16
Hiller '73
Abernathy '67
BAdams '09?
Papelbon '06
CHammond '02
TBurke '87

[GiambiJuice]

Papelbon's rookie season should be pretty high up there.

Some other ones deserving of an honorable mention

John Smoltz 2003
John Wetteland 1993

[BoSox Rule]

I'd probably go with Hiller '73 off the top of my head

[Edgartohof]

1.) Dennis Eckersly
2.) John Hiller

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Just thinking about ERA+ for closers. Shouldn't their raw ERA be compared only with other relievers, rather than the entire league?

[Windy City Fan]

Eck was so automatic that year, I can't go with anyone else. I remember that year and if Eck came in with a lead against your team, you might as well have turned the game off.

[parlo]

Mike Marshall 1972 and 1974.
Not the greatest ever, but certainly worth noting. 200 Innings in 1974.
CYA in 1974

[dgarza]

Too bad we couldn't include Eichhorn, 1986 :bowdown:

Someone should have stopped and told him he wasn't a starter...

[brett]

Just thinking about ERA+ for closers. Shouldn't their raw ERA be compared only with other relievers, rather than the entire league?


Well, yes, but doing that for everyone really complicates things. Relievers TEND to get about a 25% reduction in raw ERA due to not having to face hitters twice, and being able to throw everything 100%. If you take a reliever's ERA+ and divide it by 1.33 (or multiply it by .75) you get an approximation of his ERA+ versus relievers. That works well for pitchers in the 80-100 inning range. Guys in the 50-70 range might need more of a cut, and guys in the 120+ range might not deserve so big a cut.

But I am not sure that ERA+ is that great for rating relievers anyway. If I remember correctly, Eck gave up just 5 earned runs but also 4 unearned runs which he probably should be considered partially responsible for.

And are we talking about "closers" here or true game savers like Gossage who often entered at an earlier but more critical time?

[dgarza]

I looked at relievers in general :

1. Dennis Eckersley 1990
2. Dennis Lamp 1985
3. Ernie Broglio 1960
4. Mike Marshall 1974
5. Rob Murphy 1986
6. Goose Gossage 1981
7. Joe Pate 1926
8. Frank DiPino 1989
9. Bobby Thigpen 1990
10. Bill Henry 1964

[Chickazoola]

I think a distinction should be made between relievers and closers. Or perhaps a distinction between post 1980 and pre 1980. It's difficult to compare Roy Face's 19-1 season to Eckersley's 1990, they were used far differently.

[RuthMayBond]

I looked at relievers in general :

2. Dennis Lamp 1985A 129 ERA+?

<7. Joe Pate 1926
8. Frank DiPino 1989>

LOTS of seasons better than these

[Blackout]

Just thinking about ERA+ for closers. Shouldn't their raw ERA be compared only with other relievers, rather than the entire league?

sure it would be a little more accurate, but the difference would be minimal

[RuthMayBond]

No love for ???
Quisenberry 83
Gossage 75
Corbett 80
Bob Lee 64
Montgomery '89?

[Sultan_1895-1948]

sure it would be a little more accurate, but the difference would be minimal

You might be right. Just seems strange that Eck can post a 606 ERA+ in 70 innings, and a guy like Clemens, who put up a 1.93 ERA in 1990, only winds up with a 213 ERA+...pitching in 150 more innings. There has to be a way to make relievers' ERA+ more realistic. Or maybe not.

[Iron Jaw]

How about Phil Regan, 1966?

[Seattle1]

I will go with J.J. Putz. That's the one that really seems to make the most sense.

:cap:

[brett]

Willie Hernandez '84: 140.3 IP; 204 ERA+
John Hiller '73: 125.3 IP; 285 ERA+; 38 saves
Quisenberry: '83
Gossage: '77

Truth is, none of Wilhelm's seasons matches these, as far as for a pure reliever. I'll take the 200 ERA+ for 130 innings over the 280 for 80 any day.