Problem with Mariano Rivera

[Lofunzo]

This thread is dangerously close to being deleted. Let's keep this on topic and not personal.

The only reason Rivera is any good is that no one is clutch enough to hit him with the game on the line. Delete away.

LOL.

Comments like that are wrong, but fine. It's the personal stuff that has to go. I don't expect everyone to always agree on stuff. That's why this place is so cool. It's when we go from talking about 2 great closers to dissing someone's mom that I need to draw the line.

[WhosBabeRuth]

I didnt diss anyones mom? Anyway, i guess to close out this so called arguement, i'll say this: Mariano is quite posiblly the best closer in the game today, if not one of the best. I take nothing away from him, his numbers (and reputation) dont lie. I just simply feel hes not as unhittable as his appearence makes him, which means theres got to be some piece of the puzzle missing.....ahh yes that part of the game I call the psychological part. But regardless in conclussion, I cant say hes not nasty. But someday...Somehow I will figure out why they just cant seem to hit him. Stay tuned for sneak previews of next weeks show on FBC channel 57.

[Lofunzo]

I didnt diss anyones mom?

I was using that as an example of what has been happening much too often lately.

[ajgnydc722]

I didnt diss anyones mom? Anyway, i guess to close out this so called arguement, i'll say this: Mariano is quite posiblly the best closer in the game today, if not one of the best.

Think you got that backwards.

I just simply feel hes not as unhittable as his appearence makes him.

You can't say that unless you've stepped into the batter's box with him. Not everything you see on TV is 100% accurate. Like blank said, if you don't think he's that hard to hit then go try to hit him. PROFESSIONAL hitters have faced him for 9 years and can't figure it out. Sometimes you give people the benefit of the doubt. If you're that dominant for that long......your nasty and your stuff is nasty.

[WhosBabeRuth]

I cant hit 70 Miles an hour @ the batting cgaes, never mind 95 from Rivera. This is where the sox fan comes alive in me: I guess I can hope his arm falls off or something..........

[GucciBaseballs]

Its quite simple really...

No one pitch has as good a combination of velocity and movement.

[quickfingerz]

Its quite simple really...

No one pitch has as good a combination of velocity and movement.

Tell that to Randy Johnson's slider. He used to throw it at mid-low 90's.

[ajgnydc722]

Its quite simple really...

No one pitch has as good a combination of velocity and movement.

Tell that to Randy Johnson's slider. He used to throw it at mid-low 90's.

Used to? Doesn't matter much anymore.

Rivera throws his cutter in the mid-high 90's, and it breaks at the last second. Not like a slider which is a big, looping break.

[Nomar4prez]

Its quite simple really...

No one pitch has as good a combination of velocity and movement.

Tell that to Randy Johnson's slider. He used to throw it at mid-low 90's.

Used to? Doesn't matter much anymore.

Rivera throws his cutter in the mid-high 90's, and it breaks at the last second. Not like a slider which is a big, looping break.

RJ's slider is not a big looping break. Doesn't RJ still throw his slider at around 90? If so, I'd take that pitch over any in the game.

[rich101682]

The bottom line is that yes, Rivera is nasty nasty nasty. But you would be a fool to think that his track record doesn't intimidate people stepping in against him. That's how the man works: his stuff is nasty, and on top of that, just the thought of how nasty he is makes it that much harder to hit him.

I'd say that as good as his stuff is, his mental intimidation based on stuff and track record is just as important to his success.




And this is all from a die hard Sox fan.