What has been truly amazing is that Rivera has recorded 397 saves in 91/2 seasons. Lee Smith, the all-time saves leader with 478, needed 13 seasons to reach 400. Trevor Hoffman, second at 456, posted his 400th save in his 12th year. John Franco, who has 424, took 16 years to get to 400.
"I remember my first year; April was awful," recalled Rivera, who flushed his first Yankee Stadium save situation in 1997 when Mark McGwire, then with the A's, homered to center field. "I went to Joe [Torre] to talk to him and he said, 'You are my closer no matter what.' That's what I needed."
Mo Speaks on 400
What has been truly amazing is that Rivera has recorded 397
saves in 91/2 seasons. Lee Smith, the all-time saves leader
with 478, needed 13 seasons to reach 400. Trevor Hoffman,
second at 456, posted his 400th save in his 12th year. John
Franco, who has 424, took 16 years to get to 400.
"I remember my first year; April was awful," recalled Rivera,
who flushed his first Yankee Stadium save situation in 1997
when Mark McGwire, then with the A's, homered to center
field. "I went to Joe [Torre] to talk to him and he said, 'You
are my closer no matter what.' That's what I needed."
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