Every time Mariano Rivera blows a save, people are amazed.
Through Sunday, Rivera has 557 saves in 605 opportunities. Since becoming a full-time closer in 1997, that means he is averaging 3.4 blown saves per season, which is a remarkable number.
Yesterday was the fourth blown save for Rivera, who has never blown more than seven saves (2001) and last year blew two out of 46. All of this is astounding for a man, who was left unprotected by the Yankees in the 1992 expansion draft. Further proof if the Rockies or Marlins knew then what all of baseball knows now.
The best indication of how challenging an occupation closing is and how great Rivera’s career has been is to look at every team’s closing situation in the last 14 years. That means finding the guy who led the team in saves during that year even if they were traded or missed significant time due to injury.
Closers by team since Rivera became the full-time closer in 1997:
Tampa Bay Rays
1998-2000 - Roberto Hernandez (free agent)
2001-02 - Esteban Yan (expansion draft)
2003 - Lance Carter (free agent)
2004-05 - Danys Baez (free agent)
2006 - Tyler Walker (trade)
2007 - Al Reyes (free agent)
2008 - Troy Percival (free agent)
2009 - JP Howell (trade)
2010 - Rafael Soriano (free agent)
Total - 9
Boston Red Sox
1997 - Heathcliff Slocumb (trade)
1998 - Tom Gordon (free agent)
1999 - Tim Wakefield (free agent) Derek Lowe (trade)
2000-01 - Derek Lowe (trade)
2002 - Ugueth Urbina (trade)
2003 - Byung-Hyun Kim (trade)
2004-05 - Keith Foulke (free agent)
2006-present Jonathan Papelbon (drafted)
Total - 8
Toronto Blue Jays
1997, 2002 - Kelvim Escobar (non-drafted free agent)
1998 - Randy Myers (free agent)
1999-2001 - Billy Koch (draft)
2003 - Aquillino Lopez (Rule 5 draft)
2004, 2009 - Jason Frasor (trade)
2005 - Miguel Batista (free agent)
2006, 2008 - BJ Ryan (free agent)
2007 - Jeremy Accardo (trade)
2010 - Kevin Gregg (free agent)
Total - 9
Baltimore Orioles
1997 - Randy Myers (free agent)
1998 - Armando Benitez (non-drafted free agent)
1999 - Mike Timlin (free agent)
2000 - Ryan Kohlmeier (draft)
2001 - Buddy Groom (free agent)
2002-2004 - Jorge Julio (trade)
2005 - BJ Ryan (trade)
2006 - Chris Ray (draft)
2008-09 - George Sherrill (trade)
2010 - Alfredo Simon (free agent)
Total - 10
Minnesota Twins
1997-98 - Rick Aguilera (trade)
1999 - Mike Trombley (draft)
2000 - LaTroy Hawkins (draft)
2002 - Eddie Guardado (draft)
2003-2009 - Joe Nathan (trade)
2010 - Jon Rauch (trade)
Total - 6
Chicago White Sox
1997 - Roberto Hernandez (trade)
1998 - Bill Simas (trade)
1999 - Bob Howry (trade)
2000-02 - Keith Foulke (trade)
2002 - Antonio Osuna (trade)
2003 - Tom Gordon (free agent)
2004 - Shingo Takatsu (international free agent)
2005 - Dustin Hermanson (free agency)
2006-present - Bobby Jenks (waiver claim)
Total - 9
Detroit Tigers
1997-2000, 2006-2008 - Todd Jones (trade)
2001 - Matt Anderson (draft)
2002 - Juan Acevedo (free agent)
2003 - Franklyn German (trade), Chris Mears (free agent)
2004-05 - Ugueth Urbina (free agent)
2005, 2009 - Fernando Rodney (free agent)
2010 - Jose Valverde (free agent)
Total - 8
Kansas City Royals
1997-1999 - Jeff Montgomery (trade
2000 - Ricky Bottalico (free agent)
2001-02 - Roberto Hernandez (trade)
2003, 2005 - Mike MacDougal (free agent)
2004 - Jeremy Affeldt (draft)
2006 - Ambiorix Burgos (non-drafted free agent)
2007-present - Joakim Soria (Rule 5 draft)
Total - 7
Cleveland Indians
1997 - Jose Mesa (trade)
1998-99 - Michael Jackson (free agent)
2000 - Steve Karsay (trade)
2001-2002, 2004-06 - Bob Wickman (trade
2003 - Danys Baez (international free agent)
2007 - Joe Borowski (free agent)
2008 - Jensen Lewis (draft)
2009 - Kerry Wood (free agent)
2010 - Chris Perez (trade)
Total - 9
Texas Rangers
1997-2000 - John Wetteland (free agent)
2001 - Jeff Zimmerman (purchased from Northern League)
2002 - Hideki Irabu (free agent)
2003 - Ugueth Urbina (free agent)
2004-05 - Francisco Cordero (trade)
2006 - Akinori Otsuka (trade)
2007 - Eric Gagne (free agent)
2008 - CJ Wilson (draft)
2009 - Frank Francisco (trade)
2010 - Neftali Feliz (trade)
Total - 10
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
1997-2002 Troy Percival (draft)
2003-2008 Francisco Rodriguez (non-drafted free agent)
2009-present Brian Fuentes (free agent)
Total - 3
Oakland Athletics
1997-1999 Billy Taylor (free agent)
2000 Jason Isringhausen (trade)
2002 Billy Koch (trade)
2003 Keith Foulke (trade)
2004 Octavio Dotel (trade)
2005-2006, 2008 Huston Street (draft)
2007 Alan Embree (free agent)
2009 Andrew Bailey (free agent)
Total - 8
Seattle Mariners
1997 - Norm Charlton (free agent)
1998 - Mike Timlin (trade)
1999 - Jose Mesa (free agent)
2000-02 - Kazuhiro Sasaki (free agent)
2003 - Shigetoshi Hasegawa (free agent)
2004-05 - Eddie Guardado (free agent)
2006-08 - J.J. Putz (draft)
2009-present David Aardsma (trade)
Total - 8
Philadelphia Phillies
1997 Ricky Bottalico (undrafted free agent)
1998 Mark Leiter (trade)
1999 Wayne Gomes (draft)
2000 Jeff Brantley (trade)
2001-03 Jose Mesa (free agent)
2004-05 Billy Wagner (trade)
2006 Tom Gordon (free agent)
2007 Brett Myers (draft)
2008-present Brad Lidge (trade)
Total - 9
Atlanta Braves
1997 Mark Wohlers (draft)
1998 Kerry Lightenberg (purchase from independent league)
1999-2001 John Rocker (draft)
2002-2004 John Smoltz (trade)
2005 Chris Reitsma (trade)
2006-07 Bob Wickman (trade)
2008 Mike Gonzalez (trade)
2009 Rafael Soriano (trade)
2010 Billy Wagner (free agent)
Total - 9
New York Mets
1997-98 John Franco (trade)
1999-2003 Armando Benitez (trade)
2004-2005 Braden Looper (free agent)
2006-2008 Billy Wagner (free agent)
2009-present Francisco Rodriguez (free agent)
Total - 5
Florida Marlins
1997 Robb Nen (trade)
1998 Matt Mantei (free agent)
1999-2001 Antonio Alfonseca (minor league draft)
2002 Vladimir Nunez (trade)
2003 Braden Looper (trade)
2004 Armando Benitez (free agent)
2005 Todd Jones (free agent)
2006 Joe Borowski (free agent)
2007-08 Kevin Gregg (trade)
2009-present Leo Nunez (trade)
Total - 10
Washington Nationals
1997-1999, 2001 Ugueth Urbina (non-drafted free agent)
2000 Steve Kline (trade)
2002 Scott Stewart (minor league free agent)
2003 Rocky Biddle (trade)
2004-07 Chad Cordero (draft)
2008 Jon Rauch (trade)
2009 Mike MacDougal (free agent)
2010 Matt Capps (free agent)
Total - 8
St. Louis Cardinals
1997 Dennis Eckersley (trade)
1998 Juan Acevedo (trade)
1999 Ricky Bottalico (trade)
2000-01 Dave Veres (trade)
2002-07 Jason Isringhausen (free agent)
2008-present Ryan Franklin (free agent)
Total - 6
Chicago Cubs
1997, 1999 Terry Adams (draft)
1998 Rod Beck (free agent)
2000 Rick Aguilera (trade)
2001 Tom Gordon (free agent)
2002 Antonio Alfonseca (trade)
2003 Joe Borowski (free agent)
2004 LaTroy Hawkins (free agent)
2005-07 Ryan Dempster (free agent)
2008 Kerry Wood (draft)
2009 Kevin Gregg (trade)
2010 Carlos Marmol (non-drafted free agent)
Total - 11
Milwaukee Brewers
1997 Doug Jones (free agent)
1998-2000 Bob Wickman (trade)
2001 Curtis Leskanic (trade)
2002 Mike DeJean (trade)
2003-04 Danny Kolb (free agent)
2005-06 Derrick Turnbow (waiver claim)
2007 Francisco Cordero (trade)
2008 Salomon Torres (trade)
2009 Trevor Hoffman (free agent)
2010 John Axford (minor league free agent)
Total - 10
Cincinnati Reds
1997-98 Jeff Shaw (free agent)
1999-2002, 2004 Danny Graves (trade)
2003 Scott Williamson (draft)
2005-07 David Weathers (free agent)
2008-present Francisco Cordero (free agent)
Total - 5
Houston Astros
1997-1999, 2001-2003 Billy Wagner (draft)
2000 – Octavio Dotel (trade)
2004-07 Brad Lidge (draft)
2008-09 Jose Valverde (trade)
2010 Matt Lindstrom (free agent)
Total - 5
Pittsburgh Pirates
1997-98 Rich Loiselle (trade)
1999-2003 Mike Williams (free agent)
2004-2005 Jose Mesa (free agent)
2006 Mike Gonzalez (trade)
2007-2009 Matt Capps (draft)
2010 Octavio Dotel (free agent)
Total - 6
San Diego Padres
1997-2002, 2004-2008 Trevor Hoffman (trade)
2003 Rod Beck (free agent)
2009 Heath Bell (trade)
Total - 3
Colorado Rockies
1997-98 Jerry Dipoto (trade)
1999 Dave Veres (trade)
2000-03 Jose Jimenez (trade)
2004 Shawn Chacon (draft)
2005-08 Brian Fuentes (trade)
2009-present Huston Street (trade)
Total - 6
Los Angeles Dodgers
1997 Todd Worrell (free agent)
1998-2001 Jeff Shaw (trade)
2002-2004 Eric Gagne (non-drafted free agent)
2005 Yhency Brazoban (trade)
2006-2008 Takashi Saito (free agent)
2009-present Jonathan Broxton (draft)
Total - 6
San Francisco Giants
1997 Rod Beck (trade)
1998-2002 Robb Nen (trade)
2003 Tim Worrell (trade)
2004 Matt Herges (trade)
2005 Tyler Walker (free agent)
2006 Armando Benitez (free agent)
2007 Brad Hennessey (draft)
2008 Brian Wilson (draft)
Total - 8
Arizona Diamondbacks
1998 Gregg Olson (free agent)
1999-2000, 2003 Matt Mantei (trade)
2001-02 Byung-Hyun Kim (non-drafted free agent)
2004 Greg Aquino (non-drafted free agent)
2005-07 Jose Valverde (non-drafted free agent)
2008 Brandon Lyon (trade)
2009-present Chad Qualls (trade)
Total - 7
