Jay, I never said closing was easy, I just don't believe that having that skill set alone- being able to command 11% or so of a game--makes you the greatest pitcher. In theory, you can have an ERA of 18 and still save every game you close.
Only one example, and no doubt cherry-picked to support my position, but compare and contrast the 9th inning at Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. DBacks send Randy Johnson out there on zero days' rest, after he dominated the Yankees the day before and threw a complete game shutout in game 2. He retires Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada in order, whiffing Posada. Mariano? Needing just three outs to secure the title, he gives up two runs, three hits, hits a batter and commits a throwing error, retiring no one who wasn't trying to bunt. Game over, series over. Now who was the dominant, great pitcher there? And that's not some trivia tidbit about a guy who nobody's ever heard of having just one of those magical series. It's Randy Johnson, whose dominance over many years exceeds Mariano's IMHO, and I'm not advocating that even he is the greatest pitcher of all time.
Again, sorry to be contrarian, and I can think of few players, not just pitchers, who I admire more than Mariano, but greatest pitcher of all time? I'm not buyin.
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If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other. - Ulysses S. Grant, military commander, 18th US President.
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