New York Yankee closer Mariano Rivera’s save number 602 may well have been the most anticlimactic record breaking moment in major league baseball history. Everyone knew that barring some disaster or injury it was inevitable.
And Rivera did not need to break Trevor Hoffman’s record of 601 saves to prove that he is the greatest closer of all-time. He has already proven it time and again over the course of 17 seasons, 15 trips to the post season and seven World Series.
All Rivera did while breaking the record was reaffirm his greatness.
Baseball is full of record breaking moments. Usually when they happen baseball historians are quick to debate. They ask who was better, the player who had the record or the one who broke it? Or how does the record compare to other records? Was it thought to be unbreakable or just a number for others to shoot for?
There was none of this with Rivera. Everyone knows that he is a better closer than Hoffman. And everyone knows that when he is done the record may very well last for a long time.
Looking back what other record breaking moments seemed anticlimactic?
Not many.
When San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds hit home run number 756 to break Henry Aaron’s record, it was met more with disdain than joy by many. The fans in San Francisco who saw it were thrilled, but many did not celebrate Bonds’ accomplishments because of the long shadow of performance enhancing drugs which dogged him.
When the 1976 Cincinnati Reds became the first team to sweep the league championship and World Series it was thought to be a great accomplishment, but the Reds were defending world champions and better that season than they were in 1975. Many predicted that they would go undefeated in the post season.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser set the record for consecutive scoreless innings in 1988 with 59 breaking the record of 58 2/3 by former Dodger Don Drysdale in 1968. While Drysdale’s record was celebrated then and for the next 20 years, Hershiser’s was met with less excitement for two reasons.
First he set it on the west coast while most of America was asleep.
Second he had such a great post season in leading the Dodgers to a world’s championship that people remember him more for that.
On the day that Rickey Henderson set the all-time stolen base record in 1990 it was the lead story until pitcher Nolan Ryan threw his record setting seventh no hitter that night. Everyone knew that Henderson was going to set his record, but no one knew Ryan would throw another no hitter.
At the time that all of these records were set each was considered to be a great moment. And each begged the question of what was the players place in history and where did the record rank.
Not Mariano Rivera’s saves record.
Mo already had his place in history.
This made a great moment seem anticlimactic.