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Thursday, August 23, 2007

If it's in SI, it must be true? Not so about Mo.

This SI.com article reinforces a fairly wide misconception. The reality is Mariano Rivera only "set-up" for John Wetteland for 1 year, 1996, not 2 years. From SI.com looking to describe Joba Chamberlain:
  • "The Yankees bullpen was at its best during their 11 straight playoff seasons with Mariano Rivera not as their closer, but as the setup man to John Wetteland. In 1995 and 1996, if the Yankees' starter could get the game through seven innings with the lead, the game was over."
When Mariano began on May 23, 1995 it was as a starting pitcher, not a reliever. Also, he was sent back to the minor leagues for awhile in June 1995 (on the same day Jeter was sent down). There are only 4 dates in 1995 in which Rivera pitched in relief or set-up, followed by Wetteland--not nearly enough to qualify as a year-long winning formula:
  • August 1, 1995
  • Sept. 1, 1995
  • Sept. 10, 1995
  • Sept. 26, 1995
What about the 1995 post season, the ALDS v Mariners?
  • # Games Rivera set-up for Wetteland: 0
  • # Games Wetteland set-up for Rivera: 1 (Game 2)
The two appeared together in only 1 of the 5 post season games, and in that game it's the reverse of SI's point. In this one game, Wetteland was set-up man, and Rivera relieved him for 3.1 scoreless innings for the Win.
  • The heavenly scene described by SI did happen often in 1996, but in only 1 game in 1995 (starter getting through 7 followed by Mo and Wetteland) as follows:
***On Sept. 26, 1995, Rivera entered in the 8th inning, faced 1 batter, got no outs, and was taken out of the game. He was relieved by Wetteland who got the "save" in that game. (Not so heavenly after all...)
  • No one can know everything about every team, but the emergence and use of Rivera was detailed in Joel Sherman's book, "Birth of a Dynasty." The main point is Showalter did not recognize what Rivera's value was, didn't really know what to do with him, stuck him in as a last resort in some post season situations, but never as a set-up man for Wetteland. As noted, the organization sent him back to the minors in June but brought him back up fairly quickly, still using him as an occasional starter. (Hence, his hackneyed "failed starter" tag).
Article by Mark Allen Haverty, Special to SI.com, Fantasy Plus, "For Better, for Worse, Which Late-Arriving Prospects Are Most Helpful Now?" Reference to Rivera/Wetteland in paragraph discussing Joba Chamberlain. 8/23/07

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posted by susan at 8/23/2007 07:14:00 PM

2 Comments:

  • Mariano Rivera era as a starter in 1995 regular season 5.94 as a reliever 4.24
    Not exactly a huge difference
    Not a lot to judge 67 total innings 50 as a starter but the media decides he was a failed starter anyway.
    I remember the 95 off season they traded Hitchcock for Tino and it opened the 5th spot in the rotation until Steinbrenner invited Doc Gooden to spring training which closed the door on Mo even though they lied at the time and said it was a competition. Mo out pitched everyone that spring but he was named the long man and Torre deflected the media with the Idea that Mo was to skinny to be a starter (pedro,guidry?) Was this true? Of course not, it was Torre way of not even allowing an argument to be made over a decision he made even though it wasn't really his decision it was George's. Gooden threw all winter pitched well in the spring not as well as Mo, no one did, and when Doc pitched poorly to start the year Mo had already proven to valuable to remove from the pen. Thats why he a reliever
    I didn't read Sherman's book don't know if that in their or he contradicts me but thats why he became a reliever

    By Blogger james, at 1:44 AM  

  • Thanks, James for your input. When I saw this SI thing I went back and wrote down every game Mo played in 1995, what innings, vs Wetteland's appearances--obviously not a match. Sometime I'll post more excerpts from Joel Sherman's book, but the beginning of it is all about Mo and is riveting. He didn't focus as much on Doc Gooden as the fact that Buck Showalter's failure to use Mo correctly in the 1995 post season probably cost him his job. Sherman went into detail about all the politics going on--it would make your skin crawl. I agree on your take of Steinbrenner writing Mo off as being "skinny" etc. As with Andy Pettitte, Mo is religious, doesn't get in bar fights or pitch drunk, so doesn't get George's attention. I understand Mo is well paid, but he's still underrated by the organization, the disgraceful evidence of which we saw earlier this year. He's certainly at best degraded and ignored by the media and the YES Network. You've prob. heard the story of Mo getting sent back down to the minors in 1995, then Stick Michael calling Columbus and finding out that Mo's velocity had increased. Stick's first response was that the 'gun' must be on the blink--he couldn't believe it. So, he had them send Mo back up. I'm going to look up the stories about Gooden because I didn't know all that before. With all the publicity Wetteland got in 1996, until I looked into the details myself, I'm still stunned. The story of that entire post season & World Series was really Mo. Wetteland was gone after that year anyhow. I don't understand how Mo's agent can live with himself having done nothing for his client except perhaps leave his personal documents unshredded in the garbage--you remember the story a year or 2 about his company. Well--thanks for your comments, James.

    By Blogger susan, at 2:12 AM  

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