Behind the hype of the regular season "total save stat"

• 1997-2009 ytd, Regular Season only

Multi Inning appearances:

• Hoffman 75

• Rivera 177

Runners on base:

• Hoffman 112

• Rivera 171

Save Opportunities (1999-2009, available since 1999 in free stats):

• Hoffman 611

• Rivera 542 (69 fewer)

Win/Loss Record, total reg. season career

• Hoffman 56-67 .455

• Rivera 69-51 .575

The regular season total save stat is often paired with the "save conversion" rate in attempts to keep the focus on the wrong stat. If the other stats don't mean anything, why didn't Hoffman do them?

• Mariano Rivera's upcoming regular season landmark is nice but more welcomed by MLB, Inc. as an excuse to put Hoffman's name in the news along with Rivera. Rivera doesn't benefit from this--he doesn't need it--even in regular season, this stat doesn't tell the story of his efforts. Others have said Hoffman's name should never appear with Rivera's:

The above stats show it would take 2 Hoffmans to do what one Rivera has done--just in regular season--and he'd still have a losing record. That's what the 'total save stat' hides.

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