Closers, speculating on Lee Smith by Tom Singer, MLB, Inc., 12/26/06

This article proves the usual 2 things--"total saves" doesn't tell the story, and somehow the writer works out a twisted way to work in a negative about Mariano. Lee Smith has had the record for "total saves" but hasn't come near the HOF for several clear reasons. The problem is, the multi-year effort to put the salesman Hoffman in has been a billion dollar campaign built strictly on "total saves." Even though it hasn't worked for Lee Smith, they have nothing else to build T-man's campaign on, so they do it. From Singer's pro-Smith MLB, Inc. article (remembering, one's career at MLB, Inc. WILL NOT ADVANCE UNLESS YOU MINIMIZE OR DEFAME MARIANO RIVERA):

"That extended success is also part of Smith's handicap. He isn't recalled

• as an impact reliever. Thus, contemporaries Sutter and even Goose Gossage, whose heydays were more concentrated, have been widely regarded as more deserving of enshrinement."

(An "impact reliever," they can't deny the concept--one of their guys just said it.)
Then somehow he works in a way to minimize Mariano in what's actually an inaccurate statement:

"And few have done that job as consistently as did the hard-looking, soft-spoken Cajun from Shreveport, La. Smith went 12 seasons between his first 30-save season and his last (1995) -- noteworthy in a Mariano Rivera context, since the Yankees' ice-blooded closer, perceived as durable, hasn't even been in the Majors as long."

• "Perceived as durable?" Jesus. And the bit about 12 seasons in the majors? That doesn't even work--Mariano has been in the majors from 1995 through 2006, which IS 12 seasons. Information is so skewed in the baseball media, that accurate data is simply not available. Someone should be fired for this. Mo isn't the one they strictly refuse to bring in with men on base and for more than 1 inning. He isn't babied.
  
• He's pitched EVERY REGULAR SEASON AND EVERY POST SEASON FOR 12 YEARS. WHY DOESN'T THIS HACK MENTION THIS IN HIS ASSESSMENT OF DURABILITY? OR EVEN STATS? THE HARDER GAMES IN COLD WEATHER AFTER SOMETIMES GRUELING RACES TO GET TO THE POST SEASON--THAT GETS NO MENTION. THIS WRITER SHOULD BE FIRED FOR INCOMPETENCE.