K-Rod ties saves record

In case you missed it.

Let's see, with 16 games left, you'd figured 60's a lock. Based on his current rate of a save every 2.56 games, he should wind up with 63.

 

I think most of us would have figured Thigpen's record would be long gone, by now. I think a little appreciation for that mark is overdue.

Bobby Thigpen, 1990:
4-6, 1.83 ERA, 77 G, 57 SV, 88.7 IP, 60 H, 20 R, 18 ER, 32 BB, 70 K, 1.038 WHIP, 210 ERA+

Fifth in the MVP voting, fourth in CYA. Pretty memorable season.

 

Congrats, K-Rod. You're still only the fifth-best closer (behind Nathan, Rivera, Soria and Papelbon) in the AL this season. But congrats nevertheless.

 

K-Rod will get the record, but Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Papelbon are having better seasons. Maybe even Joe Nathan. And Joakim Soria. Put any of them on this year's Angels, they get the record.

 

You're absolutely right. Just as Thigpen wasn't the best closer in the AL in 1990, either. (In fact, Eckersley's 1990 season might be the best ever, among closers.)

But K-Rod will still get the record. Congrats to him.

And I don't think it's fair to say "put anybody else on this Angels team and they'd break the record, too." The Red Sox and Twins have won a pretty damn high number of ballgames, too, but Papelbon and Nathan are nowhere close. It's a matter of circumstances and opportunity, and we have no idea what would happen if anybody else were on one ballclub or another.

 

57 saves in 1990
54 saves for the rest of his career

 

Wow, I'm shocked at how low his strikeout to walk ratio is. Plus, I just figured he'd have more strikeouts.

 

What will K-Rod change his number to next year?

 

No, not anyone. But, c'mon, put one of those top guys on this year's Angels, keep everything else the same, and they wouldn't have done the same thing with 60+ save chances? Rivera'd already have 60 saves!

 

Anyway, here's a pretty honest assessment of K-Rod's season:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8060

 

It's one of those statistical outlier seasons, where someone just performs way beyond their norm.

I originally thought Thigpen may have been overused in 1990, but while he pitched in more games in that season compared to the rest of his career, it was only his third-highest innings pitched season.

 

K-Rod has had 62 save opportunities and the next closest is Nathan with 42. Wow.

Where does K-Rod finish in the Cy Young voting? I would guess right around where Thigpen did.