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Baseball Hall of Fame Pettite Artifacts Mariano Rivera
1-800-BEISBOL - Baseball is a team sport but tends to have individual records. So it's a rare day when the Baseball Hall of Fame receives items from two players for a joint record.
But that's exactly what Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera did Friday after breaking the Major League record for combined wins and saves with their 58th. The previous record of 57 was held by Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch of the Oakland A's.
Pettitte and Rivera have played together for the New York Yankees since 1995 except for three seasons when Pettitte played in Houston (2004-06) and Rivera was named the team's closer in 1997. More than 25 percent of Pettitte's 180 Yankees wins have included a save by Rivera. The pair has won four World Series together.
Artifacts from the record-setting May 29 game are on their way to Cooperstown. Pettitte donated his cap, and both Pettitte and Rivera signed and donated a game ball from their historic performance.
Pettitte has a 220-128 career record with a 3.89 ERA and 2,036 strikeouts. The two-time All-Star was the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2001 and has finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting four different seasons.
Rivera has 492 saves, good for second on the all-time list. His 2.29 ERA ranks first among active pitchers. He has won the AL Rolaids Relief Award four times, was the ALCS MVP in 2003 and the World Series MVP in 1999. His postseason ERA is 0.77 in 117 1/3 innings.
Rivera also resides third on the wins-saves list with the recently retired Mike Mussina. The duo combined for 49 wins-saves.
1-800-BEISBOL June 15, 2009 09:29 AM
