MLB to name Reliever of the Year awards for Rivera and Trevor Hoffman

[Lose Remerswaal]

 
Major League Baseball will name its annual reliever awards after two of the best closers in history.

 

Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601), who rank Nos. 1 and 2 in career saves, will have their name on the awards given to the best reliever in each league, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Rivera’s name will be attached to the AL award, as he pitched his entire career for the Yankees, and Hoffman’s to the NL since he pitched his entire career in that league, mostly with the Padres.
 

More here

 

[Leather]

Rolaids is gonna be pissed.

 

[ifmanis5]

Reardon's beard, still unquestionably epic.

 

[JimD]

Eh ... these are still second-tier awards.  The BBWAA should have long ago introduced a reliever's equivalent to the Cy Young award. 

 

[derekson]

Eh ... these are still second-tier awards.  The BBWAA should have long ago introduced a reliever's equivalent to the Cy Young award. 

 
Maybe the stature of the award will increase now that it, like the CYA, is now named after a HOF player. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if fans and media started paying a lot more attention to it.

 

[AbbyNoho]

Outside of maybe waiting until the 5 years have passed to put them in the Hall of Fame, can't really make a good argument against this.

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

I actually like this idea. I think a closers good year should be recognized.

 

[mabrowndog]

Eh ... these are still second-tier awards.  The BBWAA should have long ago introduced a reliever's equivalent to the Cy Young award. 

 
Agreed. The BBWAA award should be called the Bullpen Badass in honor of Eckersley.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

 
Maybe the stature of the award will increase now that it, like the CYA, is now named after a HOF player. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if fans and media started paying a lot more attention to it.

Yes, like the Hank Aaron award.

 

[Rasputin]

My only reaction to this is that I now hope Koji Uehara has so brilliant a year that they can't even consider giving it to a Yankee.

 

[SaveBooFerriss]

Rivera could probably come back next year and win the Mariano Rivera Award.  

 

[terrisus]

 
Maybe the stature of the award will increase now that it, like the CYA, is now named after a HOF player.

 
So they bypassed the 5-year waiting period for Rivera and Hoffman?
 
(Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if they did do that)