Mariano sits alone at top

Yankee Stadium celebrates Mariano Rivera as the new saves king.

Very rarely do closers get the recognition they truly deserve. Unless they have a unique personal style, many go unnoticed throughout their careers as they pile up the saves. The all-time saves record has changed hands several times over the years and Major League Baseball has seen it change hands twice over the past five years.

Trevor Hoffman set his record at 601 in 2010 with the Milwaukee Brewers and a year later, New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera broke the record. That got me thinking...who are the top-5 closers, in my opinion of course, to have ever closed out a game.

5) Rich Gossage (310 saves, 3.01 ERA, 124-107): "Goose" as he was called, was a nine-time All-Star during his 23-year career. He spent time with nine different teams and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

4) Dennis Eckersley (390 saves, 3.50 ERA, 197-171): The only pitcher on my top-5 who was a starter before landing in the bullpen. The wavy haired pitcher from Fremont, CA was the go-to guy for an Oakland Athletics ball club that went to three consecutive World Series. Inducted into the HOF 2004.

3) Lee Smith (478 saves, 3.03 ERA, 71-92): 478 saves, eight teams and multiple honors. Smith held the all-time saves lead for years until recently. Smith is not in the HOF, but his numbers as a closer do merit his induction. He held the top spot for 13 seasons, until Hoffman broke the record in 2006.

2) Trevor Hoffman (601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 61-75): For as long as I can remember Hoffman was the guy that when he stepped on the mound fans knew it'd be a quick end to the ninth. He was dominating and batters feared him even without a beard.

1) Mariano Rivera (602 saves, 2.22 ERA, 75-57)*: There is little that needs to be said about this man. His entrance music from the bullpen is Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and it is quite fitting. When he comes into a game it is time for the opposing team to go to sleep. His reign in the pinstripes and performing on baseball's largest stage makes him a legend amongst greats.
*Stats until 9/19/2011

These men have all been called on to finish off a game under the most stressful conditions. They've succeeded and have failed, but all have been great at what they do.