One of the mysteries of baseball is how Mariano Rivera has been able to perform at a Hall of Fame level into his late thirties, and now, forties. Take a look at other top closers in the history of baseball and how they fared in their age 39 season:

Goose Gossage- 1 Save, 3.57 ERA, ERA+ of 114

Dennis Eckersley- 4.26 ERA, 19 saves, ERA+ of 104

Jeff Reardon – out of baseball

Lee Smith – 5 Saves, 5.82 ERA, ERA+ of 72

John Franco- 4 Saves, 3.40 ERA, ERA+ of 131

Trevor Hoffman- 42 saves, ERA of 2.98, ERA+ of 134

Rollie Fingers – out of baseball

The closest comparison is Trevor Hoffman, who quite honestly, was never in Rivera’s league when he as at the top of his game. When you factor in his inability to get left handed hitters out in later years it’s hard to say he is an “elite” closer. Again, all the others were either setup men, middle tier closers at best, or out of baseball.

In comparison Rivera put up an ERA+ of 243 which was higher than his age 26 season. Obviously some feel his line drive percentage, which reach 21%, is a sign of trouble in the coming years, but hitters made contact off Mariano in the past and still didn’t see much success unless, of course, you count weak pop ups and groundballs as solid contact. His strikeout rate is as good as ever as well.

There is no indication that Rivera will stop, so why the success? Buster Olney caught up with Mo and showed him what the great Satchel Paige thought was the secret to longevity. Mariano might agree with Paige on the fried food points, but it appears rest, running, abstaining from alcohol, and respect for the game are at the core of his success.

Maybe it’s good genes, but whatever it is, I am not sure we will see this type of high level of performance again in our lifetime. Things will certainly change around here once Rivera retires or the game catches up with him. Hopefully Yankees fans appreciate the level of excellence he has treated them to the last 15 years.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

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Tags: Buster Olney, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Jeff Reardon, John Franco, Lee Smith, Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Rollie Fingers, Satchel Paige, Trevor Hoffman