Mariano Rivera was in Tampa nearly 15 years ago, a month shy of signing a three-year contract extension with the Yankees that most believed would take him to the end of his already Hall of Fame-worthy career, when he was asked about possibly entering Cooperstown as a Yankee.
“I didn’t start thinking about closers in the Hall of Fame until Dennis Eckersley was voted in [2004],” Rivera said at the time. “Rollie Fingers is the only other closer in Cooperstown. … I didn’t know how it works, but I may have a chance.”
Forget having a chance to get into the Hall of Fame, the only real debate before Tuesday’s announcement of this year’s class is whether Rivera is going to be the first player voted in unanimously.
According to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker (found @NotMrTibbs on Twitter) as of Monday afternoon, Rivera had appeared on all ballots that had been publicly released, about 53 percent of all ballots. One voter, Bill Ballou of the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram, wrote a column last month saying he would not vote for Rivera, but because he didn’t want to ruin Rivera’s chances to be elected unanimously, he was withholding his ballot.
Ken Griffey Jr. has the record for highest percentage, with 99.3 percent in 2016. Rivera is on track to break that record, which would be the latest in his long list of milestones.
He already holds the mark for most regular-season saves (652) and in the postseason (42). His other playoff records include lowest career ERA with at least 30 innings pitched (0.70) and most games pitched (96), among others.
Those are just some of the reasons Rivera is a lock to join a small group of relievers in Cooperstown. There are only seven pitchers in the Hall of Fame primarily as relievers (Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith).
Asked by The Post’s Steve Serby in 2008 about why he believed there was a dearth of closers in the Hall of Fame, Rivera said: “No idea. But that’s my dream to be there, definitely.’’
He hasn’t addressed the topic much in retirement, although he was asked in October about being on the ballot for the first time.
“When it comes, I can give you a better answer,’’ Rivera said about being inducted. “Right now, I don’t know what to expect. It will be something that will bring me home to when I was a little one in Panama and now to be considered to be on the ballot is just amazing. Again, I can give you a better answer when the time comes.’’
On Tuesday, he should be able to offer an answer on what it feels like to be inducted, as he figures to join Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez and possibly former teammate Mike Mussina in the Class of 2019.
Another former teammate, Derek Jeter, will likely also make a run at a unanimous vote next year when he makes his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot.
Jeter was long ago convinced Rivera should be enshrined as soon as he was on the ballot.
“When you are around him, you know you’re around someone who’s going to Cooperstown about five minutes after he becomes eligible,’’ Jeter said during spring training in 2005.
And just last summer, Class of 2018 member Chipper Jones made it clear when he was enshrined in Cooperstown that he agreed with Jeter.
“I don’t know who is not going to vote for him,’’ Jones said. “There might be somebody, but I wouldn’t want to be that guy because he is going to be the only one.”
