The Relief Pitcher in Baseball still struggles for respect amongst the traditionalists of the game as only five Relievers (Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley) have entered Cooperstown, but we expect that two more will enter in the upcoming years; at least we think that Major League Baseball thinks that will happen based on the revamping of their post season awards.
The top reliever in the American League will win the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award. This is to honor the recently retired Rivera, who spent his entire career with the New York Yankees and set the Major League record for Saves. Rivera is considered a surefire Hall of Fame entry, and should enter on the first ballot.
In the National League, it will be named after Trevor Hoffman, who spent his entire career in the National League, mostly with the San Diego Padres. Hoffman, who may not be held in the same regard as Rivera, is a Hall of Fame candidate himself.
The awards will be voted on a by an elite group of nine former Relief Pitchers which include Rivera and Hoffman. The remaining seven are the Hall of Famers; Fingers, Sutter, Gossage and Eckersley and Lee Smith, John Franco and Billy Wagner.
Prior to the change in the awards, Major League Baseball only had one award for both leagues, named the Delivery Man of the Year.
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