CHICAGO – Overall, it’s impressive to rank 12th all-time in any category, but that’s still a random number. It’s the round numbers that stand out. Like the top 10.
Unless, of course, you surpass the greatest person who ever did it.
So let’s make an exception for David Robertson, who struck out Chicago’s Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn on Wednesday to overtake Mariano Rivera for 12th place on the all-time list of relievers. With Wednesday’s two strikeouts, Robertson has 1,137 strikeouts and Rivera has 1,135. There are a few more categories in which Rivera, who was Robertson’s teammate on the New York Yankees for nearly six years earlier in his career, has the edge. Namely: saves. Rivera is the all-time leader in that category with 652, eclipsing Robertson’s total of 177, which is still impressive.
“I never thought I’d be anywhere near him in any category,” Robertson said after the Texas Rangers’ 3-1 victory following Tuesday’s suspended game. “I joke that the only way I could catch him is in strikeouts, and, well, I’ve probably beat him in walks. Look, it feels great to pass him in something, but, man, I’ve learned a lot watching him, and he’s an incredible competitor.
“I’ve always been a strikeout pitcher, even though I don’t throw very hard, but I could get a high strikeout rate and go long, and he didn’t strike out as many people because he blew up their bats when he threw them in his hands. So they just threw the bat out there. So we’re two different pitchers, but at least I can say I outperform him in one thing.”
Well, maybe two. Robertson is right. He also leads Rivera in walks by quite a distance. Rivera has only walked 266 batters in 1,283 career innings. Robertson has 349 walks in 861 2/3 career innings.
Robertson, 39, could still climb a little on the all-time relief strikeout list. He needs five strikeouts to catch Francisco Rodriguez and 28 to tie Lindy McDaniel for 10th place.
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