Could Thigpen's Saves Record be in Trouble?

Bobby Thigpen picked up 57 saves during the 1990 season, a record that has stood for 15 years, and a season that stands out like a sore thumb in Thigpen's career stat line.

Thigpen was absolutely phenomenal as a 26-year old in '90 - 57 saves with a 1.83 ERA and 1.038 WHIP. Granted, he only struck out 70 men in 88 2/3 innings, but that isn't so bad, all things considered, right?

Well, eventually, all those balls in play started to turn into baserunners. In 1991, he picked up 30 saves, but his Ks declined again, to 47 in 69 2/3 innings, and his ERA increased to 3.49 while his WHIP shot up to 1.45. In 1992, he got 22 saves, with a 4.75 ERA and a 1.655 WHIP. In 1993 he got 1 save, his last. He retired after the 1995 season.

We've said it a million times, but the lifespan of the finesse closer is generally quite short.

Still, that record stands. Even though Thigpen's 1990 efforts seem like yesterday (I can still remember finding his Upper Deck 1991 "SaveMaster" card in a pack), 15 years is quite a long time - especially when those 15 years have precisely corresponded with the rise of the specialist closer. How is it that no one has caught Thigpen?

There have been challengers - in 2003, Eric Gagne notched 55 saves, in an absolutely monstrous season (55 saves, 82 1/3 innings, 137 K, 1.20 ERA, and an unfathomable 0.692 WHIP).

One year earlier, in 2002, John Smoltz also notched 55 saves. In 1998, the great Trevor Hoffman closed out 53 games. And the Greatest Closer Of All Time, Mariano Rivera, closed out 53 in 2004 as a 34-year old.

But no one has caught Thigpen.

Yet.

There are certainly challengers this season. With a little more than half the season gone, the Red Sox' phenomenal young closer Jonathon Papelbon has 26 saves, which ties him for the MLB lead with the White Sox' phenomenal young closer, Bobby Jenks, and the Cardinals somewhat older and less effective Jason Isringhausen.

There's no reason to believe that any of these pitchers will catch Thigpen - after all, tallying 57 saves requires a healthy dose of luck and an uncommon abundance of save opportunities.

But there's also a chance - a decent chance - that someone will get that luck, and will get those save opportunities. With so many pitchers on pace to finish with save totals in the low-to-mid 50's, the law of averages would seem to dictate that someone would break away from the pack and make a run at the SaveMaster. Time will tell.