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Interesting.
Just look at the numbers they put up in comparison with their contemporaries at their positions.
Mariano wins.
If you would like to talk about inmpact on the game and a more difficult situation, you could argue Robinson.

AllStarz | 05/05/08, 11:20 AM

Hey I am a Yankee fan but not even I think that Rivera should hold that spot over Jackie Robinson. Rivera is a great closer but seriously Robinson revolutionized the game of baseball.

Clarky2688 | 05/05/08, 11:35 PM

Two of my all-time favorites. Jackie Robinson's legacy transcends baseball and he played in a much more hostile environment day in and day out. I love Mariano but few could have endured what Jackie Robinson had to deal with. No disgrace in finishing second here.

Bx. Bomber in Jpn | 05/06/08, 12:20 AM

If 10 seasons, playing every game, isn't a large enough body of work for you then how can pitching one inning every second or third game be considered sufficient?

H.H. | 05/06/08, 02:24 PM

If 10 seasons, playing every game, isn't a large enough body of work for you, then how do you consider pitching one inning every second or third game sufficient?

H.H. | 05/06/08, 02:26 PM

FYI, Unlike many other players, Robinson didn't spend much time in the Negro leagues. Maybe 1 or 2 years. Then he spent 1 year playing the minors and then moved up to the Dodgers. If anything, you can blame WW2 for his late start in MLB. He served from '42-'44. Of course, take away WW2, who knows when MLB would have dropped segregation. Might have been before '47, maybe later.

Tom P922 | 05/06/08, 03:43 PM

This writer is as wrong as two left shoes.

Goldizzle | 05/06/08, 03:44 PM

I agree with the writer. If you want on-the-field only, then its Rivera, who has played a key part in almost every Yankee post-season victory over the past decade. However, if people want to include what happened outside the lines, then I'm all for Robinson, but then we have to take out Rose, since he carries an off the field stink like no one else (unlike the Steroid era, you can actually question if Rose's cheating helped his team's chances more than hurt them).

BlueDeviled | 05/06/08, 04:24 PM

Ridiculous comparison and not even worth the paper it's written on. Robinson will always be far more important to baseball than Mariano, even though Mariano is the best for his time at his position.

ichthyus | 05/06/08, 04:29 PM

You made a great argument as to why Mo Rivera is the greatest to wear 42, but your reasoning at the end is flawed and disrespects us fellow 80's babies as somewhat dismissive of Robinson's trials. If we are talking stats then surely Rivera has him beat....but the tone of this paragraph sounds like you're passing Robinson off as being celebrated more for his impact than his stats. Jackie may not have been Rogers Hornsby but he was one of the best in his time as that ROY, MVP, batting titles and base-stealing prowess suggest.

You argue that the knock on Jackie is his 10-year career (is that so short?), but you also said he put up great numbers for a 2nd baseman at the time and he was one of the best among his peers. Considering baseball only had 40-50 years to judge on at the time, I'd say that's HOF worthy to me and i'd argue that Hornsby and maybe Joe Morgan are only better than him at 2B statwise

His numbers may look pale now, but compare them to his era and they speak louder.

virgowood | 05/06/08, 04:54 PM

Typical old white guy trying to find a way to diminish what Jackie did on the field which was for 10 years made a way possible for Rivera and all others to follow for eternity.....the SI writer is an idiot.

Booyaa58 | 05/06/08, 05:03 PM

On the basis on just who is the better player, I agree with Mariano Rivera. Of course Robinson impacted the overall game in a way no one ever will by what it took just to play. But player vs. player. Rivera wins. I disagree with the author's assessment that 10 years is too small a body of work. That's rubbish. 10 years of domination is more than adequate. But Robinson didn't dominate for 10 years. Take Sandy Koufax- for 5 years he was almost untouchable. No one's come close to that since. Rivera has dominated his position for 12 years.

LeeDawg | 05/06/08, 05:06 PM

The list has Robinson as the #42, not Rivera. why the article on why it is Rivera?

JMac | 05/06/08, 05:18 PM

I would argue that Rivera was only the most dominant closer in the gaem for 3 or 4 years. He has never pitched more than 80 innings in a season as a closer. I don't think he would be in the conversation of greatest relief pitchers of all time because he hasn't had to pitch as much. He is an unbelievable player, but come on. This arguement is ridiculous

jhana81 | 05/06/08, 05:33 PM

"Among active players, there's not a more obvious first-ballot Hall of Famer." What?? How about the guy who has won four consecutive Cy Young awards (without the taint of steroids allegations), will likely retire 7th or 8th on the all time wins list (more wins than anyone in 43 years), recorded a 1.56 ERA and then a 1.63 ERA the next season, all the while earning 17 gold gloves?? No one this side of the Vietnam War gets a bigger slam dunk at the Hall of Fame than Greg Maddux.

andersen27 | 05/06/08, 06:12 PM

Without Jackie Robinson wearing #42, Mariano Rivera wouldn't have been able to play in the majors, let alone share the same number...

Hitchcock | 05/06/08, 07:22 PM

If we are talking about the best player at their position, ON THE FIELD, with that number: Rivera. Over 450 saves, absolutely LIGHTS OUT in the playoffs, just filthy.

But I will not argue that Jackie Robinson has had a much greater impact on the game as a whole. Jackie Robinson opened doors for soo many individuals that his impact will never be rivaled in baseball (at least not that I can see).

That said, I do not believe they were asking who had a more profound impact on the game, but who was the best player to wear that number. That was Mariano Rivera.

Lazo | 05/06/08, 08:30 PM

not only is this writer wrong but the whole crack team who put together the whole list must be mentally ill with some of the names they were actually considering. I actually saw jimmy rollins' name for honorable mention then I closed it so I don't blow a gasket.

GiantKillers | 05/06/08, 08:48 PM

Hate to say it, but the writer is wrong about something else. Jackie Robinson isn't the only player to have his number retired by an entire professional sports league. Anyone remember #99 being retired in the NHL for the Great One?

PETERV | 05/06/08, 09:15 PM

Mariano Rivera: 97.5 career WARP3 rating.
Jackie Robinson: 91.5 career WARP3 rating.

In terms of career impact based on purely on the field factors, they're already not all that far apart. And while it's not fair to give Robinson extra credit for his cultural impact, it's criminal not to consider that Robinson lost productive years to WWII and racism. Robinson absolutely was one of the very best second basemen of all time. The article is just plain wrong.

Spielman | 05/06/08, 10:13 PM