What a tough question! I have had issues with the term and use of closers in the modern era of baseball. Somewhere this came into use and rumor has it that Sparky Anderson was the culprit and thus given the moniker of captain Hook. I have had always had the opinion that 90% of the players pitching in the major leagues should be able to come in and pitch one inning to hold a lead. If not, then I don't think they are worth their salt.

I am just going to make a few comments then classify my all-time closers or in the older times, just plain releiver. First off, for one inning and until being injured Dick Raditz of the Baston Red Sox may have been the best I ever seen. Nicknamed the monster, he would come in and simply blow fastballs past the hitters. For some reason he did have a little trouble with the Tigers and Dick McAuliffe who liked to drag bunt on him. In frustration once in Detroit , he even tossed his glove in the air and when it landed in the crowd some fan scooted with it. In his day, he was the MONSTER out of the bullpen.

Then you had pitchers like ''Sparky Lyle'' and Johnny Hiller. John would come into the game with the bases loaded in the 7th inning and K the side, before pitching another 2 innings and completing the game. To me that is a closer. They come in and put out the fire, thus the "Fireman of the Year" award.

After this you get into the Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage type era where there was still some pre 9th inning work. These were both outstanding relievers.

Anyway, if you look to name a closer of all time then I would probably have to select Mariano Rivera. He has been extremely successful in the regular season and simply dominating in the World Series.

If we want to name a true fire stopper, then there would be many to choose from, but the would never rack up the number of saves the current closers have by normally just pitching the 9th inning.

My favorite those was probably Sparky Lyle. Watch the video for his interview

I think I’d have to go with Dennis Eckersley one of the reasons I would go with him is because while he is a closer from this era, he also was a starting pitcher so he wasn’t someone who made a living just pitching one inning at a time. Eckersley was, for the most part dominant when he was moved to the closer position. Four different times ‘Eck’ posted over 40 saves in a season and once he even got up to 51. In 1990, Dennis Eckersley posted a 0.61 earned run average while saving 48 games. I don’t believe any other pitcher, reliever or starter has ever put up those kinds of numbers, and I doubt they ever will.

It’s even more impressive because he spent his entire career as a closer in the American League, having the opportunity to face DH’s every game made his job that much tougher. Hoffman and Rivera are impressive, but I just don’t think they measure up in the long run.

The closers are usually the ones takes out offensive players from the softball game and they should be tough and brave at all times and they cannot afford even a single mental lapse.
Well, the league had produced many excellent closers on its fold. According to mlbcenter.com the third best closer league had produce is Mariano “Cutter” Rivera, as his moniker suggests he is very capable of getting rid of the opponents on the field. Rivera has four 4 world series titles on his pocket, was named MVP of world series and plucked out a superb and crisp 413 career saves a lofty achievements that will speak for himself. He has an impressive ERA and this makes one if not the best relievers in the MLB history.
The mlbcenter.com number 1 on their list is the durable and prolific Trevor Hoffman who boasts off the league’s all-time record of 492 saves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1bFoQcbuig