Touch 'Em All: Yankees' Rivera saves No. 600

The book on Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's outing Tuesday night against the Mariners in Seattle shows: one hit, no runs, two strikeouts, no walks in one inning of work, good for save No. 41 in 46 chances. The Yankees won, 3-2.

What it doesn't show is that he joined Trevor Hoffman as the only closers to record 600 or more saves. Hoffman had 601 saves in 18 seasons, most of them with the ordinary San Diego Padres.

Rivera's amazing run - all with the Yankees - began on May 17, 1996, when he entered in the top of the ninth inning to protect an 8-5 lead against the California Angels. Eight pitches later, seven of them strikes, he finished with a single, a strikeout, and a ground-ball double play for save No. 1. (Rivera served that season as set-up man for John Wetteland.)

No. 3 on the list is Lee Smith, with 478, followed by John Franco, 424; Billy Wagner, 422; Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, 390; Jeff Reardon, 367; Troy Percival, 358; Randy Myers, 347; and Rollie Fingers, 341.

Wetteland, the closer Rivera supplanted in 1997, finished with 330 saves, good for 11th all-time.

Rivera said he wasn't thinking about the record.

"Maybe later on after I retire, but right now I'm not focused on that," he told the Associated Press. "I'm not that type of guy. I'm a team player. I tell you guys many times and I'll continue to tell you, it doesn't depend on myself. It depends on my teammates giving me the opportunity to be able to pitch."

The Pittsburgh Pirates ensured their 19th consecutive losing season Wednesday with a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The latest losing season, coming a year after they registered a big-league-worst 57-105 record, gives the Bucs the mark for futility in terms of consecutive losing seasons.

The Pirates were looking pretty good earlier this season. On July 19, they were 51-44 and led the NL Central by a half-game. But they immediately went on a 10-game losing streak on the way to their current 67-82 record.

The Marlins will open the Major League Baseball season next year, hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4 on their brand-new field and sporting a new name: the Miami Marlins.

Known as the Florida Marlins since starting play in 1993, the team will be renamed Nov. 11 as it prepares to move into a $515 million, retractable-roof ballpark on the site of the old Orange Bowl.

The plaque that Ted Williams won as the American League MVP in 1949 will soon be up for sale, as will be his Hall of Fame induction ring.

Several items belonging to the late slugger - a two-time MVP who twice won the Triple Crown and hit .406 in 1941 - are set for auction next spring. Among them are his 1946 AL championship ring, a bat he used in an All-Star Game, and a baseball that Babe Ruth signed to Williams. Hunt Auctions will host the sale in the Boston area at a date to be determined.

"The time has come in my life to let go of some of my father's awards and personal memorabilia," Williams' daughter, Claudia, said in a statement. "I have struggled with this decision for the past 10 years, but the reality is, these items have remained locked away in a storage unit."

Williams, who spent his entire career with the Red Sox, retired after the 1960 season. He died in 2002.

- Staff and wire reports