PARTICIPATION IN SCORING ASPECT IS STRICTLY OPTIONAL SO FEEL FREE TO FIND THE CACHE AND WATCH ALL THE ACTION FROM THE GRANDSTAND. GAME ON!
Welcome to the 2022 Home Run Derby! Every Saturday morning a new cache will be released. After it is published you will have roughly a week to find it and select a slugger to represent you in that week's edition of the home run derby. Select one player and include his name in your log. The number of home runs he hits the following week (starting the Friday after cache publication) is your score; don't worry, we will handle all the scoring.
The series will be cumulative points from April through September with a week off over the All Star break. The "catch" is every player must be unique, so FTF has choice of any player, second to find will have second pick and so on. The cache hiders will also be playing so the cache owner will select fifth each week.
This is week 22 of the series (22 of 25).
Scoring for this week is Friday, September 2, 2022 through Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Fans can argue over the best player of all-time at each position, but much like Jerry Rice as the best NFL wide receiver, there is little debate that Mariano Rivers is the best closer in MLB history. In fact, the career saves leader with 652 is the only player to be elected unanimously to the Hall of Fame (we still need to wait a few years for Mike Trout).
Rivera holds numerous records in addition to career saves, such as saving at least 25 games for 15 straight seasons. He posted an ERA under 2.00 in 11 seasons and finished with a 2.21 career ERA, both records for the live ball era.
In his last season in 2013 at age 43, he saved an incredible 44 games with a 2.11 ERA. One thing I always found fascinating about him was how under the radar he managed to be, despite a Hall of Fame career playing for the New York Yankees.
This should be an easy find, as easy as Rivera mowed down batters. Watch for snakes and BYOP. Good luck!