Rolaids Relief Award

From BR Bullpen

The Rolaids Relief Man Award was an annual Major League Baseball award given by Rolaids to the top relief pitcher in each league. It was first awarded in 1976, but was discontinued following the 2012 season, to allow for the introduction of the Mariano Rivera Award and the Trevor Hoffman Award in 2014. Nippon Professional Baseball has a similar award called the Fireman of the Year.

Scoring System[edit]

Unlike other awards such as the Cy Young Award or the Most Valuable Player, the Relief Man Award was based on statistical performance, rather than subjective opinion.

1976-1987[edit]

1988-1999[edit]

  • Saves: +3
  • Relief Wins: +2
  • Relief Losses: -2
  • Blown Saves: -2

2000-2012[edit]

  • Saves: +3
  • Relief Wins: +2
  • "Tough Saves": +1 (in addition to save points)
  • Relief Losses: -2
  • Blown Saves: -2

The reliever with the highest score at the end of the season was given the award.

Award Winners[edit]

Dan Quisenberry and Mariano Rivera have both won the Rolaids Award five times. Bruce Sutter and Rollie Fingers have won it four times.

Bold indicates Cy Young Award winner

American League[edit]

Year Player Team ERA Wins Losses Saves Blown
Saves
Tough
Saves
Points
1976 Bill Campbell Minnesota Twins 3.01 17 5 20 n/a n/a 69
1977 Bill Campbell Boston Red Sox 2.96 13 9 31 n/a n/a 79
1978 Rich Gossage New York Yankees 2.01 10 11 27 n/a n/a 63
1979 Jim Kern Texas Rangers 1.57 13 5 29 n/a n/a 79
1980 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals 3.09 12 7 33 n/a n/a 83
1981 Rollie Fingers Milwaukee Brewers 1.04 6 3 28 n/a n/a 65
1982 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals 2.57 9 7 35 n/a n/a 81
1983 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals 1.94 5 3 45 n/a n/a 97
1984 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals 2.64 6 3 44 n/a n/a 97
1985 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals 2.37 8 9 37 n/a n/a 81
1986 Dave Righetti New York Yankees 2.45 8 8 46 n/a n/a 100
1987 Dave Righetti New York Yankees 3.51 8 6 31 n/a n/a 72
1988 Dennis Eckersley Oakland Athletics 2.35 4 2 45 8 n/a 123
1989 Jeff Russell Texas Rangers 1.98 6 4 38 6 n/a 106
1990 Bobby Thigpen Chicago White Sox 1.83 4 6 57 8 n/a 151
1991 Bryan Harvey California Angels 1.60 2 4 46 6 n/a 122
1992 Dennis Eckersley Oakland Athletics 1.91 7 1 51 3 n/a 159
1993 Jeff Montgomery Kansas City Royals 2.27 7 5 45 6 n/a 127
1994 Lee Smith Baltimore Orioles 3.29 1 4 33 6 n/a 81
1995 Jose Mesa Cleveland Indians 1.13 3 0 46 2 n/a 140
1996 John Wetteland New York Yankees 2.83 2 3 43 4 n/a 119
1997 Randy Myers Baltimore Orioles 1.51 2 3 45 1 n/a 131
1998 Tom Gordon Boston Red Sox 2.72 7 4 46 1 n/a 142
1999 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees 1.83 4 3 45 4 n/a 129
2000 Todd Jones Detroit Tigers 3.52 2 4 42 4 4 118
2001 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees 2.34 4 6 50 7 3 135
2002 Billy Koch Oakland Athletics 3.27 11 4 44 6 2 136
2003 Keith Foulke Oakland Athletics 2.08 9 1 43 5 4 139
2004 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees 1.94 4 2 53 4 2 157
2005 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees 1.38 7 4 43 4 8 135
2006 Francisco Rodríguez Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 1.73 2 3 47 4 3 134
2007 J.J. Putz Seattle Mariners 1.38 6 1 40 2 8 134
2008 Francisco Rodríguez Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.24 2 3 62 7 1 171
2009 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees 1.76 3 3 44 2 4 132
2010 Rafael Soriano Tampa Bay Rays 1.73 3 2 45 3 0 131
2011 Jose Valverde Detroit Tigers 2.24 2 4 49 0 0 143
2012 Jim Johnson Batimore Orioles 2.49 2 1 51 3 0 149

National League[edit]

Year Player Team ERA Wins Losses Saves Blown
Saves
Tough
Saves
Points
1976 Rawly Eastwick Cincinnati Reds 2.09 11 5 26 n/a n/a 69
1977 Rollie Fingers San Diego Padres 2.99 8 9 35 n/a n/a 77
1978 Rollie Fingers San Diego Padres 2.52 6 13 37 n/a n/a 73
1979 Bruce Sutter Chicago Cubs 2.22 6 6 37 n/a n/a 80
1980 Rollie Fingers San Diego Padres 2.80 11 9 23 n/a n/a 59
1981 Bruce Sutter St. Louis Cardinals 2.62 3 5 25 n/a n/a 51
1982 Bruce Sutter St. Louis Cardinals 2.90 9 8 36 n/a n/a 82
1983 Al Holland Philadelphia Phillies 2.26 8 4 25 n/a n/a 62
1984 Bruce Sutter St. Louis Cardinals 1.54 5 7 45 n/a n/a 93
1985 Jeff Reardon Montreal Expos 3.18 2 8 41 n/a n/a 78
1986 Todd Worrell St. Louis Cardinals 2.08 9 10 36 n/a n/a 80
1987 Steve Bedrosian Philadelphia Phillies 2.83 5 3 40 n/a n/a 87
1988 John Franco Cincinnati Reds 1.57 6 6 39 3 n/a 111
1989 Mark Davis San Diego Padres 1.85 4 3 44 4 n/a 126
1990 John Franco New York Mets 2.53 5 3 33 6 n/a 91
1991 Lee Smith St. Louis Cardinals 2.34 6 3 47 6 n/a 135
1992 Lee Smith St. Louis Cardinals 3.12 4 9 43 8 n/a 103
1993 Randy Myers Chicago Cubs 3.11 2 4 53 6 n/a 143
1994 Rod Beck San Francisco Giants 2.77 2 4 28 0 n/a 80
1995 Tom Henke St. Louis Cardinals 1.82 1 1 36 2 n/a 104
1996 Jeff Brantley Cincinnati Reds 2.41 1 2 44 5 n/a 120
1997 Jeff Shaw Cincinnati Reds 2.38 4 2 42 7 n/a 116
1998 Trevor Hoffman San Diego Padres 1.48 4 2 53 1 n/a 161
1999 Billy Wagner Houston Astros 1.57 4 1 39 3 n/a 117
2000 Antonio Alfonseca Florida Marlins 4.24 5 6 45 4 0 125
2001 Armando Benitez New York Mets 3.77 6 4 43 3 3 130
2002 John Smoltz Atlanta Braves 3.25 3 2 55 4 5 164
2003 Eric Gagné Los Angeles Dodgers 1.20 2 3 55 0 2 165
2004 Eric Gagné Los Angeles Dodgers 2.19 7 3 45 2 3 142
2005 Chad Cordero Washington Nationals 1.82 2 4 47 7 14 137
2006 Trevor Hoffman San Diego Padres 2.14 0 2 46 5 0 124
2007 Jose Valverde Arizona Diamondbacks 2.66 1 4 47 7 1 122
2008 Brad Lidge Philadelphia Phillies 1.95 2 0 41 0 0 127
2009 Heath Bell San Diego Padres 2.71 6 4 42 6 3 121
2010 Heath Bell San Diego Padres 1.93 6 1 47 3 5 150
2011 John Axford Milwaukee Brewers 1.95 2 2 46 2 0 134
2012 Craig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves 1.01 3 1 42 3 1 125

External Links[edit]