DENNIS "THE ECK" ECKERSLEY - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: LEE SMITH, BRUCE SUTTER, JEFF "THE TERMINATOR" REARDON, ROLLIE FINGERS, DOUG JONES, RICH "GOOSE" GOSSAGE, JOHN WETTELAND, ROBERTO HERNANDEZ, ROBB NEN - HFSID 288610

300 SAVES: DENNIS ECKERSLEY, ROLLIE FINGERS, GOOSE GOSSAGE, ROBERTO HERNANDEZ, DOUG JONES, ROB NEN, JEFF REARDON, BRUCE SUTTER, JOHN WETTELAND and LEE SMITH
Ten of baseball's finest closers have signed this 20x16 color photo of another closer, Mariano Rivera, striding in from the bullpen. Each signer has added his number of saves.
Photograph signed: "Robb Nen/314 Saves", "John Wetteland/330 Saves", "Dennis Eckersley/390 Saves", "Bruce Sutter/300 Saves", "Rollie Fingers/341 Saves", "Goose Gossage/310 Saves", "Lee Smith/478 Saves", "Doug Jones/PTL/303 Saves", "Roberto Hernandez/326 Saves", "Jeff Reardon/367 Saves". Color, 20x16. Yankee closer Mariano Rivera (not a signer) is pictured entering a game. In the early days of baseball, starting pitchers typically pitched the entire game. If the starter tired, he was replaced by another starter if the game was close, or by an inferior pitcher if the game seemed already decided. In the 1960s, teams began to build bullpens around relief specialists. They concept of the dominant closer, who would come in to protect a narrow lead in the late innings - often the 9th inning - became increasingly dominant from that era to the present. A "save" is recorded if the reliever successfully protects a lead of 3 or fewer runs and finished the game. The ten signers here are in the select club of pitchers earning 300 or more saves. As of early 2011, this club had only 21 members, although some active players are approaching the mark. Fine condition.