LANCE'S LISTS: A LOOK AT THE SIMBL'S ALL-TIME SAVES LEADERS

Cleveland's Santiago Rivera Already Among The SIMBL's Greats

By Lance Stanley
SIMBL Contributor

Current Cleveland uber-closer Santiago Rivera (above) at age 32 has already won four league Fireman Of The Year Awards and can become the first and only pitcher in the SIMBL's 35-season history to win the award five times.  The four-time All-Star and former #9 overall pick of the 2030 SIMBL Draft currently is 8-4 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.17 WHIP and his 36 saves are tied for first in the UL and tied for second-place in the SIMBL.

Hi again youngsters.  Lance Stanley reporting in the SIMBL.

With the SIMBL nearing the end of its 35th regular season and 21st in the New File Era (2019-current) the league has seen its share of superb closers.

Especially in the New File Era has there have been an abundance of Hall Of Fame-bound stud firemen.

Former four-time SL Fireman Of The Year Bill Hyer is the only closer to be voted into the SIMBL Hall Of Fame thus far from the First File Era (2005-2018).

Willie Roger DeMarco, Barrett Jenkins, Andrew Stephens and Andrew Steele are closers from the New File Era that have already been inducted into the SIMBL Hall Of Fame due to their dominance.  Easily, the currently active former long-time Las Vegas and current San Diego closer Cedric Issacson, former long-time Asheville and current Las Vegas closer Dez Jordan, long-time Knoxville fireman Chris Ross, long-time Calgary closer John Coburn, current San Diego closer Steven Pfleguer and long-time Hawaii fireman Todd Newell can be added once they retire with several other current closers also in line to join them.

Westbury's Keith Patterson is the only pitcher in SIMBL history to have 250 saves along with 150 wins after he converted to a starting pitcher in the middle of his career and has made his mark quietly as one of the best pitchers the SIMBL has ever seen.  

The 34 year-old Patterson, a 12-time All-Star, is also the only pitcher in league history to win both the Hurler Of The Year Award (2035) and a Fireman Of The Year Award (2029). Before converting to an #1 starter, Patterson won the UL Fireman Of The Year Award twice for the 2025 and 2029 seasons. The former #15 overall pick of the 2022 SIMBL Draft also was named the 2030 ULCS MVP for Whitby en route to leading the Battalion to their only SIMBL championship that season. He is also one of only eight closers in league history to post a 50-save season.

Speaking of 50-save seasons, current SIMBL all-time saves leader Cedric Issacson has done it three times while no other pitcher has done it more than once:

50-Save Seasons In SIMBL History:

59 Juan Rivera Dallas 2022
54 Cedric Issacson Las Vegas 2028
53 Cedric Issacson San Diego 2033
53 Domingo Francisco New York 2037
53 William Randazzo Chicago 2018
53 Bill Hyer San Diego 2014
51 Keith Patterson Whitby 2025
50 Willie Roger DeMarco San Diego 2021
50 Richard Lynch Portland 2009
50 Cedric Issacson Las Vegas 2023

Current Cleveland fireball-throwing fireman Santiago Rivera is firmly-placed as the best current closer in the SIMBL and has won four of the past six UL Fireman Of The Year Awards.  Rivera, currently tied for first in the UL and second in the SIMBL for saves with a 2.60 season ERA, has a chance to become the first five-time winner of the award as there have been four pitchers to have won the award four-times: current SIMBL all-time saves leader Cedric Issacson, current Cleveland closer Santiago Rivera, SIMBL First File Era Hall Of Famer Bill Hyer and SIMBL New File Era Hall Of Famer Barrett Jenkins.

Hawaii's long-time fireman Todd Newell has won the award three times.

Two time winners include former Whitby closer and current Westbury ace Keith Patterson, the SIMBL's current second-place all-time saves leader and former long-time Asheville closer Dez Jordan, former Whitby closer and current Calgary setup man Luis Castro, former long-time San Diego and Seattle closer and SIMBL Hall Of Famer Willie Roger DeMarco, former First File Era long-time Bristol closer Brian Studdard, Chicago's First File Era closer William Randazzo, former First File Era Dalton fireman Michael Harper, former First File Era Texas fireman Alex Fabregas and former First File Era Columbus closer Aaron Bennett.

Oregon's Charles Vue from the First File Era and the New File Era's Chicago and Bristol's Ron Orr, Asheville's Dez Jordan, Hawaii's Kerry Powell and New York's and San Diego's Chad Bryan are the only pitchers to win both a Fireman Of The Year Award as a closer and a Middle Reliever Of The Year Award as a primary middle reliever with the last being Bryan in 2031.

Here are the Fireman Of The Year winner history in the SIMBL's 35th season of play:

2038 UL: Scott Williams Westbury
2037 UL: Santiago Rivera Cleveland
2036 UL: Luis Castro Whitby
2035 UL: Santiago Rivera Cleveland  
2034 UL: Santiago Rivera Cleveland  
2033 UL: Santiago Rivera Cleveland  
2032 UL: Luis Castro Whitby  
2031 UL: Willie Roger DeMarco Seattle  
2030 UL: Kerry Powell Westbury  
2029 UL: Keith Patterson Whitby  
2028 UL: Barrett Jenkins Bristol  
2027 UL: Steven Pfleuger Cleveland  
2026 UL: Dontrelle Jackson Seattle  
2025 UL: Keith Patterson Whitby  
2024 UL: Andrew Steele New York  
2023 UL: Barrett Jenkins Calgary  
2022 UL: Barrett Jenkins Calgary  
2021 UL: Kendall Hayes Bend  
2020 UL: Barrett Jenkins Calgary  
2019 UL: Andrew Stephens Oregon  
2018 UL: Darrick Agosto Sacramento  
2017 UL: Richard Bell Bristol  
2016 UL: Michael Harper Dalton  
2015 UL: Michael Harper Dalton  
2014 UL: Brian Studdard Bristol  
2013 UL: John Campbell Calgary  
2012 UL: Brian Studdard Bristol  
2011 UL: Alex Fabregas Texas  
2010 UL: Alex Fabregas Texas  
2009 UL: Mathew Chow Boston  
2008 UL: Tyson Wieland Augusta  
2007 UL: Aaron Bennett Columbus  
2006 UL: Aaron Bennett Columbus  
2005 UL: Brian Nedd Tacoma

2038 SL: Orlando Castro Boston
2037 SL: Yok-Sing Sutherland Chicago
2036 SL: Alberto Barrios Chicago
2035 SL: Cedric Issacson San Diego
2034 SL: Cedric Issacson San Diego
2033 SL: Otto Orf Rochester
2032 SL: Cedric Issacson Las Vegas
2032 SL: Todd Newell Hawaii
2031 SL: Chad Bryan San Diego
2030 SL: Todd Newell Hawaii
2029 SL: Todd Newell Hawaii
2028 SL: Cedric Issacson Las Vegas
2027 SL: Chris Ross Knoxville
2026 SL: Ron Orr Chicago
2025 SL: Alex Martin Rochester
2024 SL: Willie Roger DeMarco San Diego
2023 SL: Dez Jordan Asheville
2022 SL: Dez Jordan Asheville
2021 SL: Blair Singleton Las Vegas
2020 SL: Robert McFadden Sunnyvale
2019 SL: Royce Clifton Augusta
2018 SL: Willliam Randazzo Chicago
2017 SL: Jeffrey Dempsey Asheville
2016 SL: Charles Vue Oregon
2015 SL: William Randazzo Chicago
2014 SL: Bill Hyer San Diego
2013 SL: Bill Hyer San Diego
2012 SL: Bill Hyer San Diego
2011 SL: Bill Hyer San Diego
2010 SL: William Cimino Chicago
2009 SL: Richard Lynch Portland
2008 SL: Marcus Reiley New York
2007 SL: Frank Emery Belle River
2006 SL: Magglio Guzman San Diego
2005 SL: James Nuzzo Chicago

SIMBL All-Time Saves Leaders
As Of The 9/12/2039 League Date:

*-Indicates Active Player
#- Indicates Inducted Into SIMBL Hall Of Fame

1. 679 Cedric Issacson Las Vegas/San Diego 2021-2039 *
2. 675 Dez Jordan Asheville/Las Vegas 2019-2039 *
3. 589 Willie Roger DeMarco San Diego/Seattle 2019-2035 #
4. 547 Barrett Jenkins Calgary/Asheville/Bristol/Rochester 2019-2034 #
5. 507 Steven Pfleuger Sunnyvale/Deer Lake/Cleveland/Tampa Bay/Whitby/Dallas/San Diego 2021-2039 *
6. 494 John Coburn Deer Lake/Calgary 2024-2039 *
7. 493 Chris Ross Knoxville 2022-2039 *
8. 461 Andrew Stephens Oregon/Dallas 2019-2030 #
9. 452 Todd Newell Hawaii 2026-2039 *
10. 429 Bill Hyer San Diego/Lowell 2008-2018 #

11. 426 Frank Emery Asheville-Las Vegas 2005-2018
12. 406 Otto Orf Rochester 2028-2039 *
13. 403 Juan Carlos Bermudez Boston/San Diego/Hawaii 2024-2039 *
14. 383 Brian Studdard Bristol/Calgary/Las Vegas/New Orleans 2005-2018
15. 381 Kerry Powell Boston-Montreal-Westbury/Hawaii/Bellingham 2019-2035
16. 358 John Campbell Calgary/San Diego/Carolina 2007-2018
17. 350 Matthew Chow Boston 2005-2017
18. 326 Scott Williams Seattle/Texas/Westbury 2024-2039 *
19. 323 John Raynor Sacramento/Hollywood 2024-2036
19. 323 Santiago Rivera Cleveland 2030-2039 *
20. 309 Dontrelle Jackson Texas/Seattle/Hawaii 2019-2032

307 Luis Castro Whitby/Calgary 2029-2039 *
306 Jim Bentley Toronto 2027-2039 *
304 Juan Rivera Sunnyale/Dallas 2019-2027
300 Andrew Steele New York/Las Vegas 2019-2027 #
297 Trent Murphy Knoxville/Texas/Asheville 2019-2032
292 Jimmy Kenney Chicago/Rochester 2022-2038
278 Jeffrey Dempsey Tacoma-Asheville 2011-2018
268 William Randazzo Chicago 2011-2018
259 Keith Patterson Whitby/Westbury 2024-2039 *
252 Ron Orr Bristol/Chicago/Knoxville 2019-2027