Orange County Register

  Francisco Rodriguez hit 50 on Sunday, knocked out the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of the Angels’ 5-3 victory to record his 50th save in 55 opportunities.

  And on Monday, there is talk already of diminishing returns, that K-Rod will be a high risk investment when he hits the free agent market this winter, that the season will prove too taxing and lead to a downturn in production.

  That speculation will make him one of the more intriguing free agents on the market.

  But a 50-save season has not proven to be the downfall for other closers - even ones who were considerably older and had logged more innings than the 26-year-old Rodriguez when they ripped off their historic save seasons.

  Yes, Bobby Thigpen disappeared a short time after he set the major league record with 57 saves in 1990. Add Eric Gagne and Rod Beck to that list, too.

  But it hardly had an impact on Mariano Rivera or John Smoltz, Trevor Hoffman.

  Here is a look at the eight pitches who have accounted for the 10 50-save seasons in major league history and their save totals over the next four seasons …

  Thigpen saved 57 games in 1990 at 26 and had pitched 382 1/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 30, 22, 1 and 3 games over the next four years. …

  Gagne saved 52 games in 2002 at 26 and had pitched 365 1/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 55, 45, 8 and 1 games. …

  Smoltz saved 55 games in 2002 at 35 and had pitched 2,553 2/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 45 and 44 games before returning to the starting rotation. …

  Hoffman saved 53 games in 1998 at 30 and had pitched 391 2/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 40, 43, 43 and 38 games. …

  Randy Myers saved 53 games in 1993 at 30 and had pitched 603 2/3 innings at the end of hat season, then saved 21, 38, 31 and 45 games. …

  Rivera saved 50 games in 2001 at 31 and had pitched 533 innings at the end of that season, then saved 28, 40, 53 and 40 games. …

  Beck saved 51 games in 1998 at 29 and had pitched 543 1/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 10, 0, 6 and 20 games. …

  Dennis Eckersley saved 51 games in 1992 at 37 and had pitched 2,971 1/3 innings at the end of that season, then saved 36, 19, 29 and 30 games. …

  Rodriguez is 26 and to this point has pitched 438 2/3 innings. …

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