# Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award

The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award was an annual award presented to the best relief pitcher in each league in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was established in 1960 by The Sporting News (TSN) as the Fireman of the Year Award. At the time, no reliever had ever received a Cy Young Award vote. The Fireman of the Year Award originally recognized the reliever with the most combined saves and wins in each league in MLB. The magazine had started publishing the then-unofficial save statistic that same year. Later, a save was worth two points compared to one for a win in determining the winner. In 2001 the award was chosen based on consensus from TSN editors, and it was renamed to Reliever of the Year Award. The award was last issued in 2010 before being discontinued.

## Fireman of the Year Award winners

| Year | American League | Team | National League | Team |
| 1960 | Mike Fornieles | Boston Red Sox | Lindy McDaniel | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1961 | Luis Arroyo | New York Yankees | Stu Miller | San Francisco Giants |
| 1962 | Dick Radatz | Boston Red Sox | Roy Face | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1963 | Stu Miller (2) | Baltimore Orioles | Lindy McDaniel (2) | Chicago Cubs |
| 1964 | Dick Radatz (2) | Boston Red Sox | Al McBean | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1965 | Eddie Fisher | Chicago White Sox | Ted Abernathy | Chicago Cubs |
| 1966 | Jack Aker | Kansas City A's | Phil Regan | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1967 | Minnie Rojas | California Angels | Ted Abernathy (2) | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1968 | Wilbur Wood | Chicago White Sox | Phil Regan (2) | Chicago Cubs |
| 1969 | Ron Perranoski | Minnesota Twins | Wayne Granger | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1970 | Ron Perranoski (2) | Minnesota Twins | Wayne Granger (2) | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1971 | Ken Sanders | Milwaukee Brewers | Dave Giusti | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1972 | Sparky Lyle | New York Yankees | Clay Carroll | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1973 | John Hiller | Detroit Tigers | Mike Marshall | Montreal Expos |
| 1974 | Terry Forster | Chicago White Sox | Mike Marshall (2) | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 1975 | Rich Gossage | Chicago White Sox | Al Hrabosky | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1976 | Bill Campbell | Minnesota Twins | Rawly Eastwick | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1977 | Bill Campbell (2) | Boston Red Sox | Rollie Fingers | San Diego Padres |
| 1978 | Rich Gossage (2) | New York Yankees | Rollie Fingers (2) | San Diego Padres |
| 1979 | Jim Kern Mike Marshall (3) | Texas Rangers Minnesota Twins | Bruce Sutter | Chicago Cubs |
| 1980 | Dan Quisenberry | Kansas City Royals | Rollie Fingers (3) Tom Hume | San Diego Padres Cincinnati Reds |
| 1981 | Rollie Fingers (4) | Milwaukee Brewers | Bruce Sutter (2) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1982 | Dan Quisenberry (2) | Kansas City Royals | Bruce Sutter (3) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1983 | Dan Quisenberry (3) | Kansas City Royals | Al Holland Lee Smith | Philadelphia Phillies Chicago Cubs |
| 1984 | Dan Quisenberry (4) | Kansas City Royals | Bruce Sutter (4) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1985 | Dan Quisenberry (5) | Kansas City Royals | Jeff Reardon | Montreal Expos |
| 1986 | Dave Righetti | New York Yankees | Todd Worrell | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1987 | Jeff Reardon (2) Dave Righetti (2) | Minnesota Twins New York Yankees | Steve Bedrosian | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1988 | Dennis Eckersley | Oakland Athletics | John Franco | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1989 | Jeff Russell | Texas Rangers | Mark Davis | San Diego Padres |
| 1990 | Bobby Thigpen | Chicago White Sox | John Franco (2) | New York Mets |
| 1991 | Dennis Eckersley (2) Bryan Harvey | Oakland Athletics California Angels | Lee Smith (2) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1992 | Dennis Eckersley (3) | Oakland Athletics | Doug Jones Lee Smith (3) | Houston Astros St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1993 | Jeff Montgomery | Kansas City Royals | Randy Myers | Chicago Cubs |
| 1994 | Lee Smith (4) | Baltimore Orioles | John Franco (3) | New York Mets |
| 1995 | José Mesa | Cleveland Indians | Randy Myers (2) | Chicago Cubs |
| 1996 | John Wetteland | New York Yankees | Trevor Hoffman | San Diego Padres |
| 1997 | Mariano Rivera | New York Yankees | Jeff Shaw | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1998 | Tom Gordon | Boston Red Sox | Trevor Hoffman (2) | San Diego Padres |
| 1999 | Mariano Rivera (2) | New York Yankees | Ugueth Urbina | Montreal Expos |
| 2000 | Todd Jones | Detroit Tigers | Antonio Alfonseca | Florida Marlins |

## Reliever of the Year Award winners

| Year | American League | Team | National League | Team |
| 2001 | Mariano Rivera (3) | New York Yankees | Armando Benítez Robb Nen | New York Mets San Francisco Giants |
| 2002 | Billy Koch | Oakland Athletics | John Smoltz | Atlanta Braves |
| 2003 | Keith Foulke | Oakland Athletics | Éric Gagné | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2004 | Mariano Rivera (4) | New York Yankees | Éric Gagné (2) | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2005 | Mariano Rivera (5) Joe Nathan | New York Yankees Minnesota Twins | Chad Cordero | Washington Nationals |
| 2006 | Francisco Rodríguez | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Trevor Hoffman (3) | San Diego Padres |
| 2007 | Joe Borowski | Cleveland Indians | José Valverde | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2008 | Francisco Rodríguez (2) | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Brad Lidge | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2009 | Mariano Rivera (6) | New York Yankees | Ryan Franklin | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2010 | Rafael Soriano | Tampa Bay Rays | Heath Bell | San Diego Padres |