Has the importance of the closer been diminished?

We all know that closing a game is very important. And Francisco Rodriguez just tied Bobby Thigpen's 18 year old save record. But the save has changed over the years. Dennis Eckersley and Goose Gossage use to tally a save with 2, maybe 3 innings if they had to. But nowadays u have one or two setup men before the closer even comes in. Sometimes they come in with an out already recorded in the 9th inning. So is the save still a huge accomplishment?