Don’t Go Mo

Enter Sandman: After 19 incredible seasons, Mariano Rivera took to the pitcher’s mound for the final time yesterday evening. After pitching one and a half innings, he exited the stadium with long-time friends and teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte by his side and to the roaring of the crowd’s standing ovation. His accolades are renowned: the most saves in baseball history, the greatest closer of all time, 13-time All-Star, and of course, the one and only Sandman. The New York Yankees have a great deal to thank Rivera for as his career comes to a close and his accomplishments have not gone unnoticed (or uncelebrated) by the baseball community.

Over the last few weeks, at the beginning of each of the Yankees’ away games, opposing teams have honored Rivera with personalized gifts, ranging from paintings and photos to rocking chairs and stadium seats. While the question of where Mo will keep all of his presents remains, the very classy celebrations of Rivera’s career are simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. Though the baseball community is more than eager to remind Rivera how appreciative everyone is of his incredible talent, home and away fans alike mourn the loss of such an inspirational player. During the Boston tribute to Rivera, Red Sox fans admit to respecting the absolutely astounding pitcher, claiming, “(I) hate him, but I love him.” How could anyone not?

Born and raised in Panama, Rivera had no intentions of ever becoming a professional baseball player. Instead, he aspired to be a soccer player but after many injuries, he resigned himself to amateur baseball in Panama. His managers saw his talent and contacted Yankees Scouts to look at Rivera. He flew to the USA in 1990, when he was 21 years old, speaking no English and having no family to greet him. After four years of consistent promotions in the minor leagues, Rivera made his major league debut in 1995 as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. The rest, of course, is history.

On Sunday, September 22^nd, the Yankees paid their own tribute to Rivera in a beautiful ceremony before his final weekend home game. Along with presenting the standard gifts of paintings, chairs, and money, Metallica played Rivera’s “Sandman” theme and gifted him with a personalized guitar amp. The Yankees also unveiled Jackie Robinson’s new memorial plaque and Rivera’s own plaque for his retired number in Memorial Park. Rivera is the only player to wear Robinson’s retired number and this past Thursday was the last time the number 42 was worn by any major league player.  In his following speech, Rivera thanked God, his family, and his fans for their immense support through the years. He concluded with, “Let’s play some ball!”, a sentiment met with the roaring screams of the stadium.

It is unlikely anyone will ever be able to top Rivera’s stats and even unlikelier that there will ever be another player that will touch his record, his humbleness, and his presence in the game. Both baseball fans and players should look forward to Rivera’s entrance to the Hall of Fame in a few years time. With 952 games, 652 saves, 19 seasons, 2 languages, 1 team, and an untouchable legacy, it’s hard to say goodbye. Exit Sandman.