I'm a Red Sox fan. I hate the Yankees but have great respect for Mariano Rivera. His career has been extraordinary and he's always conducted himself admirably so this is bad news for anyone who loves baseball. One of the best things about being a fan is the chance to see someone or something unique. That is Mariano. No reliever before Mariano combined excellence with consistency over a 15-year period and, as we all know, he did it with one pitch. The Sox had more success against him than any other team but we still dreaded seeing him come to the mound in the late innings.
At age 42, he had indicated this was probably his last season. With a torn ACL, he'll miss the rest of the year and it's difficult to see a pitcher returning at 43 after missing a season (though Andy Pettite is trying it now at age 40) so chances are this is it for him. It would have been great to see him go out with a full season at his normal level of performance.
So, here's the obligatory link to that little lullaby they played when he entered a game.
My sentiments exactly on Mariano. Attached U-Tube clip of Mariano facing the Sox in the 2004 ALCS game 4, Roberts stealing second and then scoring. Turned the series around. In 2005 when Mariano returned to Fenway and was given a standing O he had the class to tip his hat to the crowd. Another Red Sox fan sorry to see him leave the game.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnqbf2Vpv0