Yankees' P Mariano Rivera - Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports
Mariano Rivera is perhaps one of the greatest closers in MLB history. With his unhittable fastball, most hitters knew they would be out before even stepping up to the plate.
He helped carry the New York Yankees to seven World Series appearances. The team won four of them during his era.
Let’s take a look at how the amazing pitcher became a legend on and off the field.
Growing Up
Born on November 29, 1969, in Panama City, Panama, to parents Mariano Rivera Palacios Sr. and Delia Jiron Rivera, Rivera enjoyed athletic activities with his siblings and peers. He grew up playing multiple sports during rough waters as a kid. He also grew up with an older sister named after their mother, Delia, and younger brothers, Alvaro and Giraldo, in Puerto Calmito.
Rivera played soccer, which was actually his favorite sport, over baseball, which he enjoyed too. The kids played baseball with tree branches for bats and cardboard milk cartons for gloves. Rivera received his first leather glove from his dad when he was 12.
At 17, Rivera had multiple ankle and knee traumas that halted his soccer-playing days. He stuck with baseball, which was more of a hobby to him then.
Minor League
Before ever stepping foot into the United States, Rivera started out in a utility role for his native local baseball team, Panamá Oeste Vaqueros. The 18-year-old caught eyes after pitching well in relief of the Panamá Oeste starting pitcher in a game back in 1989.
Rivera’s accomplishments were heard by Yankees scout Chico Heron as he offered Mariano an invitation to a Yankees tryout camp in Panama City. Fellow scout Herb Raybourn just happened to be in Panama City, then.
Raybourn watched Rivera play shortstop in a 1988 tournament. He was even more amazed by his pitching watching him this time. On February 17, 1990, he signed his first and only professional contract with the New York Yankees farm system.
The right-hand pitcher moved to the US and played for the Gulf Coast League Yankees (New York Yankees’ Rookie League affiliate). He was an excellent relief pitcher in the 1990 campaign. Then, he was promoted to the Class A-Greensboro Hornets of the South Atlantic League.
A year later, in 1991, Rivera was called up to the Class A-Advanced level Fort Lauderdale Yankees of the Florida State League. In 1994, he was called up again from the Tampa Yankees to Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Eastern League. Later in the year, he was called up again to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers of the International League.
“I never saw him get mad. I never saw him sweat. When he pitched, it was like he was acting as if he were the only guy on the field. Even then you could see the easy mechanics and how the ball just exploded out of his hand. But more than anything, you could see Mariano had quiet confidence!” minor league teammate- Mike DeJean.
Major League
On May 23, 1995, Rivera made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees against the California Angels. He pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings of relief in the 1995 AL Divisional Series. Rivera made his first big league save on May 17, 1996, against the California Angels. He set a single-season record of 130 strikeouts as a reliever.
The blazing-armed pitcher won his first World Series ring with the Yankees against the Atlanta Braves in 1996. He would go on to win four more World Series in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. In 1997, he was promoted to the Yankees’ closer and made his first of 13 All-Star game appearances from 1999 to 2002, 2004 to 2006, 2008 to 2011, and his last in 2013.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Rivera was a huge part of the Yankees dynasty years. The Yankee Stadium scoreboard production staff began playing the song “Enter Sandman” by Metallica in the summer of 1999 as entrance music of Mariano, whose nickname is “Mo” and “Sandman.” Instantly, it became the song that everyone recognized as part of “Mo’s” identity as a closer.
At the same time that year, Mo won his only Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He also won his first AL Rolaids Relief Man Award, which he won again in 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2009.
Mo declared on March 9, 2013, that he would retire from baseball after that season. In the same season, he won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award, All-Star Game MVP Award, Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award, Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, and Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.
He also finished his career with the Yankees with outstanding stats. Most career games pitched (1,115), Most saves in a single season (53 in 2004), and highest career wins above replacement for a pitcher (56.3).
Achievements
Mo received the ALCS MVP in 2003 for having two saves and a win in the 2003 ALCS vs. the Boston Red Sox.
“It gets to the point where you take him for granted. You never want to assume anything, but for the 12 years I have been here, he’s been the greatest assumption of my life. He has put himself in a place where nobody has ever been.”– Joe Torre.
He was added to the league’s list of yearly save leaders three times: in 1999, 2001, and 2004. On May 9, 2002, Mo became the Yankees’ team leader in saves with his 225th career save, passing Dave Righetti’s record.
The talented reliever also accomplished many other records. These include the regular season. Most career saves (652), most career games finished (952), and the highest career adjusted ERA+ (minimum 1,000 innings pitched), 205, among others. He shined in the postseason and holds various records, including the lowest career ERA (minimum 30 innings pitched) (0.70), most successive scoreless innings pitched (33 1/3), and most saves (42).
Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, proclaimed September 22, 2013, as “Mariano Rivera Day.” The Yankees honored Mo with a 50-minute pre-game tribute. They also showed their appreciation by retiring his uniform number 42. His last game pitched was against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankees Stadium that same year. He finished his MLB career with an 82-60 win/loss record, 2.21 earned run average, 1,173 strikeouts, 652 saves, and 1.00 WHIP.
There will never be another closer like Mo. He did start a trend with today’s closers, who are now throwing 103-105mph.
The New York Yankees were very lucky to have him for such a long time.
