MARIANO RIVERA: THE G.O.A.T.

On May 3rd, 2012 Mariano Rivera tore his ACL while shagging fly balls in Kansas City. It was possibly the most heart breaking moment for Yankees fans, watching the closer get carried off of the field on the back of a John Deere truck. Mo made it very clear he was coming back. "Write it in big letters. I'm not going out like this," he said.

And come back he did. But not before announcing his retirement on March 9th, 2013. "It's time," he said. It brought up a sense of nostalgia. I began to think about all his most memorable games. Games that would not have been nearly the same, if he were not out on the field.  Here are eight of my most memorable Mariano Rivera moments.

#8- May 25, 1995: I cannot properly make a list of Mo's most memorable games without discussing his Major League debut. The then 25-year old, played 3 1/2 innings, gave up 8 hits and 5 runs. Yankees lost to the Angels 10-0 that game. After 10 very similar starts, the Yankees demoted him to the bullpen. And that was possibly the greatest thing they have ever done.

#7- May 17, 1996: Mo notches his first career save, while standing in for John Wetteland. And thus the legend began.

#6- Oct. 25 & 26, 2000: Games 4 and 5 of the Subway Series World Series. With these two saves, Mo past Rollie Fingers for most World Series saves. He also earned the Yankees major bragging rights, proving that New York City really was Yankeeland after all.

#5- Oct. 16, 2003: This was not a save at all. It was Game 7 of the ALCS. We tied the Red Sox in the eighth. Mo comes into the ninth and blanks them out. And then repeats the feat for the tenth and eleventh. Aaron Boone became our unlikely hero, when he hits a walk-off homer to win the AL pennant.

#4- Sept. 21, 2008: Mo throws out the final pitch at old Yankee stadium. The Captain, Derek Jeter makes an incredibly moving speech, and Mo grabs some dirt off of the mound where legends before him stood.

#3- June 28, 2009: Mo gets his 500th save. He becomes the second player ever to reach the milestone. Trevor Hoffman being the other. The idea that Mo could become the All-time Saves leader becomes more realistic. But that was not his biggest milestone that night. Mo also got his career first RBI, when he drew a walk on a bases-loaded.

#2- Sept. 19, 2011: Save #602 makes Mo the indisputable greatest closer of all time. As modest Mo tries to walk off, Jorge Posada pushed Mo to the mound, HIS mound, for a proper curtain call. It was powerful to me, because it was with Jorge that he got the majority of those saves. Yea, I got choked up. And now you may ask why this is at #2. Well...

#1- After Mo's injury there were a lot of questions over whether or not the all time saves leader would return to the game. "I will be back," Mo said time and again. April 4, 2013: Mariano's  first regular season game after his injury. Mo has 16 straight saves since then, and is posting a 1.56 ERA. He was not kidding when he said to write it in big letters. Mo has returned, and has his sights sent on one thing. World Series Win.

This farewell tour that Mo has been on this season is really bitter sweet to watch. He has earned enough respect that we, the fans, understand that he is ready to hang up his cleats. He is a guy that has given 110% to this team and has never taken on any of the glory for himself. It has always been about the team. I look back at Mo's career and I feel infinitely grateful to be able to say that I have witnessed it from the beginning, to the very end. I'm grateful that my children have been able to see him play, and that one day they will be able to tell their children that they heard "Enter the Sandman" at Yankee stadium.

We'll have a new closer. As crazy as it sounds, life will go on after Mo, the way it did after Jorge left. But like Jorge, there is no replacing Mo. Not really. Players like Mo leave an imprint in the hearts and minds of fans, that lives on and is passed down, and helps mold future generations of fans.

Mariano Rivera, if you read BYB, and you happen to come across this, thank you. From every Yankee fan. Words cannot express our love and gratitude for you. You are an icon. A living legend. And we are the fortunate few to play witness to your career.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

 

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