2013 Mariano Rivera Peformance Thread

[effdamets]

Just a fun fact about Mariano Rivera...

In the post season, only 11 men have scored on Rivera...
Unbelievably rare??
Well - only 12 men have walked on the moon!


He's my favorite player - I'm sure to miss him when he's gone...

[False1]

Just a fun fact about Mariano Rivera...

In the post season, only 11 men have scored on Rivera...
Unbelievably rare??
Well - only 12 men have walked on the moon!


He's my favorite player - I'm sure to miss him when he's gone...

Ha - interesting analogy, thanks.

[ArodEra]

Not to be overly dramatic, but even though "There is no crying in baseball," I cried once.

I've been heartbroken many times, and some big Yank losses put me in a temporary funk, but I only visibly cried once - as an 11 year old, watching the final scene in "The Pride of the Yankees," as Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper) walked off the field, heading toward the dugout for the final time. Just playing that scene in my mind - music and all - still chokes me up a bit.

I guaranty that when Mo walks off the field for the final time, I will lose it. It will be the second time, and probably the last, that baseball made me cry.

[sweet_lou_14]

Not to be overly dramatic, but even though "There is no crying in baseball," I cried once.

I've been heartbroken many times, and some big Yank losses put me in a temporary funk, but I only visibly cried once - as an 11 year old, watching the final scene in "The Pride of the Yankees," as Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper) walked off the field, heading toward the dugout for the final time. Just playing that scene in my mind - music and all - still chokes me up a bit.

I guaranty that when Mo walks off the field for the final time, I will lose it. It will be the second time, and probably the last, that baseball made me cry.

It seems that there may be a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I imagine I will be just as sad to see Jeter retire as Rivera. I truly love both of these players.

But -- this is a bit hard to explain -- there's something about Rivera that seemed "old and wise" even when he was young. As a husband and father to teenagers, he's much more "grown up" in real life.

Jeter on the other hand was the baby-faced kid for so long ... even now that he's an elder statesman of the game, he's a bachelor whose parents still come to games. I have a harder time accepting Jeter getting older, for whatever reason. Even though I'm about 4 years older than he is, and he's too young to be one of the heroes of my youth, I feel about Jeter the way a previous generation felt about the Mick: Jeter's retirement is going to be a painful reminder of my own mortality.

Anyway not trying to take away from your point about Mo, at all. Just saying he's not the only one on this team that's going to make me grieve when he goes.

[Eldee5]

It seems that there may be a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I imagine I will be just as sad to see Jeter retire as Rivera. I truly love both of these players.

But -- this is a bit hard to explain -- there's something about Rivera that seemed "old and wise" even when he was young. As a husband and father to teenagers, he's much more "grown up" in real life.

Jeter on the other hand was the baby-faced kid for so long ... even now that he's an elder statesman of the game, he's a bachelor whose parents still come to games. I have a harder time accepting Jeter getting older, for whatever reason. Even though I'm about 4 years older than he is, and he's too young to be one of the heroes of my youth, I feel about Jeter the way a previous generation felt about the Mick: Jeter's retirement is going to be a painful reminder of my own mortality.

Anyway not trying to take away from your point about Mo, at all. Just saying he's not the only one on this team that's going to make me grieve when he goes.

Excellent post.

My dad, who passed away in 1990, got to see Gehrig and DiMaggio play. Seeing Jeter and Rivera play all these glorious years is as close as most of us will get to witnessing that level of baseball greatness. (I remember seeing Mantle play but he was well past his prime by then.) I'm going to cherish every appearance Mo makes this season.

[YankeeFan1421]

It seems that there may be a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I imagine I will be just as sad to see Jeter retire as Rivera. I truly love both of these players.

But -- this is a bit hard to explain -- there's something about Rivera that seemed "old and wise" even when he was young. As a husband and father to teenagers, he's much more "grown up" in real life.

Jeter on the other hand was the baby-faced kid for so long ... even now that he's an elder statesman of the game, he's a bachelor whose parents still come to games. I have a harder time accepting Jeter getting older, for whatever reason. Even though I'm about 4 years older than he is, and he's too young to be one of the heroes of my youth, I feel about Jeter the way a previous generation felt about the Mick: Jeter's retirement is going to be a painful reminder of my own mortality.

Anyway not trying to take away from your point about Mo, at all. Just saying he's not the only one on this team that's going to make me grieve when he goes.

I completely agree and relate to this.

Sounds like we are about the same age. When Jeter goes, it won't be the same ever again for me. My earliest memories of the Yankees had Nettles, Reggie, Randolph, Piniella and Munson...mostly vauge memories of the late 70's and then getting in deep with this team in the early 80's.

Mattingly was everything for a while...but he still was older and when he retired, it was sad, but he was still like a much older brother and it was more easily seen as part of the natural order of things.

With Jeter....well...it's going to be tough. He's a few years younger but still a contemporary.

Basically, when Jeter goes, every Yankee player I can safely call a "kid". They all will be.

Rivera, as you say, is an old soul...it fit both his personality and his role on the team.

But Jeter is supposed to be a boy of summer...and it's seriously going to be tough. The good news is that it will be the last guy whose retirement will be difficult to fathom and deal with.

But...the bad news is that it will the last guy whose retirement will be difficult to fathom and deal with.

[njyankeesfan]

I'm sure I'll cry, too. I think part of it is the longevity of both Jeter's and Rivera's careers--one team players; we watched Derek Jeter grow up with the Yankees, and, except for a bit less hair, Rivera has been pretty much the same all these years. Also, these two (and Pettitte) are the last links to the 1996-2001 "dynasty" teams, and those teams hold so many wonderful memories for so many of us. So to lose those last connections will be a true loss. I feel just a little differently about Pettitte, because he already left the Yankees once--I'll still be sad but there's precedent for him leaving.

[JDPNYY]

I'm sure I'll cry, too. I think part of it is the longevity of both Jeter's and Rivera's careers--one team players; we watched Derek Jeter grow up with the Yankees, and, except for a bit less hair, Rivera has been pretty much the same all these years. Also, these two (and Pettitte) are the last links to the 1996-2001 "dynasty" teams, and those teams hold so many wonderful memories for so many of us. So to lose those last connections will be a true loss. I feel just a little differently about Pettitte, because he already left the Yankees once--I'll still be sad but there's precedent for him leaving.

Andy left the Yankees twice.

[DieHardYankeesFan732]

Mo Rivera press conference on YES right now.

[longtimeyankeefan]

Mo Rivera press conference on YES right now.

I loved that he started by thanking the Yankees for making an exception to their policy of not granting contract extensions.

I was actually hoping he would start the conference by announcing that, due to Granderson's injury, he had volunteered and Girardi had agreed that he could move to centerfield.

[NerfBall55]

Andy left the Yankees twice.

Yeah, and if he didn't the first time, there could have been a completely different story that year.

[BronxYanks45]

at least I can say I've seen the greatest closer ever in the history of the game play on the Yankees

[JDPNYY]

Yeah, and if he didn't the first time, there could have been a completely different story that year.

Both times.

[JDPNYY]

at least I can say I've seen the greatest closer ever in the history of the game play on the Yankees

Agreed. I also saw Goose Gossage pitch for the Yankees.

[-tz]

[ArodEra]

It seems that there may be a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I imagine I will be just as sad to see Jeter retire as Rivera. I truly love both of these players.

But -- this is a bit hard to explain -- there's something about Rivera that seemed "old and wise" even when he was young. As a husband and father to teenagers, he's much more "grown up" in real life.

Jeter on the other hand was the baby-faced kid for so long ... even now that he's an elder statesman of the game, he's a bachelor whose parents still come to games. I have a harder time accepting Jeter getting older, for whatever reason. Even though I'm about 4 years older than he is, and he's too young to be one of the heroes of my youth, I feel about Jeter the way a previous generation felt about the Mick: Jeter's retirement is going to be a painful reminder of my own mortality.

Anyway not trying to take away from your point about Mo, at all. Just saying he's not the only one on this team that's going to make me grieve when he goes.

You didn't take away from my point at all; your take on it enhanced it and I enjoyed it.

You make a good point about Jeter. He's always carried himself graciously, even if he frustrated me with his pat, cliche answers during interviews, barely revealing what makes him tick. But, we didn't need it from him, it's already apparent: He epitomizes the all-American hero - with a great, supportive family and an ethic that they undoubtedly instilled in him. But, he's kind of unique: On one hand he's that swinging bachelor, on the other, an unashamed, proud family man with a loving mother, father and sister, which probably keeps him grounded to an extent....and perpetually young.

It's just that I put Mo on another stratosphere for whatever reason. You're spot on when you said Mo always seemed like the old, wise person, even when he was young. He has a certain aura about him that very few people possess. I bet fans of other teams would agree as well.

But, yeah...I'll probably shed a tear for Jeter as well. That'll make 3 times.

[njyankeesfan]

Andy left the Yankees twice.

Yes, but I was thinking of when he left for another team--that happened just once.

[JDPNYY]

Yes, but I was thinking of when he left for another team--that happened just once.

That's true. I wasn't included in the group that was aware of your thinking.

[NerfBall55]

Agreed. I also saw Goose Gossage pitch for the Yankees.

Please.

[4bronxbombers]

Just a fun fact about Mariano Rivera...

In the post season, only 11 men have scored on Rivera...
Unbelievably rare??
Well - only 12 men have walked on the moon!


He's my favorite player - I'm sure to miss him when he's gone...

My favorite too and I agree.....man am I gonna miss Mo when he's gone. Will there ever be another one like him? I doubt it.

[YankeeFan1421]

Agreed. I also saw Goose Gossage pitch for the Yankees.

It's laughable to me that Gossage and many of his fans (of which I always was one) say that Goose could have done Rivera's job and had numbers as good or better.

First of all, this idea that Gossage pitched so much more than Rivera per appearance is not true. He averaged 4.8 outs per relief appearance while Rivera averaged 3.4. Significant enough, sure, but not as incredibly different as Gossage seems to want us to think. (And in the postseason, Rivera, in what amounts to about a season and a half of normal appearances, averaged 4.4 outs per relief appearance and was even MORE dominant than his regular season numbers).

Secondly, while Gossage definitely came in on average in tougher situations than Rivera, he also was asked to get less than three outs to finish the game 185 times across 965 relief appearances....about 20% of the time. Rivera, with 1051 relief appearances, gave less than 3 outs 87 times...about 8% of the time.

Rivera was slightly better at keeping inherited runners from scoring...he allowed 29% to score, while Gossage allowed 33% to score.

Gossage keeps saying how easy it is to pitch one inning. Well, in 279 appearances of exactly one inning (the scenario he keeps saying is so easy), he had a 3.75 era. Sure, that is skewed to some degree because some of those games he was lifted after not pitching well in one inning...but he still was not dominant in one inning scenarios anywhere near Rivera's level.

Gossage deserves to be in the HOF in my view and was a great relief pitcher who helped change the game.

But come on.

[HerbieLee20]

You didn't take away from my point at all; your take on it enhanced it and I enjoyed it.

You make a good point about Jeter. He's always carried himself graciously, even if he frustrated me with his pat, cliche answers during interviews, barely revealing what makes him tick. But, we didn't need it from him, it's already apparent: He epitomizes
....and perpetually young....

But, yeah...I'll probably shed a tear for Jeter as well. That'll make 3 times.

These (great) posts have got me to thinking. Jetes' time is gonna be tougher than imaginable. Difference between him & Mo -- sooooo used to expecting to see him in there (barring injuries) -- every game.

It will be tough for a SS to succeed him, who may have greater range or what-not. How many times will people groan "Jeter would have...!!" when it comes to the (IMO extraordinarily) smart and instinctual things Jeter does "normally", which can't be taught or developed.

[HerbieLee20]

Just a fun fact about Mariano Rivera...

In the post season, only 11 men have scored on Rivera...
Unbelievably rare??
Well - only 12 men have walked on the moon!


He's my favorite player - I'm sure to miss him when he's gone...

Too. Awesome. For visual:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon...ement/1974133/

[Mr.Muhozi]

For someone who's been following baseball for what will be 6 season what would you guys say was Mariano's best year?

For me it was 2008 when he had a K/BB ratio of 12.83,a WHIP of 0.665 and his 2nd lowest ERA 1.40 of his career.

[False1]

For someone who's been following baseball for what will be 6 season what would you guys say was Mariano's best year?

For me it was 2008 when he had a K/BB ratio of 12.83,a WHIP of 0.665 and his 2nd lowest ERA 1.40 of his career.

The amazing thing about Rivera is his sustained dominance year in and out, and October in particular.