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Posted by: David
Mariano Rivera threw for the second time this spring, yesterday at home in Tampa. Mo threw 34 batting practice pitches and said he felt great. Joe Girardi later commented that his spring debut would be on Wednesday, March 17. However, that game would be on the road in Clearwater against the Philies and would be contrary to the Mo Rules of Spring Training. For the last several spring trainings, Rivera is like a prison baseball player, in that, he only pitches at home. As Jim Kaat used to say, "It doesn't take long to warm up a Rolls Royce."
Girardi recanted his first comment and said that Mo would probably debut on Tuesday the 16th at home vs. the Astros. I can't wait. The weather is finally turning warmer here up north and that means that baseball is getting closer.
Posted by: Patrick
Canali, an upscale clothing company based in Italy, has hired Mariano Rivera as the model for their new "Style and Performance" print campaign here in the U.S. There are more details, including photos, on their website. Click on the picture of Mo for details and more photos.
Thank you to Frank for the tip.
ESPN's Buster Olney asked Mariano Rivera for his rules for staying young, comparing them to those Sanchel Paige shared more than a half-century ago. The article is available in full for ESPN Insider/Magazine subscribers, but you can view a nice portion of it for free.
Thanks Jack for the tip.
Posted by: Patrick
Mark Feinsand of the Daily News spoke with Mariano Rivera about his current contract, now in it's final year, and his future beyond this season. In summation, as long as he still is able to pitch, he wants to pitch and he wants to pitch for the Yankees. But, if it doesn't work out with the Yankees, he would move on to another team.
"I definitely want to finish my career here," he told Feinsand. "But, if they don't give me the respect I deserve, I have to move on. When the time comes, if they want me back, they want me back. Otherwise, I am not going to sit in my house crying. I have to move on." Thanks Jack for the tip.
Posted by: Patrick
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark makes the case for a new award for the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to vote on: the Jerome Holtzman Award. Named for the inventor of the modern save rule, this award would honor the finest relievers. Stark mentions Mo as an example:
Not a Cy Young. Not an MVP. Not a Nobel Prize. Not even a People's Choice Award. But then, that's nothing new for Mariano Rivera. He may be directly responsible for putting five World Series rings on the fingers of his good friends, Derek Jeter and George M. Steinbrenner 3rd. But clearly, baseball seems incapable of finding an award that the greatest closer in history is allowed to win. Well, it's time to change that. Thanks Jack for the tip.
Posted by: Patrick
 What is apparent in times like this is that everything counts, no matter how small. Can you afford to donate $5? $3? $1? If so, that's great. It may be a small amount to you, all on it's own, but coupled with other small amounts, it becomes a big, powerful amount. You can find a list of charities on WhatGives!? Can't afford to donate? You can still spread the word. The power of online community and social media has afforded everyone a voice if they choose to have one. If you're on Twitter, Facebook, etc.; you have a community of people and connections. Share worthwhile initiatives with them and help bring awareness. It only takes a few moments to send a link or retweet something on Twitter, but it does help.
Posted by: Patrick
The Daily News has named their top 10 best New York athletes of the decade and Mariano Rivera came in second, behind only teammate Derek Jeter.
They also named their top 10 best and worst New York sports moments and Mo was a factor in a few of these, as well. In the best moments, the World Series titles of 2009 and 2000 came in 3rd and 2nd, respectively. In the worst moments, you had the Diamondbacks beating the Yankees in the 2001 World Series (number 6) and the Red Sox ending The Curse in 2004 (number 1). Via Joseph Pawlikowski.
Posted by: Patrick
All of the pages on our website, including all statistical information (such as regular season and postseason stats, has been updated to reflect the 2009 season.
Thank you for visiting MarianoRivera.com.
Posted by: Patrick
Sporting News has named Mariano Rivera as their 2009 Pro Athlete of the Year and they have a feature interview with the Yankees closer up on their website.
On being able to peak at the most important time of year, even at his age: In the playoffs, you're talking about something that not many players have the opportunity to be in -- and I'm talking about great players, not just average players. And I've been blessed to be able to be in the playoffs for many years and do the job in all those years. I think that says it alone -- it's the playoffs. You don't want to miss that; you want to be in the middle of it. And when you realize that's your makeup, your ability, your mind, your mentality, you just want to keep going and going and going and never stop. Via Anthony DiComo.
The results of the 2009 This Year in Baseball awards are in and Mariano Rivera was named Closer of the Year with 46.9% of the vote spread among 10 candidates. Second place was Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox with 8.8%.
In the Moment of the Year category, Mr. Rivera collecting save number 500 came in 7th place out of 10 with 5.6%. Derek Jeter becoming the Yankees all-time hit leader took the award with 24.6%. Thank you to Mr. Gomez for the tip. |
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