Rivera: “I Go Home, Simple as That”
By Mike Silva ~ June 29th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.
Ian O’ Connor goes down memory lane in his morning column.
It’s old hat, but worth repeating, how close the Yankees were to trading Mariano Rivera to Seattle for Felix Fermin. What do you think life without Rivera would mean? Probably no titles in 96 and 98-2000.
You also got to read how “workmanlike” Rivera is approaching his job.
He was dressing at his Citi Field locker Sunday evening when reminded that K-Rod points to the heavens, that Joba Chamberlain pumps his fists, that Jonathan Papelbon foams at the mouth, and that Mo Rivera does none of the above.
“I go home,” Mariano said. “Simple as that.”
The amazing part, for me anyway, about Rivera is his approach to the most important inning in the game. People are right when they argue that runs in the first could be as damaging as giving it up in the ninth, but it’s the mental side that he has mastered. Anyone can have a 1-2-3 first inning, but very few can do it in the ninth, much less at the level of Rivera. He never rattles even in the face of adversity. Need a five out save? He adjusts. Even when his velocity was down and he was struggling in May he minimized the damage. For Rivera, closing ball games is no different than many of us punching the clock. It’s his job, he is going to do it, give the best performance possible, and then go home.
When you start to think about how challenging the ninth inning can be, the mortality of a major league pitcher, and the added variable of New York, the 500 saves is even more astounding. He goes out, cleans up the ninth, and then simply goes home. Can it be any more concise than that?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Mariano is a pitching machine… I’m thinkin he’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame some day