Say Goodnight to The Sandman

Say Goodnight to The Sandman
by Robert McIntosh

Perhaps the greatest closer in the history of Major League Baseball, Mariano Rivera, has decided to call it quits at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

The future Hall of Famer will leave the game as the career leader in saves while also tallying 5 World Series Championships.  He did all of this while playing for the New York Yankees, the only team he has played with his entire career, which nowadays is an accomplishment unto itself.  With all the legacies, records and accomplishments he’s leaving behind, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes immortalized in Yankee Stadium with a monument of his own, taking his place among the other Pinstripe legends.

Throughout his career, Mariano proved that he could raise his game to another level whenever it was asked of him.  Just look at his playoff statistics, nearly flawless.  This is where he launched himself into the stratosphere with other Yankee greats.  Over the course of his playoff career, one that spans 141 innings pitched, his ERA is an outstanding 0.70, with a WHIP of 0.759.  This means that if someone ever got on base against him, they rarely, if ever, scored.  To do this while playing on the biggest stage in baseball and under the bright lights of New York, his career is nothing short of spectacular.

One of the interesting legacies that Mariano will leave the game with is that he will forever be regarded as the last player in Major League Baseball to wear number 42.  The number was retired throughout baseball to honor the late Jackie Robinson.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of the man who broke through the color barrier, thought it fitting that Rivera be the last to wear it.  “He carried himself with dignity and grace, and that made carrying the number a tribute to Jack.”

The Bronx Bombers had a taste of what was to come last year with the Panamanian right-hander going down with a season-ending injury.  But, they will have to face life without Mo for years to come.   While they do have some options that could step in, it is almost certain that we will not see another closer along the lines of The Sandman for a long time.

We may never get another chance to see someone dominate his position on the field like Mariano did for the better part of two decades.  And he did this with just one weapon in his arsenal, his infamous cutter.  But we still have one more summer with him.  So, head over to the Bronx, and enjoy his magnificence while you can.