Yankees Retire Mariano Rivera’s Number in Classy Ceremony

Mariano Rivera, baseball’s all time saves leader is retiring at the end of the season, and the New York Yankees bid him farewell in stylish fashion on September 22nd.  Though the Yankees have a mathematical chance at a Wild Card, it’s highly likely they won’t make it and Rivera’s career will end in a week.

Rivera has been with the Yankees since 1995, and has been the team’s closer since 1997.  He’s pitched in seven World Series during that time.  There were never any “issues” or off the field crises with Rivera, he just went out and did his job and did it very well, and is retiring as one of the most popular Yankees ever.  His number 42 was retired, joining the numbers of other all time Yankee greats in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.  Rivera’s 42 is really retired now; Jackie Robinson’s number has been retired by Major League Baseball and Rivera is the last active player with that number.

Old teammates were on hand for the ceremony.  Rivera was presented with tons of cool gifts, and the Yankees even arranged for Metallica to appear in person and perform “Enter Sandman” , Rivera’s entrance music when he comes into the game from the bullpen.  “There is nobody that is ever going to do what he did out of the bullpen” said his former manager Joe Torre.   As for the game itself, Rivera pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, but the Yankees lost to the San Francisco Giants 2-1.

Rivera, who has 44 saves this season and 652 total regular season saves, will probably get another chance or two to add to those totals in the final week of the season.  After that, the next stop will be the Hall of Fame in five years.

Happy retirement, Mo.