Posted on 09/27/2013 12:35:49 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
NEW YORK – His was the Voice of the Yankees, Bob Sheppard’s grand baritone, whose perfect diction and harmonic intonation were the narrative embodiment of old Yankee Stadium, elevating every moment to the highest of theater.
A recording of the late Sheppard’s introduction of “No. 42, Mariano Rivera, No. 42” greeted the opening of the bullpen door in the top of the eighth inning of a September afterthought, first home game of Rivera’s 19-year career in which the Yankees had already been eliminated. Rivera’s sendoff didn’t need a boost of gravitas, but it didn’t hurt in a game New York trailed 4-0, so Sheppard’s surprise salutation only furthered the frenzy.
From there, Metallica took its cue, and “Enter Sandman” blared in the Bronx for the final time, and Rivera, gripping his glove with his right hand, jogged on in from the bullpen to thunderous cheers and rapid-fire flashbulbs that gave the stands a strobe-like feel, the fans’ final chance to document the greatest relief pitcher of all-time in action.
Echoing the similar moment across town at Citi Field for the All-Star Game, even the opposing Rays took a moment away from their wild-card pursuit to exit the dugout and applaud, a tribute to which Rivera dutifully replied with a tip of the cap.
“It was amazing,” he said later. “It was a great night.”
There were, however, glimpses of baseball as usual. Manager Joe Girardi’s parting words to Rivera on the mound were, “first and second, one out,” a reminder of the mess his reliever was inheriting. Later, after completing his warmup tosses, Rivera paused for a moment behind the rubber and stared at the baseball before returning to the present and gesturing toward Robinson Cano, signaling whom he’d be throwing to at second base in case of a comebacker.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlb.si.com ...
“stared at the baseball before returning to the present”
He was praying as he does before every appearance. He is a devout Christian.
..the era of MO has past, and I’ve enjoy it all..God speed MO.
So, by definition, they must have been Bronx cheers, right?
The only Yankee I cheered and pulled for.
Especially in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS :D
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The shame of that wasn’t that Mo blew the ‘01 WS with his pitching but with his bungled fielding. Still, without him the Yankees would not even have smelled a Game 7 much less any part of the WS.
P.S. #2 and 3 on the respect list: Torii Hunter and Ben Zobrist, but no one in my lifetime is likely to fill Rivera's shoes.
A question, I thought the number “42” was retired for Jackie Robinson, was Rivera grandfathered in?
But I admit, when Rivera took the mound that day, I thought to myself: uh, oh, I've seen this movie before.
Yes. In April 1997, MLB retired the uniform number 42 league-wide to honor Jackie Robinson, although Rivera was one of a dozen players allowed to continue wearing the number per a grandfather clause.
They’re going to retire that number this season.
I assume he’s the last one to wear “42”?
I think that’s a fair assumption — for the Yankees.
Well, I hate the Yankees as much as any non-NY fan, but this guy is pure class and the best there ever was at his position. I hope he has a great life in retirement.
As actor Robert Duvall described the Babe Ruth character (the Whammer) in the film, the Natural, so with Mariano Rivera: "He is the best that is, the best that ever was and the best that ever will be." (In Mo's case, as a closer or even as a reliever).
There were numerous crucial innings in which Mariano would come in, pitch to baseball's best and most powerful hitters, and literally saw off their favorite bats in their hands with his trademark pitch. no one EVER dominated like that, No one EVER will.
Add to that the fact that he is a humble, decent, generous, kind and quite religious man in this day and age.
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