Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama) is a relief pitcher for Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. Nicknamed Mo Rivera is frequently referred to as the greatest postseason relief pitcher of all time,[2][3] and is often considered to be the greatest closer in baseball history.[4][5][6][7] He has the 4th most regular season career saves in Major League history, is the American League's career leader in saves, and has won 4 World Series titles with the Yankees. He is the all-time Major League postseason leader in saves and ERA.

Rivera is well-known for his signature pitch, a sharp-breaking cut fastball. Rivera is the last active MLB player to wear Jackie Robinson's number 42, which was retired throughout baseball in 1997 Career

Early career and minor leagues
In 1990, 20 year old shortstop Mariano Rivera volunteered to pitch for his Panamá Oeste team. A scout for the New York Yankees, Herb Raybourn, happened to be at the game. Although Rivera was a shortstop with no formal pitching training, Raybourn believed he was throwing 85-87 MPH with a smooth delivery. He signed Rivera to a contract, with a $2,000 signing bonus. Rivera rewarded Raybourn's faith with ERAs of 0.17 (Gulf Coast), 2.75 (Greensboro; in 52 innings he gave up 17 hits and 7 walks while striking out 58), and 2.28 (Ft. Lauderdale), with WHIPs of 0.46, 1.21, and 0.76, respectively, in 1990, 1991, and 1992.[8]

Rivera still felt he needed additional movement on his pitches to be successful. This led him to experiment with his delivery, which ultimately resulted in Tommy John surgery to fix nerve damage in his elbow. The surgery turned out to be a timely one for the Yankees, as Rivera was not selected in the 1992 expansion draft for the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, perhaps because of his injured status. Rivera successfully rehabilitated his arm in 1993. In 1994, he moved up to AA and subsequently AAA, striking out 89 batters while issuing only 20 walks.[9]


Call-up to major leagues
Rivera's rookie year in the Major Leagues was 1995, initially as a starting pitcher. He found mixed success, posting a 5-3 record and 5.51 ERA that year. As a result, he split time between the Yankees and their Triple A affiliate. As a 25-year-old rookie with major arm surgery in his past, Rivera's role on the team was not guaranteed. The Yankees considered trading Rivera to the Detroit Tigers for David Wells. However, a surprise improvement prompted a change of heart. In one minor league start, Rivera suddenly began throwing 95-96 MPH.[10] Rivera's sudden improvement and his success in the 1995 American League Division Series convinced Yankees' management to keep him and move him into the bullpen the following season.[11]


Set-up man
In 1996, Rivera served primarily as a set-up man for the closer John Wetteland. The Yankees had a 70-3 record that season when leading after the 6th inning.[12] Rivera typically would pitch the 7th and 8th innings, before Wetteland pitched in the 9th. Their effectiveness as a tandem effectively shortened their games to 6 innings. Rivera played an important role that year, as the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978. Setting a Yankee record for strikeouts by a reliever in a season (130)[11], he came in third for the Cy Young Award voting, behind twenty-game winners Pat Hentgen and teammate Andy Pettitte, respectively. Rivera remains the only middle reliever to finish that high in the balloting.


Conversion to closer and subsequent success
When Wetteland left the team as a free agent following that season, Rivera became the Yankees' closer. It would not be a seamless transition, as he blew 3 of his first 6 save opportunities[6], but he rebounded to have a strong year, finishing with a 1.88 ERA and 43 saves.[13] The 1997 season would not end well, however, as Rivera, four outs from advancing to the American League Championship Series, blew a save in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians by giving up a game-tying home run to Sandy Alomar, Jr. The Yankees eventually lost that game and the next, and were eliminated from the playoffs. It would turn out to be one of the few times anyone got the best of Rivera in the postseason.

In the following seasons, Rivera became one of the most consistent, dominating, and dependable closers in the Major Leagues. In a position known for its volatility and turnover, Rivera has been a model of consistency, performing well in the role in the 10 years he has maintained it. As a reliever, Rivera has always finished the regular season with a sub-3.00 ERA and only once in his career has he pitched fewer than 60 innings in a season. [13] His tenure as the Yankees' closer has far exceeded the ordinary lifetime of a Major League closer, as only 2 other pitchers have been tenured as closer for the same team since 2002 [14]. His success in the role was key in each of the 1990s Yankees' four World Series titles (in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000).

Rivera's consistency is such that many fans remember his rare missteps more so than his successes. Rivera's most disappointing moment came in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Two outs from winning a fourth consecutive World Series title, Rivera blew the save and Series in the bottom of the 9th inning when Luis Gonzalez blooped a bases-loaded single to score the winning run.

Despite this rare failure, Rivera is widely considered the best pitcher in the history of postseason baseball. His lifetime postseason ERA of 0.80 is the Major League record. From 1998 to 2001, Rivera converted 23 consecutive postseason saves[15] and pitched 34 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason[16], both Major League records. Rivera is 8-1 in the postseason with a 0.75 WHIP. His 34 postseason saves are more than twice that of the next person, Dennis Eckersley. He has posted a 0.00 ERA in sixteen separate postseason series. Additionally, he has very often been called upon to record 2-inning saves in the postseason, notching 12 of this variety[17