I am a Yankee fan and I live in New York. I feel privileged to be able to say that I have been to more than my fair share of Yankee games. I have seen some of the greatest players in the history of the game, guys like Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Ichiro Suzuki, and others. I have seen Yankee- Red Sox games with playoff implications, 13th inning walk-off grand slams, even one World Series celebration on the field (2003, game 6). But I have to say the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had a Yankee game is hearing Enter Sandman come on over the PA system and watching no.42 Mariano Rivera jog in from the bullpen. To be able to sit there and know that you are seeing an automatic first ballot hall of famer, the greatest ever at his job, someone you will tell your grandkids about watching live is incredible.
Mo has been the best closer in baseball for more than a decade and the fact that he is just now reaching this milestone is absolutely a testament to the abilities of Trevor Hoffman, but today is about Rivera. That he has done all this with only one pitch (the greatest pitch of all time, in my opinion) defies explanation. That he has done all this with a smile, a small fist pump and a handshake, no screaming, no sliding onto the mound, no crossing his arms and crazy beards, is admirable. His longevity is amazing and his skill unparalleled.
Mariano Rivera is the consummate winner, an absolute gentlemen, and now, by any measure imaginable, the greatest closer in the history of baseball. Congrats Mo.
-Max Frankel
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