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**Mikey** · May 4, '12, 9:06 AM

He took some of his Yankee money and built a church with it in his native Panama

That alone speaks of the guy

Super class act

**toys2cool** · May 4, '12, 10:00 AM

great guy, but what the hell was he thinking? he's not in his 20's anymore

**Random Axe** · May 4, '12, 10:03 AM

He's certainly the best reliever/closer I've ever seen. He approaches the game and lives life with the same code of honor, and that's a rare trait. I had no idea he tore the acl, I just thought he tweaked it. I hope this isn't the end, but reality and age are unrelenting.

**Zemo** · May 4, '12, 10:10 AM

Yea he is top notch act. This will be the exit of the Sandman unfortunately. But he had a great career 22 years in pro baseball and at 43. He has shagged flyballs his whole life to keep in shape. Just a freak accident.

**megomania** · May 4, '12, 11:23 AM

Originally posted by spacecaps

I've been to caught up in the NHL Playoffs to follow baseball full time right now but this morning I woke up to the news that Mariano Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls in batting practice last night. Wether you love the Yankees, hate them, or are indifferent Rivera is a class act who no one has ever had anything bad to say about. He is by far the best relief pitcher ever to play the game and he may in fact be the greatest pitcher in baseball history. If you know nothing about baseball, he is the "Babe Ruth" of his position. The injury is career threatening for sure and to see the injuring in real time up on MLB.com will turn your stomach.

Afterwards, the Yankees and Rivera said all the right things. There's not too many people in the world that can say they were the best ever at what they did without any debate. They say that an athlete dies two deaths, the first being the day they stop playing the sport they love so much and it may well be that #42 has thrown his last pitch. For such a great guy and ambassador to the game, he deserved to go out in better fashion but if one guy could come back from an injury like this, it'd be him.

Great - and no doubt the best ever - 1-inning relief pitcher but not even close to the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball. Maybe the greatest Relief pitcher of all-time but he can't even be compared to the great starting pitchers. He couldn't even sustain a career as a starting pitcher.

Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Pedro Martinez...the list goes on and on before Rivera makes an appearance.

BTW - The Mariners had a chance to swap Randy Johnson for Rivera before they traded him to the Astros. They declined because of concerns with Rivera's arm...

-Chris

**kingdom warrior** · May 4, '12, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by Mikey

He took some of his Yankee money and built a church with it in his native Panama

That alone speaks of the guy

Super class act

He also plans to Open a Church here where I live in New Rochelle. The man is a class act and as a Yankee Fan, I know the end of his career is coming. Sadly this is not the way I envisioned it. he'll be out a year it'll be up to him to comeback or not.....but he's 42 and not a kid anymore and really has nothing to prove to anyone.

He's done it all.

**bizzaro megomauler** · May 4, '12, 12:39 PM

as a diehard Yankee fan, I can spout volumes about the guy. Sad that this is how his playing days will most likely end. #42 may be a double retired Yankee number.

But this guy did it all, mulitple world series, an MVP and undisputed greatest closer in the game. The man had a blessed careear, now time to enjoy his blessed life.

**johnmiic** · May 4, '12, 8:51 PM

I'm not much of a sports/baseball fan but I've tuned in to see him play and his reputation is sterling. It's a really bad accident he had. I hope he recovers.

**spacecaps** · May 4, '12, 9:34 PM

Originally posted by bizzaro megomauler

#42 may be a double retired Yankee number.

I always wondered how MLB was going to handle this because when the #42 became a mandatory retired number for all teams, they said that no other player wearing 42 would not be able to have their number retired after that. I don't think they realized how special Rivera was going to be when the rule was implemented so I'd like to see them remove that and allow it to be put up in monument park with the others. I'm actually not a fan of having Jackie Robinson's number retired for all teams in the first place. He was a Dodger so let the Dodgers retire it and if you want to acknowledge his accomplishments, put up a plaque in all the stadiums but I always thought it was weird to have a number retired for someone that didn't play for the team. And before anyone jumps on me and says that he broke the color barrier and all, I get that and the world over knows it. In 1920, baseball was dead after the Black Sox scandal and if Babe Ruth didn't start hitting 3x's the amount of home runs as any other ball player, the sport wouldn't have existed when Robinson came to play. Ruth single handedly revived the game and became an American folk hero in the process so why not retire #3 on every team. Branch Rickey did as much to bring Robinson in the league so why not acknowledge him in every ballpark. Someone like Rivera deserves to have his number up on the wall after he's done but if you heard his comments today, it doesn't sound like we've seen the last of him. He's vowed to come back and go out on his terms and not to an injury.

**stabilio** · May 4, '12, 9:53 PM

You have the wrong info. The Yankees can absolutely retire the number. When they retired the number for Robinson across baseball, the rule was simply that no player will ever wear the number again except for the players who were currently wearing it, of which Rivera is the only one remaining.

When he retires, the Yankees will be retiring 42 and will be placing it with the rest of the retired numbers in Monument park. Robinson's 42 is done is a different color (Dodger blue) without a pinstripe background. Mo's 42 will match the rest of the Yankees retired numbers.

And in case anyone missed it, the quote from Mo today...

"I am coming back. Put it down. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going down like this. God willing and given the strength, I'm coming back."

**MegoMark71** · May 4, '12, 9:54 PM

I am a diehard Redsox fan. I wish Rivera the best. He has a tough road ahead. I hate seeing the best ever going out like this. Much respect for him.

**spacecaps** · May 4, '12, 10:04 PM

It was something I heard being discussed during the Yankee broadcast on Jackie Robinson Day when they were all wearing 42. It was news to me when I heard them discussing it. I think it'll be cool to have 2 8's and 2 42's retired. I don't think any team has that. If you look at the other guys wearing the number when it was implemented, none of those guys will get the honor so I don't think it'll be a big deal anyway. The Yankees are gonna run out of wall soon. Rivera & Jeter are a lock to be up there and I also think Williams, O'Neill, & Posada have a really good shot and after enough time has passed Torre will be up there as well. If A-Rod passes Bonds, #13 will be tough to ignore too. Of all the numbers up there, only #44 bothers me. I think Jackson is the most disliked of the great Yankees.

When Rivera said that today, I believe him. If one athlete can do it, it's him. He also said his dream was to finish his career by playing Center Field for the Yankees in his final inning which would be a legendary way for him to finish a legendary career.

**spacecaps** · May 4, '12, 10:14 PM

Oh, I could also see Pettitte's # being retired too even though I personally can't stand the guy.

**Blue Meanie** · May 4, '12, 10:17 PM

I am a Yankee Hater....but there are a few that I respect:

Roy White
Don Mattingly
Derek Jeter
Mariano Rivera

That's it. I personally think it's a sign for Mo to move on. Some times it's better to go out on top. There hasn't been a hint of Mo's career going south...he's still Mariano. He should preserve that for Yankee fans and retire while he is still an all-time great.

Now Andy Pettite...that guy should just get out completely. He cried about how he was retiring because he wanted to spend more time with his family....and then came back. And now with the BS he's pulling in the Clemens trial....Just a complete embarrassment to the lore of the Yankees. Sad and pathetic. I've lost whatever respect I had for him.

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