Mariano Rivera
From BR Bullpen
Mariano Rivera (Mo, Sandman, Mr. Automatic, or Ultraman)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.
- Born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama
Contents |
[edit] Biographical Information
Mariano Rivera is the all-time major league leader for saves. He also has a lifetime ERA of 2.23 giving him an ERA+ of 205 (through the end of 2011). No pitcher with 1,000 innings pitched and 100 decisions had ever achieved an ERA+ that high. Rivera passed the 1,000 inning mark in 2008, his 14th season in the major leagues.
Rivera has appeared in 94 postseason games, with an ERA of 0.71. He has 42 postseason saves. Although he has never won the Cy Young Award, he has been in the top three four different times. The most similar pitchers are Trevor Hoffman (ERA+ of 141) and Lee Smith (ERA+ of 132). Both of them were also short relievers who spent a very long time as their team's closer and are next to Rivera on the all-time saves list. Of course, Rivera did begin his career as a starter, in 1995.
Rivera has spent his whole career with the New York Yankees and been named to the All-Star team twelve times. He has five times won the American League Rolaids Relief Award. He has twice won the Delivery Man of the Year Award. He struck out 130 batters in 107 2/3 innings of relief in 1996 - the most by any Yankee reliever. He yielded only one home run that year - to Rafael Palmeiro of the Baltimore Orioles. In 2005, he went 22 consecutive appearances without allowing a run. Fittingly, he was the last pitcher ever used in Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008, closing out a 7-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles; he retired the side in order, getting Brian Roberts to ground out to first base in the last at-bat in the famed ballpark's history.
He is a cousin of Ruben Rivera. Through 2011, he is one of 48 major league players born in Panama. Although a reliever, Rivera is the all-time winningest pitcher born in Panama, having surpassed Juan Berenguer in 2008.
Rivera is the only player in the major leagues to wear uniform number 42. He wears it in tribute to Jackie Robinson and was allowed to keep on doing so when Commissioner Bud Selig retired the number across the league in 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Robinson's debut. Other players were also granted such a dispensation, such as Butch Huskey, but Rivera's career has outlasted them all. It is expected that when he retires, the Yankees will declare that number 42 is retired in honor of both Robinson and Rivera.
In 2009, Rivera saved an Andy Pettitte win for the 58th time, setting a new MLB mark; the old high had been held by Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley. On May 25, 2011, he made his 1000th career appearance, all with the Yankees. He became on the 15th pitcher to pitch in 1,000 games, and the first to do it with only one team. On September 13th, he recorded his 600th career save one year after Trevor Hoffman had been the first pitcher to reach the mark, putting him only one behind his all-time record. He quickly caught and passed Hoffman, taking over the all-time lead on September 19th when he saved his 602nd game in a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. He had also passed Hoffman for the all-time lead in games finished earlier that year.
His amazing success has been built on mastering one pitch of absolutely devastating effectiveness, a cut fastball that batters will relentlessly hit for weak grounders, even when they know it is coming.
On June 26, 1995, while playing for the Columbus Clippers, he threw a five-inning perfect game against the Rochester Red Wings.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 12-time AL All-Star (1997, 1999-2002, 2004-2006 & 2008-2011)
- 4-time AL Reliever of the Year Award Winner (1997, 1999, 2001 & 2004)
- 5-time AL Rolaids Relief Award Winner: (1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 & 2009)
- 1999 World Series MVP
- 2003 ALCS MVP
- 3-time AL Saves Leader (1999, 2001 & 2004)
- 30 Saves Seasons: 14 (1997-2001 & 2003-2011)
- 40 Saves Seasons: 8 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003-2005, 2009 & 2011)
- 50 Saves Seasons: 2 (2001 & 2004)
- Won five World Series with the New York Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2009)
[edit] Records Held
- Saves, career, 603
- Saves, right-hander, career, 603
- Games finished, career, 883
- Games, AL, career, 1,042
- Relief appearances, AL, career, 1,032
