“ I get the ball, throw the ball, and then I take a shower.” Mariano Rivera
The Yankees legendary closer, Mariano Rivera, will become the all time greatest closer in baseball history, this weekend in Toronto. Rivera, the last man to wear #42, debuted with the team in 1995. Two years later he made it to the All-Star roster, where he’s been a staple ever since.
Rivera didn’t become “The Sandman” until 1999, when Mike Bonner, the senior director of scoreboard and broadcasting, thought that the Yankee closer needed a theatrical entrance. They tried a couple of Guns and Roses songs, which fell flat with the crowd. A freelance crew member brought in his personal copy of Metallica’s cd, played it for the crew, and as they say the rest is history. The guitar rif begins, the drums add the beat and the video monitor shows the white cleats jog out to the pitcher’s mound. Just enough to strike terror into the hearts of the opposing batters unlucky enough to come up in the ninth inning.
Being Latino salutes Mariano Rivera on his accomplishment. Something even a Red Sox fan could appreciate.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOUsmgF_Kss&feature=fvwrel]
“Say your prayers little one, don’t forget my son, to include everyone, I tuck you in, warm within, keep you free from sin, ’til the Sandman he comes.”
About Eileen Rivera