“And here comes Mariana Rivera out
of the bullpen” may be the most dreadful sentence to hear in the 9th
inning. When I walked into Fenway Park
early to see the Red Sox honor that man who has put the dagger in our hearts so
many times, I was a bit skeptical at first.
In
Minnesota, the Twins gave Mo a rocking chair made out of all of the bats that
he broke there; in Texas, the Rangers gave Rivera cowboy boots and a cowboy hat
for his last game there; in Tampa Bay, the Rays gave him a sandman; in
Cleveland the Indians gave him a framed golden record. And then there’s Boston. How would the Fenway faithful react? I wasn’t
sure myself upon walking in through the gates.
But instead
of sending Rivera off with a wet kiss like the rest of the league, as emcee Dave
O’Brien put it in the ceremony, we’ll send you off with a roast instead of a
toast. The Fenway Park jumbotron then
showed the famous moment in 2004 when Mo blew the save in Game 4 of the
American League Championship Series (ALCS) that ultimately led to the Red Sox
winning the World Series that year.
Kevin Millar and Dave Roberts gave the commentary as they showed Millar get
walked on five pitches by Rivera, Dave Roberts pinch running and stealing
second base, and Bill Muller driving in the tying run to send the game into
extras which the Red Sox later won on a walk off in the 12th inning.
Mo and the
rest of the Yankees dugout were exploding with laughter and took it in stride
while Red Sox Nation got one last laugh as we said goodbye to the great Mariano
Rivera.
When WEEI
Red Sox Radio Network asked listeners what should the Red Sox thank Rivera for
in his last voyage to Fenway, one fan texted in: “The 2004 World Series. We couldn’t have done it without you.” I thought to myself what a classic Red Sox
fan answer that was.
But in all seriousness, Mariano,
congratulations. You are the best closer
that this game has ever had. Every time
I’ve seen you come out of the door in right field to enter the game in the 9th
inning, I would think to myself: “Oh no, here comes Mo to drive a dagger into
the hearts of Red Sox fans.”
But on this Sunday night it was our
turn, as Red Sox fans, to salute you and appreciate your greatness. While what we gave you may not match up to
the Chevrolet Corvette that you got at the All-Star Game this year, what you
got from us is in some ways harder earned. The respect of Red Sox Nation isn’t
something that is easy to get. Just ask
A-Rod. When a Yankees player of any
position or any year walks out onto the green grass of Fenway Park and gets
cheered, that means something. So to add
to your very impressive collection of accomplishments, including 13-time
all-star, five-time World Series champion, World Series MVP, MLB record for career
saves, three-time delivery man of the year award, and many others, we add that
you got a standing ovation from Red Sox fans as a New York Yankee.
The
celebration of Mo that has been going on all year long at numerous ballparks is
something that has never really been done before. It’s not often that those who are as great as
Rivera retire and in his case it wasn’t just because of how he played on the
field.
Mo was and is a class act. He always shakes the hand of his catcher when
he gets a save, and he respects his opponents more than anyone else on that
field. Mo is the definition of a good sport.
That is why he is getting the respect that he does from his
opponents.
There’s an old saying that they
often tell us at school, and that’s what goes around comes around. Mariano Rivera is the perfect example to illustrate
that point.
***
On a much
more serious note, I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to this year’s Mountaineers
outfielder, Pat Wiese and his family. On September 10th, Pat was
diagnosed with bone cancer in his knee.
All has gone well thus far for Pat and I hope that it continues that
way. I wish all my best to Pat and his
family as they fight to win this battle against cancer.
Follow Jasper Goodman
on twitter: @Jasper_Goodman
Check out Jasper’s blog:
www.goodmansports.blogspot.com
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