Mariano Rivera will likely end his incredible career on Sunday. With 652 saves, the highest ERA+ of all-time, a 2.21 ERA, 13 All-Star appearances, five world championships, an ALCS and World Series MVP and of course, 42 saves and a 0.70 ERA in the postseason, he is indisputably the greatest relief pitcher that ever played the game.
He is certainly filled with classic moment after classic moment, so I decided to count down his career in chronological order, measuring it out in respect to his No. 42. Here are the 42 ...
The countdown on the great Mariano Rivera's career is nearing the end, but the longtime New York Yankees closer shouldn't be in a hurry to prove anything at the last minute. Either way, he's poised to walk away from baseball as the single best relief pitcher the game has ever known.
There's also the fact that Rivera ranks among the greatest pitchers of the last 25 years, of course. The question is...where?
Three guys were asked to try and solve that riddle: B/R MLB Lead Writers Zachary D. Rymer, Joe Giglio and ...
With their "Core Four" now reduced to one, the end of an era that brought five world championships in 17 seasons is upon the New York Yankees.
Since Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter first appeared in the Bronx in 1995, the team has missed the playoffs just once (2008) and has won less than 90 games three times (not including this season).
On the cusp of experiencing a rare October-less season, how soon will the team legitimately be in contention for their 28th title?
The current version of the ...
On Sunday afternoon, the Yankees honored Mariano Rivera with a touching tribute, pomp and circumstance and a farewell befitting of his illustrious career as the greatest closer of all time. Due to a combination of longevity, dominance and contributions to championship teams, there will never be another Mariano Rivera.
When the Yankees made the decision to honor Rivera and hang up a second No. 42 (the first, of course, belonging to Jackie Robinson) behind their left field wall, the decision was buoyed by his dominance in October and contributions to a ...
The end of the 2013 season will bring to a close one of the most storied careers in baseball history. Legendary New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will hang it up after 19 seasons.
Few players are as universally respected as Rivera, and as a result a number of teams have honored him this season when he made his final go-around to their respective stadiums.
A handful of teams have made donations to his charity and paid tribute to him with scoreboard videos, but here is a look at the more memorable ...
It's not official yet, but the careers of Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, much like the former Yankee Stadium, will come to a close on a note as anticlimatic as can be. For only the second time in the wild-card era, the New York Yankees will not make the postseason.
Every team goes through its highs and lows, some longer than others, and the Yankees have dominated baseball since the 1994 strike: 17 playoff appearances in 19 seasons, 13 American League East division titles, seven American League pennants and five World Series ...
The San Francisco Giants went to their bullpen on Friday night with two outs in the seventh inning, and Alex Rodriguez made them regret it. His opposite-field home run not only broke a 1-1 tie; it set a new MLB record for career grand slams.
This was the 24th bases-clearing blast for the polarizing third baseman. Entering this game, he and Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig were even at 23 apiece.
A-Rod extended his arms on George Kontos' outside fastball and deposited it several rows beyond the right-field wall into a crowd of ...
One of the greatest careers in New York Yankees history is coming to an end.
As first reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Andy Pettitte has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 2013 Yankees season:
The 41-year-old left-handed pitcher has two more scheduled starts—Sunday vs. the San Francisco Giants and next weekend in his hometown of Houston vs. the Astros—to add to his ledger of 255 career victories. Barring a miracle sprint to the finish by New York, Pettitte will not be afforded a trip to the ...
The New York Yankees are in the thick of a playoff race, but that may not stop left-hander Andy Pettitte from announcing his retirement Friday afternoon, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Pettitte and the Yankees are fighting for the second of two American League Wild Card spots, though their chances seem slim given their recent skid. Throw in the fact that there are only nine games left on their schedule, and the Yankees really need some luck to get in.
Playoffs or not, Pettitte will be joining Mariano Rivera ...
There are a few things that go hand-in-hand with Mariano Rivera's legacy. There's the cutter. The pinstripes. The all-time saves record. The rings. The class.
Oh, and don't forget "Enter Sandman." The longtime New York Yankees closer may not have had a hand in making Metallica's 1991 heavy-metal classic, but it's certainly had a hand in making him.
And it's all thanks to Michael Luzzi.
Odds are that name means nothing to you, but "Enter Sandman" would never have become a part of Rivera's legacy had it not been for him. He's the man ...