Closing
Time
A Mariano Rivera
Retrospective
Retrospective
Mariano Rivera retrospective
Looking back at the career of the great Yankees closer
Mariano Rivera was the best ever at what he did, but through no fault of his own the impact of his work in the regular season slowly ebbed as he aged and the Yankees attempted to protect him from injury. Ultimately, his value derived from extraordinary consistency rather than the breadth of his in-season work.
Read MoreMariano Rivera was groomed as a starting pitcher before a crowded rotation and urgent need diverted him to the bullpen. We can never know what his career might have looked like had the Yankees continued to develop him as a starter, but it's possible to make an educated guess.
Read MoreLessons from Mo
by CJ Nitkowski
C.J. Nitkowski spent 10 seasons pitching in the majors beginning in 1995, the same year Mariano Rivera reached the big leagues. He joined the Yankees at midseason in 2004 and got to observe the great man close up.
Read MoreMariano Rivera's career coincided with the rise of the online video-archiving of key moments. We present a grand tour through key saves compiled in October by autumn's greatest performer.
Read MoreThere are just five relievers in the Hall of Fame, and two of them make for questionable inclusions. Given the limited contributions made by relievers, the bar for induction should be very high. Rivera clears it, but does anyone else?
Read MoreThis season, Mariano Rivera undertook a farewell tour that saw celebratory send-offs in every city he visited. Which player should be the next to get baseball's equivalent of a state funeral?
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