The greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, pitched his last game at Yankee Stadium on September 26, 2013 in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
I am a Dodgers fan, but I cheer for the Yankees while living in New York because I can't cheer for fellow National League competitor the Mets. Plus it gave me chills to go to the old Yankee stadium, which was steeped with so much tradition. The new Yankee Stadium is nice, but doesn't have quite the same feeling as the old one.
Rivera entered the last game in the eighth inning with one out and runners on first and second. The Yankees played longtime announcer Bob Sheppard's introduction of number 42 (Sheppard died in 2010), and the familiar "Enter the Sandman" by Metallica also accompanied Rivera's entrance.
Rivera retired four straight batters, and with two outs in the ninth inning, manager Joe Girardi sent long-time teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte to the mound to relieve Rivera. That was when the tears and cheers started. A great ending to an amazing career.
I had the pleasure of watching Rivera pitch several times, and it's great that he is able to do a farewell tour. Many clubs around the league have paid tribute to him. It's too bad that the Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs and they also lost his last game 4-0. However, Rivera left with five World Series rings, 13 All-Star selections, the all-time save record at 652 saves, and numerous other accolades and awards. He is also for sure going into the Hall of Fame.
Goodbye, Mo. Thank you for the memories.
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