The legendary sandman enters his final season

Will Mariano Rivera’s retirement lead to the downfall of the New York Yankees’ legacy? The Yankees ace closer has been with the team for 19 seasons and contributed to five World Series wins. Throughout the years he has shown consistency and reliability as a closer and he has been essential in the ninth inning.

Mariano Rivera - Wikimedia Commons

Rivera said that he would have retired at the conclusion of last season if he did not tear his ACL on May 3, 2012. He was on the shelf most of that season; however, he did not want to retire due to an injury. "I didn't want to leave like that," Rivera said in a press conference before the 2013 season. "I felt like I wanted to give everything."

The New York Yankees need Rivera to elevate his abilities with some of their best players including Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez out due to injury. Rivera returned to baseball on April 4, 2013, leaving him a significant amount of time to recover and come back even stronger than last season. Rivera is the most tenured player on the team and his experience will play a major role for winning another World Series.

Although many did not expect the sandman to return after his ACL injury, Rivera has been very consistent this season. He started the season by saving Andy Pettitte’s eight inning performance against the Boston Red Sox in their third game of the season.

The Yankees are looking forward to a better opening to their season as far as they are concerned with their pitching. With some of their best and more reliable batters out pitching is where the Yankees really have to be aggressive. Rivera’s composure and consistency are exactly the attributes that the Yankees need during the pressure situations.

Contributed by Kian Zadeh and Din Islam

Rivera defies father time

Mariano Rivera / Wikimedia Commons

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees closer, has now extended 16-year career by two more for $30 million. According to Sports Illustrated's John Heyman, Rivera was also offered a three year contract to play for the rival Boston Red Sox, but Rivera declined. The Red Sox were not the only team to attempt to steal Rivera from the Yanks. Rivera also chose the Yankees over an unnamed team, that was willing to pay more money, approximately $17 million, for three years. In a New York Daily News article, they discuss why he stayed, "[He] wanted to maintain his ties to the only team he has ever played for and went with less money and fewer years to continue wearing pinstripes."

The Yankees definitely did not take a risk in signing their strong closer. Even at the age of 41, Rivera is still in his prime. When Trevor Hoffman, former San Diego Padres, turned 41 after the 2008 season, he was released. Rivera, however shows no signs of slowing down. His ERA over the past 3 years stayed consistently low, ranging from 1.40 to 1.80. In the 2010 season, Rivera only allowed 14 hits out of the 55 games that he finished, giving up only two home runs. According to a New York Times article Rivera is on the field less, but still remains effective. "Each year Rivera pitches less often than the year before, but when he does pitch, he is basically as effective as always. He has stayed strong enough to dominate in the postseason, allowing just one run in 28 innings over the Yankees’ last four appearances."

Mariano Rivera, unlike many other closers, has been able to continue playing at the age of 40. He ranks favorably among a list of other closers who have done the same. He is also one of the only closers to not only to reach age 40, but also to continue going strong. Mariano Rivera defies "Father Time," and according to an MSN Sports Article, "If you needed further proof of his age-defying play, at the age of 40, he was named the 2009 Sporting News Pro Athlete of the Year award."