Whether you’re a fan of the Yankees or not, most baseball fans would agree that Mariano Rivera was the epitome of a champion who played every game with the utmost class and skill.
So when he said goodbye to Yankee Stadium last night, it was no doubt an emotional one.
Instead of the usual manager coming to pull Rivera from the mound, it was long-time teammates, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte who came in. And when Mo realized what was going on, he smiled and then burst into tears, giving us all one of the greatest moments in baseball we’ve ever seen.
After saying his goodbyes to the roaring crowd, he leaves the mound only to return and grab some dirt from his last appearance ever.
As a diehard Sox fan, I’ve always hated when my team would face Mo in the 9th (except for that one time in 2004) but Mo has always played the game with the most class that any other player should strive to uphold. His personality, humor and skill will all be missed.
