Mission 27 by Mark Feinsand & Bryan Hoch

Author:Mark Feinsand & Bryan Hoch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

13. The Master’s Apprentices

For the better part of 19 seasons, the Yankees’ gameplan adhered to a simple formula. Get the ball to Mariano Rivera, let the greatest closer in history do his job, and then shake hands. They were following that script on June 28 as Rivera was summoned to record the final four outs of the Subway Series sweep of the New York Mets with an opportunity to log his 500th regular-season save.

Rivera can recount some memories of that game, though the haze of having succeeded 652 times—plus 42 more in the postseason—tends to obscure some details. What Rivera remembers most about that night was logging the only RBI of his career, a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez. “The RBI is the best,” Rivera said. “It was my first RBI. It was my 500th save.”

The free pass followed an intentional walk to Derek Jeter and forced home Melky Cabrera with an insurance run, giving the Yankees a 4–2 lead as they continued the hot streak of 13 wins in 15 games that followed Brian ­Cashman’s address in Atlanta. It was the third regular-season plate appearance for Rivera and his second in five days; he’d ignored a take sign and lifted a fly ball to center field during the Braves series. “It was good,” Rivera said. “At the same time, it was something special because I didn’t do it alone. It was amazing. I liked it because everybody was involved, everybody. We did it winning.”

Wearing Cody Ransom’s batting helmet, Rivera grinned broadly as he trotted to first base and then returned to the mound in the home half of the ninth and dispatched the Mets quietly around a two-out single. The final out came as Alex Cora chopped a grounder to second baseman Robinson Cano.

Pitching coach Dave Eiland said he delighted in being the one to press the phone to his ear and ask Rivera to warm up for that historic appearance. “He wasn’t able to do it at home at Yankee Stadium, but he was still able to do it in New York City, and that was special,” Eiland said. “It was an honor to make that call.”

Rivera was lauded two days later at the Stadium and invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game against the Seattle Mariners, a rare honor for an active player. He also threw the last pitch of the day, hurling a perfect ninth inning to conclude an 8–5 win against Seattle. “There’s something unbelievable about that guy,” Jorge Posada said. “He could’ve pitched for two more years if he wanted to. I mean, he’s blessed. The velocity wasn’t there anymore, but he still had the cutter and he could put it wherever he wanted to. He can get people out. His mind, his mental toughness, was the No. 1 thing about Mariano.”

The passage of time seemed to have no effect on the great Rivera, who was on his way to posting a 1.76 ERA, saving 44 games and finishing 55 in his age 39 campaign.

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