Longtime New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is the first player to be unanimously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
At long last, Mariano Rivera is in the Hall of Fame.
The longtime New York Yankees closer was elected to Cooperstown unanimously, with 100 percent of writers voting for him.
Rivera is joined by longtime Seattle Mariners DH Edgar Martinez, pitcher Roy Halladay, and former teammate Mike Mussina. Rivera will also be joined by Lee Smith and Harold Baines, who were elected via the Today’s Game Era Committee.
Mussina pitched in New York for eight seasons, posting a 3.88 ERA in pinstripes. Moose finished his career with 270 wins, a 3.68 ERA, and 2813 strikeouts.
Naturally, Rivera is more than deserving of such an honor. The man pitched 19 years and notched an all-time leading 652 saves, finishing his career with a 2.21 ERA. Rivera also played in 13 All-Star Games and won five World Series rings. In 1999, he was named World Series MVP.
Speaking of the playoffs, Rivera was arguably more dominant there than he was during the regular season. His 0.70 career ERA in the playoffs is the best in baseball history. To give a better idea of his dominance there, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen would need to throw 93.1 scoreless postseason innings to match Rivera’s mark.
Simply put, there will never be another man like Mariano Rivera. Never again will we see someone display such class, such grace, such unbelievable respect for the game. Nor will we ever see another pitcher have such ice water in his veins when the pressure is on. That said, there’s only one thing left to say.
Congratulations, Mo. You deserve it!