He went out and performed as best he could day in and day out, and best of all, he was a great competitor, whether he had his best stuff or he didn’t. One of his best attributes is his mental toughness and his inner drive. Most guys, when things don’t go their way, you would see them throwing gloves or you could actually see the frustration on their face. But Mariano has great inner self-discipline and the ability and mental toughness to not let anybody know things are getting under his skin, and that is a quality that has made him who he is.
I was the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006 and 2007. He’s very special for the simple fact that he has not forgotten; he’s a very grateful individual. Any time I would see him he would make it a point to always come by, shake my hand, give me a hug, ask how my family was doing, and we would talk for five or ten minutes, or for however long he had before he had to go do what he had to do. He is a genuine individual who really cares and he showed his gratitude by always making it a point to come by and say hello.
Terry Francona
Manager and First base
Playing Career
Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds from 1981 to 1990
Managing Career
Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000), Boston Red Sox (2004–2011), and Cleveland Indians (since 2013)
Mo Cred
Francona won World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2004 and ’07.
WE HAD A few guys who had a little bit of success against Mo. There weren’t too many, but certain guys. We probably had as much success against him as anybody—now we probably faced him more than anybody, too, but it’s no day at the beach. I didn’t like when we heard that song, “Enter Sandman.” That was not a good feeling.
There’s a reason he’s done what he’s done for so long. You know that cutter is coming and you still can’t hit it—or you hit it and it doesn’t go very far. It bores in on lefties and cuts away from righties. There’s no rotation and he throws hard. And he’s been so unbelievably durable. That’s what’s almost as amazing as anything. Relievers have a couple of good years and then there’s a down year. He’s done it forever and continues to get better.
It’s hard to compare closers over the generations because guys back so many years ago would pitch three innings to get a save. But in the modern era, I don’t know if there’s anybody that can touch him. He’s just quiet class.
Joe Girardi
Manager and Catcher
Mo Cred
Girardi was a member of four World Series championship teams as a Yankees player and manager (1996, ’98, ’99, 2009).
I’VE HAD THE good fortune of catching and coaching and managing him and it’s a treat. I’ve loved being a part of it.
I was traded here [to the Yankees] in ’96, and I saw him for the first time in spring training. I remember asking myself, “Who is this guy with great stuff?”
Little did I know what an impact he’d have on the ’96 season and, really, on the next seventeen seasons.
As a catcher, when he burst on the scene in ’96, it was fun being back there to watch him dominate hitters. His location was so good that you could ask for a pitch on the inside, outside, up, down and he could throw it there. He’s been as dominant as anyone I’ve ever caught. Seeing him do it so many years later is hard to fathom.*
When I caught him, he didn’t throw a sinker. It was more just the cutter and his control was so great. Hitters really couldn’t pick it up. They knew it was coming, but the movement was so late and so sharp that they couldn’t adjust to it.
I remember left-handed hitters saying that because of the late, sharp movement the only place they could hit it hard was over the first base dugout. You couldn’t keep it fair.
I love it when he comes into the game. You just feel like it’s over. This is the guy who I believe is the best closer that’s ever been in the game. He’s certainly made my job a lot easier.
His accomplishment getting the most saves is incredible. I don’t know if we’ll ever see anyone like him again—that’s how remarkable this accomplishment is. I don’t know if we’ll ever see another Mariano Rivera. I really don’t believe we will.
All-Star Game Moment
I thought it was a great All-Star Game tribute to Mo, and the way the players handled it was extremely special. You could see he was choked up by it. Sometimes, it’s hard to control your emotions, but I think it meant a ton to Mo.
—Joe Girardi
Mo Respect
Mike Harkey
Harkey has been the Yankees’ bullpen coach since 2008.
The best moment was when he got the last out of the World Series in 2009. He really never gets too high and never gets too low. So, that being said, the World Series games are always going to be the most memorable because that’s where you’re going to see him the most jubilant. And that’s because it’s all over and he has time to celebrate and take it all in. Any other time has just been another day at work, which sets him apart from a lot of the closers out there. There’s not much emotion out there, there’s not much fanfare; it’s just him doing his job.
Jim Leyland
Manager
Leyland managed the American League team in the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citi Field, on July 16, 2013.
How did you prepare the players for that tribute to Rivera?
I said to the players before the game, “I’m not a motivational speaker but my motivation for tonight is to work our fannies off and bring in the greatest closer of all time.”
Why did you decide to bring Rivera into the game in the eighth inning, and not wait for the ninth?
I did lie—for one inning—for obvious reasons. I think you all understand that if something freaky would have happened to the lead, if [the National League] scores some runs and takes the lead, there possibly wouldn’t have been the ninth, so that’s why I
did it.
What do you remember most about the game?
The night was full of emotion. To be honest with you, that was one of the toughest games I ever had to manage because you have all these different scenarios that might happen. Even though we won the game, and a lot of guys did a very, very good job, not to slight anybody else, but really, the show was really about trying to manipulate so we got Mariano [in the game] at the right time.
Was Mariano appreciative of your plan?
Mariano and I have a great relationship. We’re friends, believe it or not. We don’t hang out together, but we’re friends.
Any special moment you’d care to share about your relationship?
Earlier this year, when he was in Detroit for the last time, I presented him with a picture of him throwing a pitch at Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park. He said something then that will stick with me forever, but I won’t tell you what that was.*
Bill Livesey
Livesey was the New York Yankees’ Scouting Director and Vice President of Player Development from 1991 to 1996.
IN OUR MINOR league system we tried to build in high standards and we watched the kids like a hawk, to see who can live up to those high standards. We also like to win so we can see who steps up their game, to see who has a history of answering the bell. Every test we could give Mariano at the minor league level he passed with flying colors. I don’t know if anybody projected him to be in the Hall of Fame, but we knew he was a special kid, somebody who was part of our core group. We had spent a lot of time trying to determine who was part of our core group.
Scouts joke that if we could take kids and open them up, we would know what’s going on inside and we would make fewer mistakes! That’s why we had high standards for our minor leaguers, so kids could separate themselves as much as possible. The more demands you put on them, the fewer surprises you have later on. The Yankees had a history of trading young talent, but during this time, we decided as an organization that we were going to keep the core group together at all costs, and trade away other guys. It was ver
y clear very early on that Mariano was a big part of that core group. We were fortunate to have our people identify Rivera, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. Those guys were a big part of a few championship teams.*
The first time I saw Mariano was during pitchers’ fielding practice his first summer in the Gulf Coast League [in 1990]. His athleticism stood out immediately. That really caught my eye, because sometimes, young kids are gangly and on the way to becoming good, but Mariano was a real athletic specimen from the get-go. He could move his feet easily and he repeated athletic skills time and time again. He was a recent convert to pitching when we got our hands on him. In his amateur days I think he was a shortstop, and to this day, he can go out and play center field and chase the ball down with anybody.
He had a setback, an arm injury, but putting that aside, he developed quickly [as a pitcher due to] his athleticism and outstanding arm. He had tremendous arm speed. He threw 95 to 96 [miles per hour], but most of all, he threw strikes; he was always under control. He could repeat pitches and he had the ability to consistently throw strikes from the very first day. Once a kid establishes that he can throw strikes and do what is required of him in the lower levels, he gets a chance to move up, and Mariano certainly did.
His minor league record as a starting pitcher is pretty darn good. He projected as someone special, as someone well above average. He had a good repertoire of pitches: a plus-plus fastball, a solid change-up, a slider, and a curve ball. He was the full package. With Mariano, whatever you saw from him as a pitcher, he had even better inner qualities as a person. He had a great work ethic, and he’s very low to no maintenance. He had an inner confidence that drove him, and he had humility. He was an outstanding kid to be around.
We all knew he was a top prospect, and I was excited when he got the call up to the big leagues. I had a satellite dish and was watching his first [major league] start. For whatever reason, he didn’t have an impressive performance, but I knew we weren’t seeing the real Mariano. People didn’t get a true picture of who Mariano was when he got called up that first time. After the game, I took part in a conference call to discuss what [other scouts] had seen from Mariano, and how this compared to what we’ve seen from him in the past. I tried to make the point that what we saw that night wasn’t classic Mariano.*
He was sent back to the minor leagues, and he pitched like a guy with something to prove. He made very sure [the decision makers] knew that first game wasn’t the real him. Most top prospects only experience successes, but sometimes you need to see how somebody reacts to a little bit of adversity, as that shows another side of you. Mariano knew that some people were questioning him a little bit now, and he went back to the minor leagues with a vengeance. He proved that first big league outing was just a blip on the road, and he was not going to be denied. That was a defining moment for him. Later that year the Yankees brought him back and Buck [manager Buck Showalter] put him in the bullpen. Nobody ever questioned Mariano again.
The bullpen turned out to be an ideal role for him, because he doesn’t have an ounce of panic. Part of his success is that he’s extremely bright and can make adjustments. The ability to make adjustments is one of the things we watch in the minor leagues, because when you get to the big leagues, your career will be determined by the adjustments you’re able to make. Mariano made adjustments; whether they [were] social, cultural, or baseball related. He had to get acclimated to a new country, a new language, and then he shifted his role to the bullpen, he added the cutter, and the rest is history.
It’s hard to describe his accomplishments, because he doesn’t have average expectations for himself. People that know Mariano know how much he cares. He hasn’t changed a bit after all these years. He’s the same person, only now with a lot more medals. He always had that confidence, but with an equal dose of humility.
Mitch Lukevics
Lukevics was the New York Yankees’ Director of Minor League Operations from 1989 to 1995.
I FIRST SAW HIM when he was this skinny right-hander in the Gulf Coast League. He was long and lanky, with a lightning-quick arm. From day one, he had the ability to throw a baseball in a thimble. It was most remarkable for a young kid to have such uncanny ability, that’s what stood out about him. This young guy came to the Yankees with real good now stuff, as you can see by his Gulf Coast League statistics. You look at his hits-to-innings ratio, the walks-to-strikeouts— it’s phenomenal. Our Panama scout Carl “Chico” Heron, who passed away, did a great job signing this bright raw resource.*
You have to give Mariano credit. Here was a young man coming to the United States from Panama who learned our language and learned our culture while trying to make his way in professional baseball. It’s not easy to do. In those days organizations didn’t do as much as they do today. They had players come on over, and hoped they’d fit in; they might give some English lessons. Nowadays all teams have some sort of culture assimilation program, with language training, much more than what Mariano had. But he was around a lot of good character players—Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Bernie Williams were the head of the class without question—and I think being around those good character players helped him get acclimated to the United States at such a young age.
He had elbow surgery and he came through it with flying colors. I remember he was reluctant to go on a rehab assignment because he was young and married, and he didn’t want to leave his wife.
We said, “Mariano, your career will benefit down the road by doing this; it can only help your journey of getting to the big leagues, and catapult your career.”
He didn’t want to go. Only when we convinced him the rehab would benefit his family did he agree to go. We needed him to stay on course. I’m glad he did.*
Mo Respect
Joe Maddon
Maddon has been manager of the division rival Tampa Bay Rays since 2006.
He’s the best ever at what he does. It will be a long time before you get somebody better than that, I think.
The way he was able to be so consistent, unbelievably consistent, and the hotter the game, the better he was. It’s just incredible what he’s done, and in such a simple manner. That’s the part that’s really so impressive. The guys would always yell from the bench, in a joking way, “He’s tipping his pitches!”
So here’s a guy that everybody knew what pitch was coming all the time and you still couldn’t do anything with it. It’s unbelievable how he was nails. He nailed it.
Bob Melvin
Manager and Catcher
Playing Career
Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox from 1985 to 1994
Managing Career
Seattle Mariners (2003–2004), Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2009) and Oakland Athletics (since 2011); two-time Manager of the Year (2007, 2012)
Mo Cred
Melvin caught Rivera in 1994 and 1995 as a member of New York’s Triple-A Columbus Clippers affiliate.
I CAUGHT HIM LATE in my career—and early in his—in Columbus. He didn’t have a cutter then. When I caught him in Columbus, he was throwing a four-seam fastball. He had great late life on his fastball, and he liked to pitch up in the zone. It was tough to stay on top of it. Later on, it turned into a little bit of a cutter. The decision to go with the cutter was a good move for him.
I’ve seen [him progress] from day one until now. He’s had an unbelievable career. And not only that, he’s as good a person as he is a player. He’s meant so much to the game, and to that organization. We’re seeing him at the top [of his game]. It’s rare that a guy goes out on top like this, and that is the case with him.
I wish him the best in his career afterward. I’d love to be able to say we see him again at some point in time.
Mark Newman
Newman has served the New York Yankees as Coordinator of Minor League Instruction from 1989 to 1996; Vice President, P
layer Development and Scouting from 1996 to 2000; Vice President, Baseball Operations since 2000.
Are you satisfied by how Rivera’s career turned out?
WHEN WE SIGNED Mariano in 1990, I don’t remember anyone saying: “This guy is going to be a major leaguer.”
He was a very good athlete and he could throw it over the plate, but nobody wrote out the Mariano development plan that said he would someday throw 98 miles per hour, have the finest control on the face of the planet, would learn a cutter and, oh by the way, that’s all he’s going to throw.
Did Rivera have that laser-like focus as a young player?
Pete Rose and Jack Nicklaus are the greatest concentrators I’ve ever seen, and I’d put Mo right in that group. I bet no pitcher in history has thrown more pitches from the same arm slot without deviation than Mariano Rivera.
What was it about Rivera that made scouts believe he’d be a good relief pitcher?
Back then [getting relegated to the bullpen] meant we didn’t think you were a prospect. But what you saw from the beginning was the same composure, the same mound demeanor. Nothing gets to him. I don’t know if Mo felt greater pressure in the ninth inning of a World Series game, or when he was a young guy rehabbing his elbow after surgery [in 1992] so he didn’t have to go back to Panama and be a fisherman.
Was surgery the reason the Yankees left Rivera unprotected in the 1992 expansion draft?
A great moment in Yankees history! But Mariano wasn’t even in the discussion then. He wasn’t a consideration. We were just worried about losing three big leaguers in Brad Ausmus, Carl Everett, and Charlie Hayes in that draft.
Facing Mariano Rivera Page 24