Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in the history of baseball, will retire at the end of this season.
According to an Associated Press source, Rivera will make the announcement at a news conference on Saturday at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa, Florida.
Rivera has 608 saves, which is an MLB record. Reports indicated that last season would be his last until he tore a ligament in his knee in a freak accident while shagging batting practice fly balls in the outfield before the Yankees played at Kansas City.
The 43-year-old closer has dominated batters in the postseason, especially when the weather gets colder, with his vicious cut fastball that most batters have been unable to hit even when they knew the pitch was coming.
Rivera along with Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada made up what was known as the “Core Four.” They were signed by the Yankees in the early 1990s and played together in the minors before debuting together during the 1995 season. They formed the backbone of the Yankees’ dynasty of the late 1990s.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.