Farewell Mariano

Before today’s game at the Stadium, the Yankees will take some time to celebrate Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer who ever lived, who is retiring at the end of the season. (In addition to other honors, Mariano will become the first Yankee to have his number officially retired before he’s played his last game.)

As many of you know, I’m lucky enough to call Mariano a close friend.

I first started working with Mariano in 1995, when he was a rookie, and Steiner Sports, though eight years old at the time, wasn’t much more “seasoned.”

Some nineteen years later, I’d like to think we “grew up” together, but I know that in reality, Mariano helped Steiner grow more than we could ever have helped him. Suffice it to say, it’s been an honor to be along for the ride.

There’s so much to say about what makes Mariano special, but today I just want to tell my favorite story about him.

Picture it. It’s November, 2001. The World Series just ended. The Yankees lost a seven-game heartbreaker to the Arizona Diamondbacks – a World Series none of us will forget, for many reasons. Mariano was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth when Arizona came back from a 2-1 score to win 3-2 with a walk-off hit by Luis Gonzalez.

It was a pretty brutal end to the season for the Yankees and their fans.

And Mariano was credited with the loss.

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