Mariano Rivera Highlights

True, but if he hadn't had "Mo in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th" the boat might be sitting in dry dock. I gratefully attribute the item about Mel's boat to a blogger/proprietor of "Mo in the 9th," which is on the MLBlogs roster. In his bio Michael Law says:

• "I just finished reading the new autobiography by beloved former Yankees pitcher and former Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre entitled "Pride and Pinstripes: The Yankees, Mets, and Surviving Life's Challenges" and in it he tells a story about how when he retired as the Yankees pitching coach a few years ago the guys that had been there for the ten years he'd been there chipped in a bought him a fishing boat that had "Mo In The 9th" painted on the back."

• From Diehardmagazine.com via story.scout.com and insidetheivy.com, 4/13/07

"If Papelbon’s healthy, he may not only be the closer the Sox have searched for over the past four decades

• but the heir apparent to the “Godfather” of firemen, Mariano Rivera."
  

(From the article, "Anticipation Envelopes Boston on Opening Day," by Jerry Beach)

The media has focused a great deal on Papelbon since 2006. Anyone can check this out for themselves. They've avoided the reality about Rivera--you can look at the MVP and AL Cy Young voting award results if nothing else in 2005 and 2006. Most of the times Rivera's name has been mentioned in 2007-other than the #42 Jackie Robinson anniversary or spring training contract comments--have been in connection with reports about Papelbon and Papelbon himself saying he wanted to emulate Rivera. I'm documenting this for historical reference as I do many other things.

• Because of Papelbon's words, the media has been forced to deal with defining Rivera, something they avoided up until now. Hence their saying he's the 'Godfather' of firemen.
  

April 3, 2007 -- "EVERY eye in the house honed in on Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning yesterday and that was totally understandable.

• The greatest reliever in history was as great as ever. He struck out the side to punctuate a 9-5 Yankees victory over Tampa Bay, culminating a poignant Opening Day..."

From Joel Sherman's column, the NY Post, 4/3/07, "'Pen Cushion."

• ***Notice the distinction***Sherman doesn't just cherry-pick a meaningless stat--he looks at all of them, the substance of the player's records, not just the cookie stat of "total" saves handed out by a manager.