Mariano Rivera Highlights

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Tampa, Fla., 2/23/09 : "Some friendly advice: if Mariano Rivera ever challenges you to a game of pool, keep your wallet in your pocket and back away from the table.

• During the team's surprise billiards getaway on Monday afternoon, Rivera emerged as the big winner. The legendary closer apparently displayed
• some of his trademark focus,
  

• teaming up with Andy Pettitte and minor-leaguer Phil Coke, to sweep a pair of two-on-two tournaments among the players. To the winners went restaurant gift certificates.

"It looked like he was pretty good," teammate Johnny Damon said about Rivera. "He definitely had that closer mentality, even playing pool."

• Brett Gardner was also among the better players, while Brian Bruney and Hideki Matsui (Damon thinks it was his first time ever playing) ranked among the worst."...played at Peabody's Billiards and Games. From NJ Star-Ledger, 'Mariano Rivera Reigns as New York Yankees' Resident Pool Shark'

photos from lhblogs, top with Phil Coke, bottom
with Burnett

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Another day at the office, 2/14/09, Yankee spring training, Tampa. ap photo



Rivera, Posada, Jose Veras,
2/16/09, ap








"In 1992 Rivera had a major set back while in the minors when he needed Tommy John surgery to repair his injured right elbow.

• After that season the expansion draft occurred to fill the roster for the new
  

• Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins.

Because of his surgery and rehab, New York decided not to protect Rivera in the draft and in what has to be one of the most fortunate circumstances for the Yankees in the past fifty years,

• neither of the new teams drafted Rivera."...from Bleacher Report

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"...the bigger problem for the technology industry has been the IPO market, which mirrors

• the pitching average of New York Yankees’ closer

• Mariano Rivera."...from GigaOm.com, 1/20/09 by Om Malik