Mariano Rivera Highlights

"Carlos Ruiz’ goal for the coming Phillies season is pretty simple.

• He wants another invite to Palacio de las Garzas.

Ruiz was invited to the Presidential palace in his native Panama

• after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

There was no invite this winter, even though the Phils made it back to the World Series. Ruiz and the Phillies were beaten by the New York Yankees,

• with another Panamanian, Mariano Rivera, on the mound for the final out.

Next winter, Ruiz wants to return to his President’s home....

• “Hopefully we can get back to the World Series and win it,” Ruiz said Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. ...

Phillies management identified him as an integral member of the team’s core and locked him up with a three-year, $8.85 million contract..."...

• from CSNPhilly.com by Jim Salisbury, "Inked: Carlos Ruiz signs 3 year extension"

• ""Deep down in my heart, I would love to finish my career

as a Red Sox, and I think everybody pretty much knows that,

• but that's a very, very hard thing to do in this day and age...Hopefully it

• works out to where I can stay here for a while and win World Series and break records in a Red Sox uniform

like my buddy Mo [Mariano Rivera] has done over there in [Yankees] pinstripes.""...

• Words of Jonathan Papelbon, RedSox.com, 1/21/10,

"Papelbon fine with one-year deal"

• MLB.com: "Back to the chairs. During the (Cubs) fan session, someone said
  

the metal folding chairs in the bullpen seemed uncomfortable and not conducive to good performances.

• "We'll get 'em some lounge chairs and some pina coladas," (Lou) Piniella quipped.

The fan pointed out that closer Mariano Rivera has a special chair in the Yankees' bullpen.

• "If we had Rivera over here," Piniella said, "he'd have his own special chair."

• No controversy there."

by Carrie Muskat, 1/16/10, "Piniella comfortable with expectations"

• If you seek the 'broken bats' stat, STATS has the answer:

"“People are always talking about, ‘Wow, this pitcher has such nasty stuff, he’s breaking all these bats.’ Well, now we can say definitively,

• ‘On a per-batter basis, Mariano Rivera breaks more bats than anyone else.

• That’s exactly how nasty his stuff is.’”"...

from TimeOut Chicago, 1/7/10, Around Town: "By the Numbers,

• STATS revolutionizes sports statistics by sweating the small stuff," by Jake Malooley (item at end of article)

Labels: Desperately seeking broken bats stat

• Westchester Business Connection will hold a networking program at
• 
  
• Mo's New York Grill

on Tuesday, January 12th from 6 to 9pm. Mo's restaurant

• is located at 14 Memorial Highway in New Rochelle.

• "When the Ravens defense gets a lead it closes out like Mariano Rivera.

• Baltimore is 9-0 this season when leading after three quarters."...

from Ravens Insider, Baltimore Sun blogs, 1/7/10, by Kevin Van Valkenburg

• "In discussing Mariano Rivera’s quiet type of team leadership with the Yankees,

another legendary baseball closer,

• Dennis Eckersley, puts it this way: “There is such security to knowing that he’s there… which in turn says

• this guy is the most valuable player of the era and of his team…

what Mariano has done makes him

• as valuable as any player
  
• 
  
• who has ever played.”"

from The Town-Crier Newspaper, (Wellington, Fla.) by Jules Rabin, 12/25/09, "Yankees' Mariano Rivera: Best Ever Closer"

Labels: Eckersley-Rivera MVP of his era