Mariano Rivera offers a lesson in class

by Dan Oswald

Either you love the New York Yankees or you hate them. I’m a hater. I grew up hating them. They were the antithesis of my beloved Chicago Cubs. That is to say they were winners. But I didn’t hate them because they were winners—well, maybe a little. I hated them because of the way they went about it. They were brash and flamboyant with personalities and egos as large as the city they represented.

But in recent years, I have found the Yankees harder to hate. Their last two managers, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi (a former Cubs player), are both great leaders and classy individuals. And they have had star players, including Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, who haven’t acted like so many spoiled athletes do today. Thank God the Yankees have Alex Rodriguez or else I might become a fan!

On Thursday, September 26, Rivera pitched his final game in Yankee Stadium. He came in with one out in the top of the eighth inning and recorded the two outs necessary to close out the inning. He came back to the pitcher’s mound for the top of the ninth and again recorded two outs. But instead of letting Rivera retire the final Tampa Bay Rays’ batter of the night, Girardi did something that reminded me of why I respect him so much.

Instead of allowing his star pitcher to record a final out in the top of the ninth and walk off the field with his eight teammates while the opponents took the field for the last half of the inning, Girardi decided to pull Rivera from the game. But instead of making his usual trip to the mound to retrieve his pitcher, he sent two of Rivera’s teammates—Jeter and Andy Pettitte. These three Yankees had played together for nearly two decades.

If you watch the video of this moment, you’ll see that when Rivera notices who is coming to the mound to remove him from his final game, he first smiles and then embraces Pettitte, and the emotion of the moment brings him to tears. When he finally walks off the field, it’s to a standing ovation from thousands of Yankees fans. It’s really something to see.

Rivera has played for one—and only one—organization for the past 19 years. Since his career began with the New York Yankees in 1995, his success has been unparalleled. Now the 43-year-old father of five is retiring after pitching in more than 1,000 games. In his 19-year career with the Yankees, he recorded a Major League record 652 saves, was an All-Star 13 times, won five World Series Championships, and was named the 1999 World Series MVP.

But more important than all the records and accolades, Rivera has represented himself, his family, and his team with nothing but class. Despite his incredible talent and success, he has remained humble and likable. Just listen to what Rivera himself had to say when asked about how he has handled his success: “The Lord brought me here and has blessed me in an amazing way. You are going to tell me that because now I have this [skill] that I’m better than you? Unacceptable. I know where I came from. And my father [taught] me the right way. He says, ‘Respect, help, and support.’”

If you want a lesson on how to compete and succeed, look no further than Mariano Rivera. If you want a role model for handling success with grace and class, look no further than Mariano Rivera. The man is a master of his craft, but the example he has set for others exceeds any of his on-field accomplishments. For a man who is the best to ever play his position, I can think of no greater compliment than that.