Saturday, March 9, 2013

Mariano wants Yankee fans to be happy

I’m going to try really hard not to be sad because Mariano Rivera asked us not to be sad about his retirement.

“It’s not a moment of sadness,” he said in Spanish during his press conference to officially announce his retirement. “It’s a moment of joy.”

I am definitely happy for Mo because he seems to be so at peace with his decision and, as his teammate and long-time friend/brother Derek Jeter said, he deserves to go out on his own terms. He has given us so much joy over the years, so many amazing moments, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I’m going to try to enjoy the last year of Mariano’s career, where he will draw accolades all over the major leagues, not just for his accomplishments on the field, but for the type of person he is and the way he respects and represents the game of baseball. I will try not to be sad thinking about how we will never see him again on a baseball mound after 2013 and how we will never ever see anyone else like him.

It’s says a lot about Mariano Rivera as a person that the entire New York Yankees team attended his press conference. Mo is known for being a fiercely loyal and supportive teammate and it warmed my heart to see all of his teammates respond in kind. Mo is a humble guy, but it obviously meant a lot to him to receive that type of love and support from his baseball family.

Mariano was asked if there was a message he wanted to send to Yankee fans. “I would tell the Yankee fans that I love them so much,” he quickly responded.

The feeling is mutual, Mo.

No comments:

Post a Comment