218 replies to this topic

[jon abbey]

Well I'd consider the 7th inning a setup role and that was what I meant. I'd call Robertson and Soriano both setup guys for Rivera, so this now opens up one of those slots since one of them will be closing. If you consider the 7th inning middle relief, then yeah, he'll be in middle relief.

I think Wade will still be over Hughes until Hughes shows more.

[Adrian's Dome]

I won't be surprised if he puts up a 1.80 ERA and 45 saves for the 2013 team.

[RedOctober3829]

Rivera is speaking to the media and says he tore his ACL and meniscus. Says he would shag balls again too. Doesn't know if he will pitch again. Will stay with the team and be with the guys. Tearing up as he talks about his faith and whether he'll pitch again.

I'd like to reiterate how classy he is during his darkest baseball moment.

[jon abbey]

I won't be surprised if he puts up a 1.80 ERA and 45 saves for the 2013 team.

Or the 2019 team.

[Dropkick Izzy]

[Saby]

It's a really tragic thing to happen. But, as cold as it sounds, I'm not sure his absence will cost NY many, if any, wins. The bullpen is not the problem with the team.

[Doctor G]

I would guess they go with Soriano to close initially. He was signed as Rivera injury insurance. He would not be a happy camper if he doesn't get the first shot. I doubt the Yankees want to move Robertson out of his extremely valuable comfort zone.

[Sampo Gida]

It's a really tragic thing to happen. But, as cold as it sounds, I'm not sure his absence will cost NY many, if any, wins. The bullpen is not the problem with the team.

Not yet, but with a key part of the bullpen out, and if the starting rotation continues to struggle, the bullpen will eventually have troubles.

[Saby]

Not yet, but with a key part of the bullpen out, and if the starting rotation continues to struggle, the bullpen will eventually have troubles.

If there's one key player they could have afforded to lose, it was him. He isn't even the best relief pitcher on the team this year.

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

I would guess they go with Soriano to close initially. He was signed as Rivera injury insurance. He would not be a happy camper if he doesn't get the first shot. I doubt the Yankees want to move Robertson out of his extremely valuable comfort zone.

Also, not that money matters to them, but moving Robertson to closer will make him more expensive down the road even if he is less valuable than where he is right now.

[curly2]

Since 2004 I've had people tell me they can't believe the Sox came back from 3-0 down in the ALCS and I always say, "It wasn't just 3-0 down, it was 3-0 and Rivera on the mound to close out Game 4."

Class act, and the best ever.

[dynomite]

Been studying all night and didn't see this.

Holy. Crap. Completely and utterly shocking.

I was 12 years old last time Mariano Rivera was not the Yankees closer.

[deconstruction]

Who will inherit his strike zone?

[canyoubelieveit]

Remember in 2004 when we lit him up in the ALCS? 7 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.29 ERA, 2 saves. He was still fantastic (and following a family tragedy no less). So much respect for him...really hope he does pitch again.

[LogansDad]

I can't say much besides echo that this sucks and would be a really crummy way to end what has arguably (maybe not even arguably) been the best relief career ever.

One of the things I remember most about 2003 (other than the crushing defeat, obviously), was Mo walking to the mound after Boone's home run, and just dropping to his knees full of emotion. Even as a Yankee, I have always enjoyed watching him play... he has always seemed like a truly classy guy, who loves the game of baseball, and is an absolute terror on the mound.

[knucklecup]

I feel like Rivera got a lot of slack and deservingly so. The media is going to have a field day when Soriano starts to blow saves.

[cgori]

Kansas City media reporting it was his right knee -- MRI later tonight at KU. Kind of surprised he's not on the next plane to New York.

(null)

Depending on the swelling in the time right after the injury, it can be a very bad idea to get on a plane. You have a lot of pooled blood and some clotting going on, you can stroke out. (This is what I was told anyway, when I had a badly swollen knee from something similar.)

I hope he rehabs it and comes back.

[ThePrideofShiner]

Verducci had an interesting point in his story on the injury tonight:

(There is a slight possibility that Rivera has one more October left in him -- that he could chisel more digits off his 0.70 postseason ERA. Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo also suffered a torn right ACL-- a righthander's push-off knee -- on May 1, 2008. He was back to start a game Sept. 24 that year, and started a Division Series game.

http://sportsillustr...l#ixzz1ttTGlrYF

[SemperFidelisSox]

Yovani Gallardo was 22 in 2008.

Rivera is 42. Can he expect his body to recover that quickly at his age?

[YTF]

AP: Near home plate, teammate Alex Rodriguez could be seen saying "Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

Suzy Waldman thinks this is hilarious.

[Sampo Gida]

I feel like Rivera got a lot of slack and deservingly so. The media is going to have a field day when Soriano starts to blow saves.

Girardi said he would have used Robertson to close last night if needed, so not sure Soriano is going to take Riveras place. Of course, you can blow saves in the 8th too.

Depending on the swelling in the time right after the injury, it can be a very bad idea to get on a plane. You have a lot of pooled blood and some clotting going on, you can stroke out. (This is what I was told anyway, when I had a badly swollen knee from something similar.)

I hope he rehabs it and comes back.

He would fly on a nice big charter, not coach, and it's only a 2 hr flight, so he should be ok. No hurry to get back to NY since they can't do much until the swelling goes down anyways.

[Archer1979]

Yovani Gallardo was 22 in 2008.

Rivera is 42. Can he expect his body to recover that quickly at his age?

Further down, Verducci points out that the torn meniscus complicates things so its unlikely.

At any rate, as much as I hate the Yankees, this would be an awful way to go out. The good news for him, if this is it, is that the next step is putting his face on a Hall of Fame plaque.

[Lose Remerswaal]

24 Yankees I wished would get hurt. This is the 25th.

Although I wouldn't have minded a DL trip caused by whiplash from watching Sox HRs go over the fence.

Edited by Lose Remerswaal, 04 May 2012 - 06:22 AM.

[kartvelo]

He'll be fine.

[fuzzy_one]

I hope he rehabs smoothly and is out there torturing the Sox in 2013. Can't imagine him going out like this, even if he planned to retire after this year.

[Reggie's Racquet]

I've seen Josh Beckett busting his ass like that during BP many, many times and wondered when he was going to injure himself.

You mean running for the clubhouse when the KFC delivery arrived.

[JimD]

I've never met a Sox fan who had a bad thing to say about Mariano. We all want to beat him, but the guy just commands so much respect.

Of course, I have no faith whatsoever that our favorite team will be able to take advantage of this. Rafael Soriano will now probably channel his inner Aaron Small and rack up about 45 or 50 saves this season.

[bankshot1]

This news sucks. I'd rather see the fruit bat blow a save than a blow a knee.

[findguapo]

He was wearing Nikes! I thought only Adidas shoes can cause ACL tears.

[ypioca]

Who will inherit his strike zone?

Phenomenal work.

[fineyoungarm]

Swell. Now he goes and gets all motivated to rehab/redeem himself, come back in 2013 and pitch for however many more years his deal with Beelzebub runs - expanded strike zone and all.

Meanwhile, away from the fires of Hell, Robertson continues to be lights out in the 7th and 8th until/unless Soriano establishes that he cannot close succesfully.

[kartvelo]

The Yanks will leave everyone in the 'pen in their position of comfort. Then they'll sign some scrub off the scrap heap as closer, and he'll immediately develop an invisible 100MPH curveball that he'll use to great effect for the next 15 years.

[kenneycb]

Does this mean his pool party is cancelled this year?

[Van Everyman]

I don't really understand this, "I didn't want Mo to go out this way" mentality. Would people have preferred a rapid decline in which he was a shell of his former self? A line drive off his head? At least this way he gets a chance to leave on top of his game.

[steveluck7]

Does this mean his pool party is cancelled this year?

shockingly, no

[gixer1k]

Mariano was the only Yankee I disliked.

The rest I hated.

Shame for a warrior like him to go down this way.

[h8mfy]

I don't really understand this, "I didn't want Mo to go out this way" mentality. Would people have preferred a rapid decline in which he was a shell of his former self? A line drive off his head? At least this way he gets a chance to leave on top of his game.

ITA - not only leaving at the top of his game, but doing something he loved to do. My first thought was - he was a baseball player, not just one of the greatest pitchers we'll ever see, and I had flashbacks to the joy I've felt tracking down and catching a fly ball.

[loshjott]

I don't really understand this, "I didn't want Mo to go out this way" mentality. Would people have preferred a rapid decline in which he was a shell of his former self? A line drive off his head? At least this way he gets a chance to leave on top of his game.

This.

Rivera has had such a charmed career.

Karma is a funny thing.

[StuckOnYouk]

A certain Crosby Stills & Nash song comes to mind

It's been a long time coming
It's going to be a long time gone
And it appears to be a long
Appears to be a long
Appears to be a long time
It's a long, long, long, long time
Before the dawn

Edited by StuckOnYouk, 04 May 2012 - 09:04 AM.

[Plympton91]

I don't really understand this, "I didn't want Mo to go out this way" mentality. Would people have preferred a rapid decline in which he was a shell of his former self? A line drive off his head? At least this way he gets a chance to leave on top of his game.

Nolan Ryan's last pitch always seemed like a good way to go out, and the way I imagined it would happen to Rivera.

[luckysox]

The picture I saw this morning that accompanied the story made me think it was his elbow (I knew nothing of any injury until I saw the pic), which somehow made waaaay more sense and would have been more, well, acceptable. But a knee? Come on. Who blows out their knee shagging fly balls for chrissake?

But honestly? I can't say I'm disappointed he won't be pitching. I wouldn't wish for it to happen, and I don't hope he's done for good, but when the Sox are down 1 in the 9th to the MFY later this season, I certainly won't say, "Aww, it's really too bad Mo isn't here." I highly doubt MFY fans were sad when Bailey's thumb fell off 48 hours before the season started, and from a pure baseball in-game perspective, it's the same damn thing. From an historical and emotional perspective, it's sad for him and MFY fans.

[RingoOSU]

Nolan Ryan's last pitch always seemed like a good way to go out, and the way I imagined it would happen to Rivera.

This. I have no problem with Mo going out on top by his own volition. Even a decline and having to hang it up is way more honorable than a silly BP accident.

[kartvelo]

What's dishonorable about an accident?

[singaporesoxfan]

It was all a horrible mistake. Ben Cherington heard that Rivera was shagging with Nix, and had some things "arranged".

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

The picture I saw this morning that accompanied the story made me think it was his elbow (I knew nothing of any injury until I saw the pic), which somehow made waaaay more sense and would have been more, well, acceptable. But a knee? Come on. Who blows out their knee shagging fly balls for chrissake?

I don't understand this at all. It was a fluke accident. Why is this unacceptable?

[Dogman2]

I refuse to believe anything until Snod compares this injury to his own.

[LeoCarrillo]

Verducci says "There is a slight possibility that the great Rivera has one more October left in him."

Let's hope it's Oct. 3 in Game 162 against the Sox. Yankees are eliminated, Sox are in and resting people. And Mariano practically ceremonially emerges from months of rehab to pitch the ninth. Strikes out Iglesias or whomever on a cutter. Leaves to thunderous applause heard across the five boroughs. Doffs cap and promptly retires.

Exit Sandman.

Edited by LeoCarrillo, 04 May 2012 - 11:04 AM.

[Remagellan]

It's a shame he went down like this. Slipping while shagging flies during BP in Kansas City may be the very definition of going out with a whimper. I once made the case that he was the most valuable MFY in their dynasty, and I didn't watch the ninth inning of Game 7 in 2001 because I was certain he wouldn't blow the save in Arizona. It seems fitting that that dynasty fell when he first showed signs of vulnerability.

I hate all Yankees, but always respected Mariano for his class, which was never more evident than how he reacted to the ovation he received from the Fenway crowd on the day the Sox got their 2004 rings for his part in the comeback.

Whether or not he ever pitches again, he will always be one of the 25 that blew a 3-0 series lead to the team that pulled off THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN BASEBALL HISTORY.

I wish him the best of luck on his recovery and his retirement.

[Average Reds]

I don't really understand this, "I didn't want Mo to go out this way" mentality. Would people have preferred a rapid decline in which he was a shell of his former self? A line drive off his head? At least this way he gets a chance to leave on top of his game.

Well, as a Sox fan, the bolded section would have made me very happy.

This just leaves me sad, which has the side effect of making me enraged because I don't like feeling sympathy for a member of the MFYs.

[ifmanis5]

Slipping while shagging flies during BP in Kansas City may be the very definition of going out with a whimper.

There is certainly something about the Kansas City part of this story which makes it more of a pathetic punchline. Kansas City being the Tatooine of MLB planets.