Mariano Rivera Career Appears Over (stance, pitcher, game, manager)

[NewToCA]

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi says closer Mariano Rivera has a torn right knee ligament, an injury that could potentially end his career.

The 42-year-old right-hander was carted off the field after twisting his right knee shagging flyballs during batting practice Thursday night before the Yankees played the Kansas City Royals.


Yankees' Rivera goes down with knee injury - Baseball- NBC Sports

[neil0311]

As a baseball fan, I'm sorry to see a player get injured, and he's a great reliever who's destined for the HOF. As a Red Sox fan, I'm glad to see the Yankees have to start to worry about their pen as well as rotation.

[filihok]

An anti-climactic way for one of the all-time greats to go out.

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by filihok

An anti-climactic way for one of the all-time greats to go out.

Yes.

NBC Sports called it "unfathomable."

You hate to see any player have to retire over circumstances like this. And at 42, Rivera does not have time on his side. ACL and his meniscus. Very sad.

[nmnita]

It is always sad to see a player be forced out of his/her sport due to injury. At 42 the chances are slim to none he will be able to return. I guess, if nothing else, he can be thankful for a wonderful baseball career, not that is much consolation to him right now, but it will be in years to come.

Nita

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by filihok

An anti-climactic way for one of the all-time greats to go out.

Yeah, but as is often the case, these guys push their careers to the very edge of physical capability and resist retirement until it's forced upon them. It's too bad that "Mo" had to go out this way, but he had a choice and could have retired on a high note but thought he had "one more season" which typically leads to "another season."

I'm 47, and once you hit your 40s, things that you could do routinely don't always end up being as easy as they used to be.

[BajanYankee]

I'm confessing a lot of ignorance here, but why would an ACL tear end a pitcher's career? It seems that the majority of the torque involves your left leg as a right-handed pitcher. As long as his right leg is strong enough to bear his weight load during the wind up, why would he not be able to come back? It's not like an NFL runningback whose constantly making sharp cuts.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE H

Yes.

NBC Sports called it "unfathomable."

You hate to see any player have to retire over circumstances like this. And at 42, Rivera does not have time on his side. ACL and his meniscus. Very sad.

I'd rather see his career end like this, than with a series of blown saves and walk-off homers. I saw how Willie Mays prolonged his career into the outfield for the Mets in the post season, and it was a very, very sad thing to watch.

Rivera's career ended at the age of 42 with a weak double-play grounder to short with the tying run on base, and that is the way it should be in the best of all possible worlds.

[Orangeish]

Originally Posted by jtur88

I'd rather see his career end like this, than with a series of blown saves and walk-off homers. I saw how Willie Mays prolonged his career into the outfield for the Mets in the post season, and it was a very, very sad thing to watch.

Rivera's career ended at the age of 42 with a weak double-play grounder to short with the tying run on base, and that is the way it should be in the best of all possible worlds.

Nah, it's still a tough way to go out. I agree there could be worse ways that would "tarnish his legacy" but an injury ending a career is not exactly a storybook ending.

[case44]

I've read in the paper this morning that Rivera gave the implication that he may change his mind about retiring. Sez he doesn't want to "go out" like this. I can't see him, however, trying to come back from this.