The New York Yankees have nothing left to really play for this season, as the team was eliminated from postseason contention last night against the Tampa Bay Rays, but there is plenty of intrigue left on the table, as the team travels down to Houston to play the Astros and that gives Mariano Rivera the chance to possibly play the outfield.
According to ESPN.com, manager Joe Girardi said that he would think about playing Mariano in the outfield during the game and that he hopes that it could be a situation where he could play the eighth and then come in and pitch the ninth inning. Rivera has long wanted to play the outfield and many in the Yankees organization have said that Rivera has the athleticism to play there and he used to shag fly balls constantly in the outfield through his career, including last year when he was injured, but now that the games are meaningless for the Yankees and Astros, he said he might do it.
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The big question on some people's minds as Rivera gets past his last home game in Yankee Stadium is not whether the closer will pitch, but will he get the chance to play in the outfield before his career is done? Buster Olney reported this, but as a Mariano fan I already knew, but he has always wanted to play the outfield in a major league game and he often was called the best Yankees outfielder by manager Joe Torre when asked the question.
ESPN.com and Buster Olney reported that Rivera used to ask Joe Torre constantly about playing some outfield and while it may not happen, now that the Yankees are out of playoff contention, would Girardi do that? Since Girardi didn't do it at Yankee Stadium than maybe he will during the Houston series to finish the season? Obviously only time will tell, but when Mo was hurt last year, he was shagging flies in the outfield...something he has done for his ENTIRE CAREER. So come on, do it Joe! Let him play some outfield!
Rivera has been getting love from all over Major League Baseball as he gets ready to officially retire and the Yankees gave him a proper sendoff on Sunday under some beautiful skies at the stadium. Rivera was honored in a pregame ceremony and performance that saw a number of Yankee greats and former teammates there, including Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams and John Wettland and he also gave a fantastic speech.
Before he was brought out for his part of the pregame ceremony, the band Metallica came on stage and did a live rendition of his signature closer song in "Enter Sandman" and the stadium went crazy when the played it. Rivera came into the live sounds of Metallica and then gave a very emotional and funny speech that the stadium loved.
Rivera was given a number of gifts on Sunday from the Yankees, San Francisco Giants as well as Metallica and he also has the distinction of being one of the only players (maybe the only player) to ever have their number retired while they were still an active player. The team retired his number in Monument Park with a plaque and they also presented him with a trophy and other custom made gifts.
The Yankees of course are trying to bank in on the retirement, but they still handled his ceremony with class, bringing out the family of Jackie Robinson, as the two are tied by their number 42 and he has been a great ambassador to the game.
