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The Great One
2008-05-08 07:16
A few days ago I was hanging with some seamheads talking shop. The subject got around to the great Mariano Rivera. When I told Steve Goldman just how much I appreciate watching Rivera, Steve said, "It's like watching Fred Astaire in his later years." Isn't that a great comp? Think Astaire in Bandwagon. (Speaking of which, has anyone ever had more fetching legs than Cyd Charisse?) Jack Curry has a piece on Rivera today in the Times: "I'm proud of what I do," Rivera said Tuesday. "And I take it seriously. I don't take it for granted. I don't forget where I came from. I don't forget what I had to do to get here. That, to me, is important." I was in a Barnes and Noble last night and I found a picture book of Latin American baseball stars (I'm sorry but I didn't catch the title). I flipped to a full-page spread of Mariano, wearing shorts and flip flops, throwing a ball to a kid with a make shift bat, somewhere on the dusty streets of Panama. The picture looked dated--late '90s maybe--but it reminded me of how far Rivera, and so many other Latin players, have come to play ball in the big leagues. I think Rivera is sincere when it says that he doesn't take things for granted. And neither should we. I also liked this bit from Curry's article: After David Dellucci belted a three-run homer off Joba Chamberlain to push the Indians past the Yankees, 5-3, on Tuesday, Dellucci spoke respectfully about Chamberlain, who does not have even a full season in the majors. But when the topic switched to Rivera, Dellucci switched from respect to reverence.
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Given that a good number of us are privileged in any number of ways, I'd say it's pretty difficult not to take things for granted.
I'm not gonna say no more, as I feel on the brink of a major jinx here. Mum.
(No, that is not a dig at Rivera. Although I do think he is being vastly overpaid now, in part as a possible "thank you" for the last 10 years).
First ballot Hall of Famer ... for sure. Perhaps a unanimous choice.
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