Goose Gossage praises closer Mariano Rivera

5/9/13, "Hall of Famer Goose Gossage lauds Yankees closer Mariano Rivera," Denver Post, Troy Renck

"Mariano Rivera is probably the greatest closer the game will ever see. He's consistent, brilliant.

Even more stunning is that his first impression is more breathtaking than his last out. That's saying something for a pitcher who has finished 905 games.

The 43-year-old Yankees star, as part of his Mo-ment of Thanks farewell tour this season, met with the longest-tenured members of the Rockies organization Wednesday, answering questions for 30 minutes. He posed for pictures with Juan Nicasio, Wilin Rosario and Jorge De La Rosa. With rain drizzling at Coors Field, Rivera signed autographs down the third-base line before the first pitch.

Sometimes stars, like art, need help. Rivera requires no embellishment.

"He is class, the perfect pro. He should be the poster for how to act at the professional level," said Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage. "He never shows anyone up. He just goes about his business better than anyone else. Some guys out there could learn from him instead of acting like fools."

Gossage and Rivera are forever linked by their occupation. Both have starred in arguably sports' toughest role: New York Yankees closer. This job comes with alarms blaring, headlines screaming and The Boss, until recently, yelling.

Rivera saved his first game May 17, 1996. He entered Wednesday with a major league-record 619 saves. He has appeared in 96 playoff games, posting a 0.70 ERA, while allowing just two home runs.
 
Gossage pitched for the Yankees for seven seasons, finishing in the top five in the Cy Young Award voting three times. He struck out 122 batters in 134 innings in 1978.*

"I don't care if you're a hot dog vendor or a player. There's nowhere harder to do it on the planet than New York," Gossage said. "I played for nine teams, and loved every minute of it. But New York is a different pressure. For Mariano to do it as long as he has, I don't think you'll ever see that again there."

Gossage, who planned to attend Wednesday's game, spends the entire spring training with the Yankees as a guest instructor in Tampa, Fla. It has only grown his appreciation for Rivera, who has used a cut fastball to break bats and crush dreams for 19 seasons.

So sharp is Rivera's cutter that left-handed hitters often use their batting practice bats against him to avoid turning their favorite model into splinters.

Goose relied on high heat, a dervish of arms, legs and stares.

"I do respect the role of the guys that take the (closer's job) seriously and not just to show or play around. And with Goose, I have an immense amount of respect for him and how he works and teaches us," Rivera said. "I have been blessed."

The Rockies honored Rivera before Wednesday's game, presenting him with a $5,000 check for his foundation. How many players do you know who can make their retirement tour not about them?

Again, this is someone whose idea of a celebration is a slightly pumped fist. Not an untucked shirt or an imaginary bow into the air....It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Rivera. His dissection of opponents is not coldblooded as much as clinically efficient.
 
He has been the best, and in a time when style trumps substance, he is devoid of hype.

"He just does everything the right way," Gossage said. "He deserves all the attention he's getting in his final year. He's a beautiful person. The game will miss him.""

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*Ed. note: Mariano Rivera broke Gossage's single season strikeout record as a Yankee reliever (122 in 134 IP) in 1996 when he fanned 130 in 107.2 innings.

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PS. Please excuse bright white background behind this post. This was done by my longtime illegal hacker from google who knows his ideas can't win in a free society. So he's obsessed with sabotaging those he views as his opponents.

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