Mariano Rivera at White House meeting, will participate in Trump effort against opioid abuse-3/29/17

3/29/17, "Mariano Rivera introduces himself at WH opioid event and Trump quickly jumps in: "Oh they could use you now! I think you'd make $100M/yr now!"" Steve Kopack‏Verified account @SteveKopack Mar 29 

Right to left: Trump, NJ Gov. Chris Christie, Trump son in law Jared Kushner, Rivera, and Fla. AG Pam Bondi (per her name card on the table): "President Trump has appointed Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to a commission to help fight opioid abuse on a national level....In a statement, Florida’s Attorney General thanked the President as well as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie—who will chair the panel—for caring about what she calls “a deadly epidemic,” adding thousands of Americans die each year from drug overdoses." 

3/30/17, "Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera joins Trump's opioid listening group," USA Today Sports 

"Former Yankees great Mariano Rivera was summoned to the White House on Wednesday. (No word on whether “Enter Sandman” played when Rivera stepped into the West Wing.) Rivera, who retired after the 2013 season as baseball’s all-time saves leader (652),"... 

[Ed. note: Rivera also had 42 post season "saves" over his 141 post season innings for an actual "all time saves" total of 694. His 141 post season innings--against the toughest competitors and under the brightest lights--amount to an additional two years of relief work at 70 innings per year, sandwiched within the calendar years of his regular season stats but not mentioned in this article. It may be technically correct per MLB rules to continue to omit Rivera's post season work when reporting the "all time saves leader" stat, but why would you want to? Why would you want to cheat anyone out of a vast body of work? Why not at least change the name of the stat to something other than "all time" since "regular season only" isn't "all time?" Rivera pitched into November twice, 2001 and 2009. Shorter off seasons meant less time recovering while other relievers were sitting on the couch resting up to pad the next year's regular season stats.]
 
(continuing): "was in Washington D.C. for a listening session on Trump’s newly created opioid commission. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a devoted Mets fan, is leading the group, which was created to fight a growing opioid addiction problem in the U.S. 

Rivera is a philanthropist these days and leads the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which supports community-based organizations. The group specifically focuses on education, health and social and economic development, according to its website, marianoriverafoundation.org. One of its biggest projects to date was renovating a church in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 2014.

Trump steered the conversation to baseball when introducing Rivera but offered no specifics on what role the closer might play on the committee.  “Oh, they could use you now,” Trump said of the Yankees. “You know, I think you’d make $100 million a year right now…I watched for many years, Mariano. I’d sit with George (Steinbrenner), and George always felt good when Mariano was throwing.”"  "The Associated Press contributed to this report."
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Washington Post:

3/30/17, "Now THIS is the art of the deal: Trump sees Mariano Rivera making $100 million a year now," Washington Post, Cindy Boren

"Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees’ all-time great closer, made a trip to the White House, where the thoughts of a president who happens to be a big league Yankees fan turned quickly to his other passion: deals. The number President Trump was thinking of? $100 million. Yowser.

That’s one way to break the ice. Rivera, who was representing his foundation at an opioid-awareness discussion that also featured Yankee fan/Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), [NJ has many Yankee fans, but Gov. Christie is a Mets fan] had just introduced himself to the assembled group when Trump couldn’t resist.

“We could use you now,” Trump joked. “I think you’d make 100 million a year right now.”

That brought a smile to Rivera’s face and laughs around the table. Trump went on to reminisce about the times he spent with the team’s late owner, George Steinbrenner, and how Rivera always delivered.

“He threw the heaviest pitch,” Trump said. “You made the ball like it weighed 30 pounds.” But…back to that $100 million deal.

Trump was kidding, we think, but who wouldn’t want to hear “Enter Sandman” and see Rivera, who will turn (gulp) 48 in November, take those first steps, do a quick skip at the warning track and trot to the mound again? Never mind that Rivera, baseball’s all-time saves leader, pretty much left it all on the field when he walked away in 2013. We can dream."...

1988, Trump and Steinbrenner

3/26/1988, "New York Yankees manager Billy Martin, right, meets developer Donald Trump at Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach Sat., March 26, 1988. Seated with Trump are his son Donald, 10, with a ball given him by Martin and George Steinbrenner during the game with the Montreal Expos.," AP, Drew. 7/4/13, "Born On The 4th Of July: 16 Photos Of George Steinbrenner," Huffington Post, Chris Greenberg
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"Mo's final entrance at Yankee Stadium," Sept. 26, 2013


 
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Five MLB scouts were in Panama looking for the next Rod Carew or Mariano Rivera-Matt Martell, The Daily Collegian (Penn State)

3/15/17, "A day at the ballpark," The Daily Collegian (Penn State), Matt Martell

"I spent last week in Panama City (Panama) with Penn State’s international reporting class. It was the greatest week of my life.

The purpose of the class is for a small group of hand-picked college journalism students to learn the job of a foreign correspondent.

My story is about the current state of Panamanian baseball. So, for a week, I set out to learn as much as possible about baseball in Panama. I talked to scouts, teenage players, coaches, fans and sports reporters.

I left the country with not only a better understanding of Panamanian culture, but I also developed a connection with others through the game I love.

It was Thursday when I set out to watch a practice. Players at the PTY Baseball Academy started their workouts at 8 a.m., as they do every weekday morning. They practiced on a field similar to the Sandlot for three hours. Five scouts from Major League Baseball teams were there watching, hoping to find the next Rod Carew or Mariano Rivera.

Sometime around 10, I approached three ballplayers testing their defensive skills with a game of pepper. They ranged from ages 14-16. I asked for the bat by pointing at it because I didn’t speak enough Spanish to verbally ask for it.

He gave it to me, and for the next five minutes or so, I hit grounders to the three players. Whichever one scooped up the grounder lobbed it back to me and I’d hit another one to the next player. Then, one of them jogged over to me. He was wearing Colorado Rockies apparel because he had recently signed a contract to play in their Minor League system.

He handed me a glove, grabbed a bat and pointed to where his friends were standing. It was my turn to take the field.

The next 10 minutes breezed by in the 95-degree heat. I snagged the skipping grounders off the rubble field and tossed them back to him.

We smiled and laughed, but we didn’t say a word to one another. We didn’t have to.

In those moments, I wasn’t interviewing the players and scribbling down notes, but they were still telling me their stories. The bouncing baseballs were the airwaves through which we communicated. In those moments, I began to understand the essence of baseball.

Baseball connects cultures. It unites races and creeds. It’s the ultimate cliche, yet unequivocally unique. It’s imperfectly perfect. It’s love and hate. War and peace. It’s universal. It’s life.

Baseball helped me understand that even though the players and I live worlds apart and speak different languages, we are forever entwined through the 15 minutes we spent together without a care in the world.

They weren’t worried about making it to the majors, and I wasn’t worried about the declining journalism job-market. We were at ease. We were having the time of our lives.

When I realized I should let them get back to their practice, I looked at Enrique, the Rockies prospect. I flipped him the glove, held out my fist and said, “Gracias.”

He nodded and pressed his knuckles against mine before he jogged out to shortstop to practice turning double plays.

The moment was over, but the memory had just begun."
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"Matt Martell is a junior majoring in print and digital journalism. His email is mtm5481@psu.edu or follow him on Twitter at @mmartell728."

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2017 New York Yankees Broadcast Schedule including spring training games

2017 New York Yankees Broadcast Schedule, MLB.com. Includes spring training games and radio

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