Wednesday, September 18, 2013

This Is Not A Storybook Ending For Rivera And Pettitte

In nearly 18 years in Major League Baseball Andy Pettitte's ERA is 3.86. Along with that, he's amassed 255 wins. Andy also has 19 wins in 44 postseason starts, while having an ERA of 3.81. Let's also throw in the fact that he's finished in the top five of Cy Young voting four times, while finishing 6th once. Unfortunately I'm not writing today in order to prove how great of a pitcher Pettitte is or has been. We'll save that for later. Right now I wanted to point out that we may only see Andrew Eugene Pettitte pitch two more games before he calls it a career.

We will be talking quite a bit about this man during the offseason.

Then comes a man that, without argument, is the greatest closer in the history of baseball. 651 saves, a career ERA of 2.22, 13 All Star appearances, finished in the top five of Cy Young voting five times, and a postseason ERA of 0.70 in 96 appearances (!).  In nearly 19 years in Major League Baseball, Mariano Rivera stands head, shoulders, torso, waist, legs, and feet above every reliever to have ever stepped on a mound. Sadly, the way the Yankees have played in their last four games, we may never see this man save another game.

Like all of us, Russell Martin is in awe of Mo.

The worst part about this possibly being the last season these two great men perform for us is that it's happening in the Yankees worst season since they donned the pinstripes. Even in Pettitte's two seasons in Houston, the Astros finished with a better winning percentage than this year's Bombers likely will (the Yankees have to win 9 of their final 11 games to not have the worst winning percentage since Andy and Mariano debuted in MLB).

I'm sure the team, from the front office, to the coaching staff, to the players themselves, feel horrible about what is happening. And they feel even worse as they've seen ceremony after ceremony celebrating the career of The Sandman/Super Mariano/Mo. We all want the best for our friends, or for those that we admire. Hell, I feel bad when I don't come through with a base hit when runners are in scoring position during a beer-league softball game. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I were in the visitor's clubhouse of the Roger's Centre last night, let alone how I would have felt in the visitor's clubhouse at Fenway Park Sunday night.

I don't know who to blame for what's happened this season. Joe Girardi for his poor decisions? Brian Cashman for not building a better team? Hal and Hank Steinbrenner for not allowing Cashman to spend more to acquire better players? The trainers for not being able to avoid all these injuries? The players for simply not doing their jobs? Maybe we shouldn't point the finger of blame at anybody. I mean, maybe this is just the perfect storm of crap, and it was unavoidable. But the fact of the matter is that I, and probably the vast majority of Yankees fans, are disgusted that we have to say goodbye to at least one man that deserves to go out on top, and with the World Series trophy hoisted above his head.

This is how Mo should go out.

2 comments:

  1. This season was all about injuries. Team played well and Joe got most out of what he had. Nothing to hang head about.

    Mo and Andy have had more than their share of winning. They're fine.

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    Replies
    1. I agree, but it still stinks not seeing them leave the game under different circumstances.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)