Mo earns Player of the Week honors for RBI walk

June 29, 2009 by Benjamin Kabak 19 Comments

Fresh off of his first-ever career RBI, Mariano Rivera took home Player of the Week honors this week. He will share the award with Jermaine Dye who went 12 for 24 on the week but had just five more RBI than Mo. Rivera is being recognized by MLB for his courageous at-bat against Francisco Rodriguez last night. Just the third regular season plate appearance of Mo’s long and illustrious career, it ended on the seventh pitch as Rivera drew a walk with the bases loaded. A few minutes later, Rivera became just the second pitcher to record 500 career saves.

In other Rivera-related news, Rebecca Glass reports that current Sirius XM host and one-time Red Sox manager knew Mo was special as early as 1996. The Statistician Magician, also a Red Sox fan, salutes Rivera as well. When Mo is eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame, I plan on going to the ceremony. I’ve seen two other induction ceremonies, but his will be truly special.

pat

Mo had a better approach at the plate than most of our hitters.
- RAB poster
  
  Better than Cano anyway…
Chuck Norris

Mariano Rivera van eat more cheasy poofs than Eric Cartman
- Chuck Norris
  
  *can
chriskeo

I was just laughing when mo was batting, but when tex was up after i was worried about him striking out, mo did well, one hack among 7 pitches was enough
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime

I kept yelling at my TV for them to walk Mo. And then I couldn’t stop laughing when they did….and, I mean, it was a pretty important run, too.

Also, seeing my full name in an RAB post?

Dude, that’s weird =P
- http://bronxbaseballdaily.com Matt ACTY/BBD
  
  Yeah, that took me a second to get. I got it when I rolled over the link but it was strange.
V

You plan on still being alive in 2222, when Mo hangs up the spikes?
NYCORNERSTONE

THANKS MO HALF MY LIFE IVE BEEN BLESSED HAVING THE GREAT RIVERA IN THE PEN!
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
  
  I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!
  - http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime
    
    ITS A TRIBUTE TO BILLY MAYS!
    - RAB poster
      
      AND FARRAH FAWCETT!
      
      (NOTICE HOW MICHAEL JACKSON IS LEFT OUT)
Jake H

That Mo at bat was crazy.
- RAB Pastor
  
  Good contribution!
Salty Buggah

Pfft, Mo eats Player of the Week honors for breakfast.

And for that RBI walk, he had the ability to hit a Grand Slam but only did to respect the other closer and to get revenge for arguing with his disciple, Bruney.
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com Matt ACTY/BBD

When Mo “retires”, it will only be retiring from being a closer. Once he’s done doing that, he’ll morph himself back into a 20 year old and turn into a 40/40 CF.
Mark

Nice job by Mo, still can’t get over the walk and the reaction by the bench.

Ivan Nova making his first start for Scranton today, its a doubleheader so 7 inning games, his line so far

5ip 0 hits 0 er 2 walks 3 k’s
LiveFromNewYork

I said it in the game thread and the recap this morning but that 9th inning was one of my favorite moments as a Yankee fan. It’s like nothing could have been better, not the “failed deception” (Mo, take off that batting helmet!), not Jeter’s face when they were pitching to him, not the pitcher (K-rod), not who he walked (a pitcher with only 2 previous regular season plate appearances), not that he walked in a run, not that a few minutes later said RBI pitcher nailed down his 500th save.

I can’t think of anything better. I thought about it happening at YS but then we wouldn’t have gotten to soil Citifield.

Ah…I’m so glad we have a day off to enjoy this. Normally I hate days off but this one I can deal with.
deadrody

1996 ?!!?!? PFFFfft I knew it in 1995 when Showalter turned to him in down the stretch and in the playoffs. He threw 6 innings in September, but wasn’t all that great.

His true greatness began in the 15 inning Leyritz HR game. Mo relieved Wettland in the 12th and pitched 3.1, gave up 2 singles, didn’t walk anyone and struck out 5. And as I recall, that was when he first showed the kind of stuff that prompted Tom Kelly in 1996 to say he should be in another league.

He then pitched in game three, throwing 1.1 hitless innings with another 2 Ks, and then finally, he pitched 0.2 innings in the final game giving up a hit, a walk (intentional), and one K.

His overall line was 5.1 IP, 3 hits (all 1B), 1 walk (intentional), and 8 Ks. And he never looked back.