Shocker: Leyland confirms Rivera will be AL’s closer for All-Star Game

June 29, 2013 by Mike Axisa 12 Comments

Via George King & Dan Martin: Tigers manager Jim Leyland confirmed Mariano Rivera will serve as the AL’s closer for next month’s All-Star Game. “He took me off the hook from all that silly stuff that they wanted him to start the game … I hope I give him the ball in the ninth inning in New York,” he said. Leyland is managing because Detroit won the pennant last year.

Rivera, 43, has a 1.55 ERA (2.36 FIP) with 26 saves in 27 chances this year. There was a campaign to have Mo start the All-Star Game as a way to honor his career, but thankfully that was shot down. Rivera himself said he didn’t want to start. The game will be played in New York at CitiField, so hopefully the AL squad gives Mo a lead to protect in the ninth inning during his final All-Star Game. That would be pretty darn neat.

SDB

The way this offense is going, that might be Mo’s only chance to save a game in the next couple of weeks.
trr

A well deserved honor for baseball’s best closer.
vicki

may there be a save situation. lookin’ at you, verlander!
- forensic
  
  /realace’d
  
  :-)
  - vicki
    
    yup. but then the tigers had been hovering around .500 at the time of the asg, third in the division, 5 games back of the white sox, two back of the indians. zero run differential!
    
    you know if he’d believed the outcome would impact his team he would’ve pitched gooder.
    - Mikhel
      
      Nah, no apologies, he got lit up, left a lot of balls in the middle of the plate and got hit pretty hard. He was just not good.
forensic

He’s not going to re-sign Valverde again to close instead???
Eddard

The ASG MVP should go to Mariano regardless of whether he pitches in the game.
- nycsportzfan
  
  Why? Isnt one of the biggest issues with the AS games is guys getting on the rosters when they don’t deserve it? Now, were gonna start giving guys the MVP of the game even if they don’t play? Nah, thats silly.
  - jjyank
    
    nycsportz, meet Eddard. Eddard, this is nycsportz.
    
    In other words, don’t take him seriously. Ever.
  - Deathstroke Heathcott
    
    Meh, All Star selections and All Star MVPs carry so little weight anyway, just go all out and treat them as sentimental awards more than an indicator of merit.
nycsportzfan

Also water is wet.lol another words, no kidding mo’s closing the As game if the AL has a SV opp.