From Jon Heyman via the indefatigable Craig Calcaterra:
The Yankees are busy with Derek Jeter and Cliff Lee, but after that’s all said and done, Mariano Rivera will be tops on their priority list. Jon Heyman reports today that, when they do get to him, they’ll find that he wants a two-year deal, not a one-year deal.
This should not be a problem. I think you pretty much give Mariano Rivera whatever he wants. At least within reason. He earned 2011 by continuing to be awesome in 2010. While, sure, he might fall off a cliff eventually, who has a greater right to ask for an extra year than Mariano Rivera? He’s carried them for 15 years. They can carry him for one if, for some reason, next season is his last effective one.
Agreed. No problems here. Two years sounds beautiful to me.
[Drawing by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz]
Blank check.
If the Yankees issued a release asking fans to send checks directly to Mariano Rivera, mine would be in the mail as soon as the ink dried.
WORD
You just gave me a heart attack. When I saw the headline and picture, I thought Mo had announced his retirement.
[1] [2] Hear, hear. In spades.
[4] Yikes, me too. Almost spilled my coffee..Mariano retiring is going to be traumatic for anyone who reads the Banter..
[4], [6] La la la la la fingers in ears I can't hear you.
Mo's retirement will be very traumatic for our grandchildren, and his.
I looked at Mariano's stats at baseball-reference.com and saw that, according their "Hall of Fame Career Standards," Rivera gets 29 points, while the average Hall of Fame pitcher scores 50 points or more. Rivera's 29 points places him on a par with, among others, Kenny Rogers, and below Joe Nathan,
I am not anti-stat, but this is clearly an absurd result
[9] ha, yeah don't sweat that stat. it's just a measure for starters, doesn't work for closers.
[10] Right, and in fairness to baseball-ref, it would be very difficult to cook up a good stat for reliever HOF admission, because relievers just don't make it into the HOF.
But Mo will be unanimous first ballot. In 2039.
Pay.
The.
Man.
yes, please. 2 more years. then 2 more. then 3 more. and 5 more. then 17 more. and forevermore ...
[11] I assume you're suggesting that before the 2034 season, Bud Selig (like anyone really believes he's going away) will just declare Mariano Rivera illegal
2039 I think I can just about live with. And by then if Selig needs to declare Mo illegal, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to sympathize with that, for the good of baseball.
[14] [15] Bud Selig will meet with a tragic and embarrassing death by auto-asphyxia in 2026. Commissioner Jeter is going to waive the rule that says you have to retire to be eligible for induction, just in this one case, because, you know, what's the point?
Tell him to nix the suit ads. Would expect it from A-Rod, not Mo. I hope to live long enough to see him and Jete announced last on Old Timers Day. As for the HoF, I be old. So I have to wait to make my reservations in Cooperstown which I hope happen sooner than later, though not to soon. Contract of two years plus 5.
[9] This be the problem with stats. What value to they put in FAN JOY (FJ), defined as effects on fan when fan sees player enter game with bat or ball in hand?