The greatest closer in the history of Major League Baseball is Mariano Rivera. It’s not debatable.
Rivera, 43, is playing in what he says is his 19th and final season — and he’s going out in style by greeting and thanking the people behind scenes of every stadium he visits.
In return, the Twins delivered the Yankee great with a gift before Tuesday’s game at Target Field. They gave him a rocking chair made of broken bats, as well as a $10,000 donation to the Mariano Rivera Foundation.
Rivera was asked before the game about all the “pain” he’s caused Twins fans over the years.
“I don’t call it pain. It’s a job that I have to do. I’m sorry if I do my job,” Rivera said, according to the Pioneer Press. “There’s been a lot of good games here, and good battles. … I always make sure that when I come here to play, I have to be sharp.”
Rivera ranks first in MLB history with 634 career saves.
