Wednesday, March 25, 2015

World Series: Did You Know?

While he pitched in the 1996 Fall Classic, Mariano Rivera got his first save two years later. Rivera had to watch in 1996 as John Wetteland did something even Rivera couldn't do: Record four saves in one World Series!

But one thing Rivera did was convince the New YorkYankee brass that he was the closer of the future. Indeed, Wettleland was not resigned for 1997, and the closer's role was all Mariano. The rest, as they say, is history.

But Rivera did not pitch in the Fall Classic in 1997. Cleveland and Florida put on a classic, that the underdog Wild Card Marlins won. Rivera had the ring from 1996, but not the save. That all changed in game one of the 1998 World Series.

The Yankees were taking on the San Diego Padres in 1998 Fall Classic. Right there in the House That Ruth built. The House of Legends. What the Yankees saw from their closer was always the stuff of legend, so why should the Fall Classic be any different? Rivera put the nail in the coffin in game one, a contest that the Padres seemed to be destined to score at will. For a while, they looked like they were going to win, too!

The Padres led after six, 5-2. But then, New York came alive. They crossed the plate an amazing seven times in the bottom of the seventh. That seventh inning stretch must have woken them up. New York was up 9-5 and needed just six more outs. Oh, wait: It's not a save situation!

Jeff Nelson pitched the top of the eight for the Yankees. David Wells had the win wrapped up now, so there was no sense in wasting his arm on the last six outs. But Nelson struggled. Tony Gwynn's single started what looked like a rally. However, it sort of stalled as a force at second erased Gwynn. A walk and a strikeout followed. Wally Joyner was the batter. Steve Finley was on deck. Two on. So that made him the tying run. Hey, that is a save situation! Paging Mariano!

Rivera hoped in from the 'pen. Joyner reached on an error by Chuck Knoblauch, and a run scored. Well, Mariano still had the three-run lead. But now Finley was at the dish. And you knew Rivera had to get him out. And he did just that. On a 1-0 pitch, Finley grounded out to first, with Tino Martinez making the play unassisted. Three more outs and Rivera has that first save!

Two pinch hitters came to the plate in the top of the ninth for the Padres, but Mariano, with the pressure off, got 'em both on strikeouts. He still had the three-run lead. When Quilvio Veras popped out to third, this thing was in the books as a 9-6 Yankee win. Rivera had his first Fall Classic save!

The Yankees would go on to win the next three games, of course. Rivera saved two more games (Game two was a 9-3 Yankee blowout, so Rivera did not get to pitch) to fall one shy of Wetteland's record. Mariano would save eight more games in the World Series in his career, a record for the legend. And every legend has a beginning right?

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