Mariano Rivera writes HOF history

Many expected it but it never was sure. Would former Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera make the 2019 Hall of Fame class unanimously? Tonight the long wait was over. Mo was introduced as the fourth player in the 2019 class, the first ever to appear on all sent in ballots.

It remained a question if he would be the first ever player who would be voted in unanimously. A few weeks ago, a sports writer from New England announced that he would abstain his vote rather than to vote on Mo because he thinks the save is not “an indicator of greatness,” He didn’t want to be the reason why Rivera would not be voted in unanimously. But eventually, the writer changed his mind, realizing it would be wrong not to vote on the greatest closer ever.

But tonight the liberating word came as Mo was one of four players voted into the Hall of Fame. The others are Roy Halladay (85.4%), Mike Mussina (76.7%), and Edgar Martinez (85.4%).

Mariano Rivera spent his entire career with the New York Yankees. He broke into the Majors in 1995, when he served as a setup man for John Wetteland. After Wetteland left the Yankees, the club moved Mo forward to become their closer, a decision the would not regret. Look at his numbers: 652 saves, the most all-time; 0.70 ERA in 141 postseason innings, the lowest ERA of any pitcher with at least 30 postseason innings; he recorded the final out of the World Series four times. He ended his career after the 2013 season with a 2.21 ERA, 1173 Ks and an opponent’s batting average of just .211.

With Rivera, another former Yankee will head into the HOF. Mike Mussina, who spent ten out of eighteen years with the Baltimore Orioles before joining the Yankees as a free agent, was the last pitcher who earned twenty wins in what would be his final season, 2008. With a career .638 winning percentage, 270 wins vs 153 losses, a lifetime ERA of 3.68, many thought this time he was HOF material. It remains a question which cap Moose will wear with his induction.