Results tagged ‘ Mariano Rivera ’

Mariano may need vocal cord surgery

Mariano Rivera dropped some unexpected news yesterday, telling reporters at a charity event in New Rochelle, N.Y. that he may need surgery on his vocal cords. The Yankees closer has been bothered by a raspy voice for about a month.

“Every time I talk, it gets worse and worse,” Rivera said, according to the New York Daily News. “I thought it was a little simple thing and I went to the doctor and she said they might have to do something. I think they have to scrape them.”

While Rivera said that there’s no simple procedure when it comes to surgery, the Yankees can be pleased that at least the problem isn’t with Rivera’s right arm. He also wouldn’t tip his hand as far as what he’s thinking about beyond 2012, as Rivera enters the final season of a two-year, $30 million deal.

Also in Hot Stove news…

  • Hitting coach Kevin Long thinks a rested Alex Rodriguez can return to form in 2012, according to the Bergen Record.

Game 151: Yankees vs. Blue Jays

TORONTO — Will Canada see history? Well, there’s at least a chance. Joe Girardi was asked pregame today if there was any way he’d put somebody else in if there’s a save situation so that Mariano Rivera can get the saves record at Yankee Stadium (where the Yanks begin an eight-game homestand Monday). The answer was what you’d expect: Not a chance.

Girardi did nail down his rotation for early next week: Ivan Nova will pitch on Tuesday, CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes will start Wednesday’s doubleheader (not sure what order yet) and Bartolo Colon will go on Thursday. As for the lineup? Joe wants to give some guys a little rest.

“The guys have been going so hard, I figured we have an important 10 days coming up, try to give them a little bit of a blow,” Girardi said. “[Curtis Granderson] and [Derek Jeter] have really struggled against [Brandon] Morrow in their career, and I just thought today would be the day.”

Without further ado …

YANKEES (91-59)
Brett Gardner, LF
Eduardo Nunez, 2B
Robinson Cano, DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher, RF
Eric Chavez, 1B
Russell Martin, C
Chris Dickerson, LF
Ramiro Pena, SS
Pitching: RH Freddy Garcia (11-7, 3.71 ERA)

BLUE JAYS (76-75)
Mike McCoy, SS
Eric Thames, LF
Jose Bautista, RF
Adam Lind, DH
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Kelly Johnson, 2B
Brett Lawrie, 3B
Colby Rasmus, CF
J.P. Arencibia, C
Pitching: Morrow (9-11, 5.23 ERA)

Some links from Saturday …

* Yanks win, Mo ties the save record, A-Rod goes deep, Grandy gets to 40

* Rivera one away from saves record

* Yankees Notebook, on A-Rod, Hughes, CC, Posada, etc.

* Mo can set record as Yanks try to lower number

– Alden

 

Mariano in center field? Maybe someday

All this talk about Mariano Rivera got me wondering — he’s always said that he would love to play center field in a game, whether it’s for one inning, a batter, whatever.

Today at Safeco Field, Joe Girardi laughed at the topic and acknowledged that seeing No. 42 in center field someday is actually a possibility.

“I’ll think about that when he tells me that he’s near the end,” Girardi said. “It’s something I would definitely think about. That’ll get me in trouble.”

Of course, with concerns about injuries, there’s really no perfect time to do such a thing. Even if the Yankees clinch the division and it were Rivera’s final season, you’d still want to keep him healthy for the postseason. It might take a 2008-esque playoff miss to make it happen.

Then again, Girardi did put Jorge Posada at second base this year without incident. Rivera shags fly balls in center field every day during batting practice and the Yankees say – without a hint of humor – that he’s one of the best athletes out there.

“Maybe I’d try to do it for one hitter; a guy that hits ground balls or strikes out,” Girardi said. “And there would be nobody on base where he’d make a throw.”

Mariano: “What I saw wasn’t what they saw”

Mariano Rivera was just about as angry as I’ve ever seen him after tonight’s game, saying that the umpires’ ruling on Billy Butler’s third-inning solo homer cost the Yankees the game.

“What I saw wasn’t what they saw,” Rivera said. “Obviously, given the other team, they saw the same thing. What I saw wasn’t that the ball hit the back wall or something like that. It came down flat on the edge of the corner and ricocheted back out.

“It didn’t hit the wall. But nobody know’s what’s the rule. I assume that’s still in play, everything. That you need to clear the fence to hit a home run. To me, matter of fact, the ball never hit the back wall. That’s why they assumed it hit it, and they called a home run. But what I saw, it wasn’t.”

Rivera said that the fact that Butler was spotted in the dugout holding his helmet, as though he was ready to go back to second base, was evidence the call was muffed.

“I mean, that cost us the game. Tie game, you know?” Rivera said. “I understand we’re human, but come on. You have replays, and get the call wrong? That’s unacceptable.”

Mariano Rivera bows out of the All-Star Game

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has asked out of this year’s All-Star Game, citing his sore right triceps.

Rivera has been replaced on the American League’s roster by rookie Jordan Walden of the Angels. Because Rivera was a player-elected All-Star, the roster spot went to the next highest ranking relief pitcher who was not already on the team via the player ballot. Walden had 67 votes.

Rivera tossed again today in the outfield at Yankee Stadium and said that he is good enough to pitch tonight if needed, estimating his health at about 95 percent. However, he also said that the triceps soreness is something that he will need to manage for the rest of the season.

The Yankees have five other representatives tentatively heading to Phoenix for the July 12 Midsummer Classic – Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Russell Martin and Alex Rodriguez.

Pregame notes: Mariano reports improvement

Mariano Rivera played catch in the outfield at Cleveland’s Progressive Field today and said that his sore right triceps feels better, but he still feels something in there. He’ll give manager Joe Girardi a full report after the session, but told reporters that it’d take an emergency for him to pitch tonight.

Earlier today, Rivera said the toughest person to convince is usually Gene Monahan, who’ll nod when a player says he feels OK and then tell the manager to give him another day off. You’ve seen it before, but Rivera might get a little extra leeway with Girardi because of who he is and what he’s been through.

“Basically, you know your body,” Rivera said. “Those things are going to happen. You always have some aching feelings and soreness. I’m not concerned because I haven’t done nothing wrong. I expect that it’s something that’s going to calm and go away, the same way it came.”

Other pre-game tidbits:

  • Derek Jeter is in the lineup, batting leadoff and playing shortstop. Girardi said he checked with Jeter last night and today to make sure he’d be ready to go. They wouldn’t commit to a start on Wednesday here in Cleveland.
  • Luis Ayala is available tonight. Cory Wade has pitched in three of four, so he’s out. Eduardo Nunez is available off the bench, Girardi said.
  • Just a day off for Russell Martin after catching four straight, and a half-day for Mark Teixeira, who’s DHing while the Yanks play this stretch of 13 in a row. Girardi said that it’s to the point now where he doesn’t think twice about having Jorge Posada play first base.
  • They’re expecting 100 pitches out of Phil Hughes tomorrow.
  • Another setback for Eric Chavez, who felt something in his abdominal and has been sent back to New York for tests. Meanwhile, Rafael Soriano is set to throw a bullpen in Tampa tomorrow. Best case for Soriano is the first game after the All-Star break, but a little cushion room is more likely.

Mariano Rivera will be a tough act to follow

rivera-soriano.jpg
You definitely don’t want to follow Mariano Rivera. You want to be the guy after that guy. 
At least, that’s the prevailing wisdom that has been around the Yankees the last few years, as Rivera gets closer to the end of his magnificent career. Why would you want to stand in that shadow? Luckily for the Yankees, that shouldn’t be a problem for at least the next two years.
Rivera arrived at camp today in his usual regal fashion, although he acknowledged that it gets tougher and tougher to leave his family every year. He had a built-in excuse of a household-wide flu attack this year, picking up an extra couple of days, but his son Jaziel was still sobbing at Rivera’s hip when he left for the airport on Wednesday evening.
“Baseball is not everything,” Rivera said. “That’s what we do, yeah, but there’s still life after baseball. There will come the time when you have to make a decision, even though you still have the ability to play. That comes within yourself. If you don’t feel it in your heart, that’s time to say goodbye. Why are you going to do it if you don’t have the desire to do it?”
Don’t worry – Rivera said he still feels “the love and passion for the game,” and he was all smiles as he went through the paces of his pitchers fielding practice with his teammates this afternoon. 
“It’s getting harder and harder, but it’s a challenge,” Rivera said. “That’s why you want to do it. You’ve been motivated by your passion.”
And even Rivera isn’t sure how he’ll know when it’s time to walk off into the game’s sunset, beginning the five-year wait for his certain enshrinement in Cooperstown.
“I don’t know. I haven’t been in that situation,” Rivera said. “I have to ask some guys. But I’m sure you will lose the passion, I guess. You will lose that strong incentive to be in the game, in the ballpark, every day. I think you will lose that.”
So it does beg the question — who replaces Mariano when ‘Enter Sandman’ plays for the final time? 
Rafael Soriano led the American League in saves last year and said in January he would like to be a closer again, but he may opt out after this season and seek a bigger contract elsewhere. Once upon a time, people thought Joba Chamberlain would be the heir apparent, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. 
You want to toss Dave Robertson’s name in the mix? OK, but let’s remember people once also suggested Mark Melancon or J.B. Cox would be the next Yankees closer. It’s a problem the Yankees are glad they haven’t had to handle yet.
“Mo is not going to be an easy person to replace, just because of how good he’s been over the years, but also what he’s meant to this organization and the clubhouse and his leadership skills,” Joe Girardi said. 
“You have to be careful, because you don’t want the person who comes in after Mo to feel like he has to replace Mo. That person only has to just do his job. There’s only going to be one Mo.”
In any event, Girardi said that he thought there were definitely candidates in the clubhouse right now who might be up to the task, although it’s anyone’s guess if that’ll actually come to pass.
“You’re looking too far ahead,” Girardi said, nodding toward the door and adding, “I think there’s a lot of very good arms in there that have a chance to replace Mo.”

Mariano Rivera arrives at Yankees camp

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera arrived for the team’s Spring Training on Thursday, following a two-day absence to attend to family illnesses in New York.

“The good thing about it is I know what I have to do,” Rivera said. “I know what it takes and what I have to accomplish. I’m not worried at all.”
Rivera joined the rest of the Yankees’ pitchers for their morning workout and said he needs to speak to pitching coach Larry Rothschild to decide when he will throw off a mound for the first time. 
He said he respected and understood Andy Pettitte’s decision to retire. Rivera said he also had a difficult time leaving New York on Wednesday evening.
“It’s hard. One of my kids (Jaziel), the little one, was attached to my hip, crying,” Rivera said. “It’s hard. A lot of people don’t see that part of the game, leaving your family. Being detached from your family is hard.”
Rivera added that he was not consulted – as had been reported – on the Yankees’ decision to sign setup man Rafael Soriano to a three-year, $35 million contract. The right-handers have lockers next to each other this spring.
“I don’t know Soriano much at all,” Rivera said. “I have seen him, talked to him a little bit, but I don’t know much. I will get to know him better this time and work together and get to know him. It’s going to be an interesting year.”

Yanks boast shutdown bullpen by adding Soriano

Was this a classic case of misdirection by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, or did the team’s thinking suddenly change within the last 24 to 48 hours? 
Either way, the Yankees will head into 2011 boasting one of the best bullpen combinations in the game, agreeing to terms with free agent right-hander Rafael Soriano on a three-year, $35 million contract. 
The move gives closer Mariano Rivera a top setup option, effectively replacing Kerry Wood, and also a potential future successor — assuming Soriano sticks around, as the deal contains opt-out clauses after the ’11 and ’12 seasons. 
The signing came less than a week after Cashman told the Westchester (N.Y.) Journal-News that he would not give up a first-round Draft pick to the Rays as compensation for signing Soriano. 
“I will not lose our No. 1 draft pick,” Cashman told the newspaper. “I would have for Cliff Lee. I won’t lose our No. 1 draft pick for anyone else.”
But you know what they say – actions speak louder than words, and this morning, Soriano is a Yankee. We know his numbers are good, with an American League-leading 45 saves in ’10 for the division-winning Rays. 
But here are a few fun things you might not know about the Yankees’ new setup man:
He really, really likes ‘Sweet Caroline.’ As in, the Neil Diamond song and Fenway Park eighth-inning fan anthem. 
“The first time I heard that I [was] with Seattle in ’02,” Soriano said in August. “I [saw] everybody going crazy singing that song in Boston. Every time I pitched the eighth, I [heard] the words. I like it, I like it. It makes me feel good.”
So good – so good?
He’s extremely confident – and, apparently, crushes breakfast.
“I think he absolutely feels like he’s the man,” Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey said. “But I can remember as far back as Spring Training saying that he [exudes confidence even] at the breakfast table. And he really does. The scowl and the cocksure attitude are not just a ploy for the ninth inning. That’s the way that he walks around. I think that’s more of his personality than it is a game-time mechanism for him to get up for the ballgame.”
He has mysterious gestures on the mound, and won’t tell you what they mean. 
I’ll let MLB.com’s Bill Chastain explain:
When Soriano enters the game, he bends over and uses his right index finger to scribble something in the dirt on the backside of the mound. He then removes his hat, appearing to read some message on the underside of the brim. When asked what he is doing in either case, Soriano smiled.
“That is for Soriano,” he said. “I keep that for me. That would be something that’s mine. A lot of people ask me about it. That’s mine, I don’t [tell anyone].”

Jeter, Rivera deals on the way

It looks like the Yankees might have both Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera under contract before they hit next week’s Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

With the thaw in the Jeter negotiations setting in, the Yankees continue to push forward to re-sign the two legacy players. 
Jeter’s requests have dropped and the Yankees have pledged to increase their offer. The end result should be a meeting in the middle: a three-year deal worth between $15 to $17 million per year, Ken Rosenthal reports.
The Yankees are also said to be crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s on what will be a two-year, $30 million deal for Rivera. That deal had been expected to be inked as early as Friday, but everything appears to be on track. 
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