Yankee Great Mariano Rivera Headlines Class of 2019

For so many years when the strings of Metallica's Enter Sandman started blasting over the loudspeakers at Yankee Stadium, you knew two things: 1) Mariano Rivera was coming into the game. And 2) the game was effectively over.

On Sunday, July 21, Rivera entered into Cooperstown's hallowed halls as one of six new enshrines to baseball's Hall of Fame.  Joined by former Yankees teammate Mike Mussina, Rivera joined a class that included former Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez, former Cy Young Award winner, the late Roy Halladay, fellow closer Lee Smith, and Harold Baines. Yet, even with all that talent around him, this was his day.

And in so many ways, and all due respect to the other enshrines in Cooperstown that sizzling hot afternoon, this was a Yankees day. Not only were there throngs of Yankees fans in the fields watching the proceedings, but so too were Rivera's teammates.

Tino Martinez. Jorge Posada. Andy Pettitte. Bernie Williams, who played the national anthem on his guitar, and next year's Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter. Former manager Joe Girardi was in the house on MLB Network. Joe Torre was sitting with the other Hall of Famers.

The only thing missing was Yankee Stadium itself.

It was a Yankee day for two former Yankees.  And, yes, Mussina can't be forgotten either -- even if his better years were in Baltimore, and his Hall of Fame credentials are questionable at best.

Heavily overshadowed of course by Rivera, Mussina still won 123 games as a Yankee, and was a respected veteran presence in that starting rotation that went to two World Series' in 2001 and 2003. During his speech Mussina thanked Rivera for saving so many of his games.

Of course this day belonged to the man Yankees fans have affectionately called Mo. Nobody did it better than Rivera. Nobody has come close since, and probably never will. He was the single most dominant closer in a sport where bullpens are meant to implode at the flick of wrist. The All Time leader in saves with 652, and ERA at 2.05, Rivera was at his best in the playoffs, recording an ERA of 0.70 in 141 innings. Astounding!

 Rivera thanked the fans for their support, saying that whenever he came into a game, he carried not only his team, but the 55,000 screaming fans with him pitch by pitch. Cutter by cutter. Swing and a miss, by swing and a miss.

Nobody will ever be this good for that long ever. We were all blessed to see the Sandman.