Mariano Rivera torn ACL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mariano Rivera drifted back to the outfield wall, just like he'd done in batting practice so many times before, baseball's greatest closer tracking down another fly ball with childlike joy.

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Childlike joy? Come on. If this had happened to Jeter, would there have been North Korea-quality weeping from the press corps?

 

It's amazing that there's pro-quality video of MR blowing out his knee.

 

I wonder if it really is his end? After all, it's not like Tommy John surgery or something...hell, even I have recovered from ACL surgery in about a year. And although it was supposed to be his last season, that was a self-imposed deadline...and he was still pitching well, no?

So who's to say he won't be back on the hill next April or May?

 

He'll be back. Even fat fucks like me are able to come back from ACLs and play basketball and tennis these days.

I'm sure it will be a significant psychological hurdle in the short term, but Mo is still getting people out. He'll work his ass off and come back so his final act in baseball isn't blowing out his knee and writhing in pain on the warning track in freaking Kansas City.

 

A few big ifs here, but if Rivera can come back a save a few games in the Series this year and Jeter hits some crazy number like .360 this year, God help the sports world if the Yankees win the Series and those two things happen.

 

I was watching a Yankees game the other day with my son, who's 14 and a huge baseball fan.

So Jeter comes up and the announcer mentions Jeter's career hit total, and my son says, "I think he's gonna play long enough to break Pete Rose's record."

My first thought: Could my son be Manky Jimy?

Nah, he's just 14 and still naively optimistic.

 

-Ralph Kiner had to retire at age 32 because of a back injury.

-Mickey Cochrane never played again after he was almost killed when he was beaned by Bump Hadley.

 

Nick Adenhart pitched a helluva game, once.

 

Albert Belle comes to mind

Also did Barry Bonds ever retire?

 

Would Thurman Munson have been a Hall of Famer had he not died mid season 1979

 

Munson's prime was basically over by the time he died. Even the greatest catchers are basically done as outstanding offensive players by their early 30s (Munson was 32 when he died; Bench had his last great season at 29). Barring a Carlton Fisk-esque late-career renaissance, any Hall of Fame resumé Munson would have had was already established.

 

wow