Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees’ dominant closer, will announce his retirement on Saturday in Tampa, multiple news outlets report.
Rivera is coming off a torn ACL to play his final season, at 43. He vowed after sustaining the injury in Kansas City last year that he would return. He said he did not want his last image as a player to be being carted off the field as he was after becoming injured while shagging fly balls before a game.
Rivera, baseball’s all-time leader in saves with 608, intimated earlier in spring training that 2013 might be his final season. However, he was shy about expressing his exact plans, when he would make the announcement, or what he would do in retirment.
“I will tell you guys when it is the right moment,” Rivera said Feb. 13. “Don’t worry, the time will come.”
Saturday, according to reports, will be that day.
Rivera pitched in only nine games before injuring his knee last season. He has a career 2 .21 regular season ERA and a remarkable 0.70 ERA in 96 postseason games.
There was speculation that he would retire after last season. But the injury cut short his season. Surely, American League teams would not be sad to see Rivera go. He saved at least 30 games a season from 1997 until last season. He also has 42 saves in the playoffs.
