Mariano Rivera said he will pitch again.
”I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this,” he said. ”This has me thinking, I can’t go down like this. If it takes two, three, four, five, seven more (seasons), whatever it takes.”
Rivera dabbed tears from his eyes when he spoke Thursday night. He then went back to his hotel room, reflected and made his decision not to retire. He holds outside hope of returning late this season.
”Miracles happen,” he said. ”I’m a positive man. The only thing is that I feel sorry I let down my teammates. Besides that I’m OK.”
Fans will hope he makes it back, but the odds seem long given Mo’s age.
definition of a class act. Wouldn’t it be ironic if this injury keeps him around longer,say through 2014, than if he had probably retired at the end of this year?
David, you think the odds are long against his coming back?
Wow, I wish you were actually a betting man. I’ll definitely take even odds!
James » Let me qualify that. I think it’s possible that he can make an appearance with the Yankees, and go out having pitched a final game. I’m less convinced that he can come back and be an effective closer.
It’ll be interesting. I wonder if the injury and surgery will alter his deliver.
But mind you, Mo’s not going to come back as a 90% Mo. He’ll only come back if he can be Mo. He’s not the type to hang around for one more paycheck, and he doesn’t have any milestones to set. He may very well be the first unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer. And that’s such a high bar, it may be a club of one.