New York Yankees Fan Blog

Rivera Happy To Pitch Longer Than Usual

It’s October, and not only are the “Joba Chamberlain Rules” discarded, so is the “Mo M.O.”


During the season, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was steadfast in limiting Mariano Rivera to four outs. In a tied Game 2 of the ALCS, he used his closer for seven.

“I’m beat up right now,” Rivera said jokingly on Sunday. “You play for the organization that has given you everything. It doesn’t matter how long you go, as long as you do it right.”

Rivera got the last out of the eighth on one pitch, then dominated the ninth with two strikeouts. Even after retiring the Angels in the 10th, his longest outing in years, he was only at 24 pitches. That’s often what a reliever, even Rivera, might throw in one inning.

“Knowing we had an off day [Sunday] and how few pitches Mo threw in those four outs, we felt we could go back to him,” Girardi said.

The downside: Rivera, 39, who had minor shoulder surgery — if there is such a thing for a pitcher — last winter may need more care than he has needed in the past. Also, Rivera often struggles coming into tie games because he may be too aggressive with pitches in his first inning to keep his pitch count low for a second inning.

But Rivera’s effort stretched out both the game and the Yankees bullpen so they could win it in the 13th.


Click here to read the full article – By DOM AMORE of Courant.com

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October 19, 2009 - Posted by rsanrel | NY Yankees Stuff | Autograph Signings, Baseball, Mariano Rivera, Mariano Rivera memorabilia, MLB, New York, New York Yankees, New York Yankees Gifts and Collectibles, New York Yankees Memorabilia, New York Yankees Sports Memorabilia, NY Yankees, NY Yankees Memorabilia, NY Yankees News, Yankees, yankees baseball, Yankees Memorabilia, Yankees Signing | No Comments Yet