Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian professional baseball player serving as a relief pitcher for Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo," Rivera began his Major League career as a starting pitcher in 1995, but found success only after being converted to a reliever role in the bullpen. After a breakout year in 1996 as a setup pitcher, he became the team's closer in 1997 and has maintained that role for the Yankees ever since.

Rivera has become one of the best closers in the league, recording the second-most career saves in Major League history, winning the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award four times, and setting multiple Major League records. Recognized as a strong postseason performer, he is the Major Leagues' all-time postseason leader in saves and ERA. In his career with the Yankees, Rivera has won four World Series championships and has been selected as an All-Star nine times.

Rivera is well-known for his signature pitch, a sharp-breaking cut fastball feared by Major League hitters. He is the last active MLB player to wear the uniform number 42, which was retired throughout baseball in 1997 in honor of Jackie Robinson. Rivera throws and bats right-handed.

Rivera was born in Panama City, Panama on November 29, 1969 to Delia and Mariano, Sr. His father worked in fishing, a line of work that did not pay very well. Rivera grew up in the fishing village of Puerto Caimito in Panama, frequently playing soccer with his friends. They would also play baseball in the streets by substituting milk cartons for gloves, tree branches for bats, and taping beat-up baseballs.

Rivera used this makeshift equipment to play baseball until his father bought him his first leather glove when he was 12 years old. Rivera thought of baseball as a pastime and did not seriously consider playing professionally, instead playing with his friends for most of his teenage years. After graduating from Pablo Sanchez High School at age 16, Rivera worked on a commercial shrimping boat on which his father was captain, working 12-hour days.

Rivera never dreamed of taking up the profession as an adult, though, calling the job "way too tough." As a 19-year old, Mariano had to abandon a capsizing 120-ton commercial boat, all but convincing him to give the job up. As a shortstop, in 1988, Rivera began to play baseball for an amateur team, Panamá Oeste, representing his local district. A year later, the team's pitcher performed so badly that Rivera volunteered to pitch. New York Yankees scout Chico Heron attended one of his games and after watching Rivera pitch, Heron arranged for him to attend a Yankees' tryout camp in Panama City. Herb Raybourn, the Yankees' director of Latin American operations, recognized that although Rivera had no formal pitching training and only threw 85-87 miles per hour, he possessed athleticism and a smooth delivery, so Raybourn considered him a raw pitching talent. Raybourn signed the amateur free agent to a contract with a $3,000 signing bonus on February 17, 1990, in Rivera's living room.