World Series most valuable player voters made a fine choice in selecting
Hideki Matsui after his New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia
Phillies four games to two this past week. Matsui had an excellent Series,
which included an incredible six RBIs in the Yankees' 7-3 clinching win in
Game 6. But here's a vote for Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who provided
his team an edge that no other playoff squad enjoyed. Seven of the eight
playoff teams watched their closer either give up the eventual winning run
in the ninth inning or later or blow a lead in this year's postseason. In
short series with two good teams usually try to scrape up enough runs to
win, a dependable closer means as much as anybody on the roster. Rivera
pitched in 12 of the Yankees' 15 postseason games and allowed only one
run in 16 innings of work, he allowed one run to cross the plate in a 5-2
win over the Angels. Rivera won the 1999 World Series MVP, but he easily
could've won the award this year and 1998. It's hard to think of someone
who universally respected as underappreciated, but Rivera might be.
:toast:
Hideki Matsui after his New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia
Phillies four games to two this past week. Matsui had an excellent Series,
which included an incredible six RBIs in the Yankees' 7-3 clinching win in
Game 6. But here's a vote for Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who provided
his team an edge that no other playoff squad enjoyed. Seven of the eight
playoff teams watched their closer either give up the eventual winning run
in the ninth inning or later or blow a lead in this year's postseason. In
short series with two good teams usually try to scrape up enough runs to
win, a dependable closer means as much as anybody on the roster. Rivera
pitched in 12 of the Yankees' 15 postseason games and allowed only one
run in 16 innings of work, he allowed one run to cross the plate in a 5-2
win over the Angels. Rivera won the 1999 World Series MVP, but he easily
could've won the award this year and 1998. It's hard to think of someone
who universally respected as underappreciated, but Rivera might be.
:toast: