The Closer by Mariano Rivera

I am a Red Sox fan.

That being said, no one can deny the talent of former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this week.  So when I decided to read Ally Raisman's memoir, I saw this sitting next to it and decided why not?

I had no idea how much I would absolutely bawl my eyes out in reading this (for example, Rivera's description of 9/11 was one that took a lot of tissues. Another being he and his wife were treated pretty much the same as Papi in Minnesota when they tried to buy a house in New Rochelle). Or how much I'd agree with Rivera on a lot of points about modern day professional baseball's nonsense (A-Rod's media circus, PEDs, and Pedro's actions during THAT game).  Or how many quotes I'd want to use about facing an opponent like the Red Sox or storied places like Fenway and the old Yankee Stadium.  Seriously. Rivera's describing the change in the vibe from old to new Yankee Stadium is  EXACTLY why Boston will never build a new ballpark.

Rivera comes from a poor fishing village in Panama.  His humility never leaves him, nor his faith in God. Sometimes it's hard, as an atheist, to read a lot about God, but Rivera's faith is something absolutely extraordinary.  It never waivers, even as his wife fought for her life in bringing their third child into the world.

This is a definite read.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.