NEW YORK, (AFP) – New York Yankees ace relief pitcher Mariano Rivera, a member of five World Series champions, was among the star players named Monday to their first Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
The 48-year-old Panamanian right-hander retired in 2013 with a Major League Baseball record 652 career saves and a stunning 0.70 earned-run average in playoff games.
Rivera spent 17 of his 19 major league seasons as the Yankees closing reliever, helping them to World Series crowns in 1996, 1998-2000 and 2009. He was World Series Most Valuable Player in 1999 and the season’s American League MVP in 2003.
