Exit Sandman: Baseball bids adieu to Mariano Rivera

His hand and fingers were born to pitch. He has really long fingers and the perfect wrist; he can't move his hand much side to side, but it's very flexible up

Tom Verducci | Sep 26, 2013

Exit Sandman: Baseball bids adieu to Mariano Rivera /

Mariano Rivera, the all-time saves leader, will be the last major leaguer to regularly wear No. 42. — Mariano Rivera, the all-time saves leader, will be the last major leaguer to regularly wear No. 42 :: Chuck Solomon/SI

His hand and fingers were born to pitch. He has really long fingers and the perfect wrist; he can't move his hand much side to side, but it's very flexible up and down.

130926124914-mariano-rivera-cover2-single-image-cut.jpg — Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera both debuted with the Yankees in 1995 and have been teammates for 19 seasons. — Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera both debuted with the Yankees in 1995 and have been teammates for 19 seasons :: Kathy Willens/AP

On May 11, Rivera met Ryan Bresette, his wife, Heather, and their three sons, Joe, 13, Sam, 9, and Tyler, 6, in the media room at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. (The Bresettes' daughter, Anna, 14, was unable to attend the pregame gathering because of a soccer game.) Bresette worked as a clubhouse attendant for the Royals from 1982 to '94 and had never met Rivera.

Rivera meeting the Bresette family in Kansas City on May 11. — Rivera meeting the Bresette family in Kansas City on May 11 :: John Sleezer/Landov

This is something I haven't told too many people. When Mariano came over to me, I stuck out my hand to shake his hand, and he gave me a hug, pulled me close and whispered in my ear, "You're a stronger and braver man than I ever could be."

Published Sep 26, 2013

TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.