Mariano Rivera

by Stephen Jones

At 43 he’s ageless . . .
maybe better than he was.
He finished this April as always –
efficiently closing the door.
(In April his pinpoint cutter
made him reach ten for ten.)

He says this is the last year
he’ll be a Yankee closer.
(And how many lefties are relieved
he’s hanging up the buzz saw
which left their bats in splinters?)

One wants him to go on forever –
that’s the lore of baseball –
and he does, The Pinstripe Closer
who never once showed fear.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *