It’s not everyday that sports history is made.
And when it is, you expect some sort of outward show of emotion from the player, right?
Well not if you’re Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees closer who made his 600th career save last night against the Seattle Mariners.
While Rivera solemnly and silently walked off the field to the sound of cheers from his teammates, Twitter exploded with love and admiration for the 12-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion.
Rivera was a top trending topic on Twitter Wednesday, collecting more than 6,000 mentions in less than 10 hours, according to statistics from Topsy, a social media search engine.
“600 saves for The Hammer of God, Mariano Rivera,” tweeted Chris Williams (@nevarWilliams).
Rivera’s 600th win earns him the second spot on the most saves in MLB history list, according to ESPN.
There may have been a reason Rivera seemed so solemn. “It feels great, don’t get me wrong,” Rivera told The New York Times. “It’s a great number. But the next one is the biggest.”
That number is 602 saves, which would make him the winningest closer in baseball, according to ESPN.
Rivera is a closer, a relief pitcher who is brought in near the end of a game to get the final outs and the win.
Photo by by Keith Allison