Exit Sandman: Mariano Rivera wins MVP of All-Star Game

Heavy metal band Metallica`s song "Enter Sandman" boomed out Wednesday of Citi Field, home stadium of the New York Mets, a U.S. Major League Baseball team. A record crowd of 45,186 and All-Star players all stood up to applaud for Mariano Rivera, a New York Yankees pitcher and nicknamed Sandman (a mythical angel who makes children sleepy by dusting sand in their eyes) who will stand on the mound for the last time. Sandman who said will retire when the season is over pitched the perfect eighth inning by retiring all three batters in quick order. The crowd again gave a standing ovation.

After the game was over, Major League fans chose Rivera as All-Star MVP. Bud Selig, a Major League commissioner, presenting Rivera the MVP award, said "It`s been a privilege to know you." Yet, Rivera`s baseball career had more chance factors than privilege.

A 19-year veteran at Yankees, Rivera is from Panama where soccer is more popular than baseball. Rivera hurt his ankles when young and had to turn to baseball. He became a pitcher because people said he was a shortstop with a strong shoulder. However, he didn`t perform well as pitcher, and Yankees in 1995 wanted to send him to Cincinnati Reds but was rejected. Had been traded, he could not have learned "cut fastball" from senior John Wetteland.

His retirement this year was not intended. Rivera said he will retire when last year`s season was over. However, his knees were wounded in May just before a game. He bumped into a fence while trying to catch a ball coming to outfield while in a practice game. It was a huge wound that he could retire as planned since he already had the biggest number of saves in the Major League history. However, Rivera said he didn`t want to end his career this way, and underwent surgery and rehabilitation to return this year. He made 30 saves in the first half of this year`s season, the second place in the league.

Finishing pitchers have a short life span as a player. This is all the more true for a Yankee`s finishing pitcher. Sluggish performance means being kicked out. Rivera kept this position for 17 years, and won five victory rings for World Series. He said he could do well because he pitched as if he will be retiring. Last year`s injury could have been a present from god and his fans to stay in the baseball world longer. No one else than Rivera will understand the value of the present.