Mariano Rivera had a memorable first appearance at the New York Yankees’ annual Old Timers’ Day.
Taking his first at bat at Yankee Stadium of any sort, Rivera, the famed closer, hit a gapper to right center and ended up rounding the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
Mo with an inside-the-park home run!
Mariano Rivera DOES IT ALL pic.twitter.com/9hPjMjkN1l
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 23, 2019
Naturally, Rivera had already pitched, and left Paul O’Neill in some discomfort after throwing him his signature cutter.
Sandman's still got it.
Mariano Rivera takes the mound & delivers his signature cutter! pic.twitter.com/MEM2nM1rnA
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 23, 2019
No, the home run was not a great feat of athleticism, especially on the part of the outfield. Yes, it was still neat. Plus, outfield screw-ups tend to be one of the easiest ways to get an inside-the-parker. That’s the fun of Old Timers’ Day, and hopefully we’ll see Rivera make regular appearances in the years to come.
