The Last 42
By Even good, respectable Yankee-hating people have to admire Mariano Rivera, and the Yankees really know how to do this stuff right. (I loved Metallica playing him live into the Sunday ceremony, I must admit.)
As a regular season closer, his greatness was more in his remarkable durability and consistency than a uniquely high peak. What makes him a deserving immortal is his post-season performance: 141 innings, 0.70 ERA, 110/21 K/W ratio. When you consider the caliber of opposition, that’s truly astonishing.