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Mariano Rivera: Great Pitcher, Not-As-Great Profile Subject

James Traub of the New York Times Magazine has a new profile on legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. It’s an entertaining enough read, but one gets the sense that the qualities that make Rivera an all-time great on the mound also prevented the piece from being juicier.

it’s not for lack of trying on Traub’s part. He talked to Rivera himself, Hall of Fame closer Goose Gossage, former Yankees general manager Gene Michael, Yankees manager Joe Girardi, various current Yankees players including Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez, as well as several members of the Boston Red Sox (including their own star closer, Jonathan Papelbon). The conclusion: boy, is that Rivera calm and good.

It’s almost frustrating how naturally calm Rivera is – for purposes of Traub’s story, anyway. Because it comes so naturally to him, it’s hard for him to explain how he maintains such focus and serenity:

When I told Rivera what Gossage said about the emotional strain of coming into a game with men on base, he seemed a trifle perplexed — like Mr. Spock encountering the idea of fear. “It’s a thing I can’t control,” he said. “They did it already. I don’t think about it. If you think about it, you’re going to get drained, and you might not do the job. So what is worth to think about? I’ve got to get the guy out that’s at the plate. I can do something about it.”

Um…easier said than done on that one, safe to say. And his attitude didn’t change at all when asked about giving up the winning hit of the 2001 World Series: “You can’t second-guess baseball…you can’t second-guess yourself.”

And therein lies the brilliance of Rivera: consistency. Consistency in his pitching motion, his mind – he just never gets off-kilter, even in those rare instances when he fails. Unfortunately, that spells success for Rivera, and not necessarily Traub.

So it’s understandable that he draws some comparisons that feel forced and/or played out – ex. Alex Rodriguez being Rivera’s spiritual opposite, prone to fretting and letting big moments overwhelm him (played out), or the idea of the Red Sox and Yankees as similarly opposite (forced).

The latter might have worked better in 2004, when the Red Sox dubbed themselves “The Idiots” and brought the franchise its first World Series title in 86 years. Last year’s champion Yankees, though, prominently featured a loose, fun-loving type (outfielder Nick Swisher) who would have fit in famously on that 2004 Sox team.

I might not be the best judge, though, as I’ve already heard all about Rivera’s famous cutter, as well as most of the in-game anecdotes Traub explores. Perhaps this piece will be best for someone less familiar with baseball, or at least more casual fans.

But even hardcore fans will likely be in awe at Rivera’s mastery of his craft. And give Traub’s Yankees-Red Sox comparison this: the Red Sox give him his best exchange of quotes.

Papelbon acknowledged that he and Rivera occupy the opposite ends of the characterological spectrum of closers. “I’m the type of pitcher that uses energy and adrenaline to help me succeed,” he said. “He’s the type of pitcher that tries to control that.” [First baseman Kevin] Youkilis said of his teammate, “We just say Pap’s nuts.”

And who’s to argue that?

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