Mariano Rivera

As a young boy growing up in a small fishing village in Panama, Mariano Rivera played baseball with a homemade cardboard glove. He never even thought about a professional baseball career until he signed with the New York Yankees in 1990. Today, Rivera is considered one of the best relief pitchers of all time. He may be the best postseason closer ever. His cut fastball has been called one of the pitches that most scares major league batters, and he is the only pitcher to record the final out in three straight World Series. Rivera is not just driven by a desire to win, however. He works hard to be a valued teammate, a devoted husband and father, and a generous philanthropist in both the United States and Panama. Book jacket.Levin, Judith is the author of 'Mariano Rivera', published 2008 under ISBN 9780791095997 and ISBN 0791095991.