MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES v BRAVES

October 27, 1999

Mariano Rivera

MARIANO RIVERA: I don't even think about it. I go to the mound and just try to do my job, and don't think about the runs, you know. I'm in a spot. I can't afford to give up any runs, so I don't think about it and I don't even try to give it up. So I mean if I give it up, well, I give it up. There's not in my mind.

MARIANO RIVERA: John was my teacher. He was my friend at the time, you know. He was close, and we sit together and spend time talking about baseball, you know. And I know that I learn a lot from him, and I know that he learns a lot from me, too. We just, I mean, talk about baseball. And this guy never give up. You know, he was the kind of guy that he always inspire to you confidence. Once he was there, you know I know for sure, most of the time, 90 percent, he would do the job. So I just follow him close and see what he was doing. I take that approach.

MARIANO RIVERA: I believe in the challenge. I love the challenge. I love to be in that situation where, I guess, that's my motivation. I think is once you there, you know, you have those butterflies in your stomach. You know you there for real. And you just want to do it.

MARIANO RIVERA: The difference is when you are a setup man, you know that somebody's coming behind you. When you are the closer, nobody's coming behind you. So everything is in your back, everything is on your shoulders. In innings, seven innings that the guys play, they hand it to you, I mean it's tough. It's tough. So you know that nobody's coming behind you, so there you are on the mound with the responsibility of holding the lead and try to save the game. I think that's the big difference between the closer and the setup man.

MARIANO RIVERA: Is that correct? The closer has the net -- I mean the setup man has the net. The closer doesn't have nothing, so he fall, I mean he's dead. (Laughter.) So, yes. Like I said, there's nobody behind him. So that's the difference.

MARIANO RIVERA: I was kind of surprised. I noticed a lot of Latino players in there, like Clemente. But I mean that's baseball. What you can do? The fans pick all the players, and they pick not one Latin player. That was okay. I wanted to be a Latin player in me, I wanted to see a Latin player in there, but there wasn't one.

MARIANO RIVERA: I feel good. It's kind of like my own career as a player, as a pitcher. It's an honor for me to be selected. I mean that kind of team, you know, a Century Team for Latino players, it's great. It's an honor for me to be there. It feels great.

MARIANO RIVERA: I mean, to me, Carew is one of my idols. He inspires me as a player, as a person. I always look for him, I always see what he's doing. When I play against his team, you know, I was rooting for him. I talk to him and see what things -- what he has to give me about the pitcher, and teach me little things. I happy that I see Carew and knowing the kind of player that he was, you know. I mean now, being in that century team, it's great.