Top 48 Quotes & Sayings by Mariano Rivera

Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Panamanian athlete Mariano Rivera.
Last updated on November 8, 2024.
Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most of his career as a relief pitcher and served as the Yankees' closer for 17 seasons. A thirteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, he is MLB's career leader in saves (652) and games finished (952). Rivera won five American League (AL) Rolaids Relief Man Awards and three Delivery Man of the Year Awards, and he finished in the top three in voting for the AL Cy Young Award four times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its class of 2019 in his first year of eligibility, and was the first and to date only player ever to be elected unanimously by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

I don't think any professional accepts defeat.
I don't just think regular season. I think playoffs. World Series. That's how I think.
I have nothing to ask for, thanks to God. Everything I have, God has given me. — © Mariano Rivera
I have nothing to ask for, thanks to God. Everything I have, God has given me.
I miss everything that makes up Panama. I don't have a preference. I love my country.
I don't feel invincible because I'm human.
I'm a simple guy, you know? If I do something, it's not going to be, 'Look at this, look at that.' It just happens.
I'm telling you, God loves a lot of people.
God is good for everybody. The sun shines on good people and bad people, and it rains on both, too. God doesn't choose rain only for bad people.
I listen to Christian music.
You can't second-guess baseball. You can't second-guess yourself.
Everything starts with God in my career, and it will finish with God.
Don't worry about what the people say; be yourself, say what you want to say with respect.
I always take time for somebody who wants to talk to me.
I'm a positive man. — © Mariano Rivera
I'm a positive man.
I don't want to pitch forever.
I am not a father who wants to give his kids everything. They have to earn it.
My father was strict and always taught me, no matter who it is, everybody is an uncle. To me, everybody was someone I respect like family. I grew up with that.
I want to give my respect, glory and time to the Bible - to the word of God - just as I want to give my respect and time to my work.
You're just trying to throw the best pitch you can and make sure you hit your spots. I don't have to force nobody.
I don't wait for people to give me respect. I always give them respect.
I like a calm life where nobody bothers me.
If you don't control your emotions, your emotions will control your acts, and that's not good.
There's a lot of things more than baseball that I want to do.
My father is the man that, he will give you what he doesn't have, still. If he has 10 bucks and you need 10 bucks because you're sick or you don't have nothing to eat, he will give you 10 bucks. He will be at zero, but he will help you. That's the kind of man that my father is.
Because I have a little bit more, that means I'm better than you? No. Unacceptable.
I demand my kids be respectful, responsible and grateful. And they have to love the Lord with all their hearts.
Fishing is a hard job. Fishing at night. Rain. Day, night. You have to be wise and smart. And quick.
Ever since I was a little kid, I was competitive.
I think God gave talent to different people in different areas.
From my father's side I got the strength, the mental toughness, the heart, the courage.
I know who I am, I know what I am capable of, I know who I trust.
I get over bad games right away. Sometimes I've let it go even before I've left the mound. That quick. Why? Because it's over. What can you do about it? Nothing. The only thing you can do is fight if you're still in the game. After that you can do nothing.
Every time before I throw my first pitch, I am praying. And not only that, in the bullpen I am praying. — © Mariano Rivera
Every time before I throw my first pitch, I am praying. And not only that, in the bullpen I am praying.
Baseball was just the avenue that the Lord used so I can provide for my family.
I'm human -- all I do is try to do my job. When I don't do it, the way it happened today, it's out of my control. He put the ball in play and it happened to find a hole. I wish I could take it back, but I can't. You move on.
You can’t second-guess baseballyou can’t second-guess yourself.
I know what kind of pitcher Whitey was, and I know what kind of person Whitey is. It makes me feel proud to be a Yankee. We're keeping this in the family.
I know there are millions of people praying for me, and I strongly believe in prayers.
I'm not used to seeing the ball go wherever she wants. As a pitcher, I like to be - I don't want to say perfect, but I want to know what the ball is going to do.
If I have to win one game, I’d have a hard time taking anybody over Dustin Pedroia as my second baseman.
New York has been a blessing for me and my family.
I don't have control over everything; God has control over everything and I trust him, so I don't worry.
I learned early in my life that sometimes I'm going to lose. I don't like it, but I accept it, meaning that I understand it's going to happen. But I don't see it like defeat; I see it like a learning process. Then if there's nothing to learn, I move on.
I see the hitter when he's moved in the box, like when he's moved closer to the plate or changed his stance. I see when the batter has moved his feet, and then I make my own adjustment.
I think the good Lord is a Yankee. — © Mariano Rivera
I think the good Lord is a Yankee.
I never give up. If you beat me, you have to beat me one, three, four, five times, and I still don't give up.
I know, it's amazing, but I never feel like I have done anything. When people say that, it makes me uncomfortable because I'm not that kind of person. I just go out there and try to do my job.
That's the game of baseball - amazing things happen.
This site uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. More info...
Got it!