Mariano Rivera’s top five worst moments

1. Kansas City Catastrophe: May 3, 2012 at Kauffman Stadium

This gets included because, while it didn’t occur during a game, it did happen at a ballpark, in open view, and it got replayed as frequently as any other moment from his career. While shagging fly balls during pre-game batting practice, a standard ritual, Rivera tore the ACL in his right knee and needed to be carted off the field. The entire baseball world was in shock as the news spread.

The very next day, Rivera stood at his locker in the visitors’ clubhouse and vowed to pitch again in 2013. “You don’t go out like this,” he said. And he hasn’t. The worst moment of his career proved not to be the last. 

2. Reign Over: November 4, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark

When Alfonso Soriano launched an eighth-inning home run against Curt Schilling to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in Game 7 of the World Series, Roger Clemens turned to his teammates in the Yankees’ clubhouse and exclaimed, “We’re going to win this [expletive] thing scoring 14 runs in seven games!” And why shouldn’t he have thought that? Rivera threw a scoreless eighth. Just three more outs.

Remember the ninth-inning sequence? Mark Grace single. Damian Miller bunt that Rivera threw off-line to Derek Jeter at second. Jay Bell bunt forceout at third (Scott Brosius didn’t try for the double play). Tony Womack double. Craig Counsell hit by pitch. And, with the infield in, a Luis Gonzalez broken-bat single that ended the Yankees’ efforts to win a fourth straight World Series.

3. Idiots Revolution: October 17, 2004 at Fenway Park

The Yankees were about to finish a mind-blowing ALCS sweep of the extremely dangerous Red Sox, who had dubbed themselves “Idiots” because of their carefree approach. Rivera got through the eighth inning with little difficulty. Then Kevin Millar started the ninth inning with a walk, and pinch runner Dave Roberts just barely beat Jorge Posada’s throw to Derek Jeter to steal second base. Bill Mueller followed with a bullet up the middle to bring home Roberts with the tying run.

That set off the most famous comeback in baseball postseason history, starting with a 12-inning, 6-4 victory. Not before and not since has a team overcome a 3-0 hole.

Rivera didn’t pitch that poorly in this game; he allowed a walk and a single to one of the best offensive teams. Nevertheless, nitpicky Yankees fans contemplate how different the baseball universe would be now if Rivera had executed a clean save just as he had so many other times.

4. Selby Stunner: July 14, 2002 at Jacobs Field

Rivera has blown 80 regular-season save opportunities and four more in the postseason. None were worse, statistically, than this one. Handed a 7-4 advantage and needing just three outs against a lousy Indians team, Rivera allowed two runs while recording two outs. With the bases loaded, he needed only to retire Bill Selby, who played in 198 major-league games with 11 home runs, to lock it up.

Instead, Selby drilled a no-doubt-about-it grand slam to right field, stunning the Yankees. Before that unlikely day, Rivera had given up two grand slams — both during his 1995 rookie season. Since that day, he has surrendered one more, to Minnesota’s Jason Kubel in 2010.

5. The Alomar Test: October 6, 1997 at Jacobs Field

It’s easy to forget that Rivera was good but not great in 1997, his first year as a closer. He blew nine of his 52 save opportunities. So some doubt surrounded him entering that postseason. He saved an ALDS Game 1 victory over the Indians at Yankee Stadium, and when the Yankees grabbed a 2-1 lead in Game 4, Torre went to Rivera in the eighth inning for a five-out save.

Rivera picked up the first out, a Matt Williams flyball to right field, only to see the next batter, Sandy Alomar Jr., hit a game-tying homer to rightfield. The Indians won in the ninth inning against Ramiro Mendoza, and then captured the winner-take-all Game 5, leading Torre to console a despondent Rivera on the plane ride home. Now we know that Rivera bounced back just fine. Back then, though, we wondered how the still green closer would respond.