Brittany Ayers
English 137H
Dr. Heather Bryant
8 October 2013
Thank You to a Hero
On Thursday, September 26, 2013, Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in baseball history, played his last game on the mound as a New York Yankee. That day, Allan H. “Bud”
Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), took out a full page ad in USA Today, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and Metro New York in Mariano’s honor. The ad, appearing in four major newspapers across America, accomplished the goal of thanking Mariano
Rivera for all of his service to the game of baseball. In fact, the ad itself reads “Thank you, Mo.”
Selig and Major League Baseball successfully displayed why they were thankful for Mariano, and why the fans of, not only the Yankees, but all of baseball should be thankful for him. They aimed to showcase Mariano’s humility, the respect that all of baseball has for this legend, and how much he will truly be missed.
Mariano Rivera is statistically the greatest closer in baseball history. He played with the
New York Yankees for 19 seasons, and contributed greatly to the team winning 5 World Series titles. I have been a Yankee fan my entire life and I was extremely saddened when Mariano took the mound for the last time on September 26th. Mariano will be missed so much that on
September 22nd, the day of his official retirement ceremony at Yankee Stadium, Michael
Bloomberg declared that September 22, 2013 was officially “Mariano Rivera Day” in the city of
New York. I was lucky enough to have the privilege to attend his retirement ceremony. After Ayers 2
giving his speech, Mariano quickly shifted the spotlight back to the game when he announced,
When I think of Mariano Rivera, I think of absolute humility. The writers of the ad did a
wonderful job of alluding to this well- known characteristic of the famed player through the use
of a picture. The simple image displayed in this ad takes up almost the whole page. It depicts
Mariano Rivera standing upright in his pinstripes, ball in hand. Mariano’s back, displaying the
number 42, turns toward us. His head stoops down while he grips the baseball. This picture
captures the essence of Mariano Rivera’s career. Throughout his 19 years as a closer for the New
York Yankees, Mariano rarely showed emotion after closing out a game. He simply walked off
the mound and congratulated his teammates on a game well played. He never acted boastful, nor
did he get angry or ever complain about doing his job. This picture holds a great deal of importance as it depicts Mo’s demeanor on the mound. He would arrive in the game, focus himself, stare down at the mound, and pitch his wildly famous cutter; he got the job done.
Pictures included in baseball ads frequently display excitement. Often times, players fist pump or
jump up and down. This is simply not the case for Mariano Rivera. Mariano played the game to
play the game. He did not wish for fame, nor did he pride himself in it. He did not think himself better than anybody else. He once said, “Baseball is what I do, not who I am, and that is the difference.”
The manner in which the image of Mariano Rivera was displayed made the ad all the more effective. Mariano’s picture emerges from the faded black background with great prominence. His white pinstriped uniform and modest posture stand out as the centerpiece of the ad. The simple white letters that thank him for everything he accomplished surface against the
black background. The message is evident. A hero is retiring- Thank you, Mariano. Ayers 3
In examination of this ad, it became apparent that the words written are few, but carry a
great deal of meaning. The largest characters shown, “42” display the epitome of respect and
humility in baseball. 42 is a number retired throughout MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson, the
first African American to play Major League Baseball. Mariano Rivera had the honor of being
the last active player to wear the number on his jersey. The ad reads “From retiring batters to
retiring hero. Thank you, Mo.” Major League Baseball actually calls Mariano Rivera a hero in
this ad. That word alone, “hero,” is of great significance. It is truly an honor to be called a hero
by anyone, but especially a powerful organization such as MLB. If MLB believes that Marino is
a hero, certainly a great number of baseball fans do as well. Perhaps if they didn’t already think
of Mo as a hero, they will after seeing this ad. The writers of the ad used a pun to appeal to the
senses of fans. They used the word “retire” in the sense that Mariano would retire, or strike out,
batters, but also used it in the sense that this legend has finished playing the game. This play on
words forces the reader to really consider the intended message. He did retire batters, but now he
is retiring himself. The ad plays with the readers’ emotional senses in order to encourage readers
to analyze what Mariano accomplished in his prime as well as the meaning of his retirement
now.
Emotional appeal, or pathos, appears quite often in this ad. When I saw the ad, the first
thing that came to mind was “I wish he wasn’t leaving.” So many fans will truly miss Mariano
Rivera’s presence in the game of baseball. Many cried on that Thursday the 26th when his long
time teammates took him out of his final game in pinstripes in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Mariano himself cried because of the emotional intensity of the game. He stood on the mound
for several minutes sobbing into his teammate’s arm. This ad upsets viewers because his career is over. It lists out his impressive accomplishments: 5 Time World Series Champion, 13 All-Star Ayers 4
Selections, More saves than any pitcher in Major League Baseball History, Last active player to
wear 42, One pitch that dominated a generation. These specific examples show just how
significant a role Mariano played to the game. The words “One pitch that dominated a
generation” stand out from the rest, as they are double spaced from the other statements on the
ad. MLB obviously felt that this was an important fact for readers to know about Mariano. In
fact, the phrase “one pitch that dominated a generation,” alludes to the end of an era. Whenever something comes to an end, feelings of nostalgia and sorrow incur, as do feelings of happiness because of what has happened. An old saying comes to mind: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Mariano’s accomplishments demonstrate all of the great “meMOries” that he has created not only for himself, but for his teammates, his fans, his city, and baseball as a sport.
No other man deserves more respect in the game of baseball than Mariano “Mo” Rivera.
It seems only fitting that he is the last player to ever wear the number 42, Jackie Robinson’s retired number. This ad itself screams respect. Bud Selig and Major League Baseball spent the time and money to create this ad in order to thank and honor Mariano Rivera in a public way.
This act of courtesy by superior figures expresses how much not only fans, but all of baseball, idolize Rivera. The ad displays ethos in that MLB is a prominent organization with a great deal of power. The simple fact that MLB itself placed this ad speaks to the character of the organization. It shows that the organization knows when the time comes to leave the competition behind, and acknowledge the true talent and admirable character that a player has. By thanking
Mariano, MLB reminds fans to express their support for this baseball great in his final days in uniform. Baseball is competition, but baseball is also unified. Opponents of Mariano have publicly displayed their feelings of respect and thanks toward him. Many have thanked him for Ayers 5
keeping them on their toes, and some have even thanked him for retiring because now they may
have a chance to win!
The ad further alludes to great dignity and respect in the fact that it displays the actual
signature of Bud Selig. He stamps the ad with his approval, saying, “Thank you.” The
prominence of this ad is further expressed by the Major League Baseball Symbol. MLB wanted
readers to know where the ad was originating from. This could appeal to fans in all of baseball,
but could also encourage New York Yankees fans to establish more respect toward MLB as a
whole. After all, they took the time to thank the great New York legend. The symbol makes the
ad legitimate.
After reading the ad, the viewer concludes that Mariano Rivera truly is a magnificent
baseball player, and the greatest closer in history. The writers aimed to force readers to come to
this conclusion by the use of logos. They listed all of Mariano’s accomplishments: 5 time World
Series Champion, 13 All Star selections, More saves than any pitcher in major league baseball
history. The factual conclusion that Mariano Rivera is a great baseball player, however, does not
capture the main goal of the ad. The subtle facts listed in the ad have a deeper meaning. Without
them, our reasons for thanking Mariano and what exactly he did to become so well respected
may be unclear.
Mariano Rivera will truly be missed throughout the game of baseball. His retirement signifies the end of an era and the conclusion to one of the greatest pitching careers baseball has ever seen. He will, without a doubt, be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the years to
come. I will miss watching him close out the bottom of the 9th inning. I always had faith that if
Mariano could come in, we would win the game. I am disappointed to see him go, but I am
thankful to have had the opportunity to grow up watching Mariano Rivera play baseball for the Ayers 6
New York Yankees. I believe that Bud Selig and Major League Baseball were successful in appealing to the entire baseball audience, and even the sports-fan audience as a whole, when they thanked Mariano Rivera for his nineteen years of service to the sport of baseball in a very public and honorable way. They expressed a great deal of thanks for all that he has done for the sport.
The ad most certainly spoke to the humility of Mariano Rivera, the respect that all of baseball has for this legend, and how much he will truly be missed. Well done, MLB. Thank you, Mo.
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Works Cited
MLB. Mariano Rivera Ad. Digital image. CBS Sports. CBS Broadcasting, Inc., n.d. Web.