On May 25, 2011, Mariano Rivera became the first pitcher in MLB history to appear in 1,000 games for the same team. At 41-years-old, Mo had accumulated 572 saves and 75 wins through his 17 seasons with the Bombers. He was also closing in on the all time saves record of 601 established by Trevor Hoffman.
“It’s a blessing to be able to be on the same team and do that. It’s not too often you see that. But the most important thing is that we won.” -Mariano Rivera
After beating the Blue Jays 7-3, Rivera admitted that he was surprised by the accomplishment.
“It is because you’ve got to have the right combination. The organization you’re with has to be willing to keep you and you’ve got to do the job and take care of yourself. All of that has to be in place.”
He would surpass Hoffman and retire with 652 saves, 82 wins and a 2.21 ERA after 19 seasons and 1,115 games in pinstripes. His 1,115 appearances are good for fourth on the all time list, and only 16 pitchers have reached the 1,000 game plateau. Hoffman is second in appearances with one team at 902 games with San Diego.
