First Hall of Fame introductions of Mariano, Edgar

NEW YORK – A few minutes after donning a Hall of Fame jersey for the first time, Yankees great Mariano Rivera recalled the tears that were a part of his bedtime routine as a young minor leaguer.

It may be difficult to fathom now that he handles the English language with the same superb command he had on his beloved cut-fastball, but there was a time when the greatest closer in baseball history struggled to communicate off the field.

The native of a poor Panamanian fishing village conquered the English language as he marched up the Yankees’ farm system and eventually to a Hall of Fame career. From a modest upbringing in Puerto Caimito to a benevolent spirit, Rivera now hopes to use his platform to help build a learning center in New Rochelle, N.Y., a suburb a short drive from the Bronx’s Yankee Stadium.

“I used to go to bed crying, [but] not because of the game,” he said. “The game to me was easier than I expected. But just the language factor, that was tougher for me than pitching. I could communicate with the manager, the pitching coach.

“Baseball language in the field we all know even if you don’t speak English or [whatever] languages, but when it comes to communication when you don’t speak that language you’ll be in trouble,” Rivera continued. “The minor league shaped me in the way that after I learned the language the game became a little easier for me.”

Rivera, 49, was arguably the star of the afternoon Wednesday when the National Baseball Hall of Fame introduced the members of the 2019 class that was voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He was joined on the stage by fellow electees Edgar Martínez and Mike Mussina, and Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark and Hall president Jeff Idelson.

The late Blue Jays and Phillies ace Roy Halladay, who was also voted into the 2019 class by the BBWAA, was represented at the St. Regis by his wife and sons.

Rivera and Martínez, a Nuyorican who was born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, answered questions in their native Spanish and English with ease.

Rivera and Martínez appreciate their special places in Baseball Hall of Fame history. In Rivera’s case, he’s the first Hall of Famer to be a unanimous selection in the 83-year history of the BBWAA ballot.

Moreover, Rivera, the second Panamanian Hall of Famer, and Martínez, the fifth Boricua Hall of Famer, are the first duo of Latino stars voted in together by the BBWAA.

Rivera took time out to pay tribute to Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Juan Marichal and Rod Carew, the first Panamanian to be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“To be from Panama and representing Latin America and having a giant cloud of witnesses, as the word says, in front of us, the Clementes and Marichales, they were before us,” Rivera said. “They showed us how to do it, how to accept the challenge to give the best of ourselves.

“For us to continue that legacy, to me that’s something special.”

Martínez, 56, also embraces the opportunity to represent Latin America.

“Equally for me like for Mariano, it means a lot,” Martinez said. “It’s an honor and something to be proud of to be included in the Hall of Fame with other Puerto Ricans like Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar and Iván Rodríguez. As a Puerto Rican, it’s a great honor.

“I know that the people of Puerto Rico and all my friends and all of Puerto Rico is very happy. It’s an honor to be here representing the island of Puerto Rico. I send them a loving greeting also.”

The late Clemente would have been proud to hear Martínez and Rivera. They clearly embodied the spirit of the Great One.

They hope to use their new platforms to continue the good works that defined Martínez’s 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners, and Rivera’s 19-year career in the Bronx.

Rivera vows to continue his work in New Rochelle, the city he was introduced to as a rookie in 1995 by Yankees employee Joe Fosina.

Rivera fell in love with New Rochelle because it reminded him of his hometown of Puerto Caimito. He also grew fond of Fosina and his family, embracing them as their own.

Rivera eventually built a church in New Rochelle, where his wife is the pastor. He hopes the unanimous election into the Hall helps to propel his dream of building the learning center he has dreamed of building in New Rochelle since he retired after the 2013 season.

“I think this is the greatest adulation or event that has happened in my life,” Rivera said, “because I’m going to take the opportunity to use this to build a learning center.”

Featured Image: Alex Trautwig / Major League Baseball