Mariano Rivera reflects on career, addresses attacks on 'far-right politics'
Former Yankees closer and MLB Hall of Fame inductee Mariano Rivera speaks out on 'Fox & Friends' on his career, friendship with President Trump, faith and support of Israel.
The Daily Beast published a hit piece on baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, attacking the New York Yankees legend's "far-right politics." But the outspoken Christian told Fox News "that won't change my position, that won't change my belief."
Rivera, the greatest closer of all time, said his faith is "No. 1" in his life and he doubled down on his support for President Trump and the state of Israel.
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"Mr. President Trump to me, he was a friend of mine before he became president," Rivera told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday. "So, because he's president I will turn my back on him? No. I respect him. I respect what he does and I believe he's doing the best for the United States of America."
He continued: "When it comes to Israel, as a Christian, if my Savior Jesus Christ, He's a Jew, so how am I going to turn my back and say, 'Oh, I won't support Israel.'"
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Daily Beast writer Robert Silverman took a swing at Rivera for his political and religious views, hours before the 13-time All-Star was honored with baseball's highest honor.
"He's also served at the pleasure of a racist president, taken part in thinly veiled propaganda on behalf of a far-right government in Israel and gotten chummy with outright bigots and apocalyptic loons," Silverman wrote. "None of this will be inscribed on his Hall of Fame plaque."
This image provided by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum shows the Hall of Fame plaque of Mariano Rivera who was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Sunday, July 21, 2019, in Cooperstown, NY. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum via AP)
But Rivera, much like the losses and wins, handled it with humility, saying the journalist can write what he wants but it won't affect him.
Host Brian Kilmeade asked how Rivera went on to become the first player to be unanimously inducted in the hall of fame.
"That's a good question. When we go to heaven to ask the Lord, 'What happened?'" Rivera explained, adding, "because I was just happy to be in the big leagues...Little did I know the Lord has a lot of things for me in my path."
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Rivera said he was struggling in his career in 1997 when he became the closer. But, a week later, "the Lord gave me my favorite pitch: the cutter."
The Daily Beast published a column attacking Yankees legend Mariano Rivera on Sunday. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Rivera reflected on the power of prayer, recounting that at age 24 his wife contracted the chickenpox while pregnant and was told by doctors that their son was going to be born with a vertebrae issue that would've resulted in death. But once she got better, they attended a women's conference.
"They took her and they prayed for her," Rivera said, "and he was healed."
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Earlier this year, "The Sandman" who entered hundreds of times to Metallica's 1990 hit "Enter Sandman" revealed that he doesn't listen to the song because of his faith.
"As a Christian...I don't listen to that kind of music," he said. "I listen to Christian music."