Yankees Old-Timers' Day is one of the best traditions in baseball, as the most storied franchise in the sport honors its greatest players by allowing them to take the field every season, even after retirement. This season – and many years prior – Old-Timers' Day includes a slow-pitch game that allows Yankees fans to watch yesterday's heroes play on the Yankee Stadium field as if they had never left. on Saturday, that tradition took a turn for the worse as Mariano Rivera suffered a serious injury.
"It was a fun day until we heard about Mariano. Mariano hurt his Achilles," seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens told WFAN broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. "I don't know what was going on. We all thought it was a hamstring, but I think it's a little worse than that. I think he's at the hospital now. Unbelievable."
Rivera's agent, Fern Cuza, confirmed that the 55-year-old closer had suffered a torn Achilles.
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Yankees Old-Timers Day may not be the same ever again
This was the first time the Yankees hosted an Old-Timers Day game since 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, they had merely honored these all-time greats with a pregame ceremony. While playing a game would be ideal and keep a tremendous tradition going strong, it's not realistic. This is the second time since 2017 a Yankees icon has suffered an injury in the game, with Paul O'Neill straining his calf running to first base.
If the Yankees and these legends of the game do intend to play a game of some sorts, perhaps they ought to slow the pace some. Both O'Neill and Rivera suffered their injuries on the basepaths. Rivera easily ran to first base after singling off his former teammate Andy Pettitte. However, his injury occurred when Willie Randolph singled later in the inning, and Rivera had to run to second base. This isn't the first time in his baseball life Rivera has suffered a catastrophic injury while he wasn't pitching. Rivera tore his ACL back in 2012 while shagging fly balls during batting practice while he was still an active player.
What Old-Timers Day means to Yankees legend and current players
More importantly than the game itself, Old-Timers Day provides an opportunity for current players to get advice from the legends of yesterday who have been there and done that before. Look no further than Saturday's Old-Timers Day, when Rivera provided some much-needed advice to struggling Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams.
"Can't do nothing about it," Rivera said Saturday morning of Williams. "Once it's done, it's done. Just learn from it, move on and be confident. You have to be confident in yourself. If you're not confident in yourself, you're playing the wrong sport."
That advice, it would seem, is something Williams can learn from moving forward. It also signifies the true value of Old-Timers' Day. While fans love watching Yankees greats on the field one more time post-playing career, the value they provide to current players on the roster is far more valuable.