“I never listen to that type of music,” Rivera said about “Enter Sandman,” “I didn’t know the song before. Once (Metallica) came and I met the singers. But I like gospel music, Christian music.”
He doesn’t like “Sandman,” but says nothing. He lets them play the song.
“I just don’t care,” Rivera said.
– Filip Bondy, N.Y. Daily News.
With most players, I wish they cared more about their warm-up and walk-up music, even if I realize that becoming a Major League baseball player requires so much time and effort and focus that you probably have to let pursuits like developing awesome taste in music, or spending lots of time considering your at-bat music, fall to the wayside.
With Rivera, though, I kind of like that he just doesn’t care about what song they play when he runs in, and I like that he says it that way, too. I think a big part of the Rivera mystique is that he’s totally unflappable. Of course he doesn’t care. You could play Peter Cetera’s “You’re the Inspiration” and he’d seem just as intimidating to opposing hitters, and he’d still come in and throw his unbelievable pitch over and over again.
What’s happening now happens every now and then it seems, and Yankee fans always freak a bit and wonder if this is finally the end of Mariano Rivera. It isn’t. He allows a couple of singles and a few stolen bases and people allow their short-term memories to overwhelm 15 years of dominance.
Just look at his season line: 235 ERA+, 0.857 WHIP. Both better than his career rates. And he’s 40. The dude is ridiculous.
The only minor cause for concern for Yankee fans might be the hiccup in his strikeout rate — Mo’s whiffing only 6.8 batters per nine innings this season as compared to 9.6 over the prior three years and 8.2 for his career. But even if that holds, if that’s not just a small-sample blip and it turns out he’s been a tiny bit lucky to maintain an ERA so low this year, he still doesn’t walk anybody or allow home runs, and still induces groundballs at a rate above 50%, so he’s likely to continue being awesome. Doubting this man is a fool’s errand.
Tedquarters 
Did you see Posnanski’s post about Carlos Marmel’s strikeout rate? I knew it was through the roof, but was unaware of the historical significance. 16 k’s per 9 innings.
Mariano has lost velocity and the end is finally nearing, but his location and movement remain stellar. At his age, he’s like Greg Maddux closing, which is still awesome. But as Mets fans, we only got to see Mike Maddux try.
On the topic of Closer music: How does “You’re the Best!” by Joe Esposito sound?
Stupid, cheesy, but boom would that fire me up. Whether you’re walking, jogging, or running from the bullpen, that’s a live montage.
I think it’s just cheesy enough. Plus it’s the type of thing that opposing hitters wouldn’t be able to stop singing to themselves, and it’d drive them crazy, and while they were trying to get it out of their heads you’d be striking them out.
I’d still use “Keep Their Heads Ringin” though.