If anyone deserves to have a documentary, it is Mariano Rivera. If it is possible, you will have an even higher opinion of the Yankees great after watching this film.
There’s a moving segment in which prior to a game, Rivera meets with a Kansas City family, which had just lost a son. The compassion that he shows gets to the heart of Rivera.
This is film you should watch with your kids. Talk about setting an example.
Here is the official rundown from Fox.
Baseball debates are as old as the game itself: Ruth or Aaron? Feller or Ryan? Brock or Henderson? However, there is one position where debate is pointless: Who is the game’s best closer? On this, fans, players, coaches, historians and media all agree: Mariano Rivera, and as most know, the 2013 regular season was his last as an active player. Granted unprecedented and exclusive access to many of Rivera’s most private moments since before spring training, BEING: MARIANO RIVERA, the definitive 90-minute television documentary from FOX Sports Originals, Relativity Television and Major League Baseball Productions on the reticent superstar’s final season in pinstripes, premieres Sunday, Oct. 20 on FOX (2:30 or 4:30 PM ET; check local listings), with an encore presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 22 on FOX Sports 1 (8:30 PM ET).
A man of deep religious conviction, Rivera was a ferocious competitor who, win or lose, always respected the game. A nurturing teammate, he freely offered guidance to young pitchers hoping to attain a fraction of his consistency and success, awestruck by his staggering career statistics: 19-years, all with the New York Yankees; 13-time All-Star; seven World Series, winning five; 652 career saves, with another 42 in postseason play.
“Throughout his remarkable career Rivera shied away from the spotlight and simply let his dominance over hitters and good work off-the-field speak volumes, so perhaps its counterintuitive that he would agree to allow cameras access to such intimate moments, but that’s just what he did,” said Michael Bloom, FOX Sports’ Senior Vice President, Original Programming. “It will be an honor to present BEING: MARIANO RIVERA on FOX Sports and FOX Sports 1.”
“We’re honored and privileged that a man universally regarded as the best to ever play his position let us in to uncover the mystique of his final season,” said Tom Forman, CEO of Relativity Television. “Our cameras find him in never-before-seen moments at work, at play, with family and friends, baseball legends, competitors and politicians alike. Despite what fans may have already seen, BEING: MARIANO RIVERA is more thorough than any televised tribute to date.”
“MLB Productions has a proven track record and has established a significant level of trust among MLB players over the years, but given how closely Mariano guards his privacy, we’re extremely appreciative of the access he has granted us this season,” added Chris Tully, Senior Vice President, Broadcasting, Major League Baseball. “This special is a rare glimpse behind the curtain with one of the truly legendary figures in the game.”
I think that rundown is incorrect…Fox has football at that time on Sunday. I set my DVR for the Tuesday showing…will be the first thing I watch on that channel!