It’s not often that players get to retire on their own terms, but after having his 2012 season cut short due to injury, Mariano Rivera is retiring at the end of his 2013 campaign.
The very near future Hall of Famer is widely regarded as one of the best closers to ever play the position and unlike some other famous names like Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner, Rivera has had the kind of postseason success that elevates him to an almost otherworldly level.
In fact, teams are so happy that they’ll never have to hear “Enter Sandman” in the bottom of the ninth in the Bronx anymore that they’ve been showering Rivera with commemorative gifts as he makes his last victory lap around the league’s stadiums. The Red Sox were the latest team to honor the Yankee closer with a grandstand seat, among other gifts, before his last regular season appearance at Fenway Park, but they’re far from the only team to honor Rivera. Some teams have come up with incredibly creative and memorable gifts that Mo is sure to treasure, while others have presented well-meaning but confusing mementos.
