Mariano Rivera's family had a wild reaction when he became the first unanimously elected Hall of Famer
- Tuesday night, New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera made history as the first player to be unanimously elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- After winning five World Series championships and the 1999 World Series MVP award during his 19-season career with the Yankees, "Sandman" cemented his legacy as the greatest closer ever to play the game.
- Rivera's family cheered when Baseball Writer's Association of America secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell told Mo that he had been voted into the Hall of Fame, but their excitement reached a different level when he announced that it was a unanimous decision.
- Check out the full video below:
Mariano Rivera has done some truly incredible things in his career.
The legendary New York Yankees closer won five World Series championships and the 1999 World Series MVP award during his 19-year career. The 13-time All-Star earned an MLB-record 652 saves and boasted an unfathomable 0.70 ERA through the entirety of his playoff career. Fewer people have scored off of Mo in the postseason than have walked on the moon. Let that sink in.
All of that considered, "Sandman" achieved something truly unprecedented Tuesday night, and it was enough to send all of the baseball world - and his family - into a frenzy.
In his first year on the ballot, Rivera became the first unanimous selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In other words, all 425 members of the Baseball Writer's Association of America who cast votes this year agreed that Mo should become a Hall of Famer this year.
That is no small feat, and the Rivera family knows it. When BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell told Rivera over the phone that he had been voted into the Hall of Fame, Rivera's family smiled and cheered, but their excitement reached a different level when he announced that it was a unanimous decision.
Check out the full video here:
Rivera will officially become a Hall of Famer during the National Baseball Hall of Fame's annual Induction Ceremony on July 21, and it's safe to say his family will be joining him in Cooperstown for the momentous occasion.
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