Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has spent his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer. An 11-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Rivera has accumulated 559 saves, the second-most in MLB history, and has won the American League (AL) Rolaids Relief Man Award five times.

Mariano Rivera With His Costume

Mariano Rivera Celebration

Rivera's signature pitch is his cut fastball or "cutter". The pitch breaks sharply towards left-handed hitters, exhibiting late movement similar to a slider, but with the velocity of a fastball. He almost exclusively throws cutters, occasionally mixing in a four-seam and two-seam fastball, and he throws all three pitches in the low-to-mid 90s mph. He varies the movement on his cutter by adjusting the pressure he puts on the ball with his fingertips.

Mariano Rivera Press Conferences

Mariano Rivera Between Beautiful Girls

Baseball, like fashion, is most important in the spring and fall. Spring marks the start of a new calendar year while fall brings a whole new set of layers, fabrics, trends and textures. It may not seem like the most natural fit, but there’s a strong movement towards using athletes for more than just athletic endorsement deals but as models for fashion’s biggest brands.

The Yankees lead the way as the baseball team with most ties to the fashion industry. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have graced the pages of GQ magazine as models, while DKNY signed a multifaceted deal with the squad this season. The latest man in pinstripes to enter the fashion game is Mariano Rivera. Arguably one of the greatest closers to ever play the game, Rivera modelled for Italian menswear brand Canali for their spring/summer 2010 print advertising campaign.