Mariano Rivera gets beaned by orthodoxy police-Wall St. Journal Editorial Board, 7/25/19

7/25/19, “Mariano Rivera Gets Beaned,” Wall St. Journal Editorial Board (F, 7/26 print ed.)

“These days even the baseball Hall of Fame is politicized.” 

“If modern leftism has an operating principle, it is that no aspect of life--not business, not religion, not even baseball--can be allowed to escape the orthodoxy police. Former New York Yankee ace Mariano Rivera is the latest to find this out

Only hours before his Sunday induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame, Mr. Rivera was the subject of a hit piece in the left-leaning Daily Beast claiming that his plaque in Cooperstown should include references to his “far-right politics.” Apparently this includes Mr. Rivera’s habit of saying his pitching prowess brings glory not to himself but to the Lord. 

There seems to be no limit to the extremism of this Panama-born immigrant, according to the Beast. He has kind words for Israel and the Israel Defense Forces. Worse, his support for the Jewish state draws strength from his evangelical Christianity. 

Other “far-right” activity includes co-hosting a Donald Trump fundraiser, serving on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and—wait for it—traveling to Abu Dhabi as part of a Karen Pence-led White House delegation to the Special Olympics. 

The faux exposé, which was amplified by the Twitter left, reports that Mr. Rivera “has managed to keep his political leanings hidden for decades,”as if pointing to the heavens after a baseball victory is hiding under a bushel. In other words, unlike, say, the much-celebrated Colin Kaepernick or Megan Rapinoe, Mr. Rivera is not calling attention to his political positions or using his sport to push them on others. 

During an appearance on Fox News after the article appeared, Mr. Rivera made clear he’s not apologizing for any of this: his support for President Trump, his support for Israel, or his Christian faith. Sounds like a man with a better perspective on life than the killjoys who can’t even let people enjoy a day that should be all about baseball without trying to politicize it.” 

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Added: 

Mariano Rivera, Baseball-Reference




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