Bottom Of The Ninth Poem by John F. McCullagh

Father Time stood undefeated.
Bonds came close, but Barry Cheated.
Roger Clemens had a career for the ages
but oft fell prey to roid based rages.
Mariano Rivera was a more worthy foe
No pharmacological freak was Mo.
He threw one pitch, his control well learned,
and he chose to leave on his own terms.
I stood up and joined the cheers
the day Rivera last appeared
and, though I wept to see him go,
Time would never lay him low.
Mo Struck out Time, he had it cooking
A called third strike that left Time looking
like Beltran caught in the bright lights
good morning, good Evening and Good NIGHT!

Actually Mo Rivera's last batter popped out to second and was the second out of the top of the ninth at Yankee stadium when Andy Pettite and Derek Jeter were sent out to remove him from a game that the Yankees lost to the Rays 4-1. this is a metaphorical expression of the fact that Mariano Rivera left the game on his own terms when he still could play at a very high level. Certainly among the greatest Yankees of the modern era.