Yankees pitcher and all-around good dude Mariano Rivera continued his farewell tour of the country's stadiums with a stop at the Oakland Athletics stadium this week. This time, the closer made a special delivery to the facility's mail room, where he surprised longtime employee Julie Vasconcellos with a pizza.
The Sandman recognized Vasconcellos for her 25 years of service to the organization with the pie, a signed ball and plenty of hugs and kind words. “This is my way to say thank you, thank you for what you do,” Rivera told Vasconcellos. “Twenty-five years, Julie, that’s great! You’re special, Julie, that’s what it is. People here love you.” And we love you, Mo!
The Yankees great, who is retiring at the end of the season, has been recognized at each of the stadiums the team visits this year. Rivera, in turn, has been taking time to thank the fans and behind-the-scenes staff for their loyalty and dedication over the years. So far on his "Mo-ment of Thanks" tour, Rivera has recognized Cleveland's infamous drummer and fans from Detroit and Kansas City.
