Mariano Rivera Sees Himself in Aaron Ashby: ‘That Man Is Nasty’

“Brother, I mean, that man reminds myself. I mean, because that man is nasty,” Mariano Rivera said of Aaron Ashby.

The Hall of Fame closer was answering Derek Jeter’s question about Milwaukee’s left-hander during FOX’s pregame show before World Series Game 3 on Monday at Tropicana Field. Jeter introduced the comparison by recalling Rivera’s work in the seventh and eighth innings ahead of John Wetteland in 1996.

“The man is so good. And as a player, as a pitcher, and as a guy from the bullpen, seeing a guy like that, you appreciate baseball,” Rivera said.

Ashby had recorded the final five outs of Milwaukee’s 5–4 victory in Game 2, striking out three without a walk. He allowed one hit and no runs, preserving a second straight one-run win and a 2–0 series lead.

Five Milwaukee relievers combined for six scoreless innings after Logan Henderson’s three-inning start. Ashby finished the game by striking out Yandy Díaz on a checked swing. The official Game 2 box score records his five-out save.

The appearance also reunited Rivera with former Yankees teammates Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Jeter teased him about their shared demotion, while Rodriguez recalled the expectations Rivera set in the clubhouse. Rivera described his responsibility as an older player as keeping everybody in check.

Rivera’s appeal for Panama

Rivera told host Kevin Burkhardt that helping people in his home country was the reason for his appearance. FOX displayed a Panama Strong appeal to rebuild homes for families affected by the October 9 earthquake.

“It took them to build their home their entire life, and now they lost their home in one second. Now they have nothing,” Rivera said.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on October 9, according to Miyamoto International’s preliminary engineering assessment.

The donation address shown during the broadcast opens Mariano Rivera Save 653 Panamanian Relief Efforts on OneCause. Readers can contribute through that dedicated Panama campaign.

“Now I’m in need. I’m in need of the baseball fans and people in general. Because my country, my people need that help,” Rivera said.