May 17, 1996 Full Ticket From Mariano Rivera's First-Ever Save - PSA 9

• Sold For: $940
• Year: 1996
• Auction: 2011 November
• Lot #: 304
• Auction Category: Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

As events played out in the American League East on Friday, May 17, 1996, nobody could have possibly imagined the impact a certain reliever was to have on the storied history of his team and the game. Encapsulated and Graded MINT 9 by PSA, this full ticket was issued in the Bronx that night for a game in which Hall of Fame-bound hurler Mariano Rivera earned the very first of his Major League record 603 saves.The decidedly crisp “MAIN BOX” voucher features printed seating/event details and the stars-and-stripes themed “top hat” logo. The reverse is immaculate, adding overall consistency for the deserved lofty technical grade.Summoned to protect an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the 9th that night, Rivera fanned Randy Velarde, yielded a single to Mike Aldrete, then induced Garrett Anderson to ground into a game-ending double play. The importance of Rivera’s save standard is what looms large today. That, and the fact that the Yanks went to end the longest title drought (18 years) in franchise history that season.