On Monday, President Trump awarded Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but not before kicking off the ceremony with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” rocking the White House speakers.
The iconic Metallica song the record-breaking closer used as his walk-on music when he came on to close games throughout his baseball career played for more than a minute as Rivera and Trump took the stage, as reported by The Hill.
President Trump introduced Mariano Rivera on Monday during the ceremony as “The Sandman” and told a story of when he explained to First Lady Melania Trump why the Yankees legend went by the nickname.
“Because he put the batter to sleep,” the President explained. “A lot of people don’t know that, but the Yankee fans know that. We watched it for a long time.”
The President praised Rivera as “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time” and described his successful career accomplishments.
Trump, a longtime Yankee fan, noted Rivera’s community work off the field as well, pointing out that he started a foundation to provide scholarships and school supplies for underprivileged children. Rivera holds the regular season record for saves, with 652, and was a member of five World Series champion teams, as per The Hill. (Video Below)
Watch:
Trump enters a room at the White House while “Enter Sandman” plays pic.twitter.com/YbJvNDDFHq
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 16, 2019
Full ceremony and remarks:
