Mariano Rivera Coaches Pitchers in Pine Brook

For 10-year-old Montville ballplayer Michael Monetti, meeting Yankees closing pitcher Mariano Rivera on Saturday was "absolutely amazing."

Rivera conducted a two-hour clinic at Frozen Ropes training center on Hook Mountain Road in the Pine Brook section of the township about developing healthy throwing arms.

About 125 players attended the clinic, center owner Bob Pigozzi said. The cost of the clinic, $395 per player, included an autographed baseball. Pigozzi said he limited invitations to players and groups he works with to avoid creating a scene.

Frozen Ropes, a baseball and softball instruction company with locations across the U.S., features Rivera on an instructional DVD.

"He's our model for pitching," said Pigozzi, a Kinnelon resident who has owned the Montville Township facility for the past two years. Pigozzi owned another Frozen Ropes facility in Connecticut, where Rivera also came for a clinic, prior to purchasing the facility in Pine Brook

Rivera broke the MLB record for saves on Sept. 19. He told players on Saturday how, growing up, he used a rock wrapped in tape as a baseball and a milk carton as a glove, Monetti said. Rivera also stressed the importance of being a team player and not showing off, Monetti said.

The Star-Ledger talked with Rivera at the center about his recent throat surgery. He said he has been speaking regularly and is preparing for spring training.