Mariano Rivera

The New York Yankees don't sock the ball the way they did in recent years. Their starting pitchers are older and a little less dominating. They've struggled to find the lights-out eighth-inning reliever so many of their teams in the last decade have had. Ah, but they still have Mariano Rivera, the double-padlock righthander who just might be the best closer ever. "Pick your two favorite superheroes and I'll put Mo up against both of them," Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens said.

Someday in the distant future, somebody is going to pull out a baseball history book and take a quick glance at this latest in a long line of New York Yankees dynasties. That person will probably conclude that the Yankees disposed of the New York Mets in the just-completed World Series almost as easily as they had dispatched the San Diego Padres in 1998 and the Atlanta Braves in 1999. The Padres and Braves were swept in four games, and the Mets extended the 2000 Series only one game beyond that.

When he's catching Mariano Rivera, Jose Molina doesn't really have to put a finger down. "We just put it down for location," the Yankees catcher said yesterday. Even that sign barely seems necessary. Rivera's cut fastball, one of the great pitches in the history of the sport, is back in the World Series, about to bust in on some Phillies hitter's hands. "You hope it's not a cold night because you know a jam shot's coming real soon," said Phillies pinch-hit specialist Matt Stairs, who faced Rivera in his American League days with typically limited success.

Some potential controversy was introduced before last night's Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels. A video clip from Monday's 5-4, 11-inning Angels win made the rounds on the Internet, showing Yankees closer Mariano Rivera holding the ball and spitting downward. Was he spitting on the ball? Apparently that wasn't the case, at least as far as Major League Baseball is concerned. "After reviewing available video and still photography, we have found no evidence that Mariano Rivera was spitting on the ball," Michael Teevan, MLB's manager of media relations, wrote in an e-mail reply to The Inquirer.

FORGET TWITTER followers and Facebook friends. In baseball, popularity is determined by jersey sales, and the Phillies are among the leaders. According to a list released by Major League Baseball, the Phillies had four players among the top 11 in jersey sales. The Yankees' Derek Jeter was first, followed by Cliff Lee at No. 2, Roy Halladay at No. 5, Hunter Pence at No. 9 and Chase Utley at No. 11. Pence played with Astros until late July, and his sales reflect jerseys sold from both teams.

NEW YORK - Shane Victorino battled Mariano Rivera for 10 pitches before grounding out to second to end Game 6 of the World Series last night. The Phillies centerfielder walked back to the dugout as the Yankees poured onto the field to celebrate their 27th championship, peeking back to see the opponents' joy. "It was definitely hard to watch," Victorino said. "I can feel what [Eric] Hinske felt last year [when his strikeout lifted the Phillies to the world championship]. I guess I'm going to be on the highlights all offseason watching myself make the last out. I definitely didn't want to be that guy. I wanted to get on base somehow, someway, but it didn't work out that way. " Several Phillies players lingered in the dugout as the Yankees bounced around the infield in a group hug. "Yeah, I took a peek," Ryan Howard said.

Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the Future of the New York Yankees By Charley Rosen Harper. 384 pp. $25.99 Reviewed by Joelle Farrell As a title, Bullpen Diaries isn't bad. The author, Charley Rosen, an analyst for FoxSports.com and author of 11 sports books, spends 2010 watching the Yankees bullpen, using his extensive baseball knowledge to dissect every game from a reliever's point of view. The book reads at times like one big scouting report, explaining who threw what and how the game turned out. The subtitle, on the other hand, seems to offer a promise that the book never keeps.

Armando Benitez was sent across town yesterday when the New York Yankees acquired him from the Mets for three prospects. Benitez, the Mets' closer since 1999, will become the setup man for Mariano Rivera. As part of the deal, the Yankees will pay the remainder of Benitez's $6.75 million salary this year, which comes to $2,729,508. The Mets get righthanded pitchers Jason Anderson, Anderson Garcia and Ryan Bicondoa. Benitez became the target of boos at Shea Stadium, blamed for his central role in the team's collapse.

The New York Yankees' front office will convene in Tampa, Fla., tonight for its annual postseason organizational meetings. The team could be poised for major personnel changes, and owner George Steinbrenner's sons, Hank and Hal, will be deeply involved for the first time. The meetings are set to begin late tonight or early tomorrow. First on the agenda is a decision on whether Joe Torre will return for a 13th season as manager. The Yankees also must decide on what to do about potential free agents Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada.

Two relatives of Mariano Rivera's wife were electrocuted while cleaning the pool at the home of the New York Yankees closer in Panama. Victor Dario Avila, a cousin of Rivera's wife, Clara, and his 14-year-old son were killed Saturday, Rivera's cousin, Irma Rivera, told the Associated Press yesterday. The teenager, also named Victor Dario Avila, apparently touched an electrical wire while cleaning the pool in Puerto Caimito, 40 miles east of Panama City. His father died trying to save him, Irma Rivera said.

ANDY PETTITTE is set to rejoin the New York Yankees and start this Sunday at home against the Seattle Mariners. "Everybody's in agreement he's not going to benefit from any more time below," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday. Pettitte retired after the 2010 season and sat out last year. The lefty, who turns 40 next month, returned to the team in spring training and has been pitching in the minors. Pettitte threw five shaky innings Sunday in his first Triple A start in his comeback, allowing five runs and eight hits.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera says he will return to the mound by 2013, vowing to overcome a knee injury that figures to end his season. Rivera had hinted at the start of spring training that he would retire after this season, and he wasn't sure what he would do after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and damaging the meniscus in his right knee while shagging fly balls during batting practice Thursday. In the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, the 42-year-old sat on a stool in front of his locker and firmly said that he will not allow his career to end this way. "I'm coming back.

NEW YORK Yankees manager Joe Girardi said closer Mariano Rivera has a torn right knee ligament, an injury that could potentially end his career. The 42-year-old righthander was carted off the field after twisting his right knee shagging fly balls during batting practice Thursday night before the Yankees' 4-3 loss to the host Kansas City Royals, who were led by Mike Moustakas' three RBI. Girardi revealed the severity of the injury after the game. Royals team doctor Vincent Key diagnosed a torn ACL after looking at the MRI. "This is bad, there's no question about it," Girardi.

FORGET TWITTER followers and Facebook friends. In baseball, popularity is determined by jersey sales, and the Phillies are among the leaders. According to a list released by Major League Baseball, the Phillies had four players among the top 11 in jersey sales. The Yankees' Derek Jeter was first, followed by Cliff Lee at No. 2, Roy Halladay at No. 5, Hunter Pence at No. 9 and Chase Utley at No. 11. Pence played with Astros until late July, and his sales reflect jerseys sold from both teams.

The Yankees signing 39-year-old Andy Pettitte, who spent all of last season throwing baseballs to his kids, has heartened a lot of American League teams. If the Yanks were sure that their other six potential starters were healthy and effective, they'd have kept Pettitte as a spring-training workout director and not given him $2.5 million. But, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, "Among an out-of-shape Michael Pineda's disappearing fastball velocity, a heretofore-underperforming Phil Hughes and an injured Freddy Garcia, the Yankees face rotation questions.

DAVID ROBERTSON walked out of the Yankees clubhouse, holding a pair of crutches, his right foot in an oversized black boot. Instead of making his second spring-training appearance, he had gone to a hospital yesterday for an MRI after a household accident: He sprained a foot when he stumbled on stairs while moving boxes. "It's embarrassing. I already had 'Mo' rag me out about it," he said after speaking with closer Mariano Rivera. The New York Yankees were waiting to find out the cost of their first misstep of 2012.

NEW YORK - After a long flight, a predawn arrival, and a workout that came all too soon, Derek Jeter is ready for the playoffs. Almost. First, a good night's sleep would be nice. "Man, I got home at 4:30. I don't even know what I'm saying right now," a bleary-eyed Jeter said Thursday, a day before he and the New York Yankees face Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers in an AL division series opener. "It's not fun yet. " It's about to be, though. Justin Verlander vs. CC Sabathia in Game 1 is about as good as postseason matchups get. "It's funny.

Things were looking dire for the Boston Red Sox when they dropped three of four to Tampa Bay and the opener of a doubleheader against last-place Baltimore on Monday. Fans were booing. Fans were panicking. Fans were ready to give up. But they weren't willing to take the most drastic measure of all: Rooting for the New York Yankees when they play the Rays seven times over the next nine days. "Absolutely not. Anybody that's going to beat the Yankees, I don't care," said Pat Smith , a plumber from Cambridge who watched the Red Sox lose to the Orioles on Monday afternoon - their 12th loss in 15 games.

MARIANO RIVERA stood by himself, in the center of the diamond at Yankee Stadium. For once, the great closer wasn't sure what to do next. So he smiled, blew a kiss to the crowd, and then doffed his cap as cheers washed over him following the record 602nd save of his career. "Oh, my God, for the first time in my career, I'm on the mound alone," Rivera said. "It was priceless. I didn't know it could be like that. " Rivera pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Chris Parmelee on what appeared to be his signature cut fastball to end the New York Yankees' 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins yesterday.