Mariano Rivera: "A-rod deserves a break."

(From Newsday)'Speaking Thursday (11/2) at the upscale New Rochelle steakhouse that he co-owns, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera defended teammate Alex Rodriguez after another poor postseason by A-Rod and the team.

• "I love A-Rod," he said Thursday at Mo's New York Grill. "I love the guy. He's done a tremendous job. It's not easy being himself ... It's tough. They don't give the guy a break ... New York doesn't give him a break."

Rivera added, "If you ask me who has hit in the playoffs, I will name two or three guys. That's it. Alex is not ... the team. It is 25 players. It's not just one guy. If you put the burden on one guy, we'll never win like that." Rivera said he doesn't know a harder worker than A-Rod. "I tell him sometimes you have to stop," he said. "It's too much -- to go hit and videos and hit and hit and hit. I think he wants to be here and he wants to do the job here." Rivera also praised manager Joe Torre for shepherding the team to the postseason despite injuries to key players. "He kept us together," he said. "He kept us believing."

• Rivera said he hopes to pitch at the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. But he hasn't had any talks with the team about a new contract. "Maybe spring training," he said. "We're waiting for the right time."

• Rivera, who turns 37 later this month, signed a two-year contract extension in 2004, with a club option for 2007. He said he hopes to be in pinstripes when the new stadium opens. "That's my goal," he said. "I have to make sure I'm ready for that and take care of myself. It's up to the Yankees. Hopefully, they will do the right thing and I'll pitch there."

Rivera said the strained muscle just below his right elbow that sidelined him late in the season was checked out by a doctor and that rest was recommended. "I won't do anything until spring training," he said.' Article by Ray Sanchez and Jim Baumbach, 11/2/06

• I've followed Rivera's situation quite closely, and I think he's taken for granted by the Yankees in some important ways. Not by Brian Cashman, but certainly in how he's portrayed on the YES Network. In my opinion, his agent has done a poor job. Mo says in this article the Yankees haven't spoken to him yet about working beyond 2007. I'd be just as happy if another team called him up and offered him a new contract with more money. He's only received a shred of the attention he deserves to this point.

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