Lupica--Single Yankee MVP of last decade: Mariano Rivera

"Joba Chamberlain is going to be a big Yankee starter, I get that.

Going to be such a tremendous Yankee starter that they can't pitch him two days in a row while he's a reliever. I get that.

And good for Brian Cashman to take the long view on a guy pitching short relief.

What I don't get:

Why can't Joba Chamberlain be groomed to be the Mo Rivera of the future?

• Who has been the single most valuable Yankee over the past decade?

• Mo Rivera has.

He has, over those years, been more of a difference maker than Jeter or anybody else.

• Great closers in baseball are rarer than great point guards in basketball."

From Mike Lupica's NY Daily News column, 9/9/07, "Rick Ankiel is MLB's New Spin Doctor"

• The author of a recent column in the North Jersey (Bergen) Record might want to update her files on Rivera. Or, give Mr. Lupica a call. She narrowly defines Mo (as many do).

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