A-rod: "Mariano Rivera is only player who's irreplaceable."--NY Post

"“The one thing you learn in baseball is that every man is replaceable," Alex Rodriguez said in late summer. “But that man," he said, pointing to Rivera, “is irreplaceable."

• The Yankees spent the better part of 2007 obsessed with, in no particular order, A-Rod's contract, a 141/2-game hole, the Red Sox, A-Rod's contract, Joe Torre, Roger Clemens' absurd money grab of a contract, and A-Rod's contract. Rivera had his say in the spring. That quickly dissolved. He shrugged his shoulders, shrugged off some early struggles, turned in another lights-out season from May 1 on home.

Now he wants his. Says he'll listen to all offers. Will he? Will he bolt? The Yankees had better be careful here. If they spend as much time between now and November wringing their hands over a third baseman who has yet to play in a World Series, they may well be inviting a closer who's won four of them to slip out the side door.

• And if that happens, the era will never feel more over, and the winter will never feel more frigid."

From NY Post column by Mike Vaccaro, "Team Would be Wise to Avoid End of Riv-Era," 10/11/07

• P.S. Certain baseball geniuses have been rushing Mo out the door for 10 years, some of them of course said Joba should close. They've been silenced yet again. They never learn--there is no one in the past or future who can be compared with Mariano Rivera. Perhaps they get their news from ESPN platforms. (sm)

***And as far as Mariano and money, his big mistake has been begging the Yankees to take him back year after year. His actions coupled with an apparent lack of strategy or guidance from a good agent have allowed the team to take him for granted. He long ago could've gone for more money elsewhere.

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