A Dandy Rivera Means Everything to Yankees

The team that has everything now has reassurance. The New York Yankees can move past the Texas Rangers and deeper into the playoffs, comfortable knowing that there aren’t any more open wounds on their closer.

Mariano Rivera hasn’t yet done anything to erase the only serious blemish on his career resume. What he has done is pitch again in the playoffs. That’s all he wanted. He never got the chance last fall, not after giving up a titanic home run to Sandy Alomar Jr., and not after the Cleveland Indians upset the Yankees in the division series and robbed Rivera of redemption.

“I was expecting to pitch again, and I didn’t get it,” Rivera said. “That was more disappointing than anything else. I had to live with the memory of my last pitch. It bothered me for weeks. I was down. I was expecting a chance, and it never came.”

He didn’t carry the baggage beyond the off-season. Anyone who suspects otherwise hasn’t watched Rivera this year. You don’t convert 36 of 41 save opportunities, retire 19 consecutive batters during one stretch, and go 3-0 with a 1.91 earned-run average by constantly reliving your worst professional nightmare. As hard as it was to do, Rivera tossed it aside, matured as a closer, and produced a splendid season.

“It really wasn’t an issue with Mariano all year,” Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said.

But once the Yankees opened the postseason, Rivera wanted something he was denied a year ago. A chance.

It finally arrived in the ninth inning Tuesday against the Texas Rangers, when he relieved David Wells, retired the side in order and put the Alomar blast to rest. He followed that up Wednesday night by getting the last four outs in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory.

“I was waiting for this,” Rivera said, with a satisfying smile. “I was so anxious to get started. I went in being aggressive. I wanted a fresh, new start.”

A refreshed and rejuvenated Rivera is precisely the luxury the Yankees can use as they weave through the playoff minefield. There’s no disputing the talent and depth of the Yankees’ lineup, and yet, Joe Torre wisely said it best: Pitching will make or break the Yankees. And no one’s role in the bullpen is more crucial than Rivera’s. They need his 98-mph heat, his cool composure in tight ninth-inning moments, and most of all, they need anything but a repeat of that regretful night in Cleveland a year ago.

Rivera didn’t lose the series with the Indians by himself. But Alomar’s eighth-inning home run in Game 4 was easily the hit that changed it. The Yankees were four outs away from moving on. Instead, they moved out, once the Indians captured Game 5.

The Yankees closer who preceded Rivera knows all about overcoming mental scars. John Wetteland did that in ’96 when he saved four World Series games and was named the most valuable player. But a year earlier, Wetteland was an indisputable postseason disaster. It was his first season as Yankees closer, just like ’97 was for Rivera. Wetteland was pelted repeatedly by the Mariners, who scored five runs in the eighth inning of Game 4, tied the series, then took Game 5.

“I did pitch in ’96 with the memory of what happened in ‘95,” said Wetteland, now opposing Rivera with the Rangers. “You can’t just dismiss it, at least I couldn’t. I wanted to get back there, just as I’m sure Mariano wants to get back there too.

“He had a good year. He rebounded well. It looks like he has overcome it, but it remains to be seen, just as it remained to be seen for me in ’96.”

If Rivera does wipe out the memory of the Alomar homer, then he obviously learned well from watching Wetteland, who was a perfect role model for Rivera for two years. Wetteland overcame a horrific experience by refusing to forget it. Instead, he used failure as motivation. For four consecutive games against the Braves, he closed strongly and saved leads of three runs, two runs and a pair of suspenseful one-run games, including the title-clinching Game 6.

Wetteland’s philosophy: intimidate batters, instead of letting them intimidate you.

Rivera took the tip and made it his trademark. He was the only consistent performer in a sometimes shaky bullpen this year. When he was called upon to spell Wells and protect a delicate two-run lead in Game 1, Rivera looked overpowering. He showed no mercy against a rather formidable Texas lineup. He forced Juan Gonzalez to fly out harmlessly to left field, got Will Clark on a pop-up to second base, and then struck out Ivan Rodriguez swinging.

“I wasn’t holding nothing back,” Rivera said.

If there are many more ninth innings like that, then Rivera may soon know the euphoric feeling of the championship bear-hug embrace from catcher Jorge Posada.

“Last year was last year,” Rivera said. “I don’t feel any pressure from what happened. If anything, I’m more confident and more mature.”