The New York Yankees are currently in first place in the AL East with the second-best record in all of baseball, so as soon as they have that best record in baseball status locked up – and maybe toss in a few highway robbery trades as well – all will be well in the universe, according to Yankees fans. One of the luxuries of being “business as usual” for baseball’s highest payroll is that Yankees players and fans can once again laugh, not only at the fans of teams beneath them in the standings, but also at their own miseries of previous years.

For example, on Friday the Yankees visited the Kansas City Royals for a quick three-game sweep to extend their winning streak to five games, but because Kauffman Stadium is where Yankees closer and first ballot Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera ended his season a wee bit early last season while shagging fly balls in warm-ups, his teammates decided to poke fun at the injury with the “No Mo Zone”.

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Love or hate the New York Yankees, you have to admit that Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of all-time. Rivera, 42, was already putting together what could have been a swan song season to close out his career, as he’s recorded 5 saves in 6 chances, with a 1-1 record and 2.16 ERA. Instead, he could be going out more like a dying duck, as he’ll miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Before yesterday’s 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals, Rivera was shagging fly batting practice balls in center field, like he usually does, and on a deep fly ball by Jayson Nix, Rivera turned awkwardly and twisted his knee (video after the jump). A lot of people might ask, “Why the hell was the 41-year old closer shagging fly balls in center field?” And the answer is: “Because Mo can apparently do whatever he wants.”

An outstanding athlete, Rivera fancies himself a credible center fielder, even pleading with Girardi to allow him to play center in a game before he retires. Girardi said he wanted to accommodate Rivera, but was too worried about an injury to let him go through with it.

Rivera has been a fixture in center field during batting practice, along with the other pitchers. But he always chased fly balls with more zeal and effort. (Via the New York Times)

And so begins a year of sports writers wondering if Rivera’s career is over, which we won’t know until he recovers, obviously. What we do know is that a guy like Rivera deserves better. If he’s going to blow out his knee, at least make it while he’s rescuing a basket of puppies from Skeletor. At least that’s how I’d like to go.

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Mariano Rivera earned his 500th save last night. But the Yankees reliever helped his team complete a sweep of their subway rival Mets in a very impressive and badass way.

Rivera entered the game with two outs in the eigth inning and his team leading, 3-2. But when Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez walked Derek Jeter to load the bases against , the Yankees–desperate to keep their closer in the game–sent Rivera in to bat. Rodriguez fell behind in the count, 2-0, before filling it up, 3-2. Rodriguez threw an inside fastball that was called ball four, walking in a run and earning Rivera his first career RBI.

Rivera then retired the side to earn a 4-2 win for his team and save No. 500; he’s only the second guy in history to do it (Trevor Hoffman was the first, but he played in San Diego and only made the World Series once, so that’s why you never heard of him. And anyway, ESPN hates San Diego). And now the New York media will start another bogus MVP campaign for him. Nobody has gotten more ink for pitching 11 percent of a game than this guy. The only MVP closer in history was dropped out of the Enola Gay in 1945. Hehe. Gay.

Mariano Rivera — the last MLB player to wear number 42 on a daily basis thanks to a grandfather rule — disgraced Jackie Robinson's legacy by allowing a two-out, three-run walk-off home run to Marco Scutaro that gave the A's a 5-4 victory over the Yankees. Scutaro, batting just .050 at the time, wrapped an 0-2 pitch just around the left-field foul pole, denigrating everything that Robinson ever did to break the race barrier.

I kid, I kid. Yankees fans have it tough enough right now, what with Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano joining Chien-Ming Wang on the DL (not Pavano! But he's such a workhorse!).  Still, I think it would have been a little more respectful of MLB players had shown some deference to players wearing No. 42 — you know, let them hit a home run every time up, or allowed Dontrelle Willis to throw a no-hitter.  Something like that. 

Instead, all we have to remember the day is six rainouts across the eastern seaboard.  Stupid Nor'easter.  I walked three blocks yesterday and almost drowned in a storm drain.