BlackAmericans.com

As popular as Derek Jeter is and as supremely talented as Alex Rodriguez is, the most indispensable Yankee on the field Tuesday will, as always, be Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees learned of Bobby Murcer’s death Saturday, minutes after a victory. Suddenly the music stopped thumping through the speakers, and a celebration turned somber.

It may be the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and Mariano Rivera will likely feature in the game, but don't expect him to be American League Manager Terry Francona's choice to start next Tuesday.

After Mariano Rivera stifled the Red Sox from the mound, Brett Gardner, replacing an injured Johnny Damon, fouled off three pitches before he singled to send home the winning run.

The tandem of José Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera stifled the Mets on one hit over the final three innings to protect Andy Pettitte’s lead.

Chien-Ming Wang allowed a leadoff base runner in each of his first seven innings, but he only allowed one run to win for the first time in seven starts.

Joba Chamberlain does not appear close to being a dominant major league starter, but that is the goal of this strange delayed spring training the Yankees are holding.

Mariano Rivera is outdoing himself again this spring: after 13 innings of work he had not allowed a run, tying his longest scoreless streak to begin a season.

Because Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera allowed Joe Girardi to manage the last three innings on autopilot, the offensively challenged Yankees had a victory that was pretty important.

In training camp, Yankees teammates flock to Mariano Rivera for guidance and many of the lessons he imparts are from Chico Heron, the Yankees scout who found Rivera in 1990.