Yanks' Usage of Rivera Could Get Tricky

PHILADELPHIA -- Like the villain in a comic book or James Bond movie, Joe Girardi has at his disposal the most powerful weapon in the (baseball) universe.

The question now is how often can he use it, and how much on each occasion?

That weapon is Mariano Rivera, the near-automatic postseason closer.

Rivera has nailed down the Yankees' past two postseason wins -- Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 2 of the World Series -- with two innings of work.

In the first, he came in having not pitched the previous two days. In the second, he came in with three days' rest and a guaranteed off day afterward.

But now the Yankees will play three straight days for the first time this postseason. So with the rest of the bullpen struggling but no day off until Tuesday, how will they deploy Rivera?

"We're not going to push the envelope," pitching coach Dave Eiland told FanHouse. "He'll be available all three days. I'm not saying he'll be available for two innings all three days."

Said manager Joe Girardi: "The one thing that you have to be careful probably with is using 'Mo' a couple innings and limiting the amount of pitches that you can use him. It would be very difficult to throw him 30 and 35 and 40 and try to do back-to-backs. So we'll have to be careful about that."

During the regular season, the Yankees trust Rivera to tell them whether he can go that day, and for how long.

Lowest career ERA in World Series play (30 or more innings):
Player	ERA
Harry Brecheen	0.83
Babe Ruth	0.87
Sherry Smith	0.89
Sandy Koufax	0.95
Monte Pearson	1.01
Christy Mathewson	1.06
Mariano Rivera	1.09
Source: MLB

But in the postseason, "We have to hold him back," bullpen coach Mike Harkey said.

Figuring out Rivera's day-to-day availbility is part science, part intuition.

You can't wait until he warms up to decide whether he can go two innings or one; Girardi has to be able to plan his strategy around that decision from the first pitch.

Plus, Rivera spends the first six innings in the dugout. So Harkey only has 20 minutes or so -- from the seventh inning until Rivera begins loosening -- to judge Rivera's state.

Thus, before the game, Eiland, Harkey and Girardi consider Rivera's recent usage, the upcoming schedule and the status of the rest of the bullpen and decide how much they are willing to use him.

Then Rivera plays catch during batting practice, which gives everyone an idea of his arm strength and soreness.

Once Rivera gets to the bullpen, Harkey said, "I look at how he is mechanically, the look on his face, whether he's grimacing, his exertion while stretching."

Harkey will call down to Eiland in the dugout and relay his impressions.

Now in his second year with the Yankees, Harkey can figure out Rivera's well-being without asking.

"It's kind of like your kids," Harkey said. "You're around them enough, you know when they don't look right."


There's no doubt the Yankees want to employ their not-so-secret weapon, but they will also protect it. Before going 2 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the ALCS, Rivera -- who turns 40 on Nov. 29 -- had gotten more than four outs just once since Aug. 29, 2008 (in a game in May).

Rivera pitched three straight days twice this year, June 6-8 and July 17-19. None of those outings were for more than an inning.

So he's going to need some help for the middle games of the World Series

"This is when the depth of your bullpen is going to show up," Girardi said.

"I would almost guarantee," Harkey said, "you are going to have to [Phil] Hughes, [Joba] Chamberlain and the rest of the guys step up."

That's good news for the Phillies. Not just because the rest of the Yankees relievers have not, in general, done well this postseason.

But also because when Rivera is available, especially for multiple innings, it changes the opposing manager's strategy.

"They know it," said Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, a former Royals manager.

"Most closers," Phillies shortstop Jimmie Rollins said, "they're going to throw 14, 15 pitches [and] it's like, 'Oh, let me go throw some ice on it.'"

In the seventh inning of Game 2, the Yankees got runners on the corners with none out and a one-run lead. The Phillies brought the infield most of the way in, and on the FOX broadcast of Game 2, analyst Tim McCarver said the Phillies did that because they know Rivera would be coming in for the top of the eighth and could not afford to allow the Yankees to go up two.

"It's kind of like your kids. You're around them enough, you know when they don't look right."
-- Yankees bullpen coach Mike Harkey on how he evaluates Rivera Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Friday that was not the case; that the infield was played at that depth because of the speed of the runner at third (Brett Gardner).

But Manuel did say some decisions are made differently with Rivera closing for the other team.

"We know late we can't get two or three runs down," Manuel said.

"Let's face it," Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin said, "a guy with his reputation, you damn sure can't give him another run."

The Phillies did get three baserunners off Rivera in Game 2 and forced him to throw 39 pitches, his most since May 6, 2005, and his most ever in a World Series appearance.

Twenty-three of those pitches came in the eighth inning, and 11 of those were against Rollins, who fouled off four full-count deliveries before drawing a walk.

"We felt pretty good up there," Rollins said. "That's always the question mark, what is it going to look like?

"Now you have a game plan. We didn't really see Mariano during the season, the time here [in May]. Spring training, he comes in, I'm [already] out of the game. So this is a mystery, like, 'OK, we know what he's going to do. It's no surprise.' It's just trying to figure out how much his ball is moving.

"Once you find your approach, you have to to be stubborn with it, because he's going to be stubborn with what he's going to do to you. ... You're getting a cutter. All right. You're getting another cutter. All right. Here comes another one. So that's what makes him such a good pitcher."

Rollins claimed the chance to see Rivera for an extended outing in Game 2 will help the Phillies over the rest of the Series.

Of course, that could be wishful thinking.

Rivera for his postseason career is 38-for-43 in save chances, with a 0.76 ERA and a .177 batting average allowed. In 130 innings, he has walked just 20 and allowed only two home runs -- none since Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.

"The two years I've been here," Harkey said, "it's the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed in my life, a person as consistent as he is.

"His velocity has gone down, but his stuff hasn't. And he's definitely blessed with a peace that as players we all wish we had."