There are very few times when I can say out loud that I’m glad I’m a fan, as opposed to a member of the media–and thus someone getting paid to write about baseball.

This present moment, however, is one of them, because, as a fan I do not feel the slightest guilt or hint of impropriety at wishing the great Mariano Rivera a Happy 40th Birthday.

It is utterly impossible to qualify what Mariano Rivera has meant to the Yankees, so in tribute, I will you with this:

The last time the Yankees were in a postseason and Mariano didn’t pitch, I–and I assume a few of you–had not even been born.

That’s how long lasting his career is, and yet when he says he can pitch five more seasons, we don’t have a single decent reason to doubt him.

Also, it can’t possibly be a coincidence that yesterday was the birthday of uber-prospect Jesús Montero…right?

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