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Mariano Rivera has tried to soak up the joy of what could be his final spring training.

(Photo by John Munson/The Star-Ledger)

JUPITER, Fla. — Discipline and precision have long defined Mariano Rivera. He has plotted his departure from baseball with great care this spring, insisting he would reveal his intentions when ready. For Rivera, so long a pillar in the Bronx, the moment appears near.

After 19 years, thousands of cut fastballs and countless destroyed bats, Rivera intends to close the curtain on his career following the 2013 season. The announcement is expected to come Saturday in Tampa, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person requested anonymity because all involved parties would like Rivera to reveal the news himself. The team has scheduled a news conference for Saturday morning, but declined to announce the reason for the briefing. Rivera, 43, is slated to make his Grapefruit League debut that afternoon.

His decision does not come as a surprise. He has hinted he might have walked away after 2012 had he not torn his ACL shagging fly balls last May. The image of Rivera facedown on the warning track at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City will not linger. He now has one final season to remind all observers of his greatness.

Mariano Rivera reportedly set to retire at end of season 16 Gallery: Mariano Rivera reportedly set to retire at end of season

"The greatest of closer of all time," manager Joe Girardi said. "No question in my mind."

Rivera’s résumé is nonpareil. He holds the major-league record with 608 saves. His ERA in the playoffs is a minuscule 0.70 in 141 innings — and he hasn’t allowed an October run since 2005. He reached 12 All-Star Games. He owns a World Series ring for each finger on his right hand, the extremity that mastered a devastating fastball variation.

On the mound, Rivera operated with simplicity, steamrolling hitters with the late-moving cutter. As a competitor, he personified elegance. He lacked the histrionics of others in the closing profession. The moments when he failed — the 1997 ALCS, the 2001 World Series, the 2004 ALCS — stood out for their rarity.

He mesmerized witnesses. He demoralized opponents. He buoyed his teammates. Both men who managed him in the majors, Girardi and Joe Torre, explained how crucial Rivera was to this era of Yankees success. "It’s hard to imagine" winning five championships without him, Girardi said. "It’s hard to imagine anyone could have done the job he did."

"He made my career," Torre told reporters in Arizona.

The arc of Rivera’s career is by now well-told: The Yankees plucked him out of Panama for $2,000 in 1990. He debuted in the majors as a starting pitcher in 1995. The next year, Torre wielded him as a set-up man. A year later, during a game of catch with Ramiro Mendoza, his sizzling fastball began to cut.

Here in 2013, the ball continues to move, continues to befuddle opponents and continues to travel wherever Rivera intends. Last Sunday afternoon, on a frigid morning in Tampa, Rivera bounded onto the mound for a simulated game. His intensity in those moments stood out, Matt Diaz said.

Diaz referenced one of the unspoken secrets regarding Rivera: He throws a sinker, too. The two-seam fastball acts as a mirror image to his cutter.

"So he throws a ball that’s at your kneecap," he said. "If this does not happen to be the one that cuts over the plate, I’m going to lose my kneecap. So you tend do that whole leg-locked, late swing."

Diaz shook his head. "As a hitter," he said. "I don’t like him for it. Because everyone in baseball is trying to throw cutters now."

Yet no imitator combines Rivera’s velocity and movement, even as he ages and the fastball speed slows. No one comes close. Inside the Yankees clubhouse, after a 7-6 loss to St. Louis today, teammates showered him with superlatives.

"Mariano will just throw to where you’re waiting for the pitch," outfielder Ichiro Suzuki said. "And you still can’t hit it."

"He can throw the cutter whenever he wants, to any spot he wants," starter Ivan Nova said. "He just attacks the hitters. He gets you out."

He instilled a sense of confidence in his comrades. Both Girardi and Torre treated him as a security blanket. His legacy can now be commended during the 2013 season.

"I think he's one of the greatest pitchers of all-time — not just closers," Girardi said. "One of the greatest teammates of all time. And a lot of fun."



DOMINANCE DEFINED

Mariano Rivera has one more season to add to many of the amazing numbers he's posted in his career. A few of the highlights for the man widely considered the best relief pitcher in major-league history:

608

Career regular-season saves, seven more than Trevor Hoffman and 130 clear of third-place Lee Smith. Rivera also has finished a major league-record 892 games.

42

Postseason saves, also a record. He has been so dominant in the postseason that only two players — Sandy Alomar Jr. in the 1997 ALDS and Jay Payton in the 2000 World Series — have hit a home run off Rivera in his 141 postseason innings.

14

Seasons in which he saved 30 or more games. Interestingly, he has led the American League in saves three times. He had 45 in 1999, 57 in 2001 and 53 in 2004.

6

Walks surrendered in the 2008 season. One of his greatest attributes has been his precision. He has given up more than 20 walks in a season only once in his career as the Yankees closer.

5

Years Rivera will have to wait before getting the call from Cooperstown. That’s the minimum, and the only question seems to be how close Rivera will get to 100 percent of the vote.