Mariano Rivera is not likely to play again this season. Let that sink in. By play, I mean pitch and play center field, like he's said he wanted to do for years. Joe Girardi said he's left the decision in his hands, but Mo will not be pitching tonight and likely won't on Sunday either.

It was thought he could pitch tonight if Andy Pettitte leaves the game with a lead in the final start of his career in order to secure the save for him, but even that seems unlikely now. It's possible he doesn't want to go back out after such an amazing moment at Yankee Stadium.

As much as I wanted to see Mo play center field, I'm more than happy to let him ride off into the sunset without the anti-climactic ending pitching in Houston will likely be. I'm glad I got to watch the end of Mariano Rivera's career without having it end up as a blown save. That would be an awful way to end a career. So few athletes get to end their career at precisely the moment they want, so if Mo thinks he had his perfect moment then that's all there is to it.

If this truly is the end and we don't see him on the final game of the season, that's ok. We've already said goodbye, we're just lurking around for everything to end anyway.

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