WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR...

Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record is there to make you think about Mariano Rivera. Read HERE. Caldera has a piece about Mariano and his final wish, to play center field for 1 inning. You gotta love it. In everything that Mariano Rivera has accomplished, wouldn't it just make sense that Mariano wants to give center field a crack?

As Caldera writes: "If it's late September, the pennant race settled and the Yankees in a meaningless game, Mariano Rivera's wish to play center field ought to be granted. Just one inning."
Think about that. Seeing Mariano Rivera in center field, no doubt it would be at Yankee Stadium and as he ran out to center, could you imagine the stadium erupt? I love that kind of crap. It gets me quite emotional. Much like what I had suggested for Jorge Posada and Mariano when he was going for save 602. Why NOT have Posada go out there behind the plate for those last three outs last year (Read WHY SAVE 602 SHOULD BE MARIANO TO POSADA.) Of course it didn't happen, and life went on, but I can only imagine that those that agree with Caldera's idea of Mo in center field would also have been the same people that got behind my brief "Mo to Posada 602 crusade", right? But while Mariano to Posada for his 602nd save is literally just sentimental to Yankee fans, Mariano Rivera in center field could be potentially dangerous, don't you think?

Look, I love Mo and he has been recognized as one of the most athletic pitchers ever, but even if Mo was to go into center field in a "meaningless" game before the playoffs begin, can you imagine if a ball just out of Mariano's reach offered a tragic event like a twisted angle or fall, putting him out of commission for the 2012 playoff run? Not only would Joe Girardi be crucified, but all of Yankeeland would want the Brothers' Steinbrenner on a silver platter. Look, the odds of Mariano getting hurt is slim to none and Caldera has fun with his piece and we all know Mo wants to do it, but hey, you just never know. Read what Mariano said about it:

"You know what? I want to...I have to talk to that man over there...I'd love too. I'd love to. It's not something that I'd think of as a joke. I want to do it right."

Hey look, stranger things have happened. Sure, I worry, after all, we've now seen Mariano Rivera become the greatest closer before our eyes and now, just one time, he'd like to try something different. Would you want him to do it? In the end, reading Caldera's piece... even I agree... give Mariano a shot.

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