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Alex Rodriguez has admitted that New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera is his role model.

According to XM MLB Chat, Rodriguez described what it was like to compete against and play with Rivera in an interview during Sunday’s Yankee radio pregame show with Suzyn Waldman:

He’s our Roberto Clemente in many ways. And I love him, I love him to pieces. And I’m having such a great time playing the game, and he’s a major part of it. Me coming back and having the privilege to put on the pinstripes and share the uniform with Mariano Rivera is a moment I’ll never forget.

…when the moment gets really, really, really tough, and New Yorkers can appreciate this about Mariano, the best Mariano Rivera always stands out. And he’s my hero and a role model and a dear friend.

Putting aside any personal feelings any fan has towards Rodriguez, he’s right. Rivera is a role model for kids and fans alike.

While I aim to be my son’s role model, I inevitably know he’ll look up to some professional athletes as well. Rivera is one of those athletes, and I would have no problem with my son looking up to him. He’s that good of a ball player and that good of a human being.

Now, it would be easy to ask why Rodriguez didn’t follow Rivera’s example when it comes to his latest allegations on performance-enhancing drugs. But that’s not what this story is about. This story is about the words A-Rod used with which so many of us agree.

So, what makes Rivera a role model to so many?

He plays the game the right way

Regardless of where you stand in your religious beliefs, you have to admire where Rivera stands in his beliefs. A devout Christian, Rivera slowly became one of the best closers to ever play the game.

And he’s done it the right way. 

Outside of the fake Shane Spencer call on ESPN Radio 104.5 FM, nobody has accused Rivera of taking PEDs. And there would be nothing that would make you think he has taken them.

He is the career leader in saves with 651 and has had nine season of 40 or more saves. Throughout his 19-year career, his numbers are consistent. He had an ERA below 2.00 11 times and never had a spike in numbers.

In fact, according to FanGraphs, his velocity followed in line with getting older.

Baseball fans won’t fully understand what he brought to the game until he’s no longer in uniform.

Humanitarian work

When looking at everything Rivera has done in terms of humanitarian work, I’m just in awe of how much he gives of himself.

According to an Ed Lewi Associates press release, Rivera has come up big in his charitable works:

Away from the ball field, Rivera is well-known for his charitable endeavors on behalf of children through the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which addresses children’s needs through programs that focus on education, health and wellness in his adopted community of New Rochelle and his native Panama.

According to James Traub of the New York Times, Rivera distributes at least $500,000 a year to underprivileged children in the U.S. and Panama through church-based institutions: 

Rivera is quite possibly the world’s most famous Panamanian, but he said that he makes a point of staying “under the radar” when he is there—which isn’t often, because during the off-season the boys are in school and he is loath to leave. When he does put away the mitt, Rivera says, he will devote himself to his philanthropic work.

Rivera gets it. It’s not about throwing a baseball 100 mph. It’s about getting that education so that you have something to fall back on in case you don’t go pro in a sport.

I put Rivera in the same class as Clemente, because both realized they had a higher purpose with the gifts God gave them. Like Clemente, Rivera has given his time and money to those less fortunate. 

He made his farewell tour about the fans

ESPN’s E:60 recently did a profile on Rivera and his farewell tour, according to ESPN New York’s Ian O’Connor.

Throughout his farewell tour, Rivera made sure to meet with fans and stadium workers in opposing ballparks, learning about them:

Harry Clark, 13, is one of them. “Just a beautiful boy,” Rivera says from the visitors dugout during his last regular-season trip to Boston.

A beautiful, brave and incredibly mature boy from Wellesley, Mass., who says on the phone that he’s been fighting an inoperable brain tumor for years, and that his time talking with Rivera “was one of the most amazing experiences of my life … Mariano told me, ‘Keep it up. Keep fighting. I know you can get through this and get better.’

Rivera is told what the boy says, told that Harry Clark promises to be a Red Sox fan and a Mariano fan at the same time.

“You see what keeps me going?” Mo says. “It’s not money. It’s not fame.”

Then there was nine-year old Sam Bresette (a Royals fan), who met Rivera in May. While meeting Rivera was great, Bresette wished his brother Luke would have been there. Only he couldn’t because he had been killed in March when a giant display board at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama collapsed and killed him.

Rivera spoke to the family about his own trying time in Kauffman Stadium where he tore his ACL last year.

But Rivera fully understood that a torn ACL isn’t in the same ballpark with a broken heart. Mo hugged Luke Bresette’s father, Ryan, a former Royals batboy, and whispered in his ear, “You are a stronger and braver man than I will ever be.”

Those are only two stories. There are countless others of him meeting with wounded veterans, cancer patients, victims of the Boston bombings, a 45-year employee of the Angels and many more.

Rivera has been humble throughout, realizing that if not for the fans, he wouldn’t be in the position he is in today.

Conclusion

Rodriguez had it right when he said Rivera is a role model.

He’s a role model both on and off the field. He shows you how to play the game the right way and how to be a good person off of it.

Although Boston fans didn’t like him when the two teams played, it would be hard to find one fan who doesn’t respect him. The ovation fans gave him showed not only how much he meant to the rivalry, but how much he meant to the game.

That’s why I put Rivera in the same class as Clemente. Both made baseball better for fans, on and off the field.

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The New York Yankees once again will be footing the highest luxury tax bill in baseball, this year at $29.1 million.

As reported by USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the luxury tax penalty is higher than the entire Houston Astros‘ payroll, which is just over $21 million, according to ESPN.com.

The Yankees currently have a $236.2 million payroll for purposes of the luxury tax, and must pay a 50% tax over the $178 million threshold as a repeat violator.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the other team Major League team that will be required to pay a luxury tax this year. The Dodgers currently have a franchise-record $234.5 million payroll for its 40-man roster.

Yet, the Dodgers’ penalty will be much less of a financial hit than the Yankees since it’s their first offense. They will be taxed at 17.5%, paying a tax of about $9.9 million to MLB‘s central fund.

While the salary cap in baseball is a joke (literally), at least there is something in place for teams that open their checkbooks to every good player. 

But does it really make a difference? With the name brand and television deals these two teams have, that kind of money is just chump change. 

How can it be fixed?

The main issue you have with teams constantly going over the luxury-tax threshold is that is really isn’t that much money to them.

If they’re able to give out multiple $20 million/year contracts, then $29.1 million really means nothing to them, regardless of what they say on the record.

The fact remains they believe spending more money on players will bring in more dollars in ticket revenue, concessions, ad revenue, memorabilia, etc. 

And if the Yankees are concerned and do get below the threshold for one year, the threshold would be reset to 17.5 percent. They wouldn’t be taxed at a 50-percent rate when they go over again, only reaching that point when they become repeat offenders again.

So, how can this be fixed?

First and foremost, instead of taxing the amount over by 50 percent, why not tax it at 100 percent? Or how about taxing the entire payroll at 50 percent? That would get teams to stop spending on these lavish contracts.

The NBA has a system in place where teams pay at least $1.50 for every dollar they go over the tax threshold. And if it’s a repeat offender, then that number is at least $2.50.

That would get some teams thinking.

Another thing they could do is a team would have to stay under the threshold for five years before the percentage would go back down to 17.5 percent.

If baseball really cared about the luxury tax, they would make it more stringent. Instead, they put something small into place that really means nothing.

What it means

In the end, this means nothing to the Yankees. In fact, it’s never meant anything to the Yankees.

They’ve always lived by the creed to win at all costs, as evident by the enormous contracts for players like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.

The Yankees have never concerned themselves with it before and they won’t concern themselves with it now.

If they did concern themselves, then we won’t see them paying Robinson Cano at least $20 million a year to stay in New York. But as we saw with the contracts of the for mentioned above, the Yankees have always been about getting the best and it takes a lot of dollars to do that.

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After three full months on the DL with a shoulder injury, Clay Buchholz returned to the Boston Red Sox rotation Tuesday night. He had a pretty good performance too, pitching five scoreless innings with three hits and six strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays.

His performance should help put fans at ease. But how does Buchholz’s return impact the team and improve its World Series odds?

Impact on the rotation

Clay Buchholz’s return is nothing but a net positive for the Red Sox, as he will give them a few additional options down the stretch. With Felix Doubront now moved to the bullpen, manager John Farrell can use Doubront to help set his rotation for the playoffs.

The rotation is currently set up as follows: Buchholz, Ryan Dempster, Jake Peavy, John Lackey and Jon Lester. This order does not necessarily reflect who the best pitcher on the team is; only the order they are now throwing in.

As it currently stands, Lester, Buchholz and Dempster would start the final three games, with the first game of the playoffs being the following Friday. Sure, Dempster would still get full rest if he were tabbed as the Game 1 starter (which is unlikely), but you also have to deal with other factors.

Does Farrell want his Game 1 starter to have pitched on the final Saturday or Sunday of the regular season? What about his Game 2 starter? Those factors have to be taken into consideration, and that’s why having Doubront in the bullpen is such a luxury. Farrell can now set his team up for success in the best way possible by giving Doubront a start if needed.

Will Buchholz start Game 1?

That’s a question that can’t be answered until the final week of the regular season.

Remember, Buchholz has only had one start since returning from injury. He’s still got at least two more to make before a real decision can be made. In fact, when it comes to the ALDS, he should be held for Game 2 or 3. That way, you’re assured he gets in one more start before the end of the regular season.

While managers are starting to be careful this late in the year with their playoff starters, not wanting to tire them out, Buchholz needs all the work he can get. He needs to see a lot more hitters before you can confidently throw him out there in the playoffs.

Of course, I could be wrong and he may be ready to pitch Game 1. But it’s best to err on the side of caution when it comes to Buchholz. You don’t need his confidence shaken at this critical point in the season.

World Series odds

When it comes to the American League, I don’t improve any team’s chances at the World Series based on the return of one pitcher. Sure, he can be lights-out, but there’s also a DH used, which complicates things a little more.

Pitching can be the key to winning a series, but runs still have to be put on the board, which was rare in last year’s AL playoffs. Teams scored three runs or less a total of 15 times in the ALDS out of 20 opportunities.

In the ALCS, five out of the eight opportunities saw the Yankees and Tigers score three runs or less. What that shows is all teams are getting good pitching, but their offense isn’t scoring the runs needed. That’s the real key to winning in the AL in the playoffs.

So, the odds are the Red Sox making the World Series don’t improve. They’re still my favorite considering they lead all of baseball in runs scored (759), RBI (730) and extra-base hits (512). The Red Sox also have converted 85 percent of their stolen-base attempts, only getting caught 19 of 130 times. That’s a recipe for success in the postseason.

While having Buchholz back is nice for the rotation, pitching alone won’t determine the AL’s winner. The winner is going to be the team that can hit the good pitching and score when given the opportunities.

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Shin-Soo Choo is going to be one of the more underrated free agents on the market this offseason, but that doesn’t mean teams won’t be lining up for his services.

Rumors have already swirled about the Chicago Cubs pursuing Choo in the offseason, according to CSNChicago.com’s Patrick Mooney. Now, the New York Mets are reportedly eyeing Choo this offseason, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

A second Mets source said that the team liked Choo—this is no state secret, as the Cincinnati outfielder has a .425 on-base percentage this year (.389 career), with 20 home runs—but are not interested in engaging in a crazy bidding war for the 31-year-old Scott Boras client. Basically, the Mets really like the player, but are comfortable turning elsewhere if the market outpaces what they expect (this is an unsurprising public position).

With that said, would Choo be a smart signing for the Mets rebuild or would it just be a waste of money?

Will the Mets Compete?

The biggest question the Mets front office has to answer is whether they will be competing for the playoffs or not.

A lot of factors go into this, but the biggest one is the status of ace Matt Harvey.

Harvey has a visit to Dr. James Andrews scheduled for Monday to seek a second opinion on his right elbow, according to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Although he hopes to avoid undergoing Tommy John surgery, the fact remains that it’s still an option.

If it is, then that will seriously hinder the team’s ability to compete.

Nothing against Zack Wheeler, but he won’t be able to carry the pitching staff by himself. The Mets would have already been in a precarious position with Wheeler and Harvey at the top of the rotation. Now you take one out and it becomes even more troublesome. 

Had all of this been happening after the 2014 season, there would be a little more confidence with Noah Syndergaard coming up to the big leagues.

So if that’s the case when it comes to the rotation, is it worth it for the Mets to pursue Choo knowing they might not have the chance to compete for another year or two?

Waiting in the Minors

Another fact the Mets have to consider is what they have waiting in the minors for the outfield.

Currently, the starting outfield at the big league level comprises of Eric Young Jr., Juan Lagares and Andrew Brown. Of those three, Lagares is the only legitimate long-term starter.

Other than that, the minor leagues have a lot of lower-level talent in the outfield with Cesar Puello being the only one that could make a contribution next year.

So the cupboard’s bare there as well.

But what about free agency outside of Choo?

The Rest of the Lineup

Heading into next year, the only players you can pencil in are Daniel Murphy at second, David Wright at third, Lagares in center, Lucas Duda at first or left field and Travis d’Arnaud at catcher.

Outside of that, there are some major question marks.

The biggest one concerns Ike Davis and if he can get things going again. After being demoted to Triple-A and called back up in early July, Davis has batted .267 with four home runs and 17 RBI. That’s decent in terms of batting average, but he’s lost all of his power numbers.

So his situation will be interesting to watch. If he can show he can play consistently once again, Duda goes to left field and that’s one less position you have to worry about.

However, if that doesn’t happen, then you have two outfield positions to fill with nobody ready to take them in a full-time role in the minors. That leaves free agency where Choo would come in.

The Mets could sign an aging veteran or two to a one-year contract and hope the 2015 crop of free agents is better.

Shortstop is another concern as Omar Quintanilla is not the long-term answer there as evident by his .222 career batting average.

Verdict

While having Choo would be nice in the outfield (and in the leadoff spot), there’s no way the Mets are going to compete next year.

I don’t see how it would be a smart signing, especially if Choo‘s price gets driven up by his agent, Scott Boras.

There is no short-term fix for the Mets with the state of their minor leagues. They have a lot to build around in Harvey, Wheeler, Syndergaard, Wright, Lagares and d’Arnaud. But after that, there’s a huge drop off in talent throughout the organization.

The Mets have to work on their farm system to ensure they can compete for many years to come. If they don’t and sign a big free agent or two each offseason, they’ll continue to stay at home come October.

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Could Andy Pettitte be coming back for one more season?

According to Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger, it certainly seems like a possibility:

“Look, as long as I’m healthy, I know now that I can pitch for a long time,” Pettitte said. “My velocity is up this year, compared to what it was last year. I’m taking care of myself. So that’s not even an issue.”

So, if Pettitte does come back, how does that impact the New York Yankees‘ offseason plan?

Things that won’t change

Two things that won’t change for the Yankees are the need to re-sign Robinson Cano and find a possible replacement for Alex Rodriguez, should his suspension stand.

That has to be the biggest focus for the Yankees regardless of what happens. 

If for some reason Cano doesn’t re-sign with the Yankees, that means big trouble, as there aren’t many good second basemen on the market this offseason.

Third base is not as pressing, as the Yankees could re-sign Kevin Youkilis or Mark Reynolds to take A-Rod’s place until Dante Bichette Jr. is ready to take on the everyday role.

Of course, that is assuming Rodriguez gets suspended. If not, hopefully the ruling will be early enough so that the Yankees don’t feel like they need to address the issue.

Pursuit of an outfielder or two will be important as well. Curtis Granderson is a free agent this year, and Ichiro Suzuki, Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells are free agents the following season. Prospects Tyler Austin and Mason Williams could make their big-league debuts late next year, but the Yankees know they still have to address the outfield a bit more. Frankly, Brett Gardner won’t cut it.

I also don’t feel like Pettitte will affect the Yankees’ attempts to convince Hiroki Kuroda to sign on for another year or their pursuit of free-agent starter Matt Garza. Regardless of Pettitte, the Yankees are going to throw a lot of money at Garza to get him to come to New York.

What will be affected

The main thing with Pettitte is that he’ll be 42 next year. That means that whether he likes it or not, he doesn’t have very many years left in him.

What the Yankees do have to decide is whether this year’s free-agent crop of pitchers is better than next year’s will be.

This year (other than Garza), the market could feature Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Paul Maholm, Tim Hudson, Ricky Nolasco, James Shields and Ervin Santana. But is that better than 2015’s class that so far includes Clayton Kershaw (for now), Chad Billingsley, Johnny Cueto, Max Scherzer, Jake Peavy, Justin Masterson and Yovani Gallardo?

Regardless of what the Yankees decide, Phil Hughes won’t be back next year. Currently sitting at 4-13 with a 5.11 ERA, there’s no way the Yankees bring him back.

I think Kuroda holds the key to everything. As it stands now, the Yankees will have CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova definitely slotted into the rotation. If Kuroda comes back, he will slot in to give the Yankees three, and Pettitte would make four. 

The Yankees could then make a huge run at Garza, Shields or Santana to complete their rotation, then add in one of 2015’s free agents for when Pettitte and/or Kuroda are done. By that time, Rafael De Paula or Manny Banuelos should be ready to start in the majors and take on the No. 5 role.

That way the Yankees don’t have to make a run on multiple starting pitchers like they did when they signed both Sabathia and A.J. Burnett in the same offseason. History has shown us that one of them is bound to fail.

If you don’t believe me, just look at the same 2009 season when the Braves signed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami failed the same way Burnett did in New York.

Pettitte won’t be enough

The Yankees will still have to make moves in their rotation even if Pettitte decides to come back. In fact, I’ll say the same for Kuroda.

The starters have a combined 4.13 ERA and a 51-54 record.

While some will point to the struggles of Sabathia and Hughes this year, it must be remembered that all starters (except for Kuroda) struggled at one time or another.

New York needs to get back to having a dominant starting rotation with two or three aces. It’s how they’ve succeeded in the past and how they’ll succeed again.

Offense may be the name of the game, but when it comes down to crunch time, good pitching will always beat good hitting. And regardless of whether Pettitte comes back or not in 2014, the Yankees have to prepare for the future without him.

Like what I had to say or think I’m full of it? Respond in the comments or hit me up on Twitter: @chris_stephens6.

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You can tell things are getting intense in the AL East when managers are ready to fight over allegedly stealing signs.

That’s exactly what happened Monday night in the first inning, when Yankees‘ manager Joe Girardi went ape crazy over Orioles‘ third-base coach Bobby Dickerson allegedly stealing signs.

This was the exchange between Girardi and Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter:

Apparently, Girardi was accusing Dickerson of stealing signs and relaying it to his team. But it gets even more interesting:

ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand had a little more to add, saying that some feel that stealing signs is just a part of the game.

(Lou) Piniella, 70, is now a YES Network commentator. In his time, he has done it all, from playing to coaching to managing. If the Orioles were trying to steal signs with Dickerson as the spy, Piniella says that is fair.

“It is part of the game,” Piniella said. “Both teams are vying for wild-card spots, are playing very important games to decide it. Basically, things get a little more heated.”

Pinella did add this one bit for teams who think their signs are being stolen—”You just switch them,” Piniella said of the catcher’s signs. “That is the easiest way to do it. You can have very simple signs the other side can’t get.”

Or you can keep some of the same signs, but have them mean something else. Have one finger down to mean changeup or slider, or two fingers to mean fastball. If it’s a sequence, simply change the sequence.

After a few times of getting it wrong, players are going to stop listening to the would-be thief.

Is it a Part of the Game?

Stealing signs is absolutely a part of the game. There’s a reason why some players look down when they’re taking warm-up swings in the batter’s box. They want to see if they can catch what the catcher is putting down.

Some people may not like it, but every team looks for ways to gain an advantage.

If you notice the infield shifted over for a lefty to pull, is it wrong for him to put down a bunt down the third-base line in an effort to get on base? Just like the team putting on the shift, the player batting is trying to gain an advantage.

That’s all stealing signs is—trying to gain an advantage.

If that’s something you’re against, figure out other ways for messages to get across. 

But scolding someone for trying to gain an advantage is laughable. That’s the whole point of baseball. The sport is all about advantages. And the team that generally takes advantage the most is more likely to win.

Lastly, if your team does the same thing, then you have no right to get mad about another team doing it to your team. You’re the last team in the world that should complain.

Ultimately, it’s a playoff race and things are going to get more heated than they normally would. But that’s baseball and that’s the nature of the beast.

Like what I had to say or think I’m full of it? Respond in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @chris_stephens6.

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With less than a month to go in the MLB season, there’s still a lot to be decided.

Nearly half of the teams in baseball are still reasonably in the playoff hunt, although some have more work to do than others.

Teams like the Braves, Tigers, Dodgers and Red Sox can relax a little as the month goes on. Others know that bad play could result in no playoffs or one of the wild card spots. As we saw last year, that’s the last thing any team wants.

For me, for teams to get to where they want to be, it starts with pitching.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the optimal starting rotations for contenders who want to surge down the stretch.

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With less than a month left to go in the MLB season, many teams are still fighting it out for the playoffs.

While some teams are locks to win their division, others know the next four weeks will determine what their Octobers are going to look like.

Then there are others who know that come Oct. 1, they’re going to be at home watching the playoffs.

But for many of them, they can have a say at who will also be watching the playoffs from home.

Here’s a look at each non-contending team and where they rank in spoil factor for the MLB postseason.

Begin Slideshow

After a few years of stealing every base imaginable in the minor leagues, Billy Hamilton finally stole his first in the big leagues on Tuesday.

The steal happened in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs as the Cincinnati Reds were deadlocked in a 0-0 game with the St. Louis Cardinals. Hamilton later scored on an RBI double by Todd Frazier to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.

In the end, that run held up as it was the only one scored in the game.

Over the course of his minor-league career, Hamilton stole 395 bases, including 75 this year and 155 in 2012. His speed is one of the reasons why he’s the No. 16 prospect overall in the majors, according to MLB.com.

For Cincinnati, which could lose Shin-Soo Choo to free agency in the offseason, having Hamilton at the top of the lineup could be a game-changer for many years to come.

The one issue has been Hamilton’s ability (or lack thereof) to get on base this year in the minors. This year, he has an on-base percentage of .308 in the minors, while striking out 102 times. Last year, he got on base at a rate of .410, but also struck out 113 times.

Cincinnati will be able to live with Hamilton getting caught stealing (52 times last two years) as long as he’s getting on base. Having him at first (or second) will give the Reds a distinct advantage.

Should the Reds make the playoffs (which should happen), he’ll be key in late-game situations as he’ll be able to force the issue in close games. His presence could be even bigger in the one-game Wild Card playoff and could be the difference in the Reds moving on or going home.

Regardless, it’s good to see the kid get his first MLB stolen base.

Don’t expect it to be his last, however. He’s only got 1,405 more to catch Ricky Henderson for the career record.

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For the first time in his career, New York Yankees outfielder Vernon Wells stole home.

The steal happened in the bottom of the second inning with two outs against the White Sox. Eduardo Nunez attempted to steal second, but stopped in the middle of the basepath on catcher Josh Phegley’s throw. Second baseman Gordon Beckham caught the ball and immediately threw home as Wells slid in just before the tag.

It was a heads-up play where he saw an opening and took advantage of a preoccupied defense to put the first run on the board.

While stealing home is uncommon, for a guy like Wells, it’s an even bigger deal.

Wells has 108 steals in his career, but has only stolen six bases this year. In fact, he’s only stolen 10 or more bases three times in his career.

As rare of a feat as it is, Wells isn’t even on the radar when it comes to the all-time leaders in this category. According to Baseball-Almanac.com, Ty Cobb tops the list with 54 swipes of home plate during his Hall of Fame career. In fact, no active player even has 10.

At this stage of his career, Wells would be lucky to get an opportunity like this ever again.

One Twitter user posted something even more extraordinary that happened elsewhere in MLB on Tuesday:

It’s just one of those nights that can’t be explained.

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