About two and a half months ago, this space detailed how difficult closing games actually are. It was based on researching the list of closers employed by the other 29 teams since Mariano Rivera became the Yankee closer in 1997.

At some point in the future, the Yankees will face that concern, but that future will not be in 2011 or 2012 based on the Daily News exclusive that states Rivera will re-sign with the Yankees Friday night for two years, $30 million. The fact that Rivera is returning is hardly a surprise, but nonetheless a reason for Yankee fans to somewhat exhale.

What is also not surprising is that how low-key the talks were as opposed to the Derek Jeter neogiotations. It is not surprising since if you've ever spent any time around Rivera of watching him, the greatest closer of all-time is among the more unassuming people in the game.

As Jon Lane wrote the other day, there has never been any fuss or hassle with Rivera, who has been close to perfect as anyone can be in the pressure situations such as the ninth inning of regular-season and postseason games.

Having Rivera for all these years is a matter of luck and good timing. 

For example, all you need to do is look back at 1995, a time when Rivera was a starting pitching prospect and joining a team with major injury problems in the starting staff.

All you need to do is scan through the New York Times archives. From February 17, 1990 through 1994, the only references are archived transactions brief and a mention of him working near Steve Howe in 1993 spring training. In 1995, he gets mentioned in transactions and also in notebook stories about being a rotation replacement for the likes of Scott Kamieniecki.

As Rivera's May 23, 1995 debut approaches, there is mention that someone will also have to replace Jimmy Key and as the debut occurs with 3 1/3 innings during a 10-0 loss at the California Angels, Rivera is described this way by the Times in an "On Baseball piece" - The Yankees could be tiptoeing on swampy land if Mariano Rivera and Pettitte have to substitute at length for Key and Kamieniecki.

And for a segment of time, it was true, but then came July 4, 1995. That came roughly a month after Rivera's high fat fastball resulted in Geromino Berroa's first career grand slam. On June 13, Rivera was sent back down to Columbus and as described in various books such as Joel Sherman's Birth of a Dynasty, Gene Michael considered sending him to Detroit for David Wells.

That was before June 26 against the Rochester Red Wings, a former Triple-A affiliate of the Orioles. That night Rivera pitched a rain-shortended five-inning no-hitter that featured a fastball soaring at 95, 96 and when Melido Perez went down with shoulder problems, Rivera returned and when he struck out 11 White Sox, the minors appeared they were in his rearviewmirror and the road to the Hall of Fame, greatest closer of all time was underway even if nobody suspected it at that precise moment.

"The makeup is there and he's got the confidence. If he continues to be determined and aggressive, he'll get there."

That is what Mike Stanley said in the Times piece that day when pondering if Rivera could become a star. A few starts later, Buck Showalter said the following:

"Mariano had as good a fastball as I've seen him have".

As the deadline approaches and the Yankees begin looking at David Cone, Rivera's name is speculated. In the end, Rivera does not get traded and it turns out that Stanley and Showalter's words were a thousand percent correct even if they not know exactly what Rivera would become.

However, they did not really know. Rivera returned to the minors in August and barely gets mentioned other than in notebook items. When he returned at the end of August, Rivera made one start and it was not good and then he finished out the year as a mop-up man.

It is hard to imagine Rivera as a mop-up man, but that is what he was at that time. It was simply because while the Yankees may have had a inkling of his potential, they were not completely certain that 15 years later, he would become a first-ballot Hall of Famer or anything close to one.

Just like Showalter was not sure in 1995, neither was the new reigme in spring training 1996 when wondering if Jeter could handle being the everyday shortstop and considered including Rivera in a deal for Felix Fermin.

Seattle had a young shortstop at the time named Alex Rodriguez and seemed to know more what it had than the Yankees with Jeter and Rivera.

Uncertainty tends to occasionally breed panic. Thankfully for the Yankees it did not in this case.