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The plan sounded cool enough. My wife, Pamela, and I decided to take Kyle, our nephew, to a Yankee game for his 16^th birthday. We told Kyle he could bring a few friends, too. Kyle picked Sunday’s game against the Reds long before we knew CC Sabathia would oppose Johnny Cueto, a nifty pitcher’s duel that made the afternoon even more enticing.

Before we reached Yankee Stadium, I tweeted that I would be attending the game instead of analyzing the action with Bob Lorenz at the YES Network studios. Soon after that tweet, I received an invitation from Vinny Milano. Better known as Bald Vinny, he is the maestro of the Bleacher Creatures.

“My wife and kids are coming, too,” Vinny tweeted me. “You guys should join us in Section 203 for Roll Call.”

I had been in the bleachers to witness roll call as a newspaper reporter, once when David Cone joined the creatures in 2002 and again when David Wells returned as a member of the Red Sox in 2005. Both visits at the old Yankee Stadium were intriguing, but for different reasons. It was fascinating how seamlessly Cone blended in with the creatures. It was also notable how the creatures reminded Wells that no Red Sox player would ever receive praise from the bleachers.

“If you want to see a Yankee game,” Cone said, at the time, “you come out here.”

Now Kyle and his posse of John, Brandon and Mike had the chance to do what Cone had done: hang in the bleachers. When I asked the quartet of teenagers if they wanted to join Bald Vinny for the roll call, they reacted as if I asked if they wanted to replace Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson in the starting lineup.

“The roll call?” John said. “Are you serious?”

Yes, I was serious. Since it was Kyle’s birthday, I left the decision up to him. He quickly said that we should accept Bald Vinny’s invitation. Kyle is a serious Yankee fan and a smart kid. He knew the deal. We all knew the deal. If Bald Vinny invites you to a roll call, you sprint to the bleachers because it will be a priceless experience.

Well, we didn’t run to Section 203. But we walked briskly. We met Bald Vinny behind a section of seats that was about to become awfully loud. Vinny is a friendly guy and a perfect host. When Bald Vinny walked down the rows of bleachers, he might as well have been descending the stairs of his own house. Everyone knew him. Everyone waited for his instructions.

After the Yankees trotted to their positions, Bald Vinny’s eyes darted from player to player so he could reaffirm who was in the lineup. He noted that DeWayne Wise was in left field and mentioned that Eric Chavez was playing first base before repeating himself. It was Chavez’s first start at first this season.

“I hate it when our regular guys aren’t playing,” Vinny said.

A few seconds later, the maestro started. He stood and stretched his left leg out to the bleacher row in front of him, holding a blue scarf that said “Bleacher Creatures.” Bald Vinny wanted the creatures to be noisy, but there was no need to remind them. That was a given. Of course, they would be loud. Of course, they would follow Vinny’s guidance.

Granderson was the first Yankee to hear his name chanted. Gran-der-son, Gran-der-son, Grand-der-son, the creatures screamed. Granderson turned toward them and shook his upper body. Wise was the next Yankee to get serenaded, the fourth time that’s happened for him. Then the creatures shouted to Swisher, who is their favorite player. Swisher, of course, turned and saluted them. The Swisher Salute is one of the types of T-Shirts that Bald Vinny sells outside the Stadium on game days.

Smoothly and efficiently, Bald Vinny led the creatures through the roll call for the infielders, too. In a few minutes, the roll call was done. As a journalist, my desire was to observe what the creatures do and show them the respect they deserve. I’m wired to report, not to clap. Vinny thanked his cohorts for being boisterous and sat down. A few seconds later, Vinny’s young daughter, Layla, delivered a message.

“Daddy,” she said, “too loud.”

Kyle and his three buddies disagreed. They thought Bald Vinny and the creatures were just loud enough, just loud enough and passionate enough to solidify a memorable experience in the bleachers.

Follow Jack Curry on Twitter: @JackCurryYES

Fifteen years later, the vision of a spooked Mariano Rivera is still embedded in my cranium. One week into the 1997 season, Rivera surrendered a 464-foot homer to Mark McGwire and blew his second save in four chances. Rivera was the new closer for the Yankees, but he was failing in the ninth inning.

As Rivera fielded questions about letting a 1-0 lead disappear at Yankee Stadium, his voice cracked. He searched for the proper words, but he was really searching for the right answers, too. The more Rivera spoke, the more obvious it became that he was a bewildered soul. He was the closer who wasn’t closing.

“I think I need something to get me going,” Rivera said at the time. “I think mentally to get me going I have to try to think like last year. Just think it’s the sixth or the seventh inning instead of thinking, ‘Oh, it’s the eighth or the ninth.’ Just think like last year. I got to do that.”

When David Robertson let a 1-0 lead disappear at the new Yankee Stadium on Wednesday in a 4-1 loss to the Rays, he looked spooked, too. As Robertson answered questions about his first blown save as Rivera’s replacement, I recalled what had happened with Rivera when he first took over the most difficult job in baseball. Rivera needed to use mind games to help him conquer the ninth. That approach might sound simplistic, but it worked.

“I was putting too much pressure on myself,” Rivera explained in June of 1997. “Now I’m relaxed, and I feel confident and loose. I think that’s why I’ve gotten saves. I don’t think it’s the ninth out there.”

Obviously, Rivera scaled any mental hurdles that he needed to scale to excel in the ninth. He jumped over those hurdles and buried them forever in becoming the greatest closer of all time. Rivera has a record 608 career saves and also has 42 saves and a 0.70 ERA in the postseason.

Does Robertson, who dominated the eighth for the Yankees last season, need to mimic Rivera and act as if the ninth isn’t the ninth? Not necessarily. If Robertson thinks that will help him, then, yes, he should follow Rivera’s path and play mental tricks, too. He can act as if this season is 2011, just like Rivera acted like 1997 was 1996.

What Robertson definitely needs to do is have a short memory after he notches a save or blows a save, something Rivera has taught him. What Robertson also needs to do is retain the confidence that he showed last season when he was one of the best relievers in the American League. One disappointing setback to the Rays, which was fueled by a misplaced fastball on Matt Joyce’s three-run homer, doesn’t change who Robertson is and how critical Robertson is to the Yankees.

A few hours after the loss, it seemed as if Robertson had already heeded Rivera’s message about having a short memory. On Robertson’s Twitter account, he wrote about how the loss stunk, but added, “If there is one thing Mo has shown me is how important it is to turn the page.” Then Robertson turned it, via another Tweet. “And, look, it’s already after midnight, which means it’s a new day. Let’s take the series tomorrow.”

Without Rivera, the ninth will be different for the Yankees. It will be more adventurous and more nerve-wracking. Robertson can fill Rivera’s role, but he probably won’t be as smooth as Rivera. Whereas Rivera’s cut fastball caused batters to swing early in the count and could result in a 10-pitch inning and three broken bats, Robertson’s innings are usually more draining. Robertson averages 12 strikeouts per nine innings, so there will be deeper counts. He also walks more batters than Rivera, so that will add to the drama.

Still, Robertson doesn’t have to be an exact replica of Rivera to thrive as a closer. In fact, he can’t be an exact replica of Rivera. No one can. It would be silly to think Robertson could do that. But Robertson has an explosive fastball, a great curveball and steely confidence, which means he has the tools to be a premier closer. He is the right pitcher for the job, a job that even the mighty Rivera had to grow into 15 years ago.

Follow Jack Curry on Twitter: @JackCurryYES

Andy Pettitte has 240 wins in the Major Leagues, has won another 19 post-season games and also owns five World Series rings. At this point in Pettitte’s glorious career, it would seem that nothing could cause him to react too emotionally. He’s been there and he’s done that. Right? Guess again.

After General Manager Brian Cashman announced that Pettitte would rejoin the Yankees and start on Sunday against the Mariners, Pettitte was elated. When I texted Pettitte and asked him about returning to the mound, Pettitte, who didn’t pitch in 2010, explained that he was thrilled.   

“Words can’t even describe how excited I am to get back,” Pettitte said. “Ready to get back to the grind of the big league season and going through that with this team.”

The Yankees hope that Pettitte will be the same pitcher that he was two years ago, a smart and steady southpaw. While Manager Joe Girardi said that he expected Pettitte to be similar to the pitcher who was 11-3 with a 3.28 earned run average in 2010, Cashman admitted that he expected there would be a “gap” between who Pettitte was then and who Pettitte might be now. The general manager added that it would be unfair to Pettitte to simply anticipate that he will pick up from where he left off in 2010, but Cashman said Pettitte should improve the rotation.

If the Yankees get an anticipated boost from Pettitte, it would be extremely helpful. Before Tuesday’s game against the Rays, the Yankees’ rotation had a 5.54 E.R.A. When Pettitte signed a minor league contract, he was viewed as a luxury. Now that Michael Pineda is out for the season after shoulder surgery and now that the rotation has been unreliable, Pettitte is being viewed as a savior of sorts. He is not a savior, but he is a solid addition. Pettitte’s return gives the Yankees reason to be excited, which he already is.    

“I wouldn’t be doing this,” Pettitte has said, “if I didn’t think I could come back and win.”

Related: Brian Cashman on Andy Pettitte's return

Spotting Mariano Rivera during batting practice was never a chore. A Yankee hitter would blast a shot into the outfield gaps and a blur would bolt across the grass to grab it. That blur was Rivera, who shagged fly balls as part of his pregame routine. It was easy to watch Rivera glide around the outfield.

On a sobering Thursday in Kansas City, it wasn’t easy to watch Rivera in the outfield. It was awful. Awful to watch Rivera land awkwardly after leaping for a ball near the left field warning track, awful to see his face plastered with pain and awful to see him grabbing his damaged right knee. Rivera, the mightiest of closers, looked helpless.

A few hours later, a somber Rivera revealed that he had torn the ACL and meniscus in his knee, a devastating injury. As difficult as it was to watch the replays of Rivera injuring himself, watching his postgame news conference was also wrenching. Rivera’s eyes were moist when he began answering the kind of questions he never wanted to address, a sudden batch of questions about his baseball mortality.

When Rivera was asked if he thought he would ever pitch again, he rubbed his lips with his left hand, blinked away the tears, lifted his eyebrows and grasped for words.

“At this point, I don’t know,” Rivera said. “We have to face this first.”

Journalists are taught to be unbiased. You can’t cover a story ethically and accurately if you let personal feelings influence you. But, with Rivera, that is difficult for me to do in this instance. Rivera is the most gentlemanly player I have covered in more than 20 years around the Yankees. He is classy, polite and genuine, the kind of person who asks you about your life and your family, and really absorbs the responses. Rivera, who is the best at what he does on the mound, might actually be better at what he does off the mound.

So when Rivera’s injury was disclosed, I felt queasy for him and also hoped that he wouldn’t be forced to end his amazing career in such an aching fashion. As a closer, Rivera has almost always been in control while pursuing the final three outs. He is the man who has controlled so much of what happened with the Yankees as they have won five titles since 1996. Now Rivera isn’t in control in 2012 because he can’t pitch. The future Hall of Famer is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Knowing how competitive Rivera is and how excited he was about what was probably going to be his final season, I hope this isn’t the end. If the 42-year old Rivera decides to take on the extensive rehab process and returns to the Yankees, he would decide how his career ends. He would be back in control. That’s the way I would like to see him finish his incredible journey.

Follow Jack Curry on Twitter: @JackCurryYES

After Freddy Garcia's fiasco of a start on Saturday, he sounded exasperated. As Joe Girardi discussed Garcia's brief outing, the manager sounded puzzled. Those reactions explained how everyone involved with the Yankees felt, too.

Even before Garcia was drubbed for six earned runs in a 7-5 loss to the Tigers, he was close to losing his fragile spot in the rotation. Now it might finally be lost.

The Yankees can't keep starting a pitcher with a 12.51 earned run average and a pitcher who has allowed opponents to bat .403 against him. Basically, Garcia has turned everyone into the equivalent of Ted Williams, circa 1941, this season.

While Girardi didn't say whether Garcia would make another start, he offered enough evidence to indicate that the pitcher will be bypassed. Girardi noted how Garcia's velocity has decreased on all of his pitches and how his pitches don't have their typical sharpness. Teams are taking pitches against Garcia early in counts, causing him to fall behind and further inhibiting his ability to exploit them with his splitter or slider.

"Freddy knows what's going on," Girardi said at one point, which seemingly meant that Garcia knows he is in a precarious spot.

If the Yankees decide to jettison Garcia from the rotation, there's an easy way for them to set up their pitching. The Yankees could start David Phelps against the Royals on May 3, which is the next time Garcia's spot in the rotation comes up. Phelps tossed three scoreless innings on Saturday and has a 3.57 E.R.A. Right now, he would give the Yankees a better chance to win than Garcia.

After that start on May 3, the Yankees can utilize an off day on May 7 to insure that they won't need that spot in the rotation again until May 12. By then, Andy Pettitte will have made two more minor league starts and would presumably be ready to return to the Yankees.

Since Garcia has notched just five outs in each of his last two starts, it makes sense to give him a break and give Phelps a start. If Phelps pitches well, he could even end up staying in the rotation because Phil Hughes has also struggled.

When Girardi fielded questions about Garcia's future, he said he needed "to sleep on it" before making any decisions. With or without the extra sleep, Girardi knows that he can't keep starting a pitcher who is that ineffective and who taxes his bullpen. That will only lead to more exasperation and more puzzlement.