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The worst of Mariano Rivera revealed his absolute greatness

What if Buck Showalter had known?

That is how I began my book, “Birth of a Dynasty,” published more than a decade ago. I wondered what would have happened had the then-Yankees manager fully appreciated who was sitting in his bullpen during Game 5 of the 1995 AL Division Series against the Mariners.

Showalter trusted David Cone and had lost faith in his pen, notably closer John Wetteland. But that ignored that he had the greatest reliever in history available as a drained Cone gave away a 4-2 lead in the eighth.

Seattle went on to beat another spent starter, Jack McDowell, in the 11th inning.