Mariano Rivera Retirement After 2013 Season: Longtime Rumor Confirmed? New York's Star Closer Says "One More Year With Yankees"

According to a knowledgeable source, longtime Yankees pitcher, Mariano Rivera, is set to retire after the 2013 season comes to an end. A news conference that will be held at 10 a.m. this Saturday is expected to be the retirement announcement for the 43-year-old closer. He was a part of the "Core Four" along with shortstop Derek Jeter, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, and now-retired catcher Jorge Posada. This group is credited with powering the "modern Yankees dynasty." Rivera is baseball's all-time saves leader, too.

The last few years of Rivera's long career have been full of retirement rumors. Last season, though, he announced that he had made up his mind without sharing any other detail. Then he tore his right ACL while playing in the outfield in May. Simply stating, "I'm not going out like that," Rivera vowed to return for the 2013 season. So now that he is back in Tampa for training camp, the retirement speculation is at an all-time high. His statement today was:

"I will tell you that I have one more year with the Yankees, 2013 with the Yankees, and I will do my best to try to bring a championship to New York."

So it looks like this 2013 season will be somewhat of a farewell tour for Mariano Rivera. He is one of the sport's most respected players and has already made his mark in baseball.

Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova is just one of the many who worshipped Rivera as a budding player in minors. Today, he took some time to reflect on the iconic pitcher:

"When I see Mariano the first time, when he say 'hola' to me, I was kind of nervous. It's Mariano Rivera. I remember when I got called up to Detroit, the way he treated me in the bullpen it was like I was one of the veteran guys too."