Dear Joe Girardi:

The day is coming, and coming very soon. Possibly this week. So you need to make your decision pretty much now.

Mariano Rivera, the closer for whom no superlative actually seems sufficient, is going to set a new record for saves in a career. He's sitting at 599 today; the record is 601. A third-grader could do the math.

As inevitable as the moment is, you need to understand the drama and the importance of it. You need to remember, yes, that your team is trying to win the division title, and that even with only 17 games left to play, a 3.5-game lead is not insurmountable, so each win is important, especially when you know the Red Sox will wake up one of these days and stop losing every single game they play.

So yeah, winning the game will be important when Mo is out on the mound. He won't be there if you have a huge lead, or if the team is behind, so there's always the possibility that the game could get away, and you'll need your best defensive team on the field. But the moment will be important, and for that reason, you have to make a choice that would seem counter-intuitive.

Jorge Posada must be the catcher when Rivera sets the record.

It's something you owe to Posada, with whom you've reportedly had a rocky relationship. You have to set that aside and do what's right. It's something you owe to Rivera, who knows his core-four, big-three, best-of-seven, whatever teammate will undoubtedly not be back next year, and has a very good chance of not being on the postseason roster. It's something you owe to your team captain, who is Posada's closest friend in that clubhouse and will want his pal to have that last moment of glory. He'll want Jorge in the endlessly-replayed highlight when Mo walks off that mound.

It's something you owe to the fans, who like Russell Martin well enough, have been energized by Jesus Montero, and hope they'll warm to Austin Romine. They LOVE Posada. You need to do this.

And while it's unfair to say this to you, I'll say it anyway: It's what Joe Torre would do. Maybe that will turn your opinion against the idea and maybe it won't, but even given his shortcomings as a daily manager (you handle a bullpen with infinitely more skill), Torre understands the game beyond sabermetrics and cold wins and losses. He knows there's emotion involved. He let players manage on the last day of the season, and often chose the ones who wouldn't be back the following year--let them have some fun before they left. He managed the All-Star Game when Cal Ripken Jr. was moved from third base to shortstop on the field, without his prior knowledge, because it was the right thing to do. He'd know how to handle this very special moment.

Jorge Posada MUST be the catcher when Mariano Rivera sets the record.

Respectfully,

Jeff Cohen, Fan