New York Yankees: Will 2012 Be the Last Hurrah for Mariano Rivera?

For 15 years, Yankee fans have been blessed to witness one of the greatest relief pitchers in the history of baseball.

A lot of people will go as far as to say he is the greatest reliever to ever grace the mound.

Mariano Rivera has dominated on the mound as a member of the Yankees since becoming the setup man for John Wetteland in 1996, and then the full-time closer in 1997.

With the Yankees, Rivera has been a part of five World Series championship teams, and has been on the mound for most of the final pitches in the deciding games.

He's the all-time saves leader with 603, to go along with 42 postseason saves and a 0.70 postseason ERA.

On Monday, Rivera dropped the hint that 2012 season might be his last one.

Rivera was quoted as saying, "I know when I will. I just don't want to tell you. But I know when."

This sounds to me like Rivera has made up his mind, and the 2012 campaign is going to be it.

Rivera is in the final year of a two-year, $30 million contract he signed at the end of the 2010 season. He's never dropped any hints of retiring in the past, and even after the 2009 World Series, he said he would love to play for another five years.

But at age 42, Rivera may be thinking about hanging it up and spending more time with his family.

And in all honesty, nobody can blame Rivera for calling it a career.

Former Yankee and Rivera teammate Andy Pettitte did it last winter, as well as Jorge Posada, who announced his retirement last month.

"The Core Four" Yankees have dwindled down to two: Rivera and Derek Jeter. It's tough for the fans to see those guys go because they've been so popular and played well for so long.

But, there's a difference between Rivera and the other two.

Pettitte was still pitching at a top level, but missed two months due to an injury in his final season, and Posada got benched because he wasn't hitting consistently enough.

Rivera, while 42, is still the best closer in baseball right now. He can still pitch at a high level and dominate today's hitters.

For 15 years, hitters have tried to figure out the cutter, and they have failed. When hitters try to pull it, it ends up being a broken-bat ground ball.

When hitters try to take it the other way, Rivera moves the ball inside on them and freezes them in place.

And if you really think about it, Rivera may be the most irreplaceable Yankee on the roster, which is why if 2012 is his final year, Brian Cashman needs to start figuring out life without Rivera.

I think current setup-man David Robertson is the heir to Rivera, but is he even ready to replace the greatest closer of all time?

It's an issue the Yankees may have to address come November, when the season is done.

For Rivera, his dream scenario would be the Yankees winning the 2012 World Series and then walking away as a champion at the top of his game.

Now Rivera could always change his mind and go year to year, but given what he said the other day in the interview, I think he's made up his mind on retirement.

And I think 2012 is the final hurrah for Mariano Rivera.

So, for any Yankee fan that goes to a game this year—even if it's just one—take pictures and savor the game, and if your camera is capable, take a video of the "Enter Sandman" entrance, too.

Because it might be the final one you'll ever see live.

And if this is the last year for Rivera, what an amazing career it has been. One that will absolutely end with him being enshrined in Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.