The greatest closer of all time is about to put the finishing touches on a sure-fire Hall of Fame career.
Mariano Rivera announced Saturday morning that he’ll retire from baseball following the 2013 season. In front of the entire Yankees team and a large assemblage of press at the Pavilion at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the legendary reliever said “the tank is empty” and that he would have retired after last season if not for tearing his ACL in May and missing the remainder of the year.
The Post’s Joel Sherman reported Thursday that Rivera would announce his impending retirement at a press conference Saturday morning.
“Now you’re hearing it from me,” Rivera said. “It’s official now. After this year, I will be retiring.”
When asked why now, the 43-year-old said, “I have given everything.”
“The time is almost ending,” Rivera said. “The little gas that I have left, I’m going to give everything for this year. I’ll empty eveything. There’s nothing left. I did everything and I’m proud of it. That’s why.”
Rivera is regarded as the best reliever in baseball history. No one has ever been more dominant coming out of the bullpen and he largely did it with just one pitch: his trademark cutter. Rivera has a 2.21 ERA and an MLB-record 608 saves. In the postseason, he has been remarkable, pitching to a 0.70 ERA with 42 saves. He’s a 12-time All-Star and has helped the Yankees to five World Series championships.
“It’s been a journey,” Rivera said. “One thing I will say is that I will never stop missing the game or the action on the field. And my teammates. But besides that, after that, there’s nothing else.”
Rivera said he won’t miss the traveling and the hotels. He said after the season he’ll go on a long vacation with his wife and kids. After that, Rivera said he could return to baseball in some capacity.
“I have a few bullets left and I’m gonna use them well this year,” Rivera said. “That’s what I have. I know after this year you’re not gonna see me on the field unless it’s doing something else – not playing baseball.”
The entire Yankees team stood off to the side as Rivera announced his decision. He was joined at the podium by his family.
“There is only one Mariano Rivera,” former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. “There won’t be another person who will come along and do what he did. No one does it like him.”
Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Rivera told team officials over the winter of his plans, so it wasn’t a surprise to them.
“He told me last year he was gonna retire,” Cashman said on YES. “Then he changed his mind. … Then he got hurt. He wasn’t going to go out that way.”
mraimondi@nypost.com