Signs

The signs were clear.

Derek Jeter held out his hands and gave Mariano Rivera a sly smile after Lyle Overbay chopped an infield single to load the bases with two outs in the eighth inning. Rivera didn’t need the smile, but it helped Javier from Walton Avenue.

“I was getting nervous,” he said. “Anything can happen with the bases loaded, but Derek made me relax.”

Rivera stuck out Gregg Zaun to end the inning.

“Mariano is a cool customer,” Javier said. “The only thing you get from him is that the job will be done.”

Jeter is the team’s personality.

“Derek tells you everything you need to know,” Javier said.

He is the calm and the fire and the stare and the smile.

“I needed that little smile last night,” Javier said. “Sometimes you just want to know that everything’s gonna be alright.”

Jeter always flashes the signs.