It’s an old clich√É© type of debate, so let’s go with a clich√É© sort of introduction to this article.

Has Mariano Rivera finally run out of gas?

So sue me, but I’m not even going to come close to the clich√É© type of answer and slam on the panic button. Despite what Mets and Red Sox fans will say and hope, the answer, plain and simple, is no.

Every year, Rivera comes into the season a little rusty and needs to work on his stuff. Every year he blows a few save chances in April and everyone starts to worry. Every year the phone lines are flooded on New York sports radio shows with people saying that Mo is really done this time. And every year the world’s great baseball minds, better known as those blowhards on ESPN, say that the time may have finally come to admit that Rivera is not the pitcher he once was.

I’ll even agree with the blowhards that Rivera may not be the pitcher he once was, but here’s a newsflash: nobody has ever been, is now, or will ever be, the sort of pitcher Rivera once was.

Nobody has ever been so dominant late in games, and no one ever thought a song could arouse fear in people the way ‘Enter Sandman’ has in opposing hitters over the last 10 years.

Sorry Billy Wagner, but it wasn’t because of you.

So is Mariano the same force he was when the Yankees were winning titles left and right? Of course he’s not. But is he still the MLB closer that tops any list of relievers that players don’t want to face in the ninth inning? You bet he is.

A pitcher like Rivera does not just run out of gas. He was as dominant as ever the last few years, so when everyone says that he’s done, they seem to forget that Rivera has started notoriously slow in recent seasons.

When Rivera knew that to extend his career he’d have to stop playing winter ball, that’s exactly what he did. As a result, he needs more spring work to get into his groove, but he won’t get that time in spring training.

Mariano has used April the last few years to get himself in shape, and that’s exactly what he’s doing now. He’ll be fine soon, and when he starts blowing hitters away effortlessly, people will shut up like they weren’t the ones saying Rivera was cooked.

Mo has blown two games this year. One in Oakland where he got two outs then lost his pinpoint control, and another in Boston in a game where he should not have been brought in. Joe Torre got restless and brought Rivera in to stop the bleeding and protect and eighth inning lead, despite a promise he made to his veteran closer to only use him in the ninth.

So for those of you saying that Rivera has lost it, you’re out of your minds. Rivera’s been beaten a bit, but you’re all overreacting, as you have the last few years.

Last year he lost two games in 11 days in April, and everyone was scared. The year before that, he blew two games to Boston in the first three games of the season. Rivera needs some time to get his stuff right, and he’ll be just fine.

The Yankees have gotten several more years than they thought they could out of Rivera, despite the fact that he’s pitched in October for 10 straight years, and the fact that he played winter ball for most of that. So for everyone saying it’s time to stick a fork in Rivera, just be patient. Come back and complain when it’s the middle of the summer, his cutter is as nasty as ever, the changeup he’s incorporating is starting to work and he’s converted 30 straight save opportunities.

Then tell me he’s done.