"Alone in history. Alone on the mound.

After Mariano Rivera became baseball's all-time saves leader with No. 602 yesterday in The Bronx, zipping through three Twins in the Yankees' 6-4 win, teammates Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez convinced the closer not to leave the mound.

Rivera stayed put and took a celebratory curtain call as the Yankee Stadium crowd saluted the 41-year-old franchise legend's record-breaking feat. He waved to the fans and tipped his cap in appreciation.

"I think it was his moment," Posada said. "So we needed him to stay on the mound and reflect on a great career."

Great" does not adequately describe it. Rivera, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, is the most sublime closer in baseball history, and he made it official when he broke his all-time saves tie with Trevor Hoffman, earning his 602nd 15 years and 125 days after his first (May 17, 1996) and two days after his 601st.

"It feels great," Rivera said, flanked at his press conference by sons Mariano Jr., Jafet and Jaziel. "Don't get me wrong, it feels good. I wasn't expecting it. But thank God it happened. Thank God it's over too, because I was getting a little uncomfortable with all this [attention].""