The Yankees are going to miss Mariano Rivera on and off the field next season.

Ivan Nova was stunned by Rivera's kindness when the former made his debut back in 2010.

"The first time I saw him, when he said, 'Hola' to me, I was nervous," Nova said. "This was Mariano Rivera. I remember when I got called up in Detroit, the way he treated me there, it was like I was a veteran guy, too. That makes you feel really good."

During the 2011 season, Rivera often hounded Nova to improve. He served as a mentor, and motivator.

"If he saw a game," Nova said, "say I pitched a good game for me, but I still did something wrong, he'd say 'I don't like that. I don't like that. You've got to give more of yourself.'"