It has become prevalent to this Yankee Fan that New York Yankee management, both field and upper, have become scared of JorgePosada. It is in my opinion that this situation began late in October of 2007 when the Yankees dismissed manager Joe Torre.
Remember, Yankee fans Pettitte, Jeter, Mo and Posada had played in the 1995 season under then Manager Buck Showalter, so please get the notion out of your head that Torre was the only manager, that ‘The Core 4′ have known in their Major League Baseball careers. Derek Jeter has credited Buck Showalter for carrying him down the stretch of the 1995 season and throughout the playoffs to show him how to be a Major Leaguer in a pennant race and playoffs. For 12 years of Derek, Mo and Jorge’s career, Joe Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and Jeter and Mariano formed into the players that they have become and won 4 World Series Championships with Torre at the helm of the Yankees. Posada is the exception, too many people think that Posada has been a full time member of the Yankees since 1996, as his Core 4 counter parts have been.
FACT Jorge Posada started the season with the Columbus Clippers of the International League. In 1996, Posada played in 8 games, 3 of which were in April, May and June, in those 3 games he played in 8 innings, one of which he was used as a Pinch Runner ( I knowPosada as a Pinch Runner) and then in September he was used in games 157,8,9 161,2. As Yankee fans know Game 157 against Milwaukee (Milwaukee was in the American League until 1997 for those of you non baseball historians) was the clincher for the 1996 American League East. In 1997, Posada was the primary back up Catcher to Joe Girardi, and then in 1998 became the starting Yankee Catcher, a position he has held since.
I give you the history lesson, because well, as the saying goes, if you don’t know your history, you are bound to repeat it. Rewind back as I was saying before the history lesson, to October of 2007. It is no secret that Posada was a huge Joe Torre fan as Yankee Manager. Hell, Torre used to run him out behind the plate more than 120 times a year, I’d be a fan of him as well. Posada, felt let down in that off season although, he received a 4 year contract that would carry him until the age of 39, ARCHAIC for a Catcher. While I will say his offensive production is still intact, his defense well IT SUCKS. I have never been a fan of Posada’s behind the plate, I believe he may be one of the worst receivers ever. His stabbing at pitches, lack of getting his shin guards dirty to block pitches and his swipe tags on plays at the plate, piss me off to high hell. I know, what you may be thinking at this point, why is he bashing our as “The Suzy and Sterly Variety Hour” call him “Great Switch-Hitting Strong Armed Fountain of Youth Catcher”, BLEH, I just threw up in my mouth typing that. I believe a great throwing catcher throws out 33% of base runners attempting to steal, wellPosada has only achieved that statistic 3 times in his Major League Career. 1998 (40%),2000 (33%) and 2006 (37%). In 2008, Posadawould be struck with a shoulder problem that he kept trying to rehab and fight his way back onto the field, it resulted in him playing 51 games 30 of which were behind the plate 15 at DH and 7 at 1B.
At that point many, Yankee fans believe that you would see him trade in the tools of ignorance and pick up a First Baseman’s mitt. Well, the acquisition of Nick Swisher and then Mark Teixiera made that a pipe dream, and with Posada’s shoulder a HUGE question in Spring Training of 2009, became over shadowed thanks to Alex Rodriguez being outed by Selena Roberts, for his use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, during his Texas Rangers years. An injury to Posada in May, caused him to miss 22 games and gave him a break, did he rehab this injury in high level Minor League games, NO. He went to Extended Spring and came back to the team in late May.
Once again this season, Posada has been forced to miss time with injuries, and at times in May while the Yankees were floundering and had Nick Swisher also day to day, Joe Girardi was force to play with 3 able bodies on his bench. Posada has missed 21 games due to injury this year, and scratched and clawed to get back into the lineup 15 days after the injury occurred when his DL stint was up, and without fully healing from the stress fracture in his foot, was the Yankee DH, and pushed his way back behind the plate to Catch on Sunday against the Astros, which he left the game in the 8th inning due to another injury in his foot. The question I am posing is why was he not forced to catch in minor league games and work his way back the way Curtis Granderson was after his Groin Injury? If Posada misses more time due to the stress fracture in his foot, the Yankee should shut him down until he is fully healed and can play 5 times a week behind home plate. Feel free to not agree with me, It’s America it’s one of your Constitutional Rights.
Bases Loaded:
What’s BrewinWassel, Scott Isaaccson is Hiba Thamer, you know her as @beeeebzy on twitter and her blog “Pretty in Pinstripes” onmlblogs.com. To listen to the show live go to www.blogtalkradio.com/whatsbrewin and you can also download the podcast on iTunes.
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