Sports Then and Now

Jorge Posada is going to retire after 17 seasons with the New York Yankees.

It appears that another key component of the great New York Yankees teams from the last two decades is hanging up his pinstripes with word that Jorge Posada will be announcing his retirement.

After his struggles during the 2011 season it isn’t a complete surprise that Posada is calling it a career, but his retirement is another nail into the coffin of the great group of former Yankees farm hands that helped build the team into a juggernaut in the late 1990s with four titles in five years.

While the Yankees are historically known for building their success through signing free agents and trading for the best players from other teams, their championship teams from the 1990s included a core of home-grown players that proved to be vital to their success.

In addition to Posada, shortstop Derek Jeter, centerfielder Bernie Williams, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte and reliever Mariano Rivera all came up through the minor league system with the Yankees and each spent were key cornerstones of the Yankees’ success.

However, of those five, it seems that only Jeter and Rivera are sure-fire to receive a plaque in Cooperstown.

Williams (.297 career average, 287 home runs, 1,257 RBI) is on the ballot for the first time this year and while he is not expected to earn selection, it will be interesting to see how close he gets in his initial year.

Pettitte, who retired following the 2010 season, won 240 games during his 16-year career (13 seasons with the Yankees), but his 3.88 career ERA makes it unlikely that he will have smooth sailing into the HOF.

Like Pettitte and Williams, you can make great arguments that Posada belongs in the HOF and equally credible arguments against his selection.

His career statistics (.273 average, 275 home runs, 1,065 RBI) would not be even close to Hall of Fame consideration if Posada were not a catcher. Annually, Posada was among the top catchers in the game in offensive statistics as he topped 20 home runs and 80 RBIs eight times.

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A five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger award winner, Posada never won a Golden Glove during an era when Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez dominated the award.

However, Posada played an important role working with a pitching staff that had many great hurlers, but was a revolving door throughout his career with new superstar pitchers coming into the fold almost every year.

He also posted solid, if not spectacular numbers during 29 postseason series. He hit .248 with 11 postseason home runs and 42 RBIs. However, he struggled in six World Series appearances hitting below .200 twice and finishing with a .219 average, two home runs and 11 RBI.

Though Posada will likely be a compelling vote for some as part of five World Series Championship teams, the fact that he never was the shining star for the Yankees during any of their championships could ultimately keep him from earning a spot in the Hall. He finished third in the MVP voting in 2003 and sixth in 2007, but was never the best player on his team or the unquestionable best player at his position in the league.

He will, however, go down as one of the all-time Yankees and that will ensure that he is always remembered by baseball faithful.