Jorge Posada's Yankee Legacy

Yesterday afternoon, Sweeney Murti of WFAN reported that Jorge Posada will announce his retirement from the Yankees and from the game of baseball within the next two weeks.

As a fan of the game and the Yankees, it was refreshing to see Posada know when to bow out gracefully. The fiery catcher had a fantastic 16 year career for the Yankees.

Posada is a lifetime .273 hitter, with 275 home runs, a .374 on-base percentage, .474 slugging percentage and 1,075 runs batted in.

Though his career statistics may seem underwhelming compared to other Yankee greats, it's important to compare with other catchers who have worn the pinstripes.

Posada's 275 career home runs rank second all time behind Yogi Berra.  His 1,664 hits rank third all time behind Berra and Bill Dickey.  Posada also ranks second all time behind Berra on games played.  (**All Yankee records.**)

Perhaps Posada's greatest contribution to the teams he played on was his defense and ability to call games.  Though he never won a Gold Glove, Posada was responsible for guiding the dynasty pitching staffs of the '98-'00 teams.  Those starting staffs included Andy Pettitte, David Cone, David Wells and Roger Clemens among others.  Wells pitched his perfect game in '99 with Posada behind the plate calling the pitches.

He became a postseason hero among fans during the Yankees glory years by producing timely hits and driving in key runs.  One of his most memorable hits was off of Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning of the 2003 ALCS which allowed the Yankees to tie up the game and eventually win, sending the Bombers to another World Series.

Posada prided himself in his ability to stay healthy.  The first time he was placed on the 15-day disabled list was in 2008, which also coincidently was the first time the Yankees missed the playoffs since 1994.  Posada recovered nicely from a shoulder injury, hitting .285, 22 home runs and driving in 81 runs.  It was the last great season for Posada, as he saw his playing time reduced due to younger catchers.

Though he batted a career-low .235 in 114 games in 2011, he still managed to hit .429 in the Yankees postseason series against the Detroit Tigers.

Posada's friendship with shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera and Pettitte was well chronicled as the four earned the nickname of "the core four" during the latter years of Pettitte and Posada's career.

As Posada joins his "core four" teammate and friend, Pettitte in retirement, Yankee fans will now turn to Jeter and Rivera to cling to the glory years of the '90s.  Rivera, could be entering his final season, with Jeter retiring soon thereafter.

The Glory Days of the "Cour Four" are really coming to a close.

I'll leave you with a picture of the "core four" from the last home game at Old Yankee Stadium

*Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press and Sports Illustrated

Ps I'm going to miss this commercial.

10 Days until Opening Day!

The 2011 MLB season officially gets underway exactly 10 days from now.  With the season approaching so quickly, I thought this would be the perfect time to give a preview of the projected Yankees roster as well as discuss the remaining question marks for the team that is once again expected to contend once again for the world series. 




Projected Roster:
Infield:
C: Russel Martin - For the first time in about a decade Martin will be the first starting catcher not named Jorge Posada.  It will be interesting to see if Martin regained his offensive swing from three years ago when he was an all star for the Dodgers.
1b: Mark Teixeira - Teixeria will look to get off to a quick offensive start after a horrible start last season.  Teixeira is hoping to remain injury free after having several nagging injuries throughout last season.
2b: Robinson Cano - Cano will look to carry over his 2010 season to this season.  If he does, he should contend for the MVP.  Hitting coach Kevin Long believes Cano has the ability to hit 40 home runs. 
3b: Alex Rodriguez- This spring, Rodriguez has returned to the form he had prior to his hip surgery in 2009.  Rodriguez is leading the team in home runs this spring and hopes to continue that this fall.
SS: Derek Jeter - To put it plain and simple, Jeter is looking to avoid his disastrous 2010 season.  After resigning with the only team he's ever played for, Jeter revamped with his swing with Long and is now hitting a solid .330 this spring.  Hopefully, these results will carry over to the season.
DH: Jorge Posada - Posada will have to adjust to his first season as the team's full time DH.  A break from catching everyday should benefit Posada's aging body, who like many Yankees is also seeking a bounce back season offensively.
Outfield:

RF: Brett Gardner - Gardner too, revamped his swing with Long this spring.  He's trying to become a better bunter after raising his average significantly last season.  Gardner may bat lead off this fall which could be beneficial to Jeter.
CF: Curtis Granderson -After reviving his swing last summer, Granderson looked like an entirely different player offensively.  In his second year in New York, Granderson is just trying to stay consistent offensively while remaining a solid force in the field.
LF: Nick Swisher- Over the last two years, Swisher has been very solid during the regular season but his bat has gone stone cold in the postseason.  Swisher hopes to get off to a hot start and keep it going throughout the season.  Last season, he hit a career high in home runs. 
Starting Pitchers:

SP: CC Sabathia -Sabathia will look to repeat the two seasons he's already had in New York.  This season in particular could be especially important for Sabathia as he has stated he might opt out of his contract following the 2011 campaign.
SP: AJ Burnett - How do I say this bluntly? I can't. Burnett was TERRIBLE last year.  But, with the help of new pitching coach Larry Rothschild Burnett has made his delivery more simple and has looked tremendous this season.  He's improved so much, he earned the second spot in the rotation ahead of Phil Hughes.
SP: Phil Hughes - Hughes is looking to improve his 2010 all star campaign, except he wants to be better.  Hughes hit a wall after the all star break but still managed to finish the season with 18 wins.  His goal though is to lower his ERA which was 4.19
SP: Ivan Nova - Nova was a dark horse candidate to even make the pitching staff.  But, this spring he has already gone 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four games this spring.  Nova forced his way into the rotation and it will be interesting to see if his success will continue once the regular season begins.
SP: Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon - Both Garcia and Colon are veteran starters who once had great success.  Unfortunately, due to injuries to both, their careers are now in jeopardy of being over.  Both signed minor league contracts in the off-season with a chance to make the team.  Garcia already stated he will not go to Triple A if he doesn't make the major league team.  As of right now, I have to believe that Colon has the upper hand over Garcia.
Bullpen:

P: Mariano Rivera - After an interesting off-season, one in which Rivera admitted to entertaining offers from the hated Red Sox, he finally resigned.  I expect nothing but the usual greatness from Rivera, although it will be interesting to see if he continues to age gracefully.
P: Joba Chamberlain- Oh Joba... what can I say about you? Chamerlain showed up much heavier then he was over the past two seasons.  Chamberlain was also injured last week, with an oblique strain.  Ironically, maybe it has something to do with his weight? Chamberlain will probably share the 7th inning duties with David Robertson.
P: Boone Logan - Logan came over to the Yankees in the trade that brought Javy Vazquez to the team for a second time.  Fortunately for Logan, he turned to be the most important part of the trade and was one of the most important parts of the bullpen.  He'll probably serve as the lefty specialist again.
P: David Robertson- Robertson proved his value to the Yankees last season as he was one of the team's most consistent relievers.  Joe Girardi trusted Robertson so much last season that he became the 8th inning guy over Joba Chamberlain.  This season however, he'll probably serve as the primary 7th inning guy as the team signed Rafeal Soriano.
P: Rafeal Soriano- Soriano had a career season last year with the Rays when he served as the team's closer.  This season he will serve as the 8th inning man as he is a crucial part of the bridge to Rivera.  If all goes well, when Soriano's contract is up and Rivera is retired, he may be the Yankees new closer.
P: TBD (most likely Pedro Felicano)
Bench:
C: Francicso Cervelli (will start season on DL due to broken bone in foot) - Cervelli's spring training's have been plagued with bad luck for him.  This season, was no different.  Cervelli broke a bone in his foot and is in a walking boot.  Because he is a catcher he can't do anything.  Cervelli will begin the season on the DL with either Austin Romine or Jesus Montero.
INF: Ramiro Pena or Jorge Vazquez, Eric Chavez - Pena and Vazquez who are good friends, are competing against each other for a spot on the Yankees bench.  While Vazquez has out hit Pena this season, he is not guaranteed a spot.  Pena proved his value defensively last season so it will be interesting to see what the team decides to go with.  Chavez is looking to regain his all-star form from when he was with the Athletics.  Chavez has looked great this spring and if he remains injury free, it will be hard for Girardi to keep  him on the bench. 
OF: Andruw Jones, Colin Curtis or Greg Golson - Jones has played sparingly in the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.  Jones will most likely start at DH against left handed batters.  He's become a defensive reliability, which is sad considering he was a 10 time gold glove winner with the Atlanta Braves.  As of right now, Golson has the job over Curtis.  Curtis, dislocated his shoulder earlier in Spring Training so Golson will most likely start the season with the Yankees.  

Now, it's time to address what questions will follow the team around throughout the season. 

1. Which AJ Burnett will show up?

• The Burnett who was the leader of the Marlins staff in 2008?  The mediocre but effective Burnett in 2009 or the horrific Burnett of 2010?  Hopefully it will be somewhere between 2008 and 2009. 

2. Will the Yankees be able to get by with Nova and Colon/Garcia as their fourth and fifth starter or will GM Brian Cashman make a trade?

• Again, it's just something that's going to have to play out

3. Will Derek Jeter bounce back?

• All signs are indicating Jeter is now comfortable with his new swing but we will not know until he sees consistently decent pitching throughout the season.

4. Will CC Sabathia opt out of his contract at the end of the season?

• Hopefully not, but he might because of the money that Cliff Lee got this past offseason. 

5. Do the Yankees have enough talent to make the playoffs?

• Offensively, Yes I believe they do.  Pitching wise?  Check back with me in a month.

That's all for now.  I'll be updating again soon!

Yanks get back on winning track against Twins

Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
Yankees overall record: 28-19
Series MVP: Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera
Quote of the series: comes from closer Mariano Rivera on how Pettitte continues to amaze with the way he's pitching this season

“If there is somebody who can get out of a jam like that, it’s Andy,” Mariano Rivera said. “He made the pitches. All of his composure. Getting it done. I’ve seen it over and over.”

The Yankees made their first and only  trip of the regular season to Minnesota and the new Target Field.  Overall the ballpark is beautiful and one of the nicest ballparks around the league.

Leave it to the Yankees however to experience the first weather related delay in Minnesota since the 1970s.

Tuesday night was truly an interesting game.  AJ Burnett was dealing with Minnesota starter Scott Baker through five innings.  After five innings however, mother nature finally decided to punish the Minnesota sports fans.  The clouds opened up and it began down-pouring.  The game was suspended after a two-hour rain delay.

Luckily for Burnett, as the opposing pitcher, if the Yankees found a way to score in the top of the sixth inning, and the team could hold the lead, Burnett would earn the win.

And that's exactly what the Yankees did.  Derek Jeter hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth to score the only run of the game.  He also helped preserve that lead by making one of his patten jump throws in the bottom of the inning on the defensive side of the ball.

Rivera came in to get the save and the Yankees had won their first game since last Friday.

Just a couple hours later, the second game was set to begin.  This time it was Mr. Reliable, Andy Pettitte versus Francisco Cervelli.

Pettitte has continued to work magic by continuing his tremendous start to the season.  I've haven't seen Pettitte this dominant since his first initial few seasons with the Yankees, 15 years ago.  Not only did Pettitte out-duel Lirano for eight innings, he also lowered his ERA, which now sits at a miniscule 2.62.

The team won with a score of 3-2.  The offense was aided by a double from rookie Kevin Russo, a triple from Brett Gardner and the game winning home run from Nick Swisher.

Pettitte's greatest inning of the night came in the seventh when he got Joe Mauer to ground into an inning ending double play, with the bases loaded.  Rivera then came in for his second save of the day, to preserve the lead.

Thursday's game was Javier Vazquez's first time pitching since leaving his start early against the Mets on Friday. Unfortunately, good Javy was left behind in Queens.

Although Vazquez's ability to limit the damage by the opposing team has improved significantly, he  could still work on it.  He only allowed 5 earned runs, and should have been more if not for the spacious conditions in Target Field.

The bullpen gave up three more runs, making the final score 8-2.

Next Up: The Yankees return home once again for a four game series against the last-place Cleveland Indians.

Yankees split series with Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Yankees overall record: 25-14
Series MVP: the Red Sox defense
Quote of the series: comes from Javier Vazquez, who earned the win Monday, on AJ Burnett's antics of throwing a pie in the face during walk off wins.

“I was watching from afar last year, all of the pies in the face from A.J.,” Vazquez said. “I was glad to finally see one in person.”

The short two-game series was definitely a tale of pitching and defense from either side.

Monday's game began as a pitching match up between Yankees starter Phil Hughes and Boston hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Like each of Hughes' starts this season, he started very strong.  Though as the game progressed he got wilder.  He was staked to an early 5-0 lead before eventually giving up five runs himself.  The game was then passed on to the bullpen which for the exception of Chan Ho Park did a great job.

Park returned from the disabled list after a month's stay.  In his first game back, he gave up three runs. All three runs were from home runs, from Yankee killer, Kevin Youkilis and catcher Victor Martinez.

Luckily the offense was not immune to the fastballs Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon throws.  Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying home run to tie the game at 9 which set the stage for the winning runs.  New Yankee right fielder, Marcus Thames, who was playing for the injured Nick Swisher, hit a two-run, game-winning home run for a final score of 11-9.

Thames was christened to the newest Yankee tradition of a pie in the face after hitting the walk off home run courtesy of Burnett.

Tuesday's game was the complete opposite of Monday's.

CC Sabathia started against Red Sox starter Josh Beckett.

Like much of the series at Fenway two weeks ago, Beckett was awful.  He gave up five runs and was forced to leave the game early due to a tight back.

Consequently, the Yankees filed a protest to the Commissioner's office because Joe Girardi felt the Sox were trying to hide Beckett's injury, thus giving their reliever ample time to warm up.  A decision will have to be made in the next couple weeks regarding the protest, but it is likely the decision will be upheld.

Like Monday's game, the bullpen blew the game.  This time though it was Joba Chamberlain's fault.  He had a 5-1 lead before coming in the inning, and when he left the score was tied 5-5.

In the ninth, Mariano Rivera gave up two runs thanks to a costly error by Thames.  The score of 7-5 at the end of the inning.

The Yanks had a chance to come back in the bottom of the ninth and even scored a run with no runs to make the score 7-6.  They unfortunately were not able to get Robinson Cano in from third with two outs remaining.

Next Up: The Yankees welcome the Rays to the Bronx for a crucial two-game series that will help determine who will win the AL East.  Burnett will get the ball in game one.

Yanks continue dominance against Twins

Opponent: Minnesota Twins

Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Yankees Overall Record: 24-13
Series MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Quote of the series: comes from manager Joe Girardi on the value Rodriguez adds to the team.

"I just kind of kept my mouth shut and watched the game unfold,” Girardi said."

The Yankees dominant streak against the Minnesota Twins continued through much of the weekend in the Bronx.  Through Saturday's game the Yankees had beat the Twins 12 consecutive games.  With Sunday's loss, the Twins were able to beat the Yanks for the first time since the 2008 season, this includes a sweep in the 2009 ALDS.

Friday's victory could not have come at a better time for the struggling Yankees.  Rodriguez was 2-3 with a huge grand slam, the 19th of his career, which is the second most all time.  The blast was also Rodriguez' 587th all time, which allowed him to pass Frank Robinson for seventh on the all time home run leader list.  The game also brought a better performance from AJ Burnett after his horrendous start in Boston.  He pitched 6.2 solid innings, allowing only 3 runs overall but only 2 of them were earned.

Saturday's game was more of the same for the Yankees.  Andy Pettitte pitched for the first time in a week and boy did he look amazing.  He allowed zero runs while pitching 6.1 innings. The offense scored seven runs against the Twins.  The offensive hero of Saturday's game was Mark Teixeira.  Texeira hit a two-run home run, proving that he was over his April slump.  Jorge Posada also hit a two run-home run, his sixth of the season showing he was well over the calf strain that kept him out of the lineup during the past series.

Sunday's game was looking like it was going to be a series sweep.  The Yankees had a lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, with a score of 3-1.  Normally, that is more then enough of a lead for the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera.  Rivera was uncharacteristically wild however. He walked in a run while the bases were loaded and then served up a grand slam.  Consequently, the Yankees were beat 6-3.

Next Up: The Boston Red Sox come to town for a short two game series.  Phil Hughes will pitch game one Monday.