Jorge Posada Officially Announces Retirement At Yankee Stadium

Jorge Posada, who has been the regular catcher for the New York Yankees for most of the last decade and more, announced his retirement from baseball at an emotional news conference at Yankee Stadium Tuesday morning:

“I could never wear another uniform,” said Posada. “Being a part of seven World Series and having five rings was something I never imagined, and being a part [of] it was just priceless. I will forever be a Yankee.”

Tributes and quotes from various New York celebrities were compiled by ESPN New York, but perhaps the best tributes came from teammates, even those who were with the Yankees only a short time, such as Kerry Wood:

Congrats to #20 Jorge Posada. Awesome career, I was honored to throw to him for 2 months. #ballplayer

And opponents, such as Torii Hunter:

I just want to say it was a honor competing against Posada for all this years. God bless him and his family in the next chapter of his life.

Posada’s numbers don’t quite put him in Hall of Fame territory, but it would not be surprising to see the Yankees someday retire his No. 20.

Coming into the offseason, Yankees great Jorge Posada was set to become a free agent, and the Yankees didn't have anywhere to put him what with Jesus Montero occupying DH. Not long ago, word went around that Posada was planning to retire. Then the Yankees traded Montero to the Mariners. So, a reunion? A change of plans?

Not so much. Posada's still planning to retire, and to make it official soon. Andy Martino:

Jorge Posada is expected to hold a news conference at Yankee Stadium early this week, likely Tuesday, to formally announce his retirement, according to a person familiar with the plans.

The Yankees might still sign a cheap DH, but that cheap DH won't be Posada. Instead, Posada will hang up his cleats after having played all the way through his 40th birthday. Posada was drafted by the Yankees in 1990. He made his professional catching debut in 1991. He became a regular catcher in 1992. He remained a regular catcher through 2010. That's an unbelievable amount of regular catching, and the fact that Posada spent so long behind the plate makes his overall numbers more impressive. Whether or not Posada ends up in the Hall of Fame, he was one hell of a player for a very long time.

This weekend brought news that free agent and career New York Yankee Jorge Posada is planning to announce his retirement. The news doesn't come as a complete shock, given Posada's advanced age and diminished ability, but it'll still be weird to think of baseball without him in it.

Over at the New York Times, Tyler Kepner took the opportunity to reflect on the person that Posada has been throughout his entire career. A snippet:

When Jorge Posada signed his final contract, after the 2007 season, he had never been on the disabled list. This was a matter of pride for Posada, and considering the rigors of so many years as a catcher, a minor miracle.

But just four weeks into the next season, on a Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, Posada succumbed to the pain in his fraying right shoulder. He was scratched from a start 12 minutes before the first pitch.

There are many more snippets. Those are just the first two paragraphs. Read the rest, if you have some time. It's a different kind of article, especially at this time of year, and variety's the spice of life.