Jorge Posada

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Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1971) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.

Posada produced a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and 1,065 runs batted in (RBIs) during his career.

A switch hitter, Posada was a five-time All-Star, won five Silver Slugger Awards, and was on the roster for four World Series championship teams. Drafted by the Yankees in 1990, Posada was originally an infielder before moving to catcher during his minor league career.

He debuted in the major leagues in 1995, but it was not until 1998 that he found regular playing time.

A solid-hitting catcher, Posada established himself as a mainstay in the Yankees lineup and as one of the "Core Four" players who contributed to the Yankees' winning seasons.

In 2003, he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and became only the second Yankees catcher after Yogi Berra to hit 30 home runs in a season.

Posada added one of his best seasons in 2007 at age 35 when he batted .338.

Following a stint as designated hitter in 2011, he retired. Posada is only the fifth MLB catcher with at least 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs in a career.

From 2000 to 2011, he compiled more RBIs and home runs than any other catcher in baseball.

He is the only MLB catcher to ever bat .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season.

Away from baseball, Posada is the founder of the Jorge Posada Foundation, which is involved with research for craniosynostosis, a birth defect that impacts his son.

Early life and education

Posada was born on August 17, 1970, in the Santurce district of San Juan, Puerto Rico to a Cuban father and a Dominican mother. He attended Alejandrino High School in San Juan, where he participated in several sports, including baseball. He was named to the all-star team in 1988–89 as a shortstop. He also umpired for the girls' softball team.

Posada's SAT scores were not high enough for him to enroll in a four-year college. Fred Frickie, the head coach of the college baseball team at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama, recruited Posada without scouting him in 1991. Posada accepted the scholarship at Calhoun without visiting the school. He made friends on the team quickly. Posada has also spoken about the racism he encountered from classmates at the school. He was voted best hitter (1990), co-captain (1991), and selected all-conference (1991). He was inducted in the Alabama Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and Calhoun retired his number (#6).

Personal life

Posada's mother is Dominican and his father, Jorge Posada Sr., is Cuban, but fled to Puerto Rico to escape Fidel Castro's regime. Posada Sr. worked as a scout for the Colorado Rockies. His uncle, Leo Posada, played for the Kansas City Athletics.

Posada met Laura (née Mendez) at a party in 1997, soon recognizing her as the pitcher of the softball team in games he umpired. They were married on January 21, 2000. Laura, a former model and actress, works as an attorney. They have two children, Jorge Luis and Paulina. Derek Jeter served as best man at the wedding.

Posada's son, Jorge Luis, suffers from craniosynostosis, which he was diagnosed with 10 days after he was born. Posada established the Jorge Posada Foundation, which helps fund research and offers family support. Jorge released a charity wine in 2008 called Jorge Cabernet to raise funds for his foundation. In June 2011, his son underwent what Posada hoped would be the final surgery for the condition.

Posada wrote a children's book entitled Play Ball! that was published in 2006. He and his wife co-wrote Fit Home Team, a family health manual, and an autobiography titled The Beauty of Love: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing, which describes their personal ordeals and how they dealt with them after learning of their son's birth condition in 1999.

In 2014, Posada, along with José Contreras, filed a lawsuit against their former financial advisors, Juan Carlos Collar and Anthony Fernandez, alleging that they were scammed out of millions due to questionable investments and inside-dealing.

After Hurricane Maria had devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, Posada launched a relief fundraiser. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and wife, Wanda, also started a GoFundMe campaign for victims of the hurricane on September 21, 2017. By December, the fund had raised over $500,000.

Posada is a dedicated Christian, specifically Catholic.

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Professional career

Posada was drafted by the Yankees as an infielder in the 24th round of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft. Leon Wurth, the Yankees' scout, followed Posada while playing for Calhoun, and rated his bat and attitude highly. Posada also signed with the Yankees for a signing bonus worth nearly $300,000. The team has promised to keep him in their system for three years.

In his first season with the Oneonta Yankees in the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League, Posada had a.235 batting average and four home runs in 71 games played. Posada's lack of speed to remain an infielder led to the Yankees' dismissal of the game in 1992. Despite the fact that Posada initially opposed the career change because he didn't feel able to work full time, he said. He appeared for the Greensboro Hornets of the Class A South Atlantic League that year. He ended the season with a.277 batting average, 38 extra-base hits, including 12 home runs and 58 runs batted in (RBIs). Andy Pettitte was spotted for the first time while working together at Greensboro.

Posada, a full-time catcher who played in 1993, began the season with the Prince William Cannons of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He was promoted to the Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Class AA Eastern League after he hit 17 home runs and recorded 61 RBIs in 118 games for the Cannons. He received All-Star recognition from the Carolina League mid-season and post-season. Posada's defense was the most in the Carolina League during his 1993 season, with 38 passing balls.

In 1994, the Yankees moved Posada to the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League. On the year, he batted.240 with 11 home runs. In a home plate collision that ended his season, his left leg was fractured and ankle was dislocated, prematurely ending his season. Posada was batting.255 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs while recovering from the injury. Posada was included in trade negotiations with the Seattle Mariners in the hopes of acquiring Tino Martinez. The Yankees attempted to trade Posada and Mariano Rivera to the Cincinnati Reds for David Wells three weeks later, but the trade was not accepted. Posada batted.271 runs to Columbus in 1996. In the 1996 Triple-A All-Star Game, he appeared.

In 1995, Posada made his MLB debut with the Yankees, replacing Jim Leyritz in the ninth inning of a game on September 4, 1995. Despite being limited to one game during the regular season, the Yankees kept Posada on their postseason roster, and he appeared in Game 2 of the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) as a pinch runner, scoring a run. In five games against the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees lost the division series.

Posada joined Columbus in 1996 but was promoted to the Yankees late in the season. He appeared in eight games, his first appearance on September 25, 1996. Posada appeared in eight games in 1996, with one hitting and one walking. Posada did not make it to the playoffs, but the Yankees nonetheless won in the 1996 World Series over the Atlanta Braves. Despite not being on the 1996 World Series or any Postseason roster for the Yankees, Posada retained a 1996 World Series Championship ring from the Yankees.

Posada took over Leyritz in 1997 as the backup catcher to Joe Girardi, with Girardi acting as a mentor to Posada. Posada was supposed to appear in about 40 games in 1997; he began in 52. Posada appeared in 60 games during the 1997 season and batted.250 with six home runs and 25 RBIs. The Yankees returned to the Cleveland Indians in 1997 in the ALDS, but the team didn't win in the 1997 ALDS. The Yankees traded Posada and Mike Lowell to the Montreal Expos after the 1997 season; the Expos traded Marta to the Boston Red Sox instead.

Posada's offseason recruited a personal trainer and running coach to help with his physical fitness. Posada, a New York Yankee, pushed the Yankees to increase his playing time in the 1998 season. Posada was a student at the University of On May 17, 1998, David Wells' flawless game was broadcast. Posada batted.268 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in over 111 games in the 1998 season. For the fourth year in a row, the Yankees won the 1998 World Series in four games against the San Diego Padres.

Posada's deal for the 1999 season was less than the $650,000 he requested. Posada's in April was batting.146 and striking out 15 times in 46 appearances. After batting.210 at the All-Star Break, he batted.285 for the remainder of the season, ending the year with a.245 batting average, 12 home runs, and 57 RBIs. He also kicked 17 balls. Posada and Girardi split up playing time during the 1999 season, with Posada receiving "roughly 60% of the playing time behind the plate to Girardi's 40 percent." Posada won 379 at-bats in 112 games, while Girardi ran in 65 games with 209 at-bats. Posada saw more playing time in the 1999 offseason than Girardi, as the regular catcher. The Yankees won the 1999 World Series against the Braves in only four games against the Braves.

Girardi signed with the Yankees as a free agent after the 1999 season, allowing Posada to play as the Yankees' full-time catcher. With Girardi's resignation, the Yankees trusted Posada with the daily catch job. Posada batted.287, 86 RBIs, 107 walks, and 151 strikeouts in the 2000 season. Joe Torreta, the Yankees' manager, selected Posada for his first All-Star Game appearance of the season. The Yankees won the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets, a second season in the postseason. In 2000, Posada received the Silver Slugger Award for catcher.

Posada appeared in the 2001 MLB All-Star Game. Posada batted.277 with 22 home runs and 95 RBIs, but led the league in passed balls and errors among catchers for the season. The Yankees had hoped to win a championship in the second season, but they lost in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series. In 2001, Posada received his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award.

Posada's 2002 MLB All-Star Game began in Posada. He batted.268 with 20 home runs and 99 RBIs, and was grounded to an AL-leading 23 double plays. All catchers were caught in errors once more by him. The Yankees returned to the regular season in the 2002 ALDS to the Anaheim Angels, but lost in the 2002 ALDS. For the third season in a row, Posada received a Silver Slugger Award.

In the 2003 All-Star Game, Posada's catcher was back at catcher. He hit 30 home runs and drove in 101 runs in the season, both career highs. He batted.281 and finished fifth in the league in OBP (.405) and sixth in the league in walks (93; walking 17.5% of the time, a career high). He tied for the most home runs by a Yankee catcher in Yogi Berra. In the 2003 World Series, the Yankees returned to the postseason, but the Marlins lost to the Florida Marlins. Posada received his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger Award after the season. In the MVP poll, he came in third, behind Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado.

Posada's 2004 grounded into 24 double plays, the most in the AL, but the batsman batting.272 with 21 home runs and 81 RBIs. Despite leading the series three games to none after beating the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. Posada batted.262 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs in 2005. In the 2005 ALDS, the Yankees made it to the postseason for the second time, but they lost to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Posada's highest batting average and home run total since 2003 stood at 96 runs. With 20 pinch hits, he also led the major leagues. In addition, assisting him in raising his percentage of runners thrown out stealing second, which was almost 60 points above his career record. However, he led the league in passed balls once more. With 93 RBIs, he batted.277 and had 23 home runs. Despite falling behind by nine runs on May 16, Posada led the Yankees to victory, tying the Yankees to their first victory in franchise history. In that game, he had a +0.93 win probability, the highest of his career.

During the 2007 season, Posada batted.338, with 20 home runs, 90 RBIs, and career highs in hits (171) and doubles (42) during the 2007 season. He joined Iván Rodrez as the only two catchers in MLB history to reach at least 40 doubles in two seasons. He finished third in AL on-base percentage (.426), fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) (.970), and eighth in doubles and slugging percentage (.543). He came in sixth place in MVP polling this season and picked up his fifth Silver Slugger Award. Posada and Jason Kendall were the only catchers to watch more than 120 games per season from 2000 to 2007.

Posada became a free agent after the 2007 season. He turned down a five-year contract with the New York Mets. To remain with the Yankees, he has committed to a four-year, $52 million deal. Posada was represented in ACES Inc's discussions by Sam and Seth Levinson.

Posada was placed on the disabled list on July 21, 2008, the first time he had been put on the DL in his career. Posada is expected to recover from this injury in order to be a designated hitter or first baseman. However, the team decided to acquire Xavier Nady in order to give him enough time to function. Posada underwent surgery to fix a glenoid labrum in his right shoulder and was kept on the DL for the remainder of the 2008 season. In 51 games prior to the injury, he batted.268 with three home runs and 22 RBIs. During his absence, the Yankees finished third in AL East, behind the wild-card winning Boston Red Sox in third place. During Posada's career, the Yankees were the first and only season the Yankees were barred from postseason contention.

Posada's first regular-season home run in the new Yankee Stadium against Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians on April 16, 2009. Posada protested a pitch that was thrown behind him by Jesse Carlson during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 15, 2009. Posada walked and Brett Gardner scored on an RBI single later. After Posada crossed home plate, he smashed into Carlson and was later ejected after taunting Carlson. The Posada was convicted at Carlson, sparking a bench-clearing brawl. Posada and Carlson were both banned for three games as a result of their participation in the brawl. Posada's 2009 season saw a.285 batting average, 22 home runs, and 81 RBIs. Posada had a.276 batting average and two home runs in the 2009 postseason. The Pittsburgh Phillies won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Posada became the first Yankee since Bill Dickey in 1937 to reach a grand slam in back-to-back games in an interleague match against the Houston Astros in June 2010. Posada's 1,000th career RBI against the Kansas City Royals on July 23, 2010. Posada batted.248 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs in 2010. In the 2010 ALCS, the Yankees returned to the Texas Rangers in the postseason, but in the 2010 ALCS, they fell to the Texas Rangers.

Posada underwent arthroscopic surgery in his left knee to repair a torn meniscus during the 2010 season. Posada was promoted to designated hitter for the 2011 season due to his decreased defensive results, while Russell Martin became the new everyday catcher. Posada was moved to ninth in the batting order for a May 14 match against the Boston Red Sox, which came after an unfortunate 2011 season. Posada requested that he be barred from the team. Posada told reporters that he needed time to "clear [his] head" and that he also mentioned some "stiffness" in his back as the reasons for his request.

Posada's highest hit.382 in June, but he was suspended from the regular lineup in August due to his.230 season batting average. Posada went 3-for-5 in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 13, 2011, his first start since being benched. His grand slam was the tenth of his career, propelling him past Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle for sixth position on the Yankees' all-time list. Posada started second base in his major league career in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 22–9 victory over the Oakland Athletics on August 25, 2011, but Posada escaped by fielding a grounder. Posada played as a catcher for the first time this season, thanks to Russell Martin's and Francisco Cervelli's injuries. Posada had a.235 batting average, 14 home runs, and 44 RBIs in the regular season.

Posada's starting DH had six hits, including a triple, four runs, and four walks in 14 at-bats, for a.429 batting average and a.579 on-base percentage. In five games, the Yankees lost the series to the Detroit Tigers.

Posada said when asked by reporters after the 2011 ALDS if he had considered that he might have played for the final time with the Yankees, "I don't want to look at it like that." We lost, and we'll see what happens in the offseason." He eventually became ill and left the clubhouse area to compose himself as the interview process progressed. "This guy, when you take a look at what he did in this series, was amazing," Girardi said. He's had a fantastic career, and I'm sure he's going to continue to play, but I'm not sure what's going to be like." "But you talk about being proud of players -- what he did this year and what he gave us in the postseason — I don't think there was a prouder moment in my life of Jorge," Girardi continued.

Posada's interest from "five or six clubs" by November 2011, but not the Yankees. He was still undecided about whether or not he wanted to continue playing. Posada resigned in January 2012 after failing to work in January 2012. On January 24, 2012, the Yankees held a press conference announcing his departure from baseball. During spring training in 2013, he rejoined the Yankees as a guest instructor.

On August 22, 2015, the Yankees retired Posada's jersey number 20.

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