It's not that we should buy Jorge a watch. But anybody who's seen the public humiliations of Lenny Dykstra or Jose Canseco - not to mention the plucky Mr. Clemens - should save a bit of sympathy when a great Yankee limps off into the civilian sunset.
We saw it when Bernie left. He claimed he had another year in those knees. In the context of Lenn Sakata or Duke Carmel, he did; the hangers-on always get one last chance to hit .182, without defense, before heading into the automobile showroom or community college. The great ones get shown the door. And that's when it gets nasty.
Jorge Posada has always been baseball through-and-through, and Yankee through-and-through. What other player in history soaked his hands in urine to toughen the skin? He caught his entire career. If he'd moved to first base three years ago, he'd still be viable. We had Mark Teixiera. He had no place to go.
So it's time for the watch - or another uniform. David Cone refused to accept the truth. So did David Wells. They both put on Redsock uniforms and renounced the Yankees. Today, they pretend it never happened. (That's OK; we forgive them. But we don't forget.) It's hard to imagine Jorge doing such a thing. But why aren't the Yankees making it easier for him?
We need coaches. We need minor league managers. Everybody knows Don Mattingly is learning the craft in LA, prepping to take over for Joe Girardi someday. But what if it doesn't happen? Jorge Posada always had the fire-in-the-belly attitude of an MLB manager. He could lead the Yankees someday. He wants to stay with the team. We ought to make it happen.
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4 comments:
And he has a hot wife. Don't neglect how important that is to team and fan morale.
It's all been an insidious plot by Girardi, anyway. Jorge can't hit when he doesn't catch. Here and there, maybe, but not overall. And Girardi refused to let him catch because Jorge ignores Joe's pitch calling from the dugout. He got him out of there as soon as he could get away with it.
So Girardi sealed Jorge's fate. Mattingly would never have done such a thing. Neither would Torre, and I never liked Torre.
Maybe Girardi just wanted to emasculate his 'protege' so he could take a shot at Mrs. Posada. Kekich and Petersen had more honor.
Actually, I'd like to see him sign a 3 year deal with the Red Sox with a clause that he will catch at least 142 games.
Please don't say Don Mattingly will ever coach here. He's got bad juju. He comes to become our hitting coach, and the Redsox break the Curse. He plays for us in the 1980s, it's our only decade since we got Babe Ruth that we don't win a World Series. He leaves, we win 4 in 5 years. His wife lost her mind. The Dodgers went friggin bankrupt. The man is bad luck incarnate.
But bring on Jorge as manager. It'll keep the Captain happy. And he can translate for Pena.
Maybe he can't hit when he doesn't catch, but he can't catch when he catches.
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