Bradley: Jorge Posada will be remembered as Yankee who wore heart on his sleeve

NEW YORK — Alike abaft a affectation Jorge Posada could never adumbrate his emotions. And his affection may accept been cloistral by a chest protector, but it consistently seemed exposed.

For 17 years, Posada laid it all out there for Yankees admirers to see. On the acceptable days, he smiled. On the bad days, he grimaced. Aback he acquainted he’d been disrespected by an opponent, wronged by an adjudicator or abject by a manager, Posada let you know.

“It’s who I am,” Posada said Tuesday as he clearly appear his retirement at a admirable columnist appointment at Yankee Stadium. “And I could never change that.”

Even on a day aback he was accustomed the aristocratic treatment. A day aback teammates accomplished and present came out to account him. A day aback Diana Munson, the added of the backward Yankee catcher Thurman Munson, batten of how it was Posada, a abrasive catcher who reminded her of her husband, who helped her abatement aback in adulation with baseball and the Yankees.

On a day area it was basically laid out that No. 20 will one day be retired and on affectation in Monument Park, Posada could not adumbrate the affliction of his final season.

“To not be able to catch,” Posada said. “To not be able to action for my job. That was boxy times.”

It was the absolute goodbye.

Because it wouldn’t accept been appropriate for Posada to change who he is for the occasion. He acquainted wronged that the Yankees would not let him get abaft the plate, not alike in bounce training, to action for the job he’d becoming aback in 1998, at the not-so-tender age of 26.

He batten Tuesday about axis the acrimony of actuality asked to about-face from additional abject to catcher in the accessory leagues into action to comedy the position well.

“I formed actual adamantine at the position,” he said. “Over time I took a lot of pride in my defense.”

Sure, the scouts were all in acceding that Posada’s arresting abilities had eroded. And by 2011’s end there was no agnosticism the Yankees casting agents had benefited from the assignment of Russell Martin abaft the plate. But that doesn’t beggarly Posada had to like it. His struggles to acclimatize to activity as the full-time appointed hitter alone fabricated affairs worse.

It’s well-chronicled by now, but there was the day in mid-May when, aloft acquirements that he was activity to be batting ninth adjoin the Red Sox, Posada asked out of the lineup. He was hitting .165 at the time and at aboriginal approved to say his aback was aggravation him. Later he added or beneath accepted it was a aching ego, saying, “I aloof had a bad day.”

In August, with the Yankees afresh adverse Boston, and Posada hitting .230, he was benched and told by Joe Girardi he may not be abiding to the lineup. Posada said solemnly, his articulation cracking, “Joe said he’s activity to put the best calendar on the field.” That day, it seemed absurd that Posada would anytime get addition allusive at-bat.

But Posada, a 24th-round abstract aces who aboriginal came to the big leagues in September 1995, but could not breach through as a full-time amateur until 1998, had fabricated it his brand to never accord abroad at-bats. Or annihilation for that matter.

And so it seemed for the blow of the season, every time he got a hit, he fabricated abiding it was a big one. There was a six-RBI bold adjoin the Rays on Aug. 13. A home run off Tim Wakefield on Sept. 25, as the Yankees helped lay the Red Sox to rest. He did abundant during the final ages of the division to acquire the DH atom adjoin right-handers in the postseason.

And there he was, putting up more good battles adjoin Justin Verlander and Doug Fister than best of his teammates. In 19 ALDS bowl appearance, Posada calm four hits and four walks.

“That showed his will to win,” said Girardi. “His passion. His fire.”

That’s how Posada should be remembered.

“It was boxy to see him go through his struggles,” said Derek Jeter, Posada’s abutting acquaintance activity aback to Columbus in 1995. “But it was additionally abundant to see him persevere. In the postseason, aback he was one of the guys advancing through for us, I was actual proud.”

And Posada accepted it was those at-bats adjoin the Tigers that “made it easier to go home.” He cried afterwards the Bold 5 accident to the Tigers in advanced of reporters, but would not accept that he’d accomplished the end of the road. Tuesday, Jeter said he had accepted “for some time” that the man he calls his brother was activity to alarm it a career.

“It’s activity to be hard,” Jeter said. “Not aloof on the field, either. He’s a guy I’ve been with off the acreage for a continued time now. A lot of lunches, you know?” Aback asked who would locker abutting to him now, Jeter joked, “I don’t know. I charge to see some résumés.”

Gary Denbo, one of the abounding Yankees advisers Posada thanked during his adieu speech, said of the accord amid Jeter and Posada: “I can still see the two of them at the barbecue table at the bush complex, aback no one abroad was around, apprehensive aback we could hit. Aback we could get to work. Those two collection anniversary other.”

Said Jeter, “I’ve consistently said that he and I anticipate the aforementioned way about the game. And aggregate Jorge feels, I feel the aforementioned exact way. I’m aloof more good at not assuming it.”

Posada never approved to affectation a thing. That’s what Yankee admirers will absence about him.

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