I am a New York Yankees fan. I like everything about the organization from their tradition to their players to their management. My all-time favorite Major League Baseball player is Alex Rodriguez. So with this whole Jorge Posada controversy that erupted this weekend (Check Here) you are probably wondering, “Brent, who do you side with?”
Management 100%.
Things are still anything but rosy economic/job wise for our nation. Many people are out of work. Many people would kill for a job that would pay them $30,000 a year. With this in mind, it is so hard to support Posada’s decision to not play in Saturday’s game based solely on the fact that he was placed in the #9 spot in the batting order. Jorge, you are making $13.1 million dollars a year…if you are put in that lineup you better go out and give it 100% no matter what spot you are hitting in. I have very little tolerance for professional athletes with larger than life egos that correspond in no way, shape, or form to their production. As of today, Jorge Posada is batting .165. That is the single-worst batting average in the Major Leagues.
Ken Griffey Jr. did a very noble thing last baseball season. He realized that he could simply not cut it in the big leagues anymore so one day out of the blue he retired. No press conference, no shenanigans, no farewell tour. He left in a way that minimized all distractions. Jorge Posada is not even half of the player that Griffey was and look how he is acting. Jorge, do us all a favor (including yourself) and hang it up.
However, there are Posada supporters out there. In fact, some of these supporters are very prominent people in the baseball world. I want to address their opinions quickly.
Curt Schilling, former All-Star MLB pitcher was very vocal in the way he feels the Yankee management “mishandled” the Posada decision. Schilling says that Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman should never have told the press that Posada refused to play. They should have went along with some lame story that Posada’s back was bothering him. I am sorry, but there is no way a player deserves that type of protection after snubbing his team because he feels he is better than the #9 spot in the batting order. So what Curt was basically saying is that because Jorge has given the Yankees so many great years, he has to right to 1. Tell his manager to shove it and 2. Have his manager lie for him because he did not have the guts to play. That is bunk. Besides all of that, it is New York City. The press would have found out eventually that Posada never was injured. Better to come clean now.
The other opinion that is laughable at best comes from Derek Jeter. Jeter said today that Posada had no reason to apologize and that if he had done something wrong, Jeter would have told him. Well, if Jorge does do the right thing and retires, Derek knows he is going to be front and center on the list of aging Yankees who are no longer any good. So I guess it makes sense why Jeter said what he said but it is still funny because it is so easy to see through.
Jorge, next time you are up at the plate and you are just about to strike out on another fastball right down the plate, I have some advice for you: Don’t Blink.
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