Jorge Posada pulled himself out of the Yankees lineup Saturday after he was dropped to ninth in the batting order by manager Joe Girardi, sparking problems within the team’s clubhouse according to a report. Jack Curry of the YES Network said on twitter “According to person briefed on Posada’s exchange with Girardi, Posada told mgr he was “insulted” about hitting 9th and “threw a hissy fit.” Curry added that the Yankees could begin docking Posada’s wages if he continues to refuse playing.
Posada plans to address the media after the game, but nobody knows why. There is some speculation that he may retire, but that would come out of nowhere. He is currently in the last year of a four-year deal with New York and he’s been struggling for most of the season. He entered the day batting .167 in 125 plate appearances, though he does have six home runs.
We’ll continue to update you on Posada’s status, but our guess is that he’ll apologize for what happened. This certainly would be an unexpected and dishonorable way to go out, and it wouldn’t seem befitting of Posada’s character. Furthermore, if Posada did indeed throw a fit over being dropped to ninth, I wouldn’t blame him. Here’s a guy who’s always been a big producer and is used to having success. But hitting ninth, even in the Yankees’ lineup, is viewed as an insult.
Posada probably believes he can still produce and that he needs the team’s support to overcome his struggles, not their insults. Frankly, I’d be ticked off and would probably have had an unpleasant reaction if I were in his shoes. The best thing would be for him to apologize, accept his role with the team, and do his best to turn things around. There still is plenty of time left in the season to do just that.
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