I'm more convinced than ever that it was Jorge Posada who complained that his teammates had given up. Jorgie was interviewed for CenterStage today, and was pretty blunt.
Posada, who will attend Sunday's closing ceremony for Yankee Stadium, also acknowledged he has had trouble watching the bumbling Bombers fall from playoff contention in his absence, saying he watches "two, three innings, and can't watch any more.
"I haven't been watching the whole games. I really can't take it," Posada said.
Posada was even more blunt when it came to Pudge Rodriguez: "Pudge, he's my friend, but he's going to have to go somewhere else."
Hmmm. I'm not that wild about Pudge, but I think Jorgie really has to accept that it might be better for the team to have two starting catchers sharing the position. Even young catchers struggle to get through the long season without wearing down, and Jorgie's no spring chicken. Pudge clearly cannot play every day any more, so I don't think Posada has to worry about being replaced.
Ideally, though, the Yanks would get a young catcher of the future for Jorgie to mentor. Hopefully he could bring himself to do that.
Of course, the bit the press latched onto was what Jorgie said about Joba Chamberlain. He thinks he should be in the pen:
"Leave him in the bullpen," Posada replied flatly, before being asked to expand on his answer. "If you start him and he pitches 200 innings, he won't be able to (last).
"You're going to lose him. He's going to get hurt ... I don't see him as a starter. I'd leave him in the bullpen."
..."I said in the spring, seeing him as a reliever, I think his body is made to be a reliever," Posada said. "This year tells you a sign, a little sign. A little tendinitis tells you a lot. ... I don't see it."
Interesting. The Yanks want Joba to be a starter, and think he can be. But I don't know that I'd dismiss Posada's observations. He's seen an awful lot of pitchers come and go over the years.
And speaking of Joba...here's an
interview with his mother. She's something of a forgotten woman, and it turns out, it's not by her choice. It sounds like she's had some serious problems, but I can't help feeling sorry for her. (And Joba looks a lot like her.)
