Jorge Posada

Jorge Posada
Posada with the New York Yankees in 2009
Catcher
Born: (1970-08-17) August 17, 1970 (age 54)
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Batted: Switch
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 4, 1995, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 28, 2011, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average.273
Home runs275
Runs batted in1,065
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and 1,065 runs batted in (RBIs) during his career. A switch hitter, Posada was a five-time All-Star, won five Silver Slugger Awards, and was on the roster for four World Series championship teams.

Drafted by the Yankees in 1990, Posada was originally an infielder before moving to catcher during his minor league career. He debuted in the major leagues in 1995, but it was not until 1998 that he found regular playing time. A solid-hitting catcher, Posada established himself as a mainstay in the Yankees lineup and as one of the "Core Four" players who contributed to the Yankees' winning seasons. In 2003, he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award and became only the second Yankees catcher after Yogi Berra to hit 30 home runs in a season. Posada added one of his best seasons in 2007 at age 37 when he batted .338. Following a stint as designated hitter in 2011, he retired.

Posada is only the fifth MLB catcher with at least 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs in a career.[1] From 2000 to 2011, he compiled more RBIs and home runs than any other catcher in baseball. He is the only MLB catcher to ever bat .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season.[2] Away from baseball, Posada is the founder of the Jorge Posada Foundation, which is involved with research for craniosynostosis, a birth defect that impacts his son.

  1. ^ Marchand, Andrew (January 24, 2012). "Yankees' Jorge Posada retires". ESPN. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  2. ^ "Jorge Posada Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved August 8, 2012.