• Report: Posada Asked Off The Yankees On Saturday

    Posted by on May 16th, 2011 · Comments (6)

    Via Bill Madden -

    In the heat of his anger and frustration Saturday night, Yankee icon Jorge Posada told general manager Brian Cashman that he not only wanted out of the No. 9 spot in the Yankee batting order – he wanted out of the Yankees, too, according to team sources.

    Being assigned to the bottom of the lineup by manager Joe Girardi was simply a contributing factor in the 39-year-old designated hitter’s overall frustration with a situation in which he is hitting .165, is consigned to fulltime DH duty and is believed to be dealing with a personal situation.

    “It was just something said in the heat of anger and frustration,” a source close to Posada said of the former catcher’s angry comments to Cashman and Girardi an hour before Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox. “He didn’t want out, and doesn’t want out. He was just frustrated and said a lot of things.”

    It was because of those comments that Cashman called a hastily arranged press conference in a work room behind press row during the game and also appeared on Fox’s national telecast to say that Posada had taken himself out of the lineup and that there was no injury involved. Posada later told reporters he was suffering from back stiffness.

    This all should make for an interesting passage in a book someday…for either Posada or Cashman, whomever writes one first.

    Filed under Off The Field News · ·

    Comments on Report: Posada Asked Off The Yankees On Saturday

    1. Raf
      May 16th, 2011 | 7:50 pm

      Well, I guess that answers my question about why it went from a press conference to Posada addressing reporters at his locker.
    2. Brent
      May 16th, 2011 | 9:15 pm

      10 (imaginary) dollars says it would be Cashman. For some reason, it seems like Cashman would have a LOT to say after he’s all said and done… and frankly, I would have to assume it would be an interesting read to say the least.
    3. MJ Recanati
      May 16th, 2011 | 11:04 pm

      The Yankees should’ve told Posada that if he wanted out so badly, he could go ahead and file his retirement papers.

      In any case, the Yanks should’ve cut him on the spot if that’s what he wanted. The team would be better off with Montero because at least there’s upside there. Posada’s a waste of space at this point.

      Out with yesterday’s trash, I say.
    4. Raf
      May 17th, 2011 | 7:06 am

      @ MJ Recanati:
      There’s more nonsense being reported, courtesy of the NYDN, about Posada refusing to catch in ST. This probably isn’t over.
    5. MJ Recanati
      May 17th, 2011 | 7:10 am

      Raf wrote:

      There’s more nonsense being reported, courtesy of the NYDN, about Posada refusing to catch in ST. This probably isn’t over.

      Posada refused to catch in spring training? I thought he made a big deal about how he wanted the chance to be more than a DH.

      Honestly, the Yanks should’ve DFA’ed him on Saturday.

      And, frankly, if all of this is true, it makes Jeter look even worse for sticking up for a guy that has clearly checked out.
    6. Raf
      May 17th, 2011 | 7:26 am

      MJ Recanati wrote:

      Posada refused to catch in spring training? I thought he made a big deal about how he wanted the chance to be more than a DH.

      From today’s NYDN

      According to Yankee sources, Posada was told by the team that in addition to his fulltime DH duties, he should also be prepared to catch an occasional game or in emergency situations.

      But sources claim that when Posada was asked to catch in a game in the spring, he declined, citing headaches and concern over the concussion syndrome he suffered after taking a foul ball off the mask the previous September.

      Monday, however, Posada adamantly denied he was ever asked to catch in a game this spring.

      “Not at all. Not once. A hundred percent,” he said. “Not even close. They told me to go to the bullpen and stuff so I caught in the bullpen every once in a while, but they never asked me (to catch in a game).”

      Again, I don’t know how allegiances run in the media, so I don’t know how accurate this is. I doubt that Posada would refuse to catch, and I’ve said in the past that I thought Posada would catch a few games this season as the 3rd catcher, even though he would be the primary DH. I also thought that he’d get some reps @ 1b.

      I think that even though the hatchet has been supposedly buried, we haven’t seen the last of this.

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