May 16, 2006
HIP HIP JORGE!
I love Jorge Posada, the Yankees' regular catcher. He's been with the team a while; he's not outrageously paid; he's not a primadonna, although really none of the Yankees are--they know they'd be beaten down by the big city media too quickly. He's got an aura of the baseball journeyman, despite playing for the premiere baseball team in the world. He seems like an everyman.
By all accounts, Posada sucked last night against the Rangers. He struck out three times--twice looking--and flied out to left for exactly zero productivity at the plate as the Yankees lost 4-2. Behind the plate, however, there was a moment of sublimnity that made me sit up and flash back to the chaotic play of my Little League days.
In the top of the 8th inning, the Rangers' Blalock singled, sending a run home and the first base runner to second. Blalock rounded first and seeing the unsuccessful throw home headed towards second, where unfortunately his teammate Nevin, the DH, was parked and unmoving. So we have a baserunner between first and second, Posada the catcher is holding the ball, and, honestly, a lot of the infielders looked a little confused like "Is this the end of the inning? 'cause this layout doesn't make any sense". That is when Posada advanced towards Blalock across the infield, trotting, then running. After a rain delay due to heavy showers, maybe he was hesitant to throw a slick ball. And to Blalock's credit, he was screwed from the outset; there was no place for him to go. But there was Posada, tagging a man out on the base path between second and first base. I don't think I've ever seen a guy in catcher's gear venture that far out in the field. It was exciting. Hip Hip Jorge!
Tagged:Posted by Lexiphane at May 16, 2006 11:27 AM
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